'They want to be at the Big Tens already': Wisconsin wrestling chases titles, NCAA berths at Big Ten Championships
MADISON – Chris Bono won’t completely dismiss the last couple of months, but he’s not looking back either.
The results from the dual meet season for the Wisconsin wrestling team were far from desirable. Despite a top 20 ranking throughout the season, the Badgers went just 1-7 in the rugged Big Ten and tied for 12th out of 14 teams.
The beauty of the wrestling season, however, is that it comes with the opportunity for new beginnings. If the early stretch of the season isn't going well, there are the conference duals to look forward to. If the dual season doesn’t pan out, there is always the opportunity to fix things in time for the conference tournament.
That is where Wisconsin stands today.
“We want to do well in dual meets. But everybody is 0-0 right now. … It’s a fresh start,” said Bono, the Badgers coach. “You didn’t have a great preseason is what I call it, you have a chance to go rectify that and get to the national tournament and do some damage.”
The Big Ten Championships, which will be held Saturday and Sunday at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., is the gateway to the NCAA Championships later this month. Based on seedings, Wisconsin has a fighting chance to qualify for NCAA berths in most weight classes.
Austin Gomez, Dean Hamiti, Eric Barnett lead Wisconsin wrestling contingent
Two Badgers could start that postseason run by adding a Big Ten championship to their resume.
Senior Austin Gomez, the defending conference champion at 149 pounds, received the No. 2 seed after battling injury for stretches during the conference season. He hasn’t wrestled since Jan. 27, but according to Bono, looked ‘clean and crisp’ in practice earlier this week.
“He’s a Big Ten champ. He’s confident in himself. He’s healthy now,” Bono said. “He’s been off for five weeks, which is good because he had a couple of other minor injuries, so he’s had five weeks to heal from the last one. We’re very excited.”
Sophomore Dean Hamiti is the No. 1 seed at 165, a weight class he took third in last season. Immediately behind him is Michigan’s Cameron Amine, who handed the Joliet, Ill. native his only loss during the dual meet season, and No. 3 seed Patrick Kennedy of Iowa, whom Hamiti beat, 4-3, on Jan. 22.
Those three wrestlers plus Penn State’s Alex Facundo are in the top 10 of the NCAA Division I coaches ranking for the class.
“There is not much to say except this kid is the real deal,” Bono said when asked about Hamiti. “He’s going to have to put together three good matches at the Big Tens to win a title, but he’s definitely capable.”
Speaking of loaded classes, none match what senior Eric Barnett will face at 125 where there are six top 10 wrestlers, according to the NCAA coaches rank. Barnett, ranked fifth nationally, is the fourth seed at the Big Ten meet.
UW’s next highest seed for the conference tournament, senior Trent Hillger, is the No. 5 seed at 285 and will contend with a bracket that features the nation’s top three competitors.
Allocations for NCAA Championships are set
Monday, the NCAA Division I wrestling committee released its qualifying tournament allocations for the NCAA Championships. The Big Ten’s allocations for each weight class range from six and 10 spots. Most of the Badgers are seeded in the neighborhood of the allotment for their weight class.
Wisconsin sent nine to the NCAA Championships last season.
“I’ve never seen the room as intense or chippy as I have the last 10 days …,” Bono said. “They’re ready. They want to be at the Big Tens already. We’ve got to rein them back. It’s a good sign that they’re like that and it’s nice to see they’re ready to go.”
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin wrestling chases titles, NCAA spots at Big Ten Championships
