Big 12 Preview

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Craig Sesker (USA Wrestling)
10/16/2001


Talk to Iowa State senior Cael Sanderson about his senior season and he makes it all sound so simple.    "I just have to keep doing what I have been doing," the low-key, unflappable Sanderson said.    What Sanderson has been doing during his Iowa State wrestling career has been nothing short of spectacular.    His resume is impressive:    * Three NCAA championships, named Outstanding Wrestler each time.    * An NCAA record 119 consecutive wins.    * Two-time winner of the Hodge Trophy, college wrestling's version of the Heisman Trophy.    Sanderson is seeking to join Oklahoma State's Pat Smith and become just the second wrestler to win four NCAA titles. He is trying to become the first wrestler to finish a four-year career without a loss.    "I will use the same approach I always have," Sanderson said. "I will try to keep having fun and try to keep getting better. I will take it one match, one point at a time. Luckily, I like what I am doing or I would be in trouble."    After winning three titles and amassing a spotless 119-0 record at 184 pounds, Sanderson plans to move up a weight class to 197 for his senior year.    "There are a lot of different reasons for doing it," Sanderson said. "It will make our team stronger and it will be better for me, too. I won't have to cut as much weight. That gives me one less thing to worry about."    Sanderson's quest for perfection is expected to lead the way for another memorable season of Big 12 wrestling.    Once again, the Big 12 is loaded with talented teams and competitors.    Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Iowa State are all very strong again.    Oklahoma State, third behind champion Minnesota and runner-up Iowa at the 2001 NCAA tournament, has enough talent in its practice room to make a run at this year's national crown.    The Cowboys are led by talented 133-pounder Johnny Thompson, second at nationals as a freshman. All-Americans Shane Roller (third at 157), Tyrone Lewis (fifth at 174) and Matt Brown (sixth at 125) also return. Lewis may drop to 165 this year.    "This team has a lot of potential," OSU coach John Smith said. "There are five or six teams behind Minnesota that are pretty close together."    Oklahoma State's in-state rival, Oklahoma, continues its rise back to national prominence. Coach Jack Spates' team is bolstered by the return of four All-Americans.    Sooner Witt Durden was third in the nation at 133 last year. Teammates Jared Frayer (149) and heavyweight Leonce Crump (heavyweight) were both fourth while Josh Lambrecht (184) was seventh.    "This is the strongest team in my tenure - in talent, depth, attitude and work ethic," Spates said. "It's a group that can contend for a national title. Minnesota is the team to beat, but they can't count us out."    Iowa State, coming off a disappointing sixth-place finish at the 2001 national meet, looks stronger this year.    Cyclone senior Joe Heskett, second in the country at 165 the past two seasons, is as hungry to win a national title as any wrestler in the country.    Aaron Holker, a former BYU All-American, will be at 141 for Iowa State with national qualifier Zach Roberson dropping down a weight class to  133.    Iowa State's Ty Malia, a transfer from Nebraska, is expected to battle freshman Matt Sanchez at 125. Two other transfers - Matt Veach (157) and Austen Palmer (184) - are expected to start for ISU.    National qualifiers Billy Maldonado (149) and Mark Knauer (heavyweight) also are back for the Cyclones.    "This is a hard-working bunch that is making progress," Iowa State coach Bobby Douglas said.    Nebraska returns one of the nation's most talented and exciting wrestlers in 157-pound senior Bryan Snyder, a three-time All-American. Snyder suffered a heartbreaking overtime loss to Iowa's T.J. Williams in last year's NCAA finals.    Nebraska, eighth at nationals last season, also returns national qualifiers in Jason Powell (125) and Tony Denke (165). Powell won the Big 12 title as a freshman before a disappointing 0-2 performance at the NCAA meet.    The Huskers were hit hard by the loss of All-Americans Todd Beckerman, Ati Conner and Brad Vering, but the Huskers have some promising young talent.    Nebraska will feature two of the nation's top freshmen in Travis Pascoe (184) and Justin Ruiz (197).      Pascoe, a three-time state champion in Washington, was considered the nation's top 184-pound prospect coming out of high school. Pascoe redshirted at NU last season.    Ruiz redshirted at Nebraska during the 1998-99 season and had to re-sign with NU for the 2001-02 season after spending two years on a Mormon mission in Chile. Ruiz was the nation's top recruit at 190 pounds in 1998 after winning three state titles in Utah. He won national Greco-Roman and freestyle championships in 1997.    Missouri will look for more improvement with the return of national qualifier John Kopnisky at 174. Jeremy Spates, who redshirted last year, is an All-American candidate for the Tigers at 149.