Wrestling
Ohio State Wrestling: October News & Notes
By Kevin Schlosser

When Ohio State University starts classes in the fall, wrestling season is just around the corner. Like many of the elite programs, the majority of the Ohio State wrestlers have been working out all summer and the first day of practice is more of a formality than a beginning. When the coaches come back in the room and the freshman join the fray, the season starts anew as the weights start coming down and the competition heats up.

Like the wrestlers, the coaches have been hard at work as the season draws near. College wrestling recruiting is big twice a year with the early signing period in November and late signings in the spring. Tom Ryan and staff have hosted a number of the top wrestlers in Ohio and across the country for official visits. While the focus of any visit is the wrestling program, the recruits have got to tour the school, the facilities, and watched some great football games. Anyone notice the Buckeye wrestling highlights on the big screen during a football?

Ohio State coaches Tommy Rowlands and Joe Heskett each represented the United States at the 2007 World Freestyle Championships and placed fifth. In addition, Lou Rosselli served as an assistant coach for the US Senior National Freestyle team. One week after the international event, Joe Heskett was diagnosed with a serious heart condition and elected to undergo surgery that ended his competitive career. Heskett is expected to rejoin the team prior to the season.

In what is sure to be another exciting season, the Ohio State wrestling team has a number of items of interest as the season approaches.

Ohio State Wrestling: National Rankings

W.I.N. Magazine recently released their preseason team rankings and Ohio State enters the season ranked eighth. Defending national champion Minnesota is ranked number one and leads nine Big Ten teams in the top fifteen. Ohio State finished the year tenth. The Big Ten produced the 2007 national champion, five teams in the top ten, and nine teams in the top eighteen.

W.I.N. Team Rankings

1. Minnesota
2. Iowa State
3. Iowa
4. Cornell
5. Oklahoma State
6. Missouri
7. Nebraska
8. Ohio State
9. Michigan
10. Central Michigan
11. Northwestern
12. Penn State
13. Wisconsin
14. Illinois
15. Indiana
16. Edinboro
17. Oklahoma
18. Hofstra
19. Chattanooga
19. Navy

Individual Preseason Rankings:

As the wrestling season nears, there are a number of publications putting out their preseason individual rankings. With four returning All Americans and five national qualifiers, the Buckeyes are getting respect as a team and as individuals.

W.I.N. Magazine included five Buckeyes in their preseason top-twenty individual rankings; senior T.J. Enright is twelfth at 133 pounds, junior J. Jaggers is sixth at 141 pounds, sophomore Lance Palmer is fourth at 149 pounds, sophomore Mike Pucillo is fourth at 184 pounds, and senior J.D. Bergman is fifth at heavyweight.

Amateur Wrestling News (AWN) also featured five Ohio State wrestlers in their initial rankings of the year; T.J. Enright is seventh at 133 pounds, J. Jaggers is sixth at 141 pounds Lance Palmer third at 149 pounds, Mike Pucillo is fourth at 184 pounds, J.D. Bergman is eighth at heavyweight.

2007-2008 Ohio State Wrestle Off Update:

Ohio State has announced that their first varsity wrestle off of the season will be open to the public on October 25, 2007. The event is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. in St. John Arena. The wrestling team will be split into two squads, the Scarlet and the Gray. Individual match ups and additional information will be updated as released.

While not automatic starters, winners of the individual wrestle offs are expected to have the inside track on opening the year in the varsity lineup. The final line up will be determined by the coaching staff in early November after another month of practice and preseason competition.

The Buckeyes return to their roots when they welcome back two former head coaches as honorary coaches for the evening. Casey Fredericks will coach the Gray while Chris Ford will lead the Scarlet. Fredericks amassed a 136-133-13 record between 1948 and 1976 with one national champion and seven All Americans. Ford compiled a 115-92-4 record between 1977 and 1978 with one national champion and five All Americans.

At the same time, Ohio State will also be hosting the Ohio State Wrestling Coaches’ Association for their annual coaches’ clinic on October 25-26, 2007 at St. John’s Arena. Coaches in attendance will be admitted to the wrestle off as a part of their clinic.

2007-2008 Ohio State Wrestling Depth Chart:

Ohio State enters the season with at least six starters and as many as five open weight classes. All four of their 2007 All Americans are expected back in the lineup and eleven wrestlers return with at least one year of varsity experience. The Buckeyes lost only one starter to graduation but injuries, changing weight classes, competition, and transfers have combined to reshuffle the Ohio State depth chart.

