Wrestlers' season crippled by injuries

JEANNIE SERVAAS/Daily 142-pound sophomore Gyhandi Hill competes in a Jan. 29, 1997 match. The wrestling team was plagued with injuries last season.

It started in August and never really stopped. The injuries kept piling up for the Michigan wrestling team (6-3 Big Ten, 10-5 overall), and by the end of the season, they were worn out.

At the NCAA championships in March, where they placed 25th, the Wolverines had four competitors. Of those four, only No. 3 seed Jeff Catrabone (167 pounds) placed in the top eight, earning All-American honors for the second consecutive year. Unseeded Chris Viola (118 pounds), No. 3 seed Bill Lacure (150 pounds) and No. 6 seed Airron Richardson (heavyweight) each lost in the third round of their respective consolation matches.

"Placing third was probably the second-best that I could have done after losing in the quarterfinals," Catrabone said. "My old coach told me that the real man is always the one who comes back and takes third."

Although he wrestled well throughout the tournament, Viola was competing with an injured shoulder, which required surgery after the season. Viola lost his first match of the tournament to No. 2 seed Teague Moore of Oklahoma State in sudden-death overtime. He was eliminated from competition by Big Ten champion David Morgan of Michigan State.

"If anybody on our team stepped it up and wrestled to the best of his ability, it was Chris," Michigan coach Dale Bahr said at nationals.

Lacure was sick during NCAAs, but both he and Richardson, who were All-Americans going into nationals, did not wrestle to their abilities, partly due to a long season. The Wolverines started seven true freshmen, putting extra pressure on the junior tri-captains (Lacure, Catrabone and Richardson) to succeed. Lacure's regular season record was 25-6, while Catrabone was 27-3. Richardson complied a 24-4 record during the season.

"All year (was) a struggle to keep our head above water," Bahr said at the tournament. "Most of the year, they did. The kids hung in there and hung in there, but I think it takes its toll. I think mentally it wears on you. Finally, at the end, when it's the big time, you should be fresh and ready to go. You should be thinking real positive, and when you've been struggling all year, it's hard to get up."

The first sign of trouble came in late August, when the team found it would be without All-American Brandon Howe (126 pounds) who underwent season-ending shoulder surgery. After Howe's injury came the news that 134 pounder Brian Aparo could be lost to an elbow injury, also requiring surgery.

Then, freshman Damion Logan, who was filling in nicely for Howe with a 15-4 record, separated his shoulder at the Dec. 8 Las Vegas Classic. Also requiring season-ending surgery, he was replaced by classmate Mat Warner.

Teya Hill (142 pounds) was coming back from a knee injury, while Viola's shoulder was a hindrance to him late in the season. At the conference championships, 158-pound Otto Olson suffered an injury to his collar bone, while 190-pound Frank Lodeserto separated his shoulder. At season's end, redshirt Luiey Haddad also underwent shoulder injury.

"Any time you have a single injury to a starter, it hurts your team," Lacure said. "We had multiple injuries throughout the year. We have a lot of good talent and hard workers. Next year, the sky's the limit.

"I remember back to my freshman year and how one year can make all the difference in the world. It gives them an idea of where they need to be. The experience and maturity is really important."

Howe is currently trying to get another redshirt year, which means that next season would not be his last. Either way, he knows the team's oldest members (Howe, Lacure, Catrabone and Richardson) are going to need to step it up as much as, if not more than, this season.

"I'm fired up," Howe said. "We came in with a good class. We're the old men on the team, and we have to pick up the slack for the younger guys."

As far as the team's lone All American, Catrabone looks to his last season to be his best.

"We've got two superstars coming back in Brandon and Logan," Catrabone said. "We're solid from 118 pounds to heavyweight, and we should be in the top five. I want the team to be in the top two, and I want to be a national champ."

09-03-97