Midlands 12/29 - 12/30/16

[Big Bird]

Fogarty wasn't really competitive vs a true freshman from Iowa and now will wrestle for 7th against Clark Glass, who beat Fogarty earlier this year.

[Big Bird]

My thoughts on NDSU's performance:
125- Bianchi wrestled well. Beating Gillette, Akins, and Krammer are all quality wins. That is 3 wins over D1 starters who are borderline NCAA qualifiers right now. He looks comfortable in scrambles, has good pace, good movement, and gets in deep on shots. The future is bright here. His only two losses were to 6th place and 2nd place finishers. I think Rodriguez would've taken 2nd.
133- Sykora is a big step up. He had two nice wins and showed a diverse sets of leg attacks and his patented good tilts. Needs to work on getting away and get stronger, but the future is bright here too. His two losses were to guys who placed 1st and 8th.
141- Nein struggled, but that was to be expected. He lost to two quality upperclassmen. Smith was solid. He beat a current D1 starter and wrestled Rohlfing well (and Rohlfing has been on a roll). Smith may be a part of the equation at 141 or 149 in the coming years.
149- Gliva had two tough opponents, but it was disappointing to see him lose both of them. Friedman on the other hand was a bright spot. He lost to two top 20 guys in very close fashion and picked up 3 convincing wins. I've long thought Gliva needs to be the guy here, but Friedman showed he can compete with top 20 guys and I wouldn't be surprised to see him in this spot next weekend.
157- Rough tournament for Ream. His two losses were to quality opponents who took 4th and 8th, but it sucks when you're a high seed and don't place. He did still win 2 matches and was ahead in one of his losses for the majority of the match.
165- Fogarty wrestled pretty well. He notched quality wins over Peterson, White, and Zilverberg and should be right around the bottom art of the top 20 in most polls. I thought he could've beat Marinelli, but the match vs Kaleb Young was ugly. It was nice to see he closed the gap even more on a guy like Clark Glass. He should be an NCAA qualifier and could win a few while there.
174- I hope Nielson is ok. Urbach showed he can be a capable fill in though. He notched a win over a decent D1 starter and had another win, while his two losses were to top 20 guys.
184- Frustrating day for McNutt. He was right with Mueller and that's one he'll need to get later in the year. The 6 point move really killed his chances, but he wrestled pretty well in his first one. In his second match, it was a disappointing result. He led most of the match and salte the win away. Hopefully he learns from it and moves on.
197- Eaton is still really raw. He's big, strong, and quick, but doesn't have the best mat sense. Still though, with his raw tools, he should continue to get better as he gains more experience. His two losses were to 1st and 8th place finishers, while he beat two other D1 starters.
HWT- I question whether Stibral can consistently score against D1 heavyweights. He had a nice throw vs the F&M HWT, but he gave up a late TD to lose that one. Guys with quickness give him trouble too. I think this could've, and would've, been a breakthrough performance for Tynan. Really disappointed he didn't get a chance this weekend.

Overall, the young guys acquitted themselves pretty well. A young core of Bianchi, Sykora, Fogarty, Nielson, and Eaton is promising and something to build on. Smith, McNutt, Clingenpeel, Urbach are all still young and talented too. Gliva/Friedman, Ream, Rodriguez, and Tynan are all quality upperclassmen and form a good core for the youngsters to learn from.

[CoachGarnett]

I have no idea. Rodriguez and Lambert have had some really good battles and Josh also gave Gilman all he could handle in their last meeting. Hopefully Coach Garnett will mention it in the following days. Any idea where Holler is for the Jacks?

I'm guessing Nielson got banged up warming up, since he was still in the brackets and NDSU didn't replace him with Urbach among their scoring wrestlers.

