Pack the RAC
Jan 21 | Wrestling
By Trevor Rutledge-Leverenz
When Rutgers head coach Scott Goodale arrived on campus in the summer of 2007, he had a plan to bring RU wrestling to an elite level. After an 11-7 season his first campaign, the team is currently 17-5, matching the all-time school record in wins that was set in 1991-92, with a freshman class that was ranked as high as No. 3 by some national publications. But winning is only part of Goodale’s vision. The next step is wrestling in front of packed arenas. That phase begins on Saturday, Jan. 24, when Rutgers will face in-state rival Rider at the Louis Brown Athletic Center at 6:00 p.m.
“The idea of wrestling at the RAC was part of my interview process,” said Goodale. “[Former Athletics Director] Bob Mulcahy asked me if I was interested in wrestling at the RAC. That was the goal, that is where we need to be. Obviously it’s about coaching and getting our kids prepared, but it’s also about promotion. Our state needs this and this university needs to see how important wrestling is to the state. Hopefully people will come out and support it. I think they will.”
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WHALEN
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“If you are from New Jersey and you are a fan of wrestling you should come out to see the match,” said Goodale. “It is about wanting to support the program, and this is our chance to support Rutgers and Rider wrestling. That’s why we did it this way, with our first time in the RAC against another school from New Jersey. Down the road we will wrestle some Big 10 teams and some Big 12 teams, but for now it’s our second year and we felt it was important to get Rider and the state of New Jersey involved. This will be good for both schools and both wrestling programs, as well as the student-athletes, to wrestle in this type of atmosphere.”
Rutgers’ grapplers are excited. Redshirt senior 174-pound wrestler Mike Whalen (Lake Hiawatha, N.J.) has waited his entire RU career to compete at the RAC, and he is finally getting his chance.
“I definitely expected we would be wrestling more at the RAC, competing in big matches more than we did,” he said. “I am glad that before I graduate we are finally able to do this. Especially to be wrestling Rider, it’s exciting and a cool way to finish up my final year. I know we are going to go out there and wrestle hard.”
Fellow senior 165-pounder Matt Pletcher (Eastampton, N.J.) has been looking forward to this match since finding out that the team was going to wrestle at the RAC.
“I didn’t know [we were wrestling at the RAC] coming in to the season,” he said. “Coach told us ‘Rider is coming, we’re packing the RAC.’ I said ‘We’re wrestling at the RAC?’ and he said ‘Yeah, we’re wrestling at the RAC.’ That’s the big show for us. That is what it is all about. The Barn is cool, but the RAC is what it is all about. The men’s and women’s basketball teams get a lot of fans there so they really get the noise of the crowd. We run the stairs all the time at the RAC, it will be nice to see fans in those seats we usually run by.”
The last time Rutgers competed at the RAC, it fell to Oklahoma 38-3 in 2001. None of the current student-athletes have ever wrestled at the RAC, but more than that, none of the current student-athletes or coaches have ever beaten Rider. RU’s last win over the Broncs came on Jan. 22, 2003, a 19-14 home victory. That alone is motivation to put up a good show for the fans.
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PLETCHER
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“No one on this team has ever beaten Rider in a match,” agreed freshman Scott Winston (Jackson, N.J.). “Everyone is excited to get after them in the first place, and then the fact that it is at the RAC, in front of a big crowd, with two big high school matches before it, it just adds up to a great environment.”
Queen of Peace will take on Howell and High Point will face Long Branch at 4:00 p.m., followed by Rutgers and Rider at 6:00 p.m.
RU had won six consecutive dual matches, including a 20-18 come-from-behind victory against Army on Jan. 11, before falling to Virginia Tech 24-21 in Blacksburg, Va., on Sunday. Despite the loss, Rutgers coaches and wrestlers agree that they have good momentum on their side.
“We just came off a great weekend, so we are on a pretty good high right now, but we still have that bittersweet taste in our mouths because we lost to Virginia Tech,” said Winston. “We just want to keep getting better right now, we are all hungry and we are getting after it in our workouts. We are ready to roll for this weekend.”
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WINSTON
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For Goodale, with the team 17-5 and beating solid conference and non-conference foes alike, his plan to make Rutgers wrestling a national powerhouse is gaining steam.
“We have some momentum, we have beaten some good teams, and it’s kind of where we thought we would be,” he said. “But Rider matches up very well with us on paper and this should be a very good dual meet. We have momentum, our guys will ride that momentum and they are confident right now. In this sport confidence is 90 percent of the battle. Right now they they feel they can beat anybody, but this is a huge task for us. We’ve beaten Army and Virginia, but Coach Gary Taylor has done a great job of getting Rider ready and really this has been their year. This is a good test for us.”
Goodale’s plan is eventually to face nationally ranked schools like Iowa or Nebraska at the RAC on a regular basis. Pletcher understands what his coach’s goals are, and that Rutgers wrestling at the RAC will be a regular occurrence down the road.
“I know exactly where this program is going, and it will be bittersweet for me to return and watch them compete at the RAC,” said Pletcher. “I will want to train, put on my singlet, go and run out with the home team. I’ve been doing this for a long time and after this year I won’t have that opportunity to hear the crowds roaring. That’s not what it’s about, it’s about the love of the sport, but everyone loves to compete and I will not be able to compete in this atmosphere again.”
The student-athletes have taken it upon themselves to pump up the Rider match, telling their family, friends and classmates to come out on Saturday. Pletcher just has one message for the fans.
“Come support Rutgers wrestling,” he said. “Come see what we’re all about. Fans go to basketball and football games because it’s a popular thing to do. They will get the same enjoyment out of coming to a wrestling match. I’m about spreading the word about the sport. I want to support Rutgers wrestling and make sure they get the support they deserve, because I see all the hard work these guys put in every day.”
