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Ryan Churella
Q -- How has the transition been to wrestling freestyle after taking several years away from it (Jerry, Minnetonka, Minn.)
A -- "The training methods are a little different because freestyle competitions are so spread out. We train with the college guys starting in the fall, but our season continues into June with the World Trials. So, it's important not to overtrain at certain points in the year. It's good to train hard with these college guys, but, at the same time, we have to find time to fine-tune our freestyle, which is a lot different when you get into the par-terre position. The new rule changes over the last few years make it a lot different than the last time I wrestled freestyle, so I'm still getting used to that. In freestyle, the guy who scores the first couple big moves is usually the one to win with the periods being a lot shorter and tech falls being only six points. I'm creating different strategies when I'm out there -- staying a little less aggressive throughout the entire match and choosing rather to feel me opponent out and look for my perfect opportunity to score. It just takes a bit to get used to, and I feel like going out to the Dave Schultz tournament, I was able to get a good taste of it and get a feel now for what I need to work on and what it will take to be one of the top guys at the U.S. Open and eventually the World Trials." |
Eric Tannenbaum
Q -- How does your training and preparation change once the season reaches the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments (Lauren, Ann Arbor, Mich.)
A -- "We switch gears a little bit. Practices won't be quite as intense as they have been over the last couple months. We'll continue to work hard this week, but we'll keep the practices short and intense. Next week we'll start tapering down for the Big Ten tournament. So, while the coaches do change up the schedule a little bit, my mindset doesn't really change. I'll keep pushing hard in practice and continue doing a lot of the things I've done all season to prepare for these tournaments." |
Joe McFarland
Q -- Who has impressed you among the current freshman class (Brian, Blaine, Minn.)
A -- "A lot of different guys have really impressed me. Eddie Phillips has done a nice job. So has Aaron Hynes, Anthony Biondo, Scott Giffin, Marc Beaudry, etc. Those guys have kept a great attitude about going to open tournaments and seeking out competition, and I think it's given them a good feel for what college wrestling is all about. It's important for them to get as many matches as possible during their freshman year. That is what's going to help them with the transition from high school to college. It's important that they understand that it's not just about being in a college room; it's about facing college competition, and it's the combination of the two that's going to take them to where they want to be. Competition is where you're able to gauge yourself as far as where you're at and what you need to work on. I've seen them just getting better and better by the week." |
Nick Roy
Q -- Outside of Cliff Keen Arena, what is your favorite venue at which to compete (Lauren, Ann Arbor, Mich.)
A -- "The times that I wrestled at Iowa, I really liked it a lot out there. They have such a great atmosphere for wrestling. It's always a big crowd, and you really feed off that energy even if you're the visiting team. It's just an unbelievable feeling. When you get out there, you see all the posters and all the national championships. We've been fortunate to have success against them over the past couple years, and perhaps we've humbled them a little bit." |
Chris Diehl
Q -- Who is your favorite wrestler to watch (Tyrel, Ann Arbor, Mich.)
A -- "Tom Brands. I know that's weird since he's an Iowa guy. But he's exciting to watch because he is just so intense. He makes you intense just watching him. He is always in his opponent's face, always coming after him and never slowing down. I have video of him on my computer, I like to watch his matches before my own matches or practice because he wrestles the style that I want to wrestle." |
Matt Guhn
Q -- What was the reaction of friends and family when you told them that you had decided to be a Wolverine and not a Buckeye (Scott, Walled Lake, Mich.)
A -- "Everyone in my family was an Ohio State fan, but they converted pretty quickly, especially my dad. As soon as I shook Coach McFarland's hand to commit, he asked where he could buy a Michigan hat. Coming back home, I went to a choir performance that a lot of my friends were participating in that night wearing a Michigan wrestling shirt, and everyone told me they were sorry to hear it. My friends have never quite come around. I went to the mall later that night with all of my buddies and bought a Michigan shirt. I took a lot of ribbing for that. All my best friends go to Ohio State, but they're supportive, and they check in on me every once and a while." |
Joe McFarland
Q -- How do you approach training and practices differently during the second half of the season (Matt, Ann Arbor, Mich.)
