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TechnographWrestling prepares to meet two Big Ten teams at home
By Jon Gluskin
Posted: 2/11/05 Section: Sports
The wrestling team has a busy Big Ten weekend ahead as it looks to remain unbeaten in conference.
Huff Hall looks to become the new "House of 'Paign'" when No. 14 Penn State (8-8, 2-3) comes to Champaign Friday at 7 p.m. and No. 17 Indiana (14-3, 2-2) comes Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Illini will be competing after a convincing 32-6 victory at Purdue last Friday and a 17-17 tie at Michigan on Sunday. The tie dropped the Illini to No. 3 nationally, at 12-1-1 on the season and 3-0-1 in Big Ten competition.
"You'll just take it a match at a time," said Illinois head coach Mark Johnson. "If we take care of business, we'll do well and we'll win. If we show up - and we've been showing up most every match - nothing rattles this team. We have good depth and we have good leadership and we have good experience and we have a mix-in of a little youth and I just think they're capable of good things."
One important member of the team who has been contributing all season long is No. 12 Anton Dietzen (149 pounds). He said these matches will help him prepare for what is to come for the remainder of the season.
"I've had a tough couple of weeks as far as the caliber of my competition," Dietzen said. "These guys are tough too, but they should be matches that I can work on stuff - work on my weaknesses."
Dietzen said in practice he has been working on his mat strategy and wrestling different opponents in different ways.
"I didn't start wrestling until high school, so I'm a little bit behind everybody else in that sort of thing, I would say," Dietzen said. "I'm not very good at adjusting my style to meet other people's."
Despite this, Dietzen has still struck a number of upsets this season.
"I think it's just because I worked my butt off this summer," Dietzen said. "Basically from the time that I decided I was going to cut down weight, I worked out every day this summer. I did extra workouts with the coaches every day last year.
Huff Hall looks to become the new "House of 'Paign'" when No. 14 Penn State (8-8, 2-3) comes to Champaign Friday at 7 p.m. and No. 17 Indiana (14-3, 2-2) comes Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Illini will be competing after a convincing 32-6 victory at Purdue last Friday and a 17-17 tie at Michigan on Sunday. The tie dropped the Illini to No. 3 nationally, at 12-1-1 on the season and 3-0-1 in Big Ten competition.
"You'll just take it a match at a time," said Illinois head coach Mark Johnson. "If we take care of business, we'll do well and we'll win. If we show up - and we've been showing up most every match - nothing rattles this team. We have good depth and we have good leadership and we have good experience and we have a mix-in of a little youth and I just think they're capable of good things."
One important member of the team who has been contributing all season long is No. 12 Anton Dietzen (149 pounds). He said these matches will help him prepare for what is to come for the remainder of the season.
"I've had a tough couple of weeks as far as the caliber of my competition," Dietzen said. "These guys are tough too, but they should be matches that I can work on stuff - work on my weaknesses."
Dietzen said in practice he has been working on his mat strategy and wrestling different opponents in different ways.
"I didn't start wrestling until high school, so I'm a little bit behind everybody else in that sort of thing, I would say," Dietzen said. "I'm not very good at adjusting my style to meet other people's."
Despite this, Dietzen has still struck a number of upsets this season.
"I think it's just because I worked my butt off this summer," Dietzen said. "Basically from the time that I decided I was going to cut down weight, I worked out every day this summer. I did extra workouts with the coaches every day last year.
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