Northwestern University Athletics
The 1999-2000 Wrestling Outlook
11/18/1999 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Nov. 18, 1999
The Northwestern roster brings an exciting mix of youth and experience to the mat for the 1999-2000 season. With 10 starters returning, only two letterwinners lost and 15 returning, the ?Cats have high hopes for the season.
?I am extremely excited about this year?s roster and things I think we can accomplish,? stated head coach Tim Cysewski. ?The freshmen took some bumps and bruises last year but now they?ve seen what Big Ten wrestling is all about.?
Returning All-Americans Mark Bybee (1998) and Scott Schatzman (1996, 98) will be expected to lead this year?s team. Bybee will be wrestling at 174, where he went 25-7 last year.
?Obviously he brings back a lot of experience and leadership to what will be a relatively young squad,? said Cysewski. ?I think Mark has a lot to prove to himself after a disappointing 1999 NCAA tournament.?
Wrestling at 141, two-time All-American Scott Schatzman will also be looked upon to lead this young squad through a rugged Big Ten schedule. The fifth-year senior from Missouri was 18-5 overall, 9-3 in dual meets last season.
?It?s probably the toughest weight class in the country (141), so he?ll have his challenges there, but Scott will respond to that like the thoroughbred that he is,? said Cysewski. This year?s projected starters have a good balance of youth and experience, starting with the 125-pound weight division.
Freshman Steve Cordova will compete with sophomore Robert Potashnick for the starting spot. Cordova, a three-time Utah state champion and MVP, compiled a 149-11 record in high school. He?s asked to fill the shoes of Dominic Caruso, who graduated after a 20-10 season, a fourth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships and a birth in the NCAA tournament.
?Steve is having a great preseason and we as a coaching staff are excited to see how he is going to perform this year,? said Cysewski.
In the 133 weight class, John Giacche is back for his sophomore campaign and looks to improve on his 10-19 record of 1998.
Cysewski says, ?John had his bumps last year, but he grew up quickly and I?m confident he?ll have a great year.?
At 149 pounds, the ?Cats look for newcomers to step in. With Jason Erwinski moving up weight classes to 165, freshmen Ryan Cumbee and Nick Scacco along with sophomore J.R. Scott will all compete for a spot. Cumbee, an Illinois state champion and blue-chip prospect, seems to have the edge.
?This is a weight class where we have some flexibility,? said Cysewski. ?With no clear cut starter, we?re looking at the preseason to tell us more.?
In the 157-pound division, three-time NCAA qualifier Drew Pariano returns for his fifth season. Pariano finished with a 19-14 overall record while wrestling at 157 and 165 during the year. He also looks to improve on his seventh place finish at the 1999 Big Ten Championships.
?Drew will be a better wrestler at 157. He was a little small at 165, but he is in good shape and we expect him to compete for a top spot at the Big Ten Championships,? said Cysewski.
Tony Scacco leads a group of wrestlers vying for time in the 165 pound division. Scacco, a fifth-year senior, has his work cut out for him. Erwinski, last year?s starter, also returns, but is questionable due to offseason injuries. Cysewski believes Scacco has the best chance of stepping into the starting role as he heads into the season looking to improve on his 3-8 record of a year ago.
?Just like in the 149 pound division, 165 offers some different scenarios for us, fortunately we are very deep there,? stated Cysewski. ?Scacco is a fifth year senior, we look for leadership from him. We want him to step in and become an impact wrestler.?
Freshman Ryan Kane, a two-time California state champion will be competing for mat time at 165 along with junior Will Marcantel. Marcantel was 4-5 last year in limited action.
The Wildcats return last year?s starter at 184 pounds, as Tom Ciezki returns for his senior year after a 10-16 campaign in 1998-99.
?We expect Tom to have a great season. Last year was the first he started, and now that he has been through the war he has a better understanding of what it takes,? explained Cysewski.
Matt Huebner looks to be the man at 197 for the Wildcats. Huebner only competed in the Michigan Open a year ago, but the coaching staff agrees this could be a breakout year for him.
?Matt is a power wrestler, nothing fancy with this guy,? said Cysewski. ?You put him out on the mat, wind him up and let him go. It may not be the prettiest thing to watch, but he gets the job done and that?s what counts.?
In the heavyweight division, returning starter Josh Saul looks to improve on his 10-13 record last season. Saul was hampered by a hand injury the second half of the season.
?Josh came back bigger and stronger and should be in a situation where he makes it to nationals and be in a position to become an All-American,? stated Cysewski.
The 1999-2000 edition of Wildcat wrestling is good mix of senior leadership and talented freshman.
?It doesn?t matter what year you?re in,? said Cysewski. ?If you haven?t been in the lineup on a consistent basis, or have the senior leadership that we have, then wrestling in the Big Ten is all theory. You need to get out there and experience it.?
