The final stretch for the No. 17 Badger wrestling team has begun, and thankfully the team will be battling it out in the comfort of its own home. On Friday, Wisconsin takes on Minnesota in the second of their final four duals of the season. Although the Badgers' overall dual record stands at 7-7, the team has struggled in Big Ten competition this season. After picking up a victory on the road against Penn State earlier in the month, the team returned home to start a four-match home stand, with their its opponent being Illinois. The team fought hard, but fell to the Illini by a final score of 16-24.
However, the loss did not come with all bad news. Badger senior Dallas Herbst of Winneconne, Wis., recorded his 100th collegiate career victory at the dual in a match against Illinois' Patrick Bond. Herbst picked up the go-ahead point in the final 30 seconds of the match, winning with a final score of 4-3. Concerning Herbst's achievement, head coach Barry Davis said, I think it's a good milestone. Not too many kids in their career, I don't care what program you're at, have 100 wins."" Herbst is Davis' fourth wrestler to reach 100 wins at Wisconsin. Thirteen more victories would place Herbst in a tie for 10th place all-time among Badger wrestlers.
Davis argues, however, that the milestone is not what Herbst is thinking about at this point in the season.
""I think the main thing for him right now is how he finishes the year,"" Davis said. ""I think he's more worried about what's going to take place in March.""
However, finishing the year strongly and winning go hand in hand. Herbst and the rest of the Badger wrestlers will get their next chance against Minnesota.
Wisconsin went head to head against Minnesota earlier this season during the National Duals and fell to the Gophers 22-15. In that matchup, Minnesota quickly got out to an early lead, capturing pins in the first two matches at 125 pounds. and 133 pounds. However, Wisconsin gained ground and kept it close for the remainder of the match, only losing sight of victory in the final match up. Senior heavyweight Kyle Massey fell to Minnesota's Ben Berhow in a close 5-4 decision.
The closeness of their last meeting is proof that the Badgers will need to be at the top of their game if they hope to get a victory against the No. 8 Gophers. Seniors Zach Tanelli, Herbst and Massey look to lead the team by example on the mat. All three are fresh off wins against Illinois. Tanelli is currently ranked No. 1 in the country at 141 pounds.
With only three duals left before the Big Ten Championships in March, the Badgers have little time left to perfect their skills. The two matches this weekend against Minnesota and Purdue should go a long way in preparing the team for postseason success.
