Huober | Weightier results from the heavies

Throughout its history, the Penn wrestling program has built a reputation for producing top heavyweight wrestlers.

Most recently, heavyweight Matthew Feast made his run on the Quakers record books. The three-time All-American currently resides at third on Penn's all-time win list, with 118.

But since Feast's graduation in 2005, the upper-weight well has run somewhat dry for coach Zeke Jones, now in his third year at the helm.

Over the past two seasons sans Feast, Penn has struggled for answers at the 197- and 285-pound weightclasses. Wrestlers from those classes amassed a 35-39 (.473) record in 2005-2006, and marginally improved to 25-24 (.510) last year.

At a loss for a better option, Jones was forced to send 197-pounder Jack Sullivan to the mat for the bulk of Penn's heavyweight matches, where success proved scarce.

"Penn has a history of great heavyweights and it's been a while since we've had a heavyweight that could compete," Jones said.

Normally, a two-year drought would not garner much attention. But that drought has coincided with the first two years of Jones' tenure; Jones, for all his accolades both on the mat and as a coach, has been known throughout his career as a low-weight specialist.

This season, though, Jones and his staff may have reversed that trend.

In 184-pounder Lior Zamir, the Red and Blue can boast the No. 19 wrestler in the land. At heavyweight and 197, junior Trey McLean and sophomore Thomas Shovlin have yet to break into the top 25. But they have made plenty of noise in Penn's most recent matches while solidifying starting spots.

"Certainly, we're finding a lot of leadership coming from our upper-weights this year," Jones said. "The development of those guys is starting to bear results."

Shovlin - who chose Penn over national powerhouse and Ivy rival Cornell, his brother's alma mater - has plenty of collegiate wrestling ahead of him and now seems to be on the right track after a shoulder injury cut his freshman season short. And surprise, surprise, he credits Jones' guidance as part of his steady rise.

"Coach Jones has helped me a lot on my feet, finishes and just match strategy in general," he said.

In fact, Jones insists he takes very similar approaches in teaching lightweight and heavyweight wrestlers.

"If you watch the very best wrestlers in the world, they all wrestle very similarly," he said. "Wrestling moves that win, win regardless of weightclass."

According to tri-captain Cesar Grajales, that strategy is a good one for fostering the kind of team chemistry that becomes key heading into the dual-meet schedule.

"I kind of like how we all work together on the same kind of basic strategies," he said.

When Penn faces off against other teams in dual meets, the matches usually take place in ascending order in terms of weightclass. So in the past couple of seasons, a frustrated Jones would look on countless times as the solid lead his lightweights had built was squandered by his toothless upper-weight wrestlers.

With the bulk of Penn's dual meets now approaching, the Quakers hope the newfound confidence at the top of the scales can put them at the top of the standings.

Ilario Huober is a senior international relations major from Syracuse, N.Y. , and is former Sports Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. His email address is ihuober@dailypennsylvanian.com.

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