A four-win weekend propelled the Boston University wrestling team to an 8-3 record and a tie for third place in the Colonial Athletic Association.
The weekend began in New Brunswick, N.J., with a Saturday afternoon match against Franklin ‘ Marshall College. The Terriers got wins in all 10 weight classes and cruised to a 44-0 decision.
But their next match would not be so easy.
BU met up with host Rutgers University later that day in a meet that would come down to the final match. The Terriers got off to a quick start, with junior Jose Leon picking up what would prove to be a crucial five points with a win in the 125-pound class.
BU took an 11-0 lead before the Scarlet Knights came storming back, but Rutgers won the next five matches to take a 15-11 lead with two matches remaining.
Terrier juniors Chad Grant and Ed Strauss would come through in the clutch, however. Grant scored three points for his team with a 7-4 decision in the 197-pound class, which pulled the Terriers within one. Strauss then sealed the victory with a three-point decision in the heavyweight class, making the final score 17-15 for BU.
There was no panic on the BU side during the match, even after Rutgers moved in front late.
“We felt pretty positive,” said junior Mark Laramee. “We felt that [Strauss] could pull it off for us at the end.”
The showdown with Rutgers was about as difficult as it got last weekend for the Terrier wrestlers. On Sunday, the team wrestled two more meets in Staten Island, N.Y. The Terriers destroyed Wagner College, the home team, 53-0, and then disposed of New York University, 39-3.
According to Laramee, the weekend sweep was what the team had anticipated.
“We were expecting to go 4-0,” he said. “We’re all well disciplined right now and we’re really focused as a team.”
The team had a slew of multi-win performances from its wrestlers over the weekend. Grant, Laramee and freshman Joey Rivera each went 4-0, while Leon and sophomore Leighton Brady returned with three wins.
This Saturday, the Terriers will look to extend their winning streak when they confront East Stroudsburgh University at Case Gym.
“We should beat East Stroudsburgh,” Laramee said. “Our mindset is the same as last weekend: just focus on the match and do our job.”
But the Terriers are also eyeing the CAA championships on the second weekend of March. A near-win against conference leader Drexel University has the Terriers believing they’ll be a threat to win it all.
“We’re very good,” said senior Jason Holder. “If we wrestle to our potential we have a good shot at coming out on top. The key is to stay healthy.”
That’s something the Terriers could not do last season, and it cost them. But this year’s squad has been healthier. They’ve only had to deal with minor “little bumps and bruises,” according to Holder.
Overall, this is a healthy and confident team that’s on a roll heading down the stretch and a team that could do some serious damage in the CAA championships.
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