That's correct on Nielsen. Was a last minute decision to hold him out especially with our duals coming up this weekend. As for Tynan and Rodriguez those were coaches decisions to hold them back from the tournament. Biggest event of the year thus far, sure. However those tournaments in March are even bigger and we have to be smart with our guys and do whats best for them and the program. That means not forcing them into competition when we need to make sure their health is preserved. I'm sure we would have some unhappy fans/supporters had we forced them in when they are not 100% ready and things went wrong at Midlands correct? Health of the student athlete comes first. I would not worry about those guys missing midlands. I would however be concerned with making sure they are primed and ready to go come Big XII tournament time. Go Bison and Happy New Year to all.

[Bisonwinagn]

That's correct on Nielsen. Was a last minute decision to hold him out especially with our duals coming up this weekend. As for Tynan and Rodriguez those were coaches decisions to hold them back from the tournament. Biggest event of the year thus far, sure. However those tournaments in March are even bigger and we have to be smart with our guys and do whats best for them and the program. That means not forcing them into competition when we need to make sure their health is preserved. I'm sure we would have some unhappy fans/supporters had we forced them in when they are not 100% ready and things went wrong at Midlands correct? Health of the student athlete comes first. I would not worry about those guys missing midlands. I would however be concerned with making sure they are primed and ready to go come Big XII tournament time. Go Bison and Happy New Year to all.

Except NOBODY has mentioned anywhere that that they are dealing with injuries. That's fine if they are, but we don't know that to be the case. It looks like they were simply scratched for the heck of it.

[CoachGarnett]

Except NOBODY has mentioned anywhere that that they are dealing with injuries. That's fine if they are, but we don't know that to be the case. It looks like they were simply scratched for the heck of it.

Yes because we want the country to know every detail in that regard so they can exploit it!? I gave you the inside scoop. It is what it is. I'm not going to argue what I already know. If that is your opinion, then I respect that.

[Gladiator Dad]

Except NOBODY has mentioned anywhere that that they are dealing with injuries. That's fine if they are, but we don't know that to be the case. It looks like they were simply scratched for the heck of it.

Just so you are aware, there are only so many details that can legally be released by coaches or trainers concerning injuries or other personal information. Please keep that in mind

[RadioBison]

That's correct on Nielsen. Was a last minute decision to hold him out especially with our duals coming up this weekend. As for Tynan and Rodriguez those were coaches decisions to hold them back from the tournament. Biggest event of the year thus far, sure. However those tournaments in March are even bigger and we have to be smart with our guys and do whats best for them and the program. That means not forcing them into competition when we need to make sure their health is preserved. I'm sure we would have some unhappy fans/supporters had we forced them in when they are not 100% ready and things went wrong at Midlands correct? Health of the student athlete comes first. I would not worry about those guys missing midlands. I would however be concerned with making sure they are primed and ready to go come Big XII tournament time. Go Bison and Happy New Year to all.

Thanks Coach, I thought your update was pretty good, and probably already more than we should expect. Yes I missed seeing what Josh could do at the Midlands, but I really want to see him on the podium in March.

[Abe1727]

Thanks for the update Coach. We appreciate everything you do for the Boys. Go Bison.

[Big Bird]

That's correct on Nielsen. Was a last minute decision to hold him out especially with our duals coming up this weekend. As for Tynan and Rodriguez those were coaches decisions to hold them back from the tournament. Biggest event of the year thus far, sure. However those tournaments in March are even bigger and we have to be smart with our guys and do whats best for them and the program. That means not forcing them into competition when we need to make sure their health is preserved. I'm sure we would have some unhappy fans/supporters had we forced them in when they are not 100% ready and things went wrong at Midlands correct? Health of the student athlete comes first. I would not worry about those guys missing midlands. I would however be concerned with making sure they are primed and ready to go come Big XII tournament time. Go Bison and Happy New Year to all.

Thanks for the update. Your updates and comments on here are way above and beyond what a typical coach would do, and it is greatly appreciated.

[CoachGarnett]

Thanks for the update. Your updates and comments on here are way above and beyond what a typical coach would do, and it is greatly appreciated.

Don't mind at all. Its good to be able to come on from time to time and fill the gaps and answer any questions. As always you all are free to call or email anytime you want. Fan engagement is a good thing. hope to see everyone Friday night and Sunday afternoon. Go Bison