Taken from the MO board...nice interview with Sharky Slyter among others.
Meramec Wrestlers Hope Pounds Add Up To Wins
STLCC-Meramec Wrestlers Hope Pounds Add Up To Wins
By Sports Information Director Bob Frischmann
For the high-powered STLCC-Meramec wrestling team, less may mean more. In a sport where struggling to cut weight is a way of life, two key Magic grapplers will have to work to add pounds to make their weight class. But, they’re willing to do what it takes for the team’s success.
For the 2009 Maine Wrestler Of The Year, Travis Spencer (Belfast High), it’s a small step up from the 189 lb. class he’s competed in for the last three years to the 197 lb. plateau. But even an eight pound increase can mean a ton of difference on the mat.
“It’s tough but I’m right there, “ said Spencer. “I’m giving up strength a little bit but mostly just the weight when they get on top. I just start moving them because I’m quicker for a guy my size. So I just move them, take them down, and try to ride them out.”
Thinking fast on his feet is nothing new to Spencer. The four-time state high school champion finished his prep career with a 185-10 record, losing only one match his last three years. He’s picked up that success at Meramec, earning a fifth place medal at the tough Oklahoma City University Open Tourney last weekend (Nov. . In it, he faced several NCAA Division I grapplers.
“It’s tough, it’s a lot different, everybody’s good,” said Spencer. “This past weekend, I beat one kid pretty bad and then I pinned another one but other than that everybody’s been tough. Each match has been real close. It’s a lot different than in high school because in high school you can catch anybody at any time, in college it’s real hard to catch somebody.”
Mark “Sharky” Slyter (Quincy High) can relate to that. The former Kansas state champion grappled at the 119 lb. class as a senior last year and is now bumping up to the collegiate minimum 125 class. Sharky won the Kansas prep title while still a sophomore, and in three years set a new state mark for single season (274) and career (almost 600) takedowns. Like Spencer, he knows that giving up weight means giving up some muscle.
“Giving up strength in college is no fun but it’s something I’m just trying to adapt to,” said Slyter. “I like to go out there and get in people’s face and just get after them. I like to score from my feet. I’m not a big mat wrestler, I just like to go out there and get a lot of takedowns.”
Sharky earned his national reputation as a senior when his family moved to California and he wrestled outside of high school in national freestyle Greco style tournaments. But now, he’s learning to adapt once more to the collegiate style where riding time points can be the difference between a win and a loss.
“Ever since I was little I could just take people down, I didn’t do much mat wrestling,” said Sharky. “With college I’m really trying to adapt to that and learn mat wrestling and pick that up because that’s something that’s real vital with riding time.”
Slyter received a “rude” welcome to the new level at the season debut Lindenwood Open Tournament Oct. 30. In his first match he squared off with Jarrod Patterson from the University of Oklahoma, one of the top NCAA Division I wrestlers in the nation.
“I didn’t really know what to expect. I wasn’t really nervous, I just went in there to see what I could do,” said Sharky. “Basically I’m just going in there and getting better each week. I’m seeing I can compete, I’m right there with all these D I kids, one and two points away and I would have beat some DI kids this weekend.”
One sophomore who knows exactly what he can do is Craig Chiles (Hillsboro). Chiles was a national qualifier for Meramec last season and is again wrestling in the loaded 133 lb. class this year. He has started off strong for the team, winning a fifth place medal at the Lindenwood Open, and a third place at the Oklahoma City Open. Chiles’ approach to the new season is a simple one.
“I know what I’m walking into, I know what to expect,” said Chiles. “I know what I have to work for and who I need to beat. I like to bang with people. I’m a fighter, I’m a scrapper, that’s how I do it.”
While Slyter and Spencer may be giving up a slight strength advantage, Chiles feels strength is his edge, following a summer of intense conditioning and weights. And, the results have already been reflected early in this season.
“Last year I only had two pins the whole season and this year I’ve already had four in just two tournaments so far. I think it’s the strength and conditioning,” said Chiles.
The talent-laden Meramec squad, hailed by Wrestling USA Magazine as the number one non-Division I recruiting class in the nation, has its sights set on February and the NJCAA National Tournament. The team came tantalizingly close to its first national championship in 2007-’08 with a second place team trophy. This may be the year they finally bring home the big prize.
“I’m very excited, that’s why I came here,” said Slyter. “If everyone pushes it like they should, everyone does what they have to do in the classroom and outside the wrestling room, inside the wrestling room’s the least of our worries.”
