The Binghamton University wrestling team has already clinched its best dual meet season in its 10-year Division I tenure. Tonight, the Bearcats will look to make more history, as they set out to become the best team in the program’s history.
With a win against East Stroudsburg University tonight at the West Gym, Binghamton (15-6) would break the all-time program record for dual meet wins in a single season. The team is currently tied with the 1974-75 team that went 15-3.
Binghamton head coach Pat Popolizio admits that while he and his team want to win the dual and break the record, the team is directing much of its attention to the Colonial Athletic Association tournament, which is set for March 4-5.
“It’s something we want to achieve,” Popolizio said regarding the wins record. “But I think our main focus right now is geared more toward the end of the year. We’re getting ready for our conference tournament and the NCAA tournament. [The wins record] is another goal that we want to achieve, but the big goal is coming up in the next couple of weeks.”
East Stroudsburg competes at the Division II level. It has a few common opponents with Binghamton this season. The Warriors defeated Sacred Heart, but lost convincingly to Drexel, Bloomsburg and Buffalo. Binghamton beat all of those teams, with the exception of Buffalo, who beat the Bearcats 24-12. The fact that the Warriors are a D-II team will not impact the meaning of the wins record, according to Popolizio.
“When we did our scheduling, we had a hard time scheduling home matches,” he said. “We knew we needed a competition this weekend and the way it worked out, East Stroudsburg was willing to come up here. We need to compete two weeks before our conference tournament; we couldn’t sit this week. It doesn’t take away anything; wins are wins.”
Junior Justin Lister was named CAA Co-Wrestler of the Week on Tuesday. Lister went 3-0 last week, which included two victories by pin fall. The 165-pounder, who was an All-American last season, has an 18-6 overall record with six pins and is currently on a six-match winning streak. Amateur Wrestling News ranks Lister No. 8 in the nation at 165 pounds.
“The end is in sight, the big picture is here — he’ll elevate his level of wrestling now,” Popolizio said of Lister. “His goal is to compete to win a national title. He knows he needs to be wrestling his best. I think in the beginning of the season he was going through the motions, and now he’s more focused and the intensity is night and day. Coming into practice, you can see it in him, and a lot of these guys, you can see it in them.”
Tonight’s dual is the team’s last competition before the conference tournament. It will serve as the final measuring stick for the wrestlers, while also giving them a chance to get one more match-day experience before two weeks of training.
“Any time you compete, nerves are involved,” Popolizio said. “Preparation for another match, intensity, focus, that helps. The way we’ve been training now, we need to wrestle hard for seven minutes. We were able to do that last weekend so I know the guys are starting to see that. They’re getting into that zone of complete matches.”
The dual will also be a final audition for a few wrestlers battling for a spot in the conference tournament. Ten wrestlers from each team, one from each weight class, get to compete in the tournament. Two weight classes that are open for competition are 197 pounds and 285 pounds. Sophomore 197-pounder John Paris, who is 16-11 this season, has gotten a chance in recent dual meets and has performed well. Fellow sophomore Cody Reed, also a 197-pounder who is sporting a 21-15 record, is not a natural heavyweight but has filled in at that weight class on occasion and has wrestled well, winning both of his matches this past Sunday. Senior Dan Bittner and freshman Lance Moore have split time at heavyweight throughout the season. Bittner has a 4-12 record and Moore has a 4-9 record. Paris and Reed appear to have the inside track on tournament spots.
“If [Paris and Reed] want to do it … to me on paper, that’s definitely something that looks good. I have a lot of confidence in that lineup,” Popolizio said. “But I want guys who believe in themselves and believe they can win at what weight class they’re going to wrestle best at. They have to make that decision themselves. It’d be easier for them to do that, rather than us as coaches.”
The Bearcats are scheduled to take on the Warriors at 7 p.m. tonight at the West Gym.