2008 Woodie Awards
Future is now for youthful Terps
Kate Yanchulis
Issue date: 3/6/08 Section: Sports
The Terrapins take to the mat every day to prepare for the postseason, practicing takedowns and reversals and pins until their bodies cannot take any more. On the walls around them are pictures of former seniors who led their teams to championships.
This year, the No. 22 Terrapin wrestling team is headed into the ACC tournament with no seniors in sight. But the team refuses to see its youth or lack of experience as disadvantages.
"No more excuses," coach Pat Santoro said. "They're young, but age is just a number. We'll have the home crowds behind us; we just need to deliver."
For the Terps (16-4, 5-0 ACC), seniors have had little presence on the mat this season. The team's starting lineups have been made up almost exclusively of underclassmen. Only one upperclassman, redshirt junior Josh Haines, starts regularly.
When the season began, the team did not expect the starting lineup to be devoid of seniors.
After open competitions in every weight class, a surprisingly young lineup emerged, a result of the nationally ranked recruiting classes Santoro signed the past two seasons and the relative dearth of seniors - only eight of the 38 roster spots.
One senior, Charlie Pinto, 2005 ACC champion at 141 pounds, started the year splitting starting time with sophomore Jon Kohler. But Pinto was injured in mid-November, and aside from returning briefly for two matches in January, he hasn't wrestled since.
Losing the only senior starter could have been devastating. But when Kohler became the main starter, he made the most of his opportunity and has won his last four dual matches for a 14-12 record.
As the year progressed, seniors have fallen further from the spotlight.
Even in the Senior Night victory over American on Feb. 13, only one senior, Ryan Kennett, was in the starting lineup, and he lost.
Seniors Kennett and Clint Stout have seen limited time, mainly in tournament play. The rest of the seniors have been confined to contributing off the mat.
This year, the No. 22 Terrapin wrestling team is headed into the ACC tournament with no seniors in sight. But the team refuses to see its youth or lack of experience as disadvantages.
"No more excuses," coach Pat Santoro said. "They're young, but age is just a number. We'll have the home crowds behind us; we just need to deliver."
For the Terps (16-4, 5-0 ACC), seniors have had little presence on the mat this season. The team's starting lineups have been made up almost exclusively of underclassmen. Only one upperclassman, redshirt junior Josh Haines, starts regularly.
When the season began, the team did not expect the starting lineup to be devoid of seniors.
After open competitions in every weight class, a surprisingly young lineup emerged, a result of the nationally ranked recruiting classes Santoro signed the past two seasons and the relative dearth of seniors - only eight of the 38 roster spots.
One senior, Charlie Pinto, 2005 ACC champion at 141 pounds, started the year splitting starting time with sophomore Jon Kohler. But Pinto was injured in mid-November, and aside from returning briefly for two matches in January, he hasn't wrestled since.
Losing the only senior starter could have been devastating. But when Kohler became the main starter, he made the most of his opportunity and has won his last four dual matches for a 14-12 record.
As the year progressed, seniors have fallen further from the spotlight.
Even in the Senior Night victory over American on Feb. 13, only one senior, Ryan Kennett, was in the starting lineup, and he lost.
Seniors Kennett and Clint Stout have seen limited time, mainly in tournament play. The rest of the seniors have been confined to contributing off the mat.
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