The Bobcats faces off against Old Dominion looking to climb MAC standings, reach above .500 in conference play.
After two matches in three days last weekend, Ohio will once again take to the road, this time to face off against Mid-American Conference opponent Old Dominion.
The Bobcats (7-4, 3-3 MAC) are looking to raise their conference record above .500 for the first time this season. The Monarchs, ranked No. 18, are 9-3 overall, and 2-2 in the MAC.
The Monarchs have numerous wrestlers ranked in the top 20, including 149-pound No. 13 Alexander Richardson, who will face off against redshirt junior No. 7 Tywan Claxton.
Coach Joel Greenlee emphasized consistency in practice this week, stressing that the team needed to stay consistent to keep its win streak going.
“To me, being successful in wrestling is about consistency,” Greenlee said. “Consistency in the way you prepare as a team, the consistency in the way you prepare as an individual, and that you hopefully get consistent results.”
Greenlee wants Ohio to stay consistent, as he expects Old Dominion to do the same Friday.
“I think the last two or three dual meets the opposing team really tried to slow us down, not do a whole heck of a lot, and I think Old Dominion is going to be the same,” Greenlee said.
Old Dominion brings a recurring challenge to the Bobcats, one that has plagued the Bobcats in weeks past.
“They have a lot of guys that try to wear you out, and typically[SJ1] we’re not good at hand fighting, so we need to get better at hand fighting, and keep guys off our head,” Greenlee said. “We need to be good on top for this match.”
With the season winding down, Greenlee said the mentality will not change, but the preparation will.
“Right now, you start narrowing it down a little bit, wanting our guys to come to a peak at the right time,” Greenlee said. “You start focusing on smaller things with the individual. Finer points, fine tune things, try to make sure we’re rested at the right time and healthy at the right time.”
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