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Coach Spates (standing) motivates the team for a tournament style practice on Fri. February 27 2015. "We have to be stingy with points, we cant give up anything" Spates said. They watched videos from previous matches as he provided constructive criticism to better prepare the team for the conference tournament in Asheville, NC.
The team practices almost every position that they would encounter in a live match. Even members of the team who are not competing arrive to help out their fellow teammates. The practice consist of sprints and mostly grappling.
The team huddles after a hard practice.
During a ten hour roadtrip to the conference tournament in Asheville, North Carolina the team plays the Nintendo 64 to pass time on Thur. March 5 2015.
Due to weather conditions the team is forced to stop halfway through the trip. They utilize the time to get a quick workout and spend the night at a hotel in Kentucky.
Members of the team manage their weight by drilling. Wrestlers are required to meet strict weight guidlines to competes a their weight classes. A few members of the team were a couple pounds over but with a quick workout its easy to burn off excess water weight.
The team arrives at the Kimmel Arena for a skin checks and to get weighed into their specific weight class at 6:30am on March 7 2015. In the sport of wrestling, skin health is important so that skin diseases are not spread amongst other athletes. Each member of the team was cleared into their weight classes and of any skin diseases.
The team warms up before the tournament begins.
Sophomore Dakota Leach takes some time to hisself after losing in the first round at the Southern Conference wrestling tournament.
Heavyweight Chris Johnson who was preliminary ranked at 4th loses in the first round. Chris Johnson moved up to the class of Heavyweight earlier in the year where he has had a better success in his college wrestling career.
Sophomore Jake Tindel celebrates a Southern Conference 1st place victory. "I knew my record coming into this tournament was not great but I knew if I won today none of that mattered, because I won. When I walked into this stadium today I knew that I was going to win" Tindel said.
Connor McMahon (right) battles to move froward in the conference tournament.
Connor McMahon (left) although ranked 5th in the tournament beats Nick Kee who was ranked 1st to move on to the final round in the tournament.
Coach Spates coaches Connor McMahon as he competes in the final round of the tournament.
After Connor McMahon wins the Southern Conference tournament he is lifted into his teammate Erik Travers arms as he and the rest of his team celebrate. McMahon is named the Southern Conference tournament's most valuable wrestler after his victory and goes on to qualify for the Division 1 NCAA tournament in St. Louis, Mo. "Ive never accomplished anything like this before, so this is a great feeling" McMahon said.
Connor Mcmahon (left on 1st image) hugs his coach after a Southern Conference 1st place victory. "After our wrestling program went downhill Coach Spates really reversed the attitude of our wrestling team. He is one of the best coaches I have ever had. The restore the glory thing is about getting us back to the powerhouse we once were in the 80's" McMahon said.