Nov. 25, 2010

Hey Tigers! I first would like to give a big thanks to all of you who came out to the meet on Sunday to support us. There were some ups as well as some downs this past weekend to say the least. Starting with the ups, Saturday we had two Tigers come back to Columbia from the Omaha Open in Nebraska with gold medals. Freshman Devin Mellon won the heavyweight title in the amateur division and Brent Haynes at 197 walked through the elite division with only one match making it out of the first period.  Sunday started off good for us with a shut out 41-0 win over Lindenwood, then beating Hofstra 19-15 in big part due to gutsy performances by Patrick Wright and Mike Larson.  They both bumped up a weight class and still went out and battled and got the win for the team. These two guys showed exactly what Tiger Style wrestling is about. They have a trust and a belief that whatever Coach Smith and the rest of our staff decide is the best thing for the team.

We dropped a match that I believe 9 times out of 10 we would win against Oregon State, 19-13. These losses hurt a lot on both on a personal level and a team level. I sat in bed Sunday night wide-awake replaying the last 40 seconds of my match over and over again. Despite the fact that I may have lost my chances at a Hodge Trophy, I have not lost sight of the goal at the end of the road. I have taken the good and bad from my losses, moved on and will continue my quest for a National title. Granted whenever I lose it stings the most, but whenever my teammates lose it hurts as well. I know these guys on so many different levels and I know all the time they have put in all year long and the sacrifices they have made for this sport and this program and I want for each and every one of them to get everything out of what they put in.  The important thing about losing is the ability to have a short memory. What separates the great quarterbacks in the NFL from the rest of the pack is their ability to forget that last interception or turnover and go out there and lead their team to victory on the next set of downs. Our team is doing just that, we have not forgotten the losses completely; we have just set our sights on the future and the upcoming duals in Albany, N.Y. this weekend. This reminds me of a great Muhammad Ali quote: "only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even."

Our team has tucked our two losses so far this year down just in case we have to call on them later and now we are getting ready for the duals in Albany against Lehigh, Maryland, Rutgers and American. I know I speak for myself as well as the others that no matter what has happened we never lose sight of the end result and that is to stand on top of that podium in March. I have said it before and it still remains in our mindset, we look at every week on our schedule as a stepping-stone to where we are and where we will be in March. Speaking of stepping-stones, this weekend is going to be one of them for No. 2 ranked Dom Bradley as he will not only get an opportunity to wrestle Rutgers' No. 5 ranked heavyweight and American's No. 3 ranked heavyweight but he will wrestle the No. 1 ranked heavyweight in the country from Lehigh as well. I can't wait to watch these matches and I am also excited just to travel with the team for the first time this year.

I hope you all have a great thanksgiving. We all have so much thankful for: friends, family, food etc. and don't be afraid to say it out loud. I am so thankful for the fact that I was given the opportunity to be a part of the University of Missouri wrestling team. I am blessed with the best family I could ever ask for. Although I won't be able to spend this thanksgiving with my family I am thankful for the fact that they are so understanding of my commitment to wrestling and this program. I fortunately will be able to spend this thanksgiving with my teammates (my second family). Happy Holidays all!