Five grapplers headed for MACs

For wrestling head coach Jim Beichner, the 2004-2005 season has been all about the big picture.

While fielding a roster that contains no seniors and only two juniors, Beichner's goal all season long has been to prepare his young Bulls for the Mid-American Conference Championships. Five of Beichner's athletes are going: Jake Blowers, Mark Budd, Garrett Hicks, Mark McKnight and Harold Sherrell.

With the MAC tournament set to begin today, Beichner feels his guys are ready for the challenge.

"I think they're fresh and they're feeling good. They finished the season with a positive which is nice whenever you have a tough season like that," said Beichner. "As far as preparation is concerned we're where we want to be. Our guys know who they're going to have to beat. I think our guys are definitely ready physically and mentally to go in there and wrestle well."

Going into the MACs, the Bulls have a roster loaded with hungry wrestlers who have a fighting chance to qualify for nationals. Among the quieter of these grapplers is 184-pound junior Garrett Hicks.

In his last four matches, Hicks has faced three nationally ranked wrestlers, two of which are seated above him in the MAC.

"It's going to be a very tough tournament, I believe there are 17 or 18 guys in the MAC that are ranked in the country and we take 19 qualifiers (to the national tournament)," said Beichner. "I guarantee there are going to be a lot of guys fighting hard to get into one of those spots."

Hicks has been a solid performer for the Bulls all season, wrestling two tough matches against top-notch MAC wrestlers. Although he wasn't able to claim the victory in either match, Beichner believes Hicks may be the dark horse at 184 pounds.

"Garrett has had a very good second half. He is very capable of winning a MAC championship. There are three guys in his weight class that are ranked in the top 15 in the country, he's beaten one of them, he lost by a point to another and he lost in overtime to the third," said Beichner. "You've got to be thinking about Garrett Hicks right now because he is wrestling well."

At 125 pounds, the Bulls will send out nationally ranked Mark "The Hammer" McKnight. McKnight is the only member of the Bulls line-up who has won a MAC Championship and is seated second going into this year's tournament behind Central Michigan's Luke Smith.

"McKnight has had a rough year. He has wrestled 13 or 14 guys that are nationally ranked this year, he has had the single toughest schedule of any guy I have ever coached," said Beichner. "Throughout the year he has been struggling with that a little bit but right now I see him bouncing around in the wrestling room and I see him excited. He's wrestling well, he's healthy and I think he is mentally ready."

Sophomore Mark Budd, the Bulls' starter at 133 pounds, has been on a hot streak as of late, finishing his season on a nine match-winning streak. Budd enters the tournament ranked third in his weight class.

"(Budd) sees now that he can compete with anyone in the country, he's wrestled people that are ranked one, two, five, 10 whatever. He knows he's not that far behind," said Beichner. "He will have to have a really good game plan going into this tournament to qualify, he will have to beat one person he has lost to, probably two, and in both cases he will have to figure out how to beat those guys."

In addition to Hicks, McKnight and Budd, the Bulls have two other wrestlers ranked in their respective weight classes.

At 165 pounds, sophomore Jake Blowers is ranked fourth and at 197 pounds, fan favorite Harold "The Cobra" Sherrell, is ranked third.