1999-2000 Boston University Wrestling Season Outlook
October 22, 1999 | Men's Wrestling
During the 1998-99 season, a young Boston University wrestling squad consistently started four freshmen and fought its way to a 7-8 record and a 48th-place finish at the NCAA Championships against far more experienced teams.
With only two losses to graduation, it is not surprising that Head Coach Carl Adams expects his team to improve on last year's record and climb further among the national rankings.
What is surprising, however, is that these expectations are for an even younger team than last year's.
While last season's recruiting class ranked among the nation's top 25, Adams followed it up by bringing in what he calls easily the best recruiting class we've ever had here. While last year featured four freshmen in the starting lineup, Adams is looking for up to five freshmen to grace this year's lineup.
Despite fielding one of the youngest teams in the nation, there is no talk among the Terriers of this being a rebuilding year. Rather, Adams believes his club is ready now to make plenty of noise in both the East Coast Wrestling Association and in the national tournament.
This season will not only mark the arrival of a promising freshman class, but also that of junior transfer Malik Elliott, who was a 1998 NCAA Qualifier at Northwestern University. This new talent will join forces with three-year starters Chris Simmons and Peter Aguado, as well as a solid group of returning underclassmen, to form a club that looks to make an impact on the regional and the national scene.
The young Terriers will earn valuable experience in the Army and Navy Tournaments, as well as against non-conference powers such as Ohio State, Eastern Michigan, Clarion, and Harvard. In addition, they face a strong ECWA schedule against the likes of nationally-ranked Rider and Hofstra.
But no matter how young the lineup, Adams has confidence that this team has the talent to succeed against any competition it faces this year.
The depth of the Terrier roster will create much competition for spots in the starting lineup. At 125 pounds is one of the Terriers' most promising freshmen in Jose Leon, who was a national champion in high school. He will battle for the starting nod with Aguado, a senior who posted 15 wins a year ago. Also competing for time at 125 will be junior Justin Wagner, and freshmen Adam Miles and Cheryl Wong.
The 133-pound position features newcomer Mike Messina, a two-time New York state champion, and like Leon, a high school national champion. Adam Miles will challenge Messina at the position.
A quartet of sophomores Mark Laramee, Jesse Moreng, Keith Borgaro, and Francisco Ugalde will compete for time at 141. All four gained valuable experience as freshmen during the 1998-99 season.
The 149-pound class features Elliott whom Adams calls potentially as good as anyone who's come through the program. He is certainly capable of being an All-American, Adams added. Simmons, the 1999 ECWA Tournament runner-up, will make 149 one of the Terriers' deepest weights, along with freshmen Josh Sigmon and Vinuyah Ahuja.
Simmons finished 16-12 a year ago, and his 40 career wins is the most among active Terrier wrestlers. He will also battle at 157 pounds with sophomore captain Jay Holder. Described by Adams as a tremendous leader, Holder fought his way to a 9-15 record at 165 last season. With the graduation of last year's senior co-captain and NCAA qualifier Rusty Read, Holder can now step into his more natural position at 157.
Junior Zak Emond and sophomore Bryon Nelson will compete for the 165-pound job, while 174 will belong to sophomore Ali Abri. Abri's 18 wins last year is the best total among returning Terriers, and he earned a spot on the 1999 ECWA All-Rookie Team while wrestling at 184. The Terriers feature more promising newcomers at 184 and 197. Chad Grant, who placed in the top four of the Michigan State Championships will look for time at 184, along with fellow-freshman Cornelius Marion. Ed Strauss is expected to step into the Terrier lineup in his first year at 197 pounds. He will fill a big void left by Jameel Abdullah, a senior co-captain and NCAA qualifier in 1999.
The heavyweight position features another of Adams' top recruits in freshman Fred Wong, a California state champion who posted a 151-23 record in his high school career. He will compete for time with sophomore Nick Zeras, who won over the starting spot at heavyweight during his freshman year.
Despite these many talented weapons, Adams recognizes that this year's Terrier club is among the youngest in the nation. Yet despite the team's inexperience, its individual talent level is such that hopes are high for this season, not just the future.
No matter how good you are, there is always a learning curve. But these kids are very talented, they work hard, and have high expectations of themselves, says Adams, who expects his team to aim for the top of the ECWA and a strong finish at the NCAA Championships. We're aiming high, but I've been around long enough to know good wrestlers when I see them; it's not at all far-fetched to think we can reach these goals.
