Growing pains

Daily Sports Writer

Top high school wrestlers work endlessly to perfect their technique. They throw on excessive layers of clothing and run their hearts out because making weight is mandatory. They wrestle against the best, they wrestle against heavier competitors. And when all is done, some get their reward.

"It was like a dream come true," Michigan's 165-pound freshman Steve Sentes said.

He was not referring to winning prestigious tournaments such as the state title or national title. He was talking about the reward of walking into the wrestling practice room for the first time as a Wolverine.

The early days

Sentes will probably not be part of the Wolverines' starting lineup this season. The team is loaded with veteran leaders, returning All-Americans and even possible national champions. No true freshman is expected to start at Michigan, which is an unfamiliar position for Sentes and 125-pounder Shaun Newton.

"It's weird because I've never wrestled anyone for a position and I don't know how to act around that person when I am about to wrestle them," Sentes said.

Said Newton: "College actually makes me feel as though I am learning how to wrestle all over again, and I have to start at the bottom."

The stages of a wrestler's body development is also a factor in the transition.

"You are wrestling guys that are physically stronger," Michigan coach Joe McFarland said. "They are a little more mature and two to four years older than you. Some guys make the transition, some guys don't. It's a whole new level. No question about it."

Sentes feels he no longer has a training advantage that he enjoyed in high school.

"I was just one of the hardest working kids on my team. Now I feel like everyone works the same and I don't really feel like I am doing anything different."

The difference between high school and college wrestling starts in the practice room.

"Overall the intensity level is a lot higher," Michigan's 157-pound freshman Ryan Bertin said. "You are wrestling a lot tougher guys and you have got to be ready to pick it up to another level."

Prior Preparation

Bertin and 125-pounder Chris Rodrigues, both state champions last year, are the most highly regarded freshmen among the Wolverines. Bertin is from St. Edwards High School a wrestling factory in Ohio that also produced Michigan's 149-pound starter, Mike Kulczycki.

"I came from a program where the style was kind of a college style," Bertin said. "I was pretty well adept when I got here."

Despite winning three prep school national championships, a change in style was necessary for Rodrigues. "When I first got here it was totally different," Rodrigues said. "I wrestled more on the outside. I had more of these crazy moves that people really didn't know and I could trick people up, but these guys - they know all that, everyone knows that here."

Bertin and Rodrigues join the rest of Michigan's true freshmen in the redshirt boat. Both are happy to be in that situation.

"I know that if I started right now I would not be the best that I could be," Rodrigues said. "I know now that I can come in the next four years after this and I will be better than if I would have started this year."

Said Bertin: "I wouldn't be upset if I started," he said. "But there are a lot of good guys here and it will be a good year of learning for me. It's a nice option to have."

Foley Dowd knows that redshirting can be very beneficial. Last year NCAA third-place finisher Joe Warren started at 133 pounds while Dowd redshirted.

"After a year of wrestling, redshirting or not, you're going to come in the first couple of practices with a lot more confidence," Dowd said. "I think I would have done well last year (if I'd started). If you don't redshirt you still get a lot better."

Redshirts are expected to pay their way to open tournaments. "Sometimes those guys can get as many matches in as the varsity guys," McFarland said. "They have to do that stuff on their own. I say to the parents when I'm recruiting that I'm going to want their son competing."

The situation with Warren and Dowd that year was an ideal situation for McFarland. It gave the then-freshmen an opportunity to develop into an All-America, or perhaps even national champion caliber wrestler. Rodrigues and Bertin both have that level of raw potential.

Life off the mat

Finally, once all is taken care of on the mat, wrestlers still have to adjust to academics and social life at Michigan.

"The schedule is pretty structured. Wrestling and academics takes up a huge part of their day," McFarland said. "You shouldn't have much time for a social life. Some days we have morning practice, school, afternoon practice, study tables. Sometimes you have to finish up papers, and then you have to start the whole day over again."

Even with a structured day, life off the mat takes getting used to.

"Social life is what is killing me," Rodrigues said. "In high school I was kind of the party guy. I still am (a party guy) here, but I'm toning it down. The classes are bigger, but I wouldn't say tougher. Only the math is tougher because the teacher speaks in Russian and you can't understand what she is saying."

Being a part of the wrestling team definitely can be advantageous when making this adjustment.

"The guys are really supporting and helpful," Rodrigues said. "We all hang out. That is the one thing I noticed when I went on all my college visits. At other schools I was with one or two of them at the same time. At Michigan, if I was with one of them I was with all of them. It's like a big family it really is."

In addition to a family away from home, there are many incentives to wrestling at Michigan.

"You get rewards when you put in those days," McFarland said. "You become an All-American, a national champion, you get a great degree from the University of Michigan, what more can you say? It's a huge commitment but it is a very rewarding experience."

This year's freshmen can definitely help the Michigan wrestling program do something special.

"They are going to appreciate the effort that they put in," McFarland said. "Right now they are preparing themselves for later on. To meet those challenges later. It is a transition going from high school and developing into men."

ALEX WOLK/Daily

Chris Rodrigues (left) and Ryan Bertin (second from right) face tough obstacles in practice each day. As freshman, they have to deal with abuse from the elder Kyle Smith (second from left) and Andy Hrovat (far right).