2006-07 WRM at Body Bar Invitational -- Notes & Quotes
11/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
N O T E S
The Wolverines have finished among the top two in both career appearances at the Body Bar Invitational. In its first trip, U-M captured the title and boasted three individual champions.
Michigan earned 16 of its 33 tournament wins with bonus points. The Wolverines tallied four falls, two technical falls and 10 major decisions. On the other side of the coin, U-M wrestlers allowed bonus points in just two losses.
Freshman Chris Diehl claimed his first collegiate victory in the wrestlebacks with a 12-1 major decision over Ithaca's John Paxos.
Junior/sophomore Tyrel Todd's back-to-back falls in the preliminary rounds doubled his career total from his first seasons combined. Prior to this weekend, Todd owned one career pin.
Q U O T E S
U-M Senior/Junior Captain Eric Tannenbaum
On earning the tournament win ... "My first tournament last season was Vegas, and I didn't really do as well as I was expecting. I was the top seed, and I didn't really pan out and win it. So, it's nice to win this tournament because, while it wasn't a huge tournament, there were quite a few good teams and tough guys here. This was important to me."
On his championship match ... "He really kind of used the same strategy that a lot of people use against me, which is to wait for me to shoot and try to catch me. So, I wasn't terribly satisfied with how the match ended, because toward the end, in the third period, I wasn't being as aggressive as I should have been. That's something that I need to continue working on. As a fourth-year competitor, I should be widening the gap. (Steve) Anceravage is a good wrestler, but I definitely think I could have done a lot better. I was doing really well in the first two matches and incorporating a lot of the things that Joe (McFarland) and I had been working on, but for some reason I was a little more flat-footed and hesitant in the final."
U-M Junior/Sophomore Steve Luke
On feeling strong after climbing to 174 pounds ... "I feel good and strong. You'd think since I moved up two weight classes that I would feel like everyone was stronger than me, but it hasn't been that way so far. I've felt in control through the most of my matches. I stay in good position; that's what I try to focus on during my matches. It doesn't matter who you wrestle or what weight you are, as long as you keep good position and don't let them get inside."
On winning his first two tournament appearances ... "It's good to get these early matches in, because I'll probably be seeing a lot of these guys throughout the year. It's important to get this experience and get off to a good start, but it's still early and we really haven't yet begun."
U-M Junior/Sophomore Tyrel Todd
On feeling a year more experienced ... "I feel a lot stronger than I did last year, but I still like to approach matches as though I'm the underdog. I've learned a lot as far as getting my body ready, eating the right things, getting my body prepared and feeling good before matches. I felt I did a good job with that over this tournament. Confidence plays a big part. My confidence is a lot better this year, and it's still building. I think that's the most important thing."
On the Wolverines' emphasis on tournaments this season ... "We had very few tournaments last season, and I don't think I was very prepared for the national tournament. I wrestled well at the Big Ten tournament, but the national meet really blew me away. I think it's great that we're competing in more tournaments this year. It gets our bodies used to the grind of a lot of matches, and mentally it helps to be in these tournament settings."
Players Mentioned
