Lee Vs. Glory
The first topic of discussion is the dual meet between Iowa and Princeton. Iowa came out on top, winning 31-10. Beginning with the 125lb match between defending NCAA National Champion and No. 1-ranked Spencer Lee and No. 21-ranked true freshman Patrick Glory. Spencer Lee defeated Patrick Glory by an 18-2 Technical Fall. Glory still managed to put on an impressive performance against one of the best wrestlers in the country. Despite Glory’s impressive performance, Lee was still completely dominant during the match. Ben and Matt discuss his ability to routinely score a takedown and near fall in the first minute of a match. They also examine his ability to power through tough situations with what appears to be unrivaled strength at the 125lb weight class.
Lugo Vs. Kolodzik
Conversation shifts to the match between Matthew Kolodzik of Princeton, the No. 1-ranked wrestler at 149lbs and Iowa’s Pat Lugo. Kolodzik scored a reversal and a takedown late in the second period to beat Lugo by a 7-4 decision. Discussion focuses on Kolodzik. After being taken down and giving up near fall late in the third period during the Wisconsin dual and having a less than stellar performance against Lugo, Kolodzik hasn’t looked like a dominant No. 1. Despite this, Matt still believes Kolodzik to be one of the most intelligent wrestlers on the mat. He has the acuity to know when to push his opponent, often scoring in the final 30 seconds of a period. The conversation closes with praise for Princeton’s Head Coach Chris Ayres who has done a fantastic job with the program in recent years and could possibly make a run for the Ivy League Championship.
Nebraska Vs. Wisconsin
No. 18 Wisconsin upsets No. 12 Nebraska with a 22-21 victory by criteria. The conversation shifts back and forth between praise for Wisconsin and questioning why Nebraska has been struggling and looks so out of shape. While it is still early in the season, excluding Tyler Berger, many of Nebraska’s supposed breakout stars such as Isaiah White, Chad Red, Taylor Venz, and Mikey Labriola have all struggled so far this year. Chris Bono and Wisconsin still deserve praise after the match though. They came out ready to wrestle and have had a very good start to their season.
Arizona State
Next, No. 17-ranked Arizona State. The Sun Devils dropped two big matches this past weekend to North Carolina and Ohio State. Ohio State, Despite not having Kollin Moore and Myles Martin due to the U23 World Championships, still came out with a win. After two losses in the early season, Ben and Matt begin to speculate Arizona’s future. It’s been four years since Arizona’s big No. 1 recruiting class and this could be their year to shine. But, it hasn’t been a good start.
Going back to RUDIS Wrestling Podcast #9, Matt talks about how he had to give a recruiting edge to Ohio State and Cornell, as they are culturally established programs that are expected to recruit and perform well every year. It is clear Zeke Jones, who was appointed a head coach for ASU just 4 years is trying to create a similar culture with similar expectations inside his wrestling room. With steady improvement in talent and ranking over the past few years, Arizona is on the cusp of routinely breaking into the top 10 and hopefully capturing a team title in the near future. Their success is dependent upon their ability to, not only recruit high-level talent but the ability to develop next level talent inside their room and pray that their recruits stay healthy and at the top of their game.
Virginia Tech
Finally, the podcast closes out with conversation about No. 9 ranked Virginia Tech losing two matches over the weekend. First to No. 7-ranked Missouri and a big upset by No. 25-ranked Northwestern.
Where to find the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast
The RUDIS Wrestling Podcast is hosted by Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan. Ben Askren, World Champion, and Olympic wrestler, joins RUDIS from the T-Row & Funky Show in an official partnership as a content provider for all things RUDIS. Matt Dernlan joins from a D1 college coaching background with family roots grounded in Ohio wrestling with a collective 10 state titles on the shelf.
