Ohio (1-0) will take the mat this upcoming Saturday evening at the Convocation Center versus Wisconsin (1-0) in a single dual match. Previously, Ohio last performed against the Morgan State Bears at home and won in dominant fashion.
The Bobcats opened their season at home with a monster 44-2 win over the Bears, with almost every wrestler getting an opportunity to show out.
All of the Bobcats’ wrestlers were excellent in each of their matchups, especially redshirt seniors Zayne Lehman and Sal Perrine. As for Wisconsin, it was also a force to be reckoned with in its first match. At home, they showed the visiting North Dakota State Bisons no mercy in their 36-3 victory.
For the Badgers, standout performances in that particular match include redshirt seniors Cale Anderson and Joseph Zargo, and redshirt junior Braxton Amos. Both Zargo and Amos landed on the Intermat national rankings this week, and they will be a handful for Ohio and head coach Joel Greenlee.
Although Wisconsin is a part of the Big Ten Conference and is projected to have multiple NCAA qualifiers, Ohio likely won’t back down when the contest commences.
This early into the season, a matchup with an opponent such as the Badgers, will put Ohio to the test to see just how mentally and physically strong each wrestler is for both teams. Win or lose, this experience for the Bobcats will be excellent, especially for the freshmen who haven’t faced competition like Wisconsin before.
The match against Wisconsin this weekend also provides Ohio with a rare opportunity to host a premier program in Athens in any sport. The Badgers just missed the top 25, receiving 21 votes in the coaches' poll, good enough to be the No. 26 team in the country.
The Badgers have a strong history as well, as the program was established in 1911, making it well over 100 years old. In the years Wisconsin wrestlers have been hitting the mat, the Badgers have produced over 100 all-Americans and four Olympic wrestlers.
The Bobcats have a very solid team this year, led by Perrine, Lehman and senior Garrett Thompson. If they are able to pull off the upset, it would be a historic win for Ohio, overcoming a titan of collegiate wrestling.
Match Information
Opponent: Wisconsin Badgers
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: The Convocation Center
Where to Watch: ESPN+
Wrestler to watch (Ohio): Garrett Thompson
The redshirt senior from Murrysville, Pennsylvania has been making a lot of recent headlines for Ohio University’s athletic department. Thompson was ranked #8 nationally at 174 pounds. Last season, he started for the Bobcats at 165 pounds but soon transitioned to the 174-weight class. Thompson went 10-1 in dual meets and 7-1 against MAC (Mid-American Conference) competition. He’s the type of wrestler that nobody wants to go up against in his weight class, and if he performs Saturday, Wisconsin will have its hands full with him.
