For the three Brown wrestlers who competed in the NCAA Championships last week, the tournament came to an early end on March 20, the first day of competition. It was also the last day of wrestling as Brown athletes for senior captains Jeff Schell '08, Levon Mock '08. But for Matt Gevelinger '09, the only junior qualifier, it was an experience which he says will motivate him to go back and do better next year.
Schell and Mock both had qualified for the NCAA Championships before. Schell qualified his freshman year and Mock went back after competing in last year's championships.
"For Schell, it was a big step up, because he hasn't gone to NCAAs since his freshman year," said Assistant Coach Ed Gutnik. "I was proud of (Schell and Mock). I think they expected a little more out of themselves. I hope they are proud of themselves, too."
Mock, like his teammates, met tough competition in his drawing. His first match against No. 11 seed Mike Spaid from the University of Bloomsburg in the heavyweight class ended with a loss by fall in the first period. His second match opponent, Rashard Goff of Cleveland State University, scored a takedown in the first period and controlled the rest of the match, taking the win at 9-0. Although Mock didn't fare as well as he had hoped, his four years of wrestling at Brown culminated in being recognized for the second time as an All-Ivy honoree with 123 career competitions.
At the 133-pound weight class, Schell met the No. 8-seeded Mack Reiter of Minnesota in his first match, which he also lost by fall in the first period. The second match, in the consolation bracket, Schell wrestled another seeded opponent, No. 9 seed Zach Tanelli of Wisconsin.
After a scoreless first period, Schell took control of the match in the second period, scoring a two-point near-fall and building more than one minute of riding time.
Going into the third period, Schell led 2-1, which quickly became 3-1 as he scored another point for escape. But Tanelli scored a take down and a three-point near fall to turn the tables around and sealed the match, 6-3.
Unlike Schell and Mock, who both had experience in the championships arena, Gevelinger was in the competition for the first time. He met the toughest draw of the three Bears when he faced No. 6 seed Raymond Jordan of Missouri in his first match, where he fell 23-8. In his second match, he wrestled Chris Honeycutt of Edinboro University. Although Gevelinger gave a good effort, he still couldn't overcome Honeycutt and lost the match 4-0. Despite the early exit, Gevelinger thought the experience was "good overall."
"I view it as a learning experience," Gevelinger said. "It was good to be there. The level of competition is another step up."
Gutnik said Gevelinger "was a little nervous, being his first time (at Nationals)."
Having competed at the Championships, Gevelinger saw what it takes to be an All-American.
"I saw how intense the All-Americans were, how intense the tournament was," Gevelinger said. "You have to be there to understand."
Gevelinger had a successful season going into the championships, with a 17-12 record. With the championships over, Gevelinger has reset his goals for next year, both for himself and for the team.
"The NCAA is another step up," Gevelinger said. "Wrestling is both a team and an individual sport. As a team, we should be fighting for an Ivy League title. As for myself, I need to start training for next year, and hopefully go back with a few guys."
Gutnik is optimistic about Gevelinger's prospects, saying, "He needs to work harder, and when he's more mature, who knows what will happen next year?"
