NCC Wrestling Tournament, Bison focused on a fast start

The Forum, Fargo, North Dakota

03/01/1997

NCC Wrestling Tournament, Bison focused on a fast start, They'll need it if they want shot at title in wide-open NCC race
By Jeff Kolpack

North Dakota State will know by lunch time Sunday its fate at the North Central Conference Wrestling Championships. The Bison are hoping the food stays down this time.

NDSU is one of four teams with a legitimate pre-tournament chance at the title, which starts at 10 a.m. and finishes with finals at 6:30 p.m. at the University of North Dakota's Hyslop Sports Center in Grand Forks. South Dakota State and Nebraska-Omaha appear to have the upper hand. But the Bison and Northern Colorado also have a decent deck.

"It's wide open, as good as it's ever been," said St. Cloud State coach Steve Grimit. "And that's good for all of us. Again, we're proving that we're the nation's best conference." The Bison were the best of the best 12 times from 1982 to 1994. NDSU took second in 1995 and fourth last year, the worst finish for coach Bucky Maughan since 1970.

But unlike last year, the Bison have taken their good personnel and done something with it. NDSU should get two top rankings at tonight's seeding meeting with Mark Pazdernik at 158 and Ryan Wolters at 190.

The Bison will also be in good position with Jeff Kapusta at 126, George Thompson at 134, Jason Cuperus at 142 and Wayne Mooney at 150.

"We need a good first round," Maughan said. "This is the most wide-open tournament I can remember for a long time. I'm going into this saying, hey, if we have a good day, we can win it." The wide-open field is a result of every team having at least one or two solid title threats. Only three wrestlers are considered solid favorites: St. Cloud State's Andy Riegstad at 150, Omaha's Corry Royal at 177 and South Dakota State's Ryan Resel at heavyweight. UND's Erin Razo is a decent favorite at 118.

"We've always had good finishes at the end of the year," said SDSU coach Jason Liles, "and we're doing the same things we've done in the past." Northern Colorado is looking for a strong finish after an inconsistent season.

The Bears had plenty of NCAA Division II all-Americans returning from last season, but they are still looking to piece it together.

"We had a screwed-up season with injuries, we had a lot of problems all the way around," said UNC coach Jack Maughan. "The nice thing about this is the conference carries so much pressure to get people through to nationals that it doesn't matter how the season went." The so-so season will leave UNC with several middle-of-the-road seeds with wrestlers capable of performing like top seeds. That could throw the tournament inside out.

"A big twist," Liles said. "We haven't seen them in so long. It looks like they're up and down but fully capable." UNC's Tony Benallo, a returning national runner-up, is back at 142 after a season lost to injury. "We've been protective," Jack Maughan said. "His whole thing is to get back to nationals." The Division II national tournament is March 14-15 at NDSU. The Bison would like nothing better than to qualify most of their roster. That's the goal. If it results in an NCC title, then all the better.

It won't be easy. Consider this regular-season dual matchup: SDSU was beaten by Omaha a day after Omaha was beaten by Mankato a week before NDSU beat Mankato.

Confused? That's the state of the NCC heading into Sunday.