Heading into Sunday afternoon's match up with No. 5 Central Michigan, Ohio coach Joel Greenlee intends to instill a singular mindset into his 6-15 team for its last regular season dual meet.
We've got nothing to lose
he said. They're supposed to beat us as a team. They're probably favored in most weights. So we just go in there and kind of throw caution to the wind.
It might be easier said than done, but last weekend's double-header performance gives the Bobcats some reason to be optimistic. After defeating North Carolina, 22-20, to snap a five-meet losing streak, they also performed competitively against West Virginia in a 28-13 loss.
The Chippewas will be the sixth Ohio opponent currently ranked in the Top 25. They have slowly worked their way up from a No. 12 ranking in mid-December to the No. 5 position they hold now. For Ohio's many freshmen, facing top-tier opponents has become easier as the season has worn on, 184-pound freshman Erik Schuth said.
You get more used to it he said. It's a part of it.
Kevin Christensen, a 149-pound sophomore, said he and his teammates know Central Michigan is a perennial powerhouse, but the win over North Carolina has boosted the team's confidence at practice.
It gives us some motivation
he said. It helps us to work harder in the wrestling room.
The Bobcats took off Saturday and Sunday following the split double header Friday, but Greenlee said the team was energized at practice on Monday. The excitement level was still high on Wednesday when sparring partners Christensen and Germane Lindsey (141-pound) became the focus of the practice room with a heated and competitive mock match.
Greenlee said it's been the goal of the coaching staff all year long to encourage that kind of mentality on the practice mats.
We're trying to develop to where we can wrestle hard each time on the mat
he said. If you wrestle hard
good things happen. You start winning matches. That's where we're at right now.
Sunday's match also gives Ohio a final opportunity to pinpoint areas of concern before the Mid-American Conference Tournament March 7. The Bobcats have lost all four previous MAC dual meets this season, but Greenlee said he's more concerned with preparing his team for the postseason.
Each of the last four or five weeks
I think we've gotten a lot better
he said. You go in there and hope to find out
'Where am I at going into the MAC Tournament?' We still have two weeks after (the CMU dual meet) before the MAC Tournament
so we can make some changes.