A -- "We just try to keep a good eye on the pulse of the team and pick up on whether they seem fresh or seem to be dragging a bit. Our travel schedule and competition schedule become a little more intense in the second semester, so we're always mindful of that. Plus, these guys will have other factors outside of wrestling, like academics, that can add to their level of stress and fatigue. We try to shorten things up a bit at times, maybe give them a little more rest at times and just try to keep these guys in good spirits. It's a tough time of the year with the Big Ten season and the postseason tournaments. We want to keep moving them forward and make sure they feel good about their wrestling." |
James Tobias
Q -- Since your older brother Jeremiah holds the school record for falls, growing up how often did you find yourself flat on your back on your living room floor (J.R., Wailuku, Maui)
A -- "Every day. During the summer, Mom and Dad would leave and we'd have a list of chores to get done, and next thing you know, we'd be wrestling, throwing each other around and beating each other up. We'd say it builds character. Well, I didn't say that because I was usually the one getting beaten up. Whenever I wrestled Jeremiah, that armbar was pretty much his bread-and-butter move. I used to get put in it all the time. I guess he's pretty good at it. I can kind of fight it off now. After getting put in it so many times, you learn things to do to fight it off a bit." |
Tyrel Todd
Q -- What is the most challenging aspect of your training How are you able to stay focused throughout such a long, draining season (Tom, Ann Arbor, Mich.)
A -- "I'd say, for me, the most challenging part of the training is simply getting up in the morning to go running by myself. I'm not a morning person, so that is just horrible for me. Throughout the season, I stay motivated by making new goals for myself, like small things in the weight room or with bike workouts. Those small goals definitely help break it up and make it possible to enjoy the training process. I personally like lifting, so I'll focus a lot on that and set goals in the weight room. It not only takes my mind away from wrestling a little bit, it also helps break it up and makes it more enjoyable for me. If something is a drag all season long, you just get to where you don't want to do it. But if you make it fun, that will keep your motivation level high." |
Joe McFarland
Q -- Would you prefer to see freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling practiced in high school and college competition (Tom, Minneapolis, Minn.)
A -- "The thing I really like about folkstyle is that it is a much more controlled style of wrestling. It has also been very consistent over the years, whereas freestyle and Greco seem to change quite often. Wrestlers don't really get time to master their sport. I don't understand the rationale behind some of the rule changes. I really appreciate the consistency of folkstyle. If there are rule changes, it's always been done to improve the sport. There are such drastic changes in freestyle and Greco that sometimes it's really hard to follow. I wrestled freestyle for a long time, and sometimes it looks foreign to me. How are fans supposed to follow it if former wrestlers have a hard time following it So I'm happy with keeping folkstyle at the collegiate ranks." |
Josh Churella
Q -- How much strength training do you incorporate into your training Do you continue your strength training during the season (Dave, Rochester Hills, Mich.)
A -- "This summer, I lifted 4-5 days a week and ran about five days a week. It's really important to keep your body in constant shape and increase your muscle. Even if you do trim down during the season, you're going to maintain that frame that you developed over the summer, and that summer work will definitely influence how strong you will be during the season. This year, I've been able to maintain a lot of my strength. During the season, you don't always have the time with everything else you're working on. But early on, in the fall, our team was lifting three days per week, and, right now, with this break before Midlands, we're getting a lot of good lifts in. It's definitely important to maintain some structure during the season. It's more important during the offseason because once you're in season, you want to focus a lot on your wrestling and conditioning and just try to incorporate strength with those two." |
Steve Luke
Q -- What can you remember about your finals match for the Ohio state championship in which you went up against now-teammate Mark Moos (Brendan, Michigan)
A -- "He was a junior, ranked No. 1 in the country, and everybody was talking about him. I didn't know anything about him at the time, but I do remember thinking he was really cocky. I was pretty nervous going into that match because everyone thought he was supposed to beat me. I just wrestled way too hesitant. I didn't really do anything besides try not to lose bad. It ended up working against me though, and I did end up getting beat pretty bad. I was just never in the match. I'd say that's about it." |
Eric Tannenbaum
Q -- You are known for your quickness and ability to catch your opponent off guard. Do you think you will be able to maintain these strengths at two weight classes heavier (Leah, Ann Arbor, Mich.)
A -- "That's the million-dollar question. I think I should be able to. I really don't think I've lost any quickness, and I think that will be to my advantage because most wrestlers at 165 pounds aren't going to be as quick as I was used to at 149. So, I think quickness will still be my primary strategy and strength. If anything, I hope it will be a little easier because my opponents won't be able to move and react as fast. But I guess we'll see." | |
SEPARATED AT BIRTH
|
Tyrel
Todd |
Wayne
Rooney |
Joe
McFarland |
Ed
Harris |
Mike
Sears |
The
Sun |
Justin
Chrzanowski |
Jimmy
Neutron |
Ryan
Selley |
Ashton
Kutcher |
Michael
Watts |
Chicken
Little |
James
Tobias |
Richard
Ashcroft |
Kirk Trost
(asst. coach) |
Barney
Rubble |
Rob
Sulaver |
Jeremy
Shockey |
Eddie
Phillips |
Bart
Simpson |
Aaron
Hynes |
Ollie from
"Hoosiers" |
Craig
Gillison |
Mr. Mackey
(South Park) |
Brad
Cusumano |
Billy
Joel |
Steven
Russell |
Jack
Black |
Mark
Moos |
David Bowie
(in "Labyrinth") |
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