While most University students were relaxing and reconnecting with friends and family over the long winter break, Cardinal wrestlers were in the trenches of the January season. The tournaments from the beginning of the season and the early loss at Rhode Island College were left behind, and Wesleyan began 2008 by battling some fierce competition. Weeks of training and preparation brought the team to this point, and the Cards rose to the occasion.

First up in the month of January was the North/South Duals at Ursinus College that drew competitors from various schools. Picking up the first dual-match victory of the season, Wesleyan defeated Johns Hopkins 22-14, in a contest highlighted with a pin by Josh Wildes ’08 at the 133-pound weight class.

The rest of the day could have gone better for the Cardinals. The 49-0 loss to Wartburg, ranked second in Division III, was followed by a narrow 24-21 loss to Messiah and a 28-6 loss to the home squad, Ursinus.

A few days later, Trinity took the short trip down I-91 to receive a 36-7 beating from a rejuvenated Wesleyan team. It took just over a minute for John Gottfried ’09 to pin his victim, and the Cardinals ran away with eight out of ten matches in the drubbing.

Riding the momentum from trashing Trinity, Wesleyan returned to Ursinus looking for redemption at the Homecoming Invitational. The 19 Cardinal wrestlers on the trip ended with a solid fifth-place finish in a field of nine.

“The tournament had some very good national competitors, and we showed we can compete at a very high level,” said Grant Giordano ’11, who went 2-2 on the day.

Gottfried had another terrific performance, going 3-0 to take the 197-pound title. Dan Bloom ’10 and Cam Maloni ’09 earned third place at 125 pounds and 184 pounds, respectively, and Zach Rolfe ’10 seized a fourth-place finish in the 157-pound weight class.

“We came into that tournament battling injuries,” Giordano said of the Homecoming Invitational. “We’ve been starting to get healthy and coming together as a team.”

Wesleyan dropped its final home dual match of the season to Roger Williams, ranked second in New England, but not before Dan Bloom destroyed his opponent in the first period with a quick pin. The pin brought his regular-season record to a remarkable 12-4. John Berkovic ’10 was the only other victorious Cardinal, winning 7-5 at 165 pounds.

Coming into the New England Dual Association Championship, Wesleyan was seeded eighth. The team wound up coming away with the consolation title after following a first-round loss to Plymouth State. Then the Cardinals cruised to victory, beating Western New England 32-3 and Coast Guard 48-6. Only two Cardinal wrestlers were beaten in those dual matches.

Following the New England Wrestling Association duals, Wesleyan posted another victory over Coast Guard, this time in New London. Taking eight of ten matches, the 31-7 conquest was capped by a definitive 12-1 decision from Greg Hurd ’10 at 174 pounds.

Most recently, Wesleyan traveled to Gorham, Maine to take on both Johnson & Wales and Southern Maine. The Cards dropped both contests, bringing the 2007-2008 dual-match record to 5-8.

Dave Bachy, however, continued his hot streak by picking up his sixth straight win with a 15-13 decision at 149 pounds.

“Dave has been an absolute animal on the mat,” said Chris Mixon ’09. “He is unstoppable.”

Perhaps more impressive than the team’s record is the intensity and perseverance Wesleyan has brought to the mat this season. At this point, everyone on the team has endured all sorts of bumps or bruises.

Chris Alvanos ’11 even wrestled with a broken hand. Combating pain and injury isn’t easy, and the team values that kind of dedication.

“People who step up to the plate make the difference,” Mixon said. “A lot of respect goes to those guys.”

The nature of organizing and maintaining a competitive wrestling team is extremely difficult. Because weight classes determine the team’s roster, when a wrestler is injured only someone from the same weight class or below can replace him at that weight. A good wrestling team needs depth and support in every weight class to be successful.

This Wesleyan team is very young, with seven of the ten starters being either freshman or sophomores. While the youth bodes well for development into next year, the team has drawn attention by producing great results this season.

“We’ve got a lot of freshmen and sophomores, and we’re looking forward to working together this year and into next year,” Giordano said.