It's no secret that Division-I athletics is struggling here at UB. The football team has won one game all season and the men's basketball team is coming off a 5-23 season.
The UB wrestling team however, could very well be the school's diamond in the rough and the antidote for the doldrums.
The Bulls went 9-6 last season, while taking home the New York State team championship title and sending two wrestlers to the NCAA championships. And while few students seemed to notice, the team wrestles every match with the same intensity.
"We do this because we love the sport," said Bulls head coach Jim Beichner. "We would like fans to come and support us. But, if there are 20 fans there or 1,020 fans you're going to get the same effort from our guys."
With a roster full of newcomers, this year's Bulls are looking to improve on last season's success.
Buffalo's lineup will feature six newcomers, led by Lock Haven transfer Edward Pawlak, a two-time NCAA Championship qualifier. Pawlak has already been named the top ranked wrestler in the Mid-American Conference at 174 pounds.
Other new additions are Mark McKnight who will be the starter at 125 pounds, 149-pounder Jody Ashline, Nick Rausenberger at 165, Garret Hicks, a 184 pounder, and heavyweight Greg Thomas. McKnight and Ashline are true freshmen, while Rausenberger and Hicks are getting their first shots in the starting lineup. Thomas was a Junior College All-American last season at Nassau Community College.
"We've been working hard and we've been training hard, and we think we're in very good condition," said Bulls head coach Jim Beichner. "We're young, so we know we're going to make mistakes. We want to make up with it on the work ethic side. So when you make a mistake you can come back and beat him even though he may be better."
Rounding out the Bulls lineup are returning starters Kyle Cerminara, Dave Edwards, Cliff Smith and Mike Trotta. Cerminara is the Bulls' leader, having been an NCAA qualifier in 2001. Meanwhile, Edwards, Smith and Trotta are all returning starters who add plenty of talent and experience to the Bulls lineup.
UB opens their season with the Oklahoma Gold tournament this Saturday in Brockport. The tournament gives UB an opportunity to match up with some of the best competition in the nation.
"We don't wrestle this tournament because it's in Brockport," said Beichner. "We wrestle it because it's the Oklahoma Gold Classic. Good schools are there. Oklahoma, Ohio State, Army, Cleveland State."
The UB wrestlers are excited for the opportunity to face off with the competition.
"There are some real good teams out there and a lot of top ranked guys," said Edwards. " It will give us a chance to see where we stand alongside some of the top team's in the country."
"We've trained really hard for this," added Smith. "We're excited to get out there and show what we can do."
While the tournament will be a barometer of where the team stands right now, Beichner said that the team is always working toward winning the MAC and NCAA championships.
"Our focus is on the MAC championships and NCAA championships," said Beichner. "Everything else is a pop quiz. They're something we use as a tool to improve our guys. And we use for them to focus on what's important - win the MACs, qualify for the NCAA Tournament and get up on the All-American stand."
The Bulls will have their home opener at 7 p.m. on Tuesday when they host Binghamton in Alumni Arena.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
