Finishing the Job
March 15, 2007 09:42 AM | General
March 15, 2007
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Before the 2007 wrestling season began sophomore Brandon Rader and junior Jared Villers had two simple, yet lofty, goals. Rader would settle for nothing less than to put himself in a position to repeat as All-American in year two for West Virginia. And for Villers, 30 wins was his mark to measure the success of his season.
They haven’t reached their goals yet, but the good news is they still have three days left to accomplish them.
One last shot.
That is the reward for 330 collegiate wrestlers who qualify for postseason competition. And for Rader and Villers, that second season begins in Detroit, Mich., at the 2007 NCAA Wrestling Championships.
West Virginia qualified seven wrestlers two weeks ago at the Eastern Wrestling League championships. Rader and Villers claimed individual titles at 141 and 197 pounds respectively to lead the Mountaineers to a runner-up finish.
The duo will look to add another title to their resumes this weekend, but have traveled different paths to secure it.
Minor Setback
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| Brandon Rader |
Wrestling devotees ranked Rader among the nation’s best following a stellar freshman campaign. The Parkersburg, W.Va., native became the first true freshman to earn All-America honors in school history last year after a sixth-place finish. He completed the season with a 30-6 record, going 7-1 against ranked opponents.
For Rader, reaching the podium as a freshman was something he never second-guessed.
“I’ve always had the mindset that I know I can do it,” Rader said. “I’ve had success at the high school level and finishing as an All-American wasn’t a big surprise.”
He started his sophomore season ranked as high as third in the country. Living up to his billing, he rattled off nine straight wins to take home titles at the West Virginia Open and Navy Classic.
Then in December, a slight tweak in Rader’s knee quickly put the season on hold. He tore his lateral collateral ligament in the first round of the Las Vegas Invitation. Rader fought through the pain to finish the match, taking a 5-2 decision as his only loss of the season.
He would return to the lineup and finish the season, but missed valuable matches at the Midlands Classic – one of the nation’s top tournaments -- and three dual meets to the flu and an infection in his finger.
The injury-riddled season left Rader to compete in 20 matches, a low number of outings for most NCAA participants.
“It’s better than none. I think most guys would like to of had more mat time and more matches,” said the business major. “On the positive side, though, it wasn’t as grueling on my body to compete all season long. Everything is healed up and we’re in the final stretch of getting prepared.
“I feel pretty fresh heading to Detroit.”
Drive for Five
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| Jared Villers |
Villers makes his third trip to the national tournament after transferring from Illinois State where he played football in 2003. The Akron, Ohio, native has been WVU’s most consistent performer this season, registering a team-best 25 wins and 39 dual meet points.
“The goal was to win 30 matches this year,” said Villers. “I have 25 right now, so five more would be pretty good. I did lose five matches this year but I’ve learned from them all.”
Three of his five losses were decided by one point. But being close is far from where Villers and his coaches want him to be.
“Being ‘right there’ isn’t good enough for him or us either. Now it’s time to start beating those guys,” said head coach Craig Turnbull. “Hopefully having that experience during the year he’ll now be ready to get that extra point or two at critical moments to win. The season is about learning and taking that learning and you get the best out when it’s most important to you.”
“It’s really a matter of me turning things into a win instead of holding on during the match,” explained Villers. “I was ahead in the matches I lost. I can’t put it in cruise control. I need to put it in fifth gear and win those matches.”
Five straight decisions over the next three days would give Villers his coveted national title, but a top-eight finish is enough to earn All-American honors.
First Round Foes
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WVU’s First Round Matches 133 – Mark Anderson,
12-16 (WVU) |
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