“They are great partners,” Wade said. “When you wrestle guys like that, you have no choice but to get better. It’s an amazing situation that I never thought I would be in.” Two of Wade’s partners are in his weight class this weekend. Sigman’s victory in April gives him a bye into Saturday’s final, where he will meet the winner of the challenge tournament. Anspach, who finished fifth at the U.S. Open, is in the challenge tournament. Past NCAA champions Tommy Rowlands and Steve Mocco and former world bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev also qualified for the trials. “Those are the guys that I looked up to when I was young,” Wade said. “I watched them whenever I could, and now I get to be in the same tournament and compete with them. It’s an awesome feeling. It’s something I have worked for.” The trials extend a long year for Wade. After his folkstyle season at the NCAA Championships, Wade took a week off before beginning preparations for the U.S. Open. The tournament was contested near his Twinsburg, Ohio, home, and he stayed with his parents for two weeks before returning to State College last month.
Wright’s year has revolved around freestyle training. He redshirted in 2009-10, so he trained to peak at events such as the U.S. Open, University Team Trials and World Team Trials. Two weeks ago, he defeated NCAA finalist Mack Lewnes of Cornell to win the University Team Trials. The division includes wrestlers ages 20 to 25. “Beating a good, quality kid there let’s me know I’m right there with the best guys,” Wright said. “I have a lot of momentum and taking sixth at the U.S. Open made me say, ‘Hey, I can hang with these guys, I’m right there with them.’”
Wright’s freestyle season included a victory over two-time NCAA champion Chris Pendelton at the U.S. Open. Pendleton, Jake Herbert, Keith Gavin and Max Askren are NCAA champions who could enter Wright’s weight. Herbert, a two-time NCAA champion at Northwestern from western Pennsylvania, won the U.S. Open. Former Penn State wrestler James Yonushonis, who trains at the Ohio Regional Training Center in Columbus, also competes at 84 kilograms. “My goal is to definitely win,” said Wright, who turned 21 on Wednesday. “I don’t go to a tournament without the expectation of winning it. I believe I can if I perform my best every match. But if that doesn’t happen, I know this will help me grow. I’m still young and have tons of years ahead of me.” The NLWC is bringing a talented contingent to Council Bluffs, which sits across the Missouri River from Omaha, Neb. Varner is one of the favorites to emerge from the challenge tournament at 96 kilograms while Teyon Ware is competing at 66 kilograms (145.5). Sanderson and Cunningham are expected to attend the trials as coaches. “Casey Cunningham gives me a real good feel for guys that I will be wrestling,” Wright said. “Varner is the next class up and he gives me a feel for bigger guys. And Coach Cael also helps me out with the bigger guys.”
Former Penn State wrestlers Bubba Jenkins and Pat Cummins also qualified for the freestyle trials. Former Bald Eagle Area wrestler Justin Millard is competing at 96 kilograms in the Greco-Roman tournament. Millard won the Armed Forces tournament earlier this year.
Thanks to Guy Cipriano and the "Centre Daily Times" (State College, Pa.) for the article