At State, 'M' grapplers continue preparation

By Jeb Singer

Daily Sports Writer

EAST LANSING - At the Michigan State Open this weekend, Michigan coach Joe McFarland reflected on what he has seen thus far this season.

"It's still early. This gives us a chance to see where everyone's conditioning and technique is. It is also a chance to win," McFarland said.

Four Wolverines won individual open titles: Mike Kulczycki (149 pounds), Otto Olson (174), Andy Hrovat (184) and heavyweight Matt Brink. Three Michigan wrestlers took second: Foley Dowd (133), Clark Forward (141) and Joe Degain (197). Each lost in the finals to a wrestler ranked in the top six nationally.

"We are head and shoulders above other teams in terms of conditioning," Olson said. "We worked out really hard this summer and this is where it pays off."

McFarland said that the team needs to continue to be ready to wrestle as soon as the whistle blows - "I can't stress intensity enough," he said.

In the 141 pound final, Forward may have been a little slow getting started against Michigan State's senior Mike Castillo.

"It's kind of disappointing to lose in the finals," Forward said. "I really don't think I got enough shots off early."

In the 133 pound final, redshirt freshman Foley Dowd lost 3-2 to Michigan State's Pat McNamara, who finished fifth at the NCAA tournament last year. McNamara seems to be immune to Wolverine wrestlers - last year he never lost to 3rd place finisher Joe Warren. Unlike some of the Warren-McNamara battles, yesterday's match was never really in doubt. McNamara led 3-0 late in the third period and Dowd's takedown was somewhat of a gift.

Overall, Dowd and Forward have demonstrated that they can compete on the college level. One teammate who they have managed to impressed is Hrovat.

Forward and Dowd "don't doubt themselves, and this is key to competing in college," Hrovat said. "I didn't win this tournament my freshman year and I was still an All-American."

Dowd and Forward both lost to Michigan State wrestlers and will have a chance at revenge in a dual meet Dec. 8.

"I know what I need to do to beat him," Forward said. "It is hard to have to wait two weeks. Next match I will get at him right off the bat."

Olson also looked at this weekend's results as a preview of the upcoming intrastate showdown. Michigan State finished with four champions as well.

"We really wrestled the style we needed to," Olson said. "It is going to be really interesting to see where Michigan State and we are in two weeks."