Gifts of silver are usually packaged and handed out to celebrate a 25th anniversary. It’s not likely that Boston University wrestling coach Carl Adams wants silver for this, his 25th year leading the Terriers, but rather gold – in the form of NCAA medals.
Adams and his team started off their 2005-06 season on the best foot possible this weekend at the Roger Williams Invitational in Bristol, R.I. BU finished with 191 points and set a new record by winning six weight classes. The Terriers’ closest opponent was Norwich University, which tallied 128.5 points.
“We wrestled well,” Adams said. “But it’s hard to gauge by that tournament because it’s mostly Division III schools and we wanted to get some of our younger kids on the mat.”
BU had been scheduled to compete at the Empire Open for the fifth year in a row, but after that event was cancelled, Adams took the opportunity to make the trip to Bristol. Despite the fact that BU battled Division III schools, many positives came from the event. Just like the men’s basketball team at Duke University Monday night, this was the first time seven freshmen would hit the mat in NCAA competition.
“The team wrestled well and our conditioning was good,” said senior Zach Johns. “It was a lot of guys’ first college competition and they wrestled well, and the older guys looked great.”
One of the big – really big – surprises for the Terriers was walk-on freshman heavyweight Mike Connors.
“Our heavyweight won as a walk-on, and he did a real nice job,” Adams said. “He pretty much dominated everyone in his weight class.”
Then again, so did the five other Terriers who won their classes. But despite the elation after a convincing first-place finish, this is only the beginning. For its next match, the team visits Philadelphia to participate in the Keystone Classic hosted by the University of Pennsylvania.
“Hopefully we’ll get some good seeds and the competition will be much tougher,” Johns said. “But that’s good for us to see where we are at this point of the season. We definitely have some guys that will compete for individual titles and some guys that don’t expect anything less.”
That is an attitude the Terriers know they need to carry throughout the entire season to be successful. With a schedule that includes many top teams on the wrestling circuit, the Terrier squad will need to be focused for the entire year.
“If we avoid injuries and have all of our projected starters in throughout the season, I really think we should at least take second in the conference and make a run at beating Hofstra University,” said senior Justin Blumenthal.
Taking that next step to beating perennial powerhouse Hofstra starts and ends with the knowledge and passion that Adams brings to the sport.
“Adams is a very knowledgeable individual,” Blumenthal said. “We know he has done everything we are going through and more, so we respect his advice and look to him for improving our weaknesses. It gives the team confidence knowing our coach has the experience to succeed.”
Blumenthal isn’t the only one on the team with this sentiment for Adams.
“I joke around with coach about naming the wrestling room after him and stuff, but he just laughs,” Johns said. “Wrestlers don’t need recognition, but we do appreciate it.
“Everyone in the wrestling world knows who Carl Adams is and how good he was back in the day and is as a coach, but I think the school and athletic department could do more for the less recognized sports at BU,” Johns added. “It would be really nice for the school to do something for Coach Adams, who has been here for around 25 years.”
Jack Parker Rink, Coach K Court, Carl Adams Mat? Maybe the mat could stray from scarlet and white and be lined in silver for just one season.