Will Livingston and J.D. Bergman are both looking to move up a weight class this year. As a result Livingston is likely to redshirt behind Enright and Humphrey while Bergman’s move to heavyweight probably means a redshirt for Corey Morrison. At the same time their moves also created openings at 125 and 197 pounds. Chris Vondruska graduation was known, but the transfer of Ryan Patrovich and the medical waiver for Blake Mauer were not anticipated so the Buckeyes also begin the year with openings at 165 and 174 pounds.

Ohio State signed the top recruiting class in the country and they are expecting at least two true freshmen to start and two more to have the opportunity to compete. Nikko Triggas and Colt Sponseller are the preseason favorites to start at 125 and 165 pounds. Sean Nemec and John Weakley will have the opportunity to wrestle off at 157 and 197 pounds but each must beat returning lettermen to crack the line up. Three year letterman Alex Picazo is projected to fill the void at 174 pounds while redshirt sophomores Zach Weinrich and Jason Cook are the favorites at 197 pounds.

2007-2008 Ohio State Wrestling Roster

125 Nikko Triggas (F), Bo Touris (F), Pat Harrington (F)

133 T.J. Enright***(r-Sr), Reece Humphrey* (r-Jr), Will Livingston* (Soph)

141 J. Jaggers** (r-Jr), Reece Humphrey* (r-Jr)

149 Lance Palmer* (Soph), Jason Johnstone** (r-Jr)

157 Jason Johnstone** (r-Jr), Sean Nemec (F)

165 Colt Sponsellor (F), Wes Bergman* (r-Sr)

174 Alex Picazo*** (fifth-Sr), Tommy Priestley* (r-Sr)

184 Mike Pucillo* (r-Soph), Alex Picazo (fifth-Sr)

197 Jason Cook* (Soph), Zach Weinrich (Soph), John Weakley (F)

285 J.D. Bergman*** (fifth-Sr), Corey Morrison** (Jr), Jesse Campbell (F)

* Varsity letters earned

2007-2008 Ohio State Wrestling Schedule:

The Buckeyes are scheduled to face three teams ranked in the top ten in dual meet competition and nine of the top sixteen teams in the country. Ohio States opens the regular season with Rutgers at home and hosts dual matches with Wisconsin, Iowa, Penn State, Michigan and Edinboro. The Buckeyes have road duals at Kent State, Indiana, Purdue, Michigan State, and Minnesota.

The Buckeyes will pick up a lot of experience and exposure this season in tournament competition. At the Chattanooga Duals, Ohio State will face division III Anderson University, division II Cumberland University, and host UT-Chattanooga. While an individual tournament, the Buckeyes will see a number of ranked wrestlers at the Las Vegas Invitational. At the Ohio Duals, the Buckeyes will face host Ohio University, UNC-Greensboro, and division II Findley.

Ohio State and Big Ten pride will be on the line at National Duals with the Buckeyes joining Minnesota, Northwestern, Iowa, and Michigan to face a field of national powers that includes Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Hofstra, Missouri, Cornell, West Virginia, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. Ohio State concludes the season with the Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis and the NCAA Tournament in St. Louis.

2006-2007 Ohio State Schedule:

Preseason:

10/26 Ohio State Varsity Wrestle Offs

11/3 Notre Dame College (A)

11/10 University of Tennessee Chattanooga Duals (A)

Regular Season:

11/26 Rutgers (H)

11/30-12/1 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational

12/10 Wisconsin (H)

12/15 Ohio Duals (Ohio University hosts)

1/03 Kent State (A)

1/12-13 National Duals (Northern Iowa hosts)

1/18 Iowa (H)

1/25 Penn State University (H)

2/1 Indiana (A)

2/3 Purdue (A)

2/8 Michigan State University (A)

2/10 Michigan (H)

2/16 Edinboro (H)

2/24 Minnesota (A)

Tournaments:

3/8-9 Big Ten Tournament (Minnesota hosts)

3/20-22 NCAA Tournament (St. Louis; Missouri hosts)

Class of 2012 Update:

Ohio State recently received a verbal commitment from Austintown Fitch senior Tony Jameson

A three time defending Ohio state champion, Jameson has won titles at 103, 119, and 135 pounds. He is expected to compete at 140 or 145 this season and projects to wrestle at 141 or 149 pounds at Ohio State next year.

Oak Harbor senior Cody Magrum was the first wrestler to commit to the class of 2012. After winning two state championships at 171 pounds, Magrum is likely to wrestle 189 pounds this season and projects as 174 or 184 pound wrestler at Ohio State.

Return to the-Ozone Columns and Features

Return to the-OZone Front Page