Thanks to an injury hardship request granted by the NCAA, Cody Cleveland is in his sixth year as a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestler and working under his third coaching staff.
“The coaches have really stressed individual workouts as each guy tries to improve,” he said. “Then in the practice room during actual practice time we’re going harder. The whole practice is a grind.”
But it is a welcome grind, he emphasized as the Mocs prepared to begin their season today at 1 p.m. in Salem, Va., against 14th-ranked Kent State.
Projected LineupsUTC vs. Kent State(UTC listed first; national ranks included)125-Prescott Garner vs. No. 4 Nic Bedelyon; 133-Cody Hood vs. Sean Collins; 141-No. 7 Cody Cleveland vs. Chase Skonieczny; 149-Dean Pavlou vs. Marcel Clapton; 157-Josh Condon vs. Mallie Shuster or Matt Cathell; 165-Brandon Wright s. Ross Tice; 174-Levi Clemons vs. Brandon Johnson; 184-No. 19 Jason McCroskey vs. Casey Newburg or Chris Estep; 197-Niko Brown vs. No. 3 Dustin Kilgore; 285-Matt Lettner vs. No. 14 Brendan Barlow.
“Guys are working harder, and it’s because of the mindset the coaches have brought in,” said Bucky Johnson, who’s expected to take the 133-pound slot when he returns in January from knee surgery. “Last year everybody was getting used to everything and guys worried about whether a practice was going to be hard. This year guys know what the coaches expect and that practices are going to be intense, and everybody’s embracing it.”
Coach Heath Eslinger’s staff includes Rocco Mansueto, Josh Lambrecht, Mike Hatcher and strength coach Guy Harris.
“You can’t describe all the things the coaches are doing for the program from fundraising to getting out and working clinics for [high school] coaches for peanuts so people become familiar with UTC,” said Cleveland, a former state champion at McCallie. “I feel like I work hard, but that makes you want to work harder. You know they have your back.”
The Mocs also have the motivation of the Southern Conference coaches voting them to finish second to UNC Greensboro this year, despite UTC’s six-year conference win streak covering 30 dual meets. The Spartans got four first-place votes and 23 points in the voting, compared to two firsts and 21 points for UTC. Appalachian State and The Citadel tied for third with 16 points each.
Cleveland, a two-time SoCon champion, and teammates Dean Pavlou and Dan Waddell were preseason all-conference picks. Pavlou was a 2010 league champ.
“Our expectations are high, but the guys this year are coming closer to meeting the levels of commitment we expect,” Mansueto said. “The second- and third-stringers are asking about tournaments in which they can compete.”
The attitude seems to pervade the program.
“Expectations have risen. The coaches expect national championships,” 165-pound Brandon Wright said. “The practice room is great and the [mindset] is great. The whole attitude has changed. The culture is to win. Practices are intense but smart. We get in what we need, but we don’t overtrain.
“Expectations are huge in the practice room. You don’t slack off. From the newest high school state qualifier to Cody, who’s an All-American, everybody is expected to win, and everybody is definitely expected to work hard.”
Prescott Garner, a transfer from Navy who will be at 125 pounds in the opener today, has been impressed.
“I haven’t seen this level of intensity and competitiveness in a long time,” he said. “It’s hard to find on such a large scale so many guys being so avid and involved and always disappointed if they give up a takedown or don’t finish [a move] on that final go [in practice]. I really like it here.”
Redshirt freshman Cody Hood will be at 133 pounds and freshman Levi Clemons at 174 for the Mocs today. The rest of the lineup is returning starters: Cleveland (141), Pavlou (149), Josh Condon (157), Wright, Jason McCroskey (184), Niko Brown (197) and Matt Lettner (285).
Garner, Cleveland, Pavlou and McCroskey are former NCAA qualifiers.
Eslinger took several other wrestlers on the trip that includes Virginia Tech’s Hokie Open on Sunday in Blacksburg. Those include Joe DeAngelo (125), DeVaunte Brown (133), Shawn Greevy (149), Waddell (157), Sam Kuntz (184) and Robert Prigmore (197).
“I’m ready to watch us compete,” Eslinger said. “We have put in a lot of work since March of last year. I’m ready to see areas where we have improved and to see areas where we need to get better.
“Kent State will be a great measuring stick because they’re a program that has really made some strides in the last few years. We’re trying to do those exact same things, so it will be a good test. We’re not putting a lot of stock in this match, though, because win or lose we have a way to go.”
Kent State beat the Mocs 22-15 last year.
While they’ll compete unattached and won’t be wrestling officially for UTC, more than a dozen of the younger Mocs are expected to compete in the Hokie Open.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-475.