Back on the mat

Emerging from a season of growing pains, the UB wrestling team is set for a new year with a more experienced lineup featuring the welcomed return of the only athlete in UB's Division I-A history to have earned full All-American honors.

All-American senior Kyle Cerminara will be back in the ranks at the 197-pound weight class and will act as one of the teams' four captains, giving the Bulls vital experience that they lacked last season.

"It hasn't changed yet," head coach Jim Beicher said about his team's maturation. "We're going to find out real soon if it has changed. Our leadership is a year older and definitely more mature and I think they understand the role that they play."

Cerminara touts a career record of 98-30 and has been seeded in the top ten of the country in five different preseason polls. "The Homeboy," as announcer Ed Michael has dubbed him, chose to red shirt last year with the hopes of bringing home the program's first national title.

"We all think that he is capable of winning a national title," Beichner said. "We've got a tough schedule for him. The Oklahoma Gold is the first chance for him to wrestle a No. 2 guy and we're looking forward to that match-up. I have worked out with him and I don't think I have felt him as strong, as fast or as mentally mature as he is right now."

Although Cerminara is ranked fourth in the country in the Olympic rankings, he has only been ranked as high as fifth in college polls.

"I don't put a whole lot of stock in it," Cerminara said. "I think I should be ranked higher but I have the whole season to prove that I am better than my rankings. I don't think that the people that do the rankings put a lot of stock in the freestyle circuit. I beat some of the best guys in the world last summer. I guess a lot of times it is easier to catch the guy at number one. It gives me something to shoot for."

The other three grapplers that will take over the Bulls' captain duties are junior Mark Budd, senior Garret Hicks and senior Harold Sherrell.

Budd will come back to the Bulls after his first full season as a starter at the 133-pound weight class. Budd struggled at the beginning of last season before turning an important corner in the middle of year when he lost by a mere three points to the No. 1 ranked Shaun Bunch of Edinboro University. Following the close match, Budd went on a tear and ended the season with a 23-16 record.

"Right now, Mark Budd is looking very good," Beichner said. "We don't plan to have any issues other than who is going to back him up and who is going to red shirt."

Hicks will come back to the 184-pound weight class as a starter for the second consecutive year. In his first full year as a starter, he showed promise while wrestling tough against nationally ranked opponents.

Sherrell will be taking on yet another new weight class, his third in his career, this time at heavyweight position. Now weighing-in at approximately 225 pounds, Sherrell started his career at 184 pounds, before filling in at 197 pounds for Cerminara last season.

"He has wrestled heavyweight at 200 pounds and he is 25 pounds heavier than he used to be," Beichner said. "A 225-pound heavyweight is a little on the light side but what he lacks in size (he) makes up for in flexibility, and he is particularly strong on top."

Having made the adjustments before, "the Cobra" isn't worried about stepping on the mat against bigger competition.

"It is nothing different than any other year," Sherrell said. "It's going to be an adjustment but I'm confident that I will be alright."

Also returning for the Bulls and looking to regain starting spots are sophomore Dana Gingrich (141 pounds), junior Pat Lloyd (149), sophomore Mickey Moran (165), junior Jake Blowers (165) and sophomore Nate Rock (174).

Although the Bulls are deeper in the 141 and 149 weight classes than any other place in the lineup, they will take a hit with the loss of sophomore transfer Ryan Needle. Needle came to UB this year after two years at Ohio State University. However, he was scheduled to have shoulder surgery Wednesday and will not be able to participate in the upcoming season.

"We expected him to be competing for a starting spot and he blew his shoulder out," Beichner said. "He did for a third time about a week ago. He was determined and he had the right attitude but his shoulder wasn't stable enough."

The Bulls will travel to the Slippery Rock Open on Saturday for individual competition before beginning their team schedule on Nov. 12 at the Oklahoma Gold Classic held at SUNY Brockport.