Yesterday was a great first practice. Coach Beichner ran a great, hard workout. Overall it was a great team effort. However, there were a few guys that really stood out. I could go through the entire roster and tell you about great things that every single guy did today, but there were a pair of wrestlers that really caught my eye in the drill and a few that I was impressed with going live. Chris Conti and Justin Farmer started-off the year by setting an outstanding pace for the drill. Taylor Golba, Mark Lewandowski, and Brett Correll were all very impressive in the live part of the workout.
Chris Conti (Redshirt-Sophomore from Fredonia, NY) and Justin Farmer (Redshirt Freshman from New Lenox, IL) have been two of the hardest workers in their time at UB. They are two of the guys that individually do a lot of extra work to be great on their own because they want to be All-Americans. Chris has been a spot-starter in the past and has stepped in whenever needed at whatever weight class he has been asked to wrestle. His freshman year, he was sidelined with a serious neck injury. As a redshirt freshman last year, he started off last year at 133 pounds, but moved up to 141 and 149 for the betterment of the team. He has been a great student and role-model for the rest of the team. Chris is the kind of wrestler that coaches dream of coaching – focused and committed to the team in every way.
Justin Farmer, perhaps more than anyone last year, put in more extra workouts with the coaches individually than anyone. He wants to be an All-American in the worst way and trains like it on a daily basis. He is a very hard worker and tough kid. We are planning on redshirting him this year as he is moving up to 133 pounds from 125 pounds. He is doing a great job but has to get more confident in his ability. Once he does that, the sky is the limit. Both Chris and Justin have very bright futures at UB and beyond.
Taylor Golba is a 125 pound redshirt-sophomore from right here in Buffalo. He was going after it hard and has really stepped it up this year. He has committed to dropping back down to 125 pounds after redshirting at 133 last year and going 8-4 on the year. Two years ago, he was a part-time starter at 125 pounds and won 11 matches. He had a great drill with Mike Soria and brought an intensity to the room in live wrestling with Soria and Farmer that I’ve never seen from him before. Keep an eye on Taylor and don’t count him out.
I talk to the guys about coming into practice every day with a purpose and I discuss their daily goals with them a lot. Mark Lewandowski really came in with a purpose today. He wanted to dominate everyone he wrestled; he wanted to break his opponents. He did just that yesterday. He physically and mentally broke two different partners in the practice with his short offense and attacks. Mark is also a redshirt sophomore and is from just down the road in Lancaster, NY. He wrestled at 141 pounds two years and started for us with a 14-11 record. Last year, he redshirted at a more natural weight of 157. Even though he battled some injuries, he soldiered to a solid 11-4 record. Lewandowski is poised for a breakout 2010-2011 season at 157 pounds.
Brett Correll of Shelby Township in Michigan is also a redshirt-sophomore that had a great workout yesterday. He was a full-time starter as a true freshman that won 15 matches in 2008-2009. Last year, he was the starter again at the beginning of the year but was hurt after the second tournament. He finished last season with a 6-4 record and received a medical redshirt for the season. He is 100% healthy and ready for a great year. Look for Brett to surprise a lot of people this year. I have always said that Brett could be great if did just a little better job of managing his time so he could get the most out of every workout. He’s done a good job in the past, but he really is making the most of everything this year. He has made a total commitment to being great, which is what it takes to be a Division I All-American. He is stronger, leaner, faster, more focused, and better than he has ever been. Today, he set a great tone for the rest of the season with his outstanding work ethic. Brett is going to be our “heavyweight closer.” He will be ready to win with the match on the line; watch for him to come-up for us big in close matches.
We will continue to give you more updates from the wrestling room as the season progresses. Check back for more information, video, etc. throughout the week.
Coach Beasley
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