Wrestling Holds 2016-17 Media Day at RAC
Oct 27 | Wrestling
PISCATAWAY, N.J. —Head coach Scott Goodale and members of the Rutgers wrestling team addressed the media on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at the Rutgers Athletic Center for the team's 2016-17 Media Day. The team begins the dual season on Friday, Nov. 11 at Cal State Bakersfield against the Roadrunners and San Francisco State.
Returning nine NCAA qualifiers and coming off a year in which the program finished ranked No. 10 in the USA Today/ NWCA Coaches Poll, the Scarlet Knights will wrestle a 16-dual slate and compete in six home matches, highlighted by the "Battle at the Birthplace", presented by Autoland, on Nov. 19 at High Point Solutions Stadium against Princeton.
Rutgers is ranked the No. 15 dual team and No. 16 tournament team by Intermat entering the season. Five Scarlet Knights – Anthony Ashnault (No. 4 – 141 pounds), Richie Lewis (No. 6 – 157 pounds), Ken Theobold (No. 13 – 149 pounds), Scott DelVecchio (No. 15 – 133 pounds), and Nicholas Gravina (No. 16 – 184 pounds) – were all ranked in the top-20 by Intermat to begin the season. 174-pounder Phillip Bakuckas was ranked No. 19 by WIN Magazine.
What the Scarlet Knights are saying about the year ahead …
"Obviously there are a ton of expectations within this program. They're extremely high and that's kind of the way we want it. We don't hide from that, I don't think we've ever hidden from that. We're going to return nine guys that were national qualifiers, return one All-American, a Big Ten champ. Kenny Theobold and Scotty DelVecchio will be returning off of redshirt years where they were very successful. Six guys right now I believe are ranked in the top-20 of their weight class. And of course, we have a tremendous, talented freshman group coming in." – head coach Scott Goodale
"We just stand for each other. We hold each other accountable when we're out there, we always are rooting for each other every single match, and we know what to expect out of each other. When our teammates are out there and we expect them to do something, they're going to do it. We're just ready for this season to start." – redshirt senior 174-pounder Phillip Bakuckas
"My emotions are high. This is my last season, so I'm going into practice every day thinking about that. I have to attack every practice, because I don't want any stone left unturned. These are the things that are going on right now and I have to adjust to that and make due." – redshirt senior 149-pounder Ken Theobold.
"Coming up, you don't really think it's going to change you, and then it's your senior year and you see it's your last opportunity, and it just hits you like a brick. I'm so much more grateful now because I do realize it's my last opportunity. I'm doing everything right and listening to Coach Goodale 100 percent. I'm just staying healthy, doing the right things and what the coaches are telling me." – senior 157-pounder Richie Lewis
"I've been staying very consistent throughout the summer with everything I've been doing up to this point. The whole team has been working really, really hard. I've been working hard myself. Whether it's in the weight room, in the classroom, or in the practice room, everything comes into play at the end of the year. That's when it really matters. You've got to do it right for a long time. Wrestling is one of the longest college seasons, so its about staying consistent for that long time period throughout the whole season." – redshirt junior 141-pounder Anthony Ashnault
"Personally, my goals are to do as best as I can and get as high on the podium as possible, hopefully be on top of it. I'm just going to keep training like I've been training and hopefully it takes me where I need to go." – redshirt junior 133-pounder Scott DelVecchio
"The main focus right now is to be hard-working individuals and focus on each technique, making sure every single drill we do is right and to the best of our ability. It's just about slowly adding more and more and as the season goes on we're going to keep looking to do that." – redshirt junior 184-pounder Nicholas Gravina
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RutgersAthletics) and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding Rutgers wrestling, follow the program on Twitter (@RUWrestling) and Instagram (@RUWrestling). Fans can receive timely information, including special offers and giveaways throughout the year on our social media outlets along with www.ScarletKnights.com.
Players Mentioned
