Wrestlers ready for Missouri

After spending nearly two months practicing against each other in the IU wrestling room in the Assembly Hall basement, the wrestling team is eager to get the 2002-03 season underway this Sunday. The Hoosiers will travel to Columbia, Mo. this weekend to participate in the Missouri Open where they are eager to compete.\nDescribing his wrestlers as "ornery" after spending so much time practicing, coach Duane Goldman said his team wants to face some new challenges.\n"They're tired of practicing on each other," Goldman said. "We need competition." \nCompetition is one thing the Missouri Open promises to give the Hoosiers plenty of. The full day tournament is hosted by the Missouri Tigers who are ranked tenth in Division I. But the Tigers will not be the only team providing the Hoosiers with a challenge. Over 500 wrestlers will represent 25 schools in Columbia Sunday. Among them will be IU and eight other schools that were 2002 National Championship qualifiers. \nNo. 4 Oklahoma, No. 10 Missouri, No. 12 Illinois and No. 14 Central Michigan have been given preseason ranks and will send wrestlers to the third annual tournament. But the Hoosiers have earned preseason honors of their own. Senior Greg Schaefer, juniors Ty Matthews and Coyte Cooper and sophomore Pat DeGain have all been ranked in the top 20 in their respective weight classes by a number of publications. TheMat.com ranked Matthews No. 20 at heavyweight. Schaefer was ranked No. 14 by Amateur Wrestling News in the 125-pound weight class, but he has since been moved up to the 133-pound class. In the 141-pound weight class, Cooper is ranked tenth by AWN, eighth by The Wrestling Mall and ninth by W.I.N. Magazine. DeGain is ranked No. 16 at 197 pounds by W.I.N. Magazine and ninth by The Wrestling Mall.\nWhile the Hoosiers are happy to have these rankings, they are by no means dazzled to see their names in lights.\n"They're nice," Goldman said, "but I don't put much stock in them." \nGoldman said he does not want his team to be satisfied with just these rankings. \nDeGain and Cooper echoed their coach's sentiments. \n"It's nice to be ranked and recognized," Cooper said. But Cooper added he didn't put much stock in preseason rankings. \nDeGain also downplayed the importance of preseason rankings. \n"A ranking is a ranking," DeGain said. "It means more people are going to be ready (to face you)."\nOne thing is certain, ranked or not, the Hoosiers are eager to get out of the Assembly Hall basement and begin the new season.