Last Call
February 18, 2005 03:05 PM | General
February 18, 2005
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Even though tonight’s match against Cleveland State will be his last one at the WVU Coliseum, West Virginia senior Greg Jones says he won’t be misty-eyed and feeling nostalgic.
 |
||
| Greg Jones faces Cleveland State Friday night in his final home match of his Mountaineer career.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks photo |
“I’ll save all of the emotional stuff for the banquets and things like that,” said Jones, the school’s only two-time national champion.
But the school’s most famous wrestler does admit it will be a special night for him. “I’m really going to miss wrestling at the Coliseum,” he said. “We haven’t had many matches here this year so that makes it even more special.”
It’s safe to say West Virginia University coach Craig Turnbull is going to miss his prized 184-pounder next season. In many respects, Jones is to West Virginia University wrestling what Jerry West was to Mountaineer basketball.
"Based on his accomplishments," Turnbull says, "Greg would have to be on the short list among the greatest athletes in school history."
In addition to being the school’s first-ever two-time national champion, Jones can become the Eastern Wrestling League’s first three-time NCAA champion and just the 39th wrestler in NCAA history to do so. He is looking to become only the 20th wrestler in NCAA history to win multiple titles at two different weight classes.
There’s more: He is 37-1 against nationally ranked wrestlers and has never lost an EWL match in either dual-meet or tournament play, compiling a 26-0 dual-meet record heading into tonight’s match.
Pitt coach Rande Stottlemyer is among those appreciative for what Jones has done carrying the EWL banner. “He has done a lot for the league,” said Stottlemyer, now in his 27th season at Pitt. “And it’s not just his wrestling but the way he carries himself in such a classy manner. He is a good person to be around and is well respected across the country.”
Amazingly, Greg has only been taken down 10 times in 121 career matches on the way to a 117-4 (96.7 percent) career record.
Jones either has or is close to having just about every school record.
Despite having such a tremendous career, Jones is somewhat disappointed in the way his senior season has turned out.
West Virginia, ranked 10th to start the season for just the second time in school history, has fallen on hard times due to injuries that have literally decimated the team. Six preseason starters, three of whom were nationally ranked, have missed either all or most of the season and that has led to a 4-6-1 dual meet record heading into tonight’s finale against Cleveland State.
The injuries have forced Jones to adapt and change his focus a little bit.
“Being that it was my senior year we had big plans as a team and for various reason some things have gotten in the way of that,” Jones said. “After all of this has happened it’s just a matter of me stepping back and reevaluating which direction to go in. After a while we’ve started to turn it into the right direction with some young guys stepping up.”
For Jones, ‘reevaluating’ means directing most of his brainpower toward the national tournament.
“Even throughout the season regardless of what happens I think you always have to have your eye on the prize … you’re training for March,” Jones said. “This is the time of the year that is when it really gets fun and this is the time to turn it on because it really counts.”
In past years Jones has been battle-tested and prepared for the national tournament. This year is a different story. During his sophomore and junior campaigns Jones faced 24 nationally ranked wrestlers during the course of the season. Because he missed both the Midlands Tournament and the Las Vegas Invitational due to injury and the sudden deaths of both his grandfathers, Jones was not able to meet the best wrestlers in his weight class. Consequently, he has only gone up against four ranked wrestlers heading into the postseason this year.
Last night against Edinboro, Jones pinned his opponent in just 13 seconds. However, the Slickville, Pa., resident believes he’s getting ample preparation for nationals.
“I’m confident that I’m getting the work done in the room also to where I’ll be prepared to wrestle anybody at any given time,” he said.
And believe it or not, Greg is just one part of the Jones wrestling family that has carved a significant niche in West Virginia University and Western Pennsylvania wrestling circles.
Older brother Vertus was an NCAA runner-up in 2000 and younger brother Donnie joins the WVU program next year after having already won two PA state titles. Donnie is the nation’s top-ranked 152-pounder and the seventh-best overall prospect. Greg says Donnie is going to have to do it on his own like he did following in his big brother Vertus’ footsteps.
“My approach to it and I’m sure Donnie will have the same approach is that he’s going to have to pave his own way,” Greg said. “He’s going to come in here next year and he’s going to have to figure everything out for himself and really try to establish who he is rather than try to do what I did or what Vertus has done.
“Dealing with (great) expectations is what he’s dealing with in high school right now,” Greg said.
As Jones reflects back on his five years at West Virginia (he redshirted his freshman season) he admits the time has flown by.
“You don’t believe it, especially coming in as a freshman,” he said. “That first season is so long but then after that it seems like everything just flies by.”
Following the national tournament, Jones says he will take a week off and then began training for the 2005 U.S. Open. His ultimate goal is to make the U.S. Olympic Freestyle Team.
“I’m going to get right into the freestyle circuit as soon as this year is over,” he said. “I’m going to take a year off from school to help myself make that transition to international wrestling and once my first year is over I’m then going to get my master’s degree.”
“He has competed with, and fared very well, in USA Wrestling competition against the best in the land. Greg has been to the Olympic and World training camps and has his sights set on the 2008 Olympic Games,” said Turnbull.
Jones, recently honored as the Hardman Award winner as West Virginia’s top amateur athlete, says being compared to other WVU sports legends is both gratifying and pleasing.
“Right now I try not to let that get in my way. But I am honored to be mentioned in that same light,” he said.
"It’s obvious that Greg is a gifted athlete. But it’s his work ethic that sets him apart from everybody else across the country. He is one of the few wrestlers that can combine the two and remained focused for seven minutes every time out on the mat,” said Stottlemyer.
For those of you that have never seen Greg Jones on the wrestling mat tonight is your last chance to do so. It is a sight worth beholding.
