3rd Open Practice _ Andew's Report

Last Saturday I finally made it to an open practice.  All these years as a wrestling fan and OSU supporter I never managed to get to one before this.  Well, it was well worth the trip and I doubt I'll miss another.

This was a particularly good one to watch, just days before what promises to be an exciting battle for line-up position at Wednesday night's Intra-squad Meet.  The first thing you notice walking into the wrestling room...the heat is cranked.  Then it rises another several degrees once the workout gets going.  Some of us in the stands started peeling off jackets and sweaters.  If we were a bit uncomfortable, I'm sure the athletes have grown accustomed to it.  By the end of practice most guys literally looked like they'd just climbed out of a swimming pool.  I chuckled at the splats and plops their shirts made when they struggled out of them for cool down laps at the end.

Running laps at end of practice

Once warm ups, brief review, and some hard drilling were complete, the live wrestling started.  And just...kept...going.  I honestly lost count of how many matches they wrestled, each with a new partner, and each ending with a sudden victory period.

Highlights for me included Meeks and Hanke battling in two separate overtime bouts.  Hanke scored in the first one, but it wasn't easy, and Meeks wasn't happy about it.  Never mind his considerable weight disadvantage.  A few matches later they met again, with a different outcome.  The other matches were finished and guys were on water break.  But Hanke and Meeks were still at it, neither wanting to lose.  After several close calls by each guy, Meeks finally got the hard-fought takedown.  Hanke was not pleased.

Another tough match somewhat unexpectedly occurred between Mangrum and freshman, Jordan Henrickson.  Henrickson is long and lanky which can often prove frustrating for a more compact wrestler like Mangrum.  It was the final match of practice, everyone but these two already jogging laps.  However, neither wrestler could gain the advantage.  Period time limits were abandoned as Coach Z called stalemate and reset the athletes many times.  I'm sure the jogging teammates wanted the match to end as much as the competitors did, when finally Mangrum locked up and put Henrickson on his back.  It speaks to the roster's depth when the highest ranked guy in the room is challenged by one of the newest guys on the team.  Joey Palmer is another new face that drew my attention with his work ethic and driven effort.

It was great to see thirty-some guys working so hard, for so long, with such sustained intensity.  The veterans and rookies alike.  I believe we are in for a big season, Beaver fans!

Andrew Stanfield
OSU Announcer
FALL Board Member