Liberty University Club Sports Athletics
Flames begin defense of NCWA titles at Messiah, Va. Beach
11/5/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Wrestling
Liberty University's wrestling team is coming off its second NCWA National Duals and first NCWA National Championship tournament title, March 12-14 in Allen, Texas. But after graduating several starters and having his two individual national champions, Ryan Diehl and Josh Llopez, transfer to Maryland, Flames Head Coach Jesse Castro has more questions than answers going into the 2015-16 season.
However, Castro, the reigning NCWA Coach of the Year, is cautiously optimistic as the Flames seek to defend their national titles.
"We like what we see (but) it's unknown as far as what to expect," Castro said. "We like the work ethic and the camaraderie so far, but we're trying to develop a little more grit in our team, because they're so young. Some of them are green, and do not have college experience under their belt yet."
Liberty enters the season ranked second in the first NCWA Division I poll, behind only Central Florida and ahead of Grand Valley State, Penn State-DuBois, and Mid-Atlantic Conference rival Middle Tennessee State. The Flames feature just one wrestler ranked No. 1 individually (125-pound junior Timmy Nordan) and only one ranked second (141-pound junior Ike Podell) nationally.
Castro will get a good gauge of how many of his top wrestlers are shaping up this Saturday, when he travels with two-thirds of the team to the Messiah (Pa.) College Invitational while Assistant Coach Allen Hackmann takes the remaining third to the Virginia Beach Nationals on Saturday and Sunday for season-opening tournaments.
The Messiah Invitational, which will likely feature the strongest competition for the Flames, will be a homecoming of sorts for one Liberty wrestler and one coach.
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| Flames graduate assistant Chris Williamson (left), who wrestled for the Falcons, and Head Coach Jesse Castro, will travel to Messiah while