Young 'M' wrestlers headlock competition

The underclassmen of the Michigan wrestling team gained "a little more confidence and a lot more experience" this weekend at the McMullen Open in Muskegon, Mich.

The Wolverines had several weight division champions at the freshmen-and-sophomores-only event. Freshmen Mike Kulcyki, Charles Martelli, Kyle Smith and Matt Brink all took first in their respective weight classes.

"All of our champions were aggressive," Michigan assistant Kirk Trost said. "I was happy that they didn't give their opponents a chance to come back in any of the matches."

The Wolverine grapplers were not allowed any University of Michigan affiliation because the McMullen Open was only a scrimmage, and did not count toward the team's record. But the absense of 'Michigan' on their uniforms didn't stop these Wolverines from performing well.

"Overall the guys performed well on their own," Trost said. "Even the guys who didn't place, got good experience because some guys had to compete in as many as eight matches."

The McMullen Open, which began after an hour-long delay, lasted from 10:30 Saturday morning until 9 - unusually long for most tournaments.

"The length of the tournament was a little unusual, but good," Trost said. "Because of its length our endurance was really tested."

Trost seemed encouraged that the Wolverines were learning from practices.

"The things we work on in practice were evident in Muskegon. Everyone showed good conditioning. This tournament was a good chance to see where the younger guys are."

11-16-98