After being away from their home crowd for over a month, Cal Poly wrestling will open up a four-match homestand beginning this Sunday.
With the Pac-12 Championships around the corner and the team nearing full health, the Mustangs (3-6) are gearing up for a crucial home stretch.
After going 3-2 at the NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the team has had a chance to catch their breath with a three-week rest break.
Now, they’ll hit the mats of the Mott Athletics Center against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) this Sunday at 12 p.m.
“We’re healed up. Guys are healthy and we’re wrestling really well right now, so we are hoping to keep the momentum going,” Head Coach Jon Sioredas said. “We get a pretty good turn out in Mott, so hopefully we’ll put on a good show.”
Next up, Oregon State will come into town on Feb. 7 for the Mustangs’ Pac-12 dual opener, followed by a doubleheader on Feb. 14 against Northern Illinois and Little Rock.
Momentum coming into Sunday
Heading into the duel against SIUE, the Mustangs sit at No. 15 in the latest InterMat Team Tournament rankings after wrestling at the NWCA National Duals on Jan. 10-11.
It’s the highest national ranking the program has received in three years, on the heels of some impressive wins in Cedar Falls.
The Mustangs went toe-to-toe with Pac-12 foe Little Rock in the quarterfinals but eventually lost the match 22-19.
They put up some big numbers in the consolation bracket, defeating Ohio 30-16 and Sacred Heart 31-12 to wrap up the tournament.
Even though they’ve been traveling for the majority of the season, five wrestlers have received national praise – a testament to the wrestlers’ focus away from their home.
“Our guys got the formula down to a science,” Sioredas said. “It’s really about taking care of their bodies, and mentally taking care of themselves as well to keep their focus.”
133-pound redshirt sophomore Zeth Romney is the first of the five ranked wrestlers, checking in at No. 2 on the NCAA Coaches rankings released on Jan. 23.
Romney – boasting an 11-1 record – has been in control on the mats the entire season, winning the 133-pound title at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December.
Although his only loss came at the hands of Stanford on Nov. 16, he shies away from putting much thought into the outcome. Instead, he focuses on improvement.
“Those wins don’t really matter,” Romney said. “I try not to focus on winning or losing, because it’s just cool to be able to compete and learn from mistakes and grow from it.”
His growth mindset has paid off. In Iowa, he bested No. 6-ranked Nasir Bailey of Little Rock, capturing his eighth victory against a ranked opponent this season.
Following him in the rankings are three redshirt juniors – 149-pound Chance Lamer at No. 6, 165-pound Luka Wick at No. 21 and 285-pound Trevor Tinker at No. 23. At 125 pounds, redshirt sophomore Koda Holeman is ranked No. 32.
Lamer has yet to suffer a loss, holding a perfect 7-0 record in dual play and a 10-0 record overall.
Tinker (17-5) and Holeman (15-8) have also been stellar this season.
Wick (8-4) returned to the mats in Iowa after missing time with a hip injury, going 5-0 and recording two upset wins over ranked opponents.
“We know Luka’s potential,” Sioredas said. “It’s exciting. He’s dealt with a lot of adversity, but he has done it with a smile on his face.”
Along with Wick, Lamer and Tinker both posted a perfect 5-0 record, while Holeman went 4-1.Â
Coming home to Mott
At this point in the season, the Mustangs have had three total duals at Mott.
The first was against No. 30 Indiana on Nov. 3, while also hosting a doubleheader on Dec. 19 against Cal Baptist and Northwestern, almost six weeks ago.
The team also wrestled against No. 14 Stanford at home, but it was on the O’Neill Lawn instead of in Mott.
Although they are still winless at home across four matches, the team carries high hopes into the home stretch and is ready for the comfort it brings.
“I like wrestling at home,” Romney said. “Just being able to sleep in your own bed and do everything as normal takes a lot of pressure off the matches.”
For Wick, it will be his first time competing at home since Stanford.
“Sometimes you can get really stressed before a match because you think a lot about winning and losing,” Wick said. “Then you have a crowd that’s really nice to you and it’s like mom telling you everything’s going to be okay.”
SIUE and the rest of the homestand
SIUE (5-5) will have their work cut out for them, dealing with a healthy Mustang squad on three weeks’ rest and a home crowd anticipating their return.
The Cougars went 1-3 at the NWCA National Duals, with only two players on their roster holding winning records: 125-pound Deion Johnson (9-8) and 141-pound Danny Martinez (14-9).
After Sunday, the team will face a quick turnaround, only getting four days to prepare before they are pitted against Oregon State (1-6, 0-1 Pac-12). It’ll be the Mustangs’ conference opener as well.
To wrap up the homestand, Cal Poly will have a challenging doubleheader in store on Valentine’s Day, slated against Northern Illinois (4-3) and Little Rock (14-2, 1-0 Pac-12).
At the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, Northern Illinois placed ninth out of 25 teams. The Mustangs placed 23rd.
For the second dual of the night, they’ll get their second shot of the season at taking down Little Rock, who were ranked No. 15 when they squared off on Jan. 10.
“Mott can be a hostile place to wrestle in, so we would love the support,” Sioredas said. “This Sunday and the following two Fridays should be a lot of fun and some really good wrestling.”