Over winter break, the wrestling team didn't get much time off. The team was competing all over the country while most students were home regrouping from the fall semester.
No one ever said being a student-athlete was easy, but the Bulls (7-5) stepped up to the challenge, going up against some of the nation's toughest teams.
Junior Desi Green earned a solid 7-1 record in the 149-pound weight class over the break, increasing his career total to 92 wins. He is currently on pace to become the first junior in the program's history to reach 100 wins. However, Green's aspirations lie in becoming an All-American.
"[Being on pace] is a pretty cool feeling but I don't really focus on [getting 100 wins] that much," Green said. "You got guys with 100 wins but never reach that elite All-American status. I'm happy, but in the end I really want to get an [All-American] plaque."
Head coach Jim Beichner is a no-excuses type of coach, and he maintains that the Bulls should be able to beat anyone they go up against.
"I thought we matched up well against every team we wrestled out there," Beichner said. "Our mindset is that we need to win, no matter who we are up against."
The Bulls have been ascending the national rankings with a 5-2 record over the break. The National Wrestling Coaches Association recently took notice of the Bulls, and though they didn't crack the top 25, the Bulls received votes in the national coaches poll.
The Bulls began break with a loss against Bloomsburg (11-3) in their duals competition. However, they quickly recovered to beat Drexel (6-11) and East Stroudsburg (5-9). Sophomore Josh Peters went undefeated in the 197-pound weight class, while junior Desi Green continued his outstanding year with a 2-0 performance.
The Bulls went on to finish in 10th place in the prestigious Tournament of Champions at Reno, Nev. They then posted an eighth place finish at the Virginia Duals, where they beat Virginia (14-5) by the score of 24-12.
Some of Buffalo's finest moments over the past month came against Binghamton and Edinboro. The team dispatched of Binghamton (11-3) with a convincing 24-12 victory. In the final match over break, they avenged an earlier loss to Edinboro with a close 18-16 decision at Alumni Arena.
"I would definitely have to say that our performance against Edinboro [was one of our highlights]," Green said. "That was the first time we beat them in a couple of years… because we came together [as a team]."
Everything didn't go Buffalo's way over break and the team was forced to deal with some tough results. After a loss to nationally-ranked Michigan in the Virginia Duals, the Bulls faced off against Wyoming. Because of the injuries in the 197-pound and heavyweight classes, the Bulls lost against the Cowboys. They left the tournament with a 2-3 record.
"Falling short at the Virginia Duals [was a bit of a disappointment]," said junior John-Martin Cannon. "We try not to get too down on ourselves about the negatives, but losing to Michigan and Wyoming was definitely something we didn't have planned… Especially since we fell short at the end."
Junior Kevin Smith is one of the eight Bulls who earned a Mid-American Conference ranking for this month. Green, Cannon, and senior Jimmy Hamel were each ranked at the top of their respective weight classes in the coaches poll.
Cannon isn't completely satisfied with his achievements. He reached a milestone by earning 20 victories for three consecutive seasons. Despite this, Cannon feels that there's plenty of room for improvement.
"I've been losing to kids I have no business losing to," Cannon said. "I just focus on going out there and competing at the level I know that I can."
The Bulls are fully aware they are able to take the program to new heights this year, especially after their recent successes. The wrestlers believe that they are able to be at the top of the Mid-American Conference by the end of the season.
Beichner believes that is an example of the invaluable things they gained over the past few meets.
"[Overall] I'd say our team came out of the break with a lot of confidence," Beichner said. "They believe they're as good as any team in the country."
Check The Spectrum on Wednesday for coverage of the New York State Intercollegiate Championships at Binghamton.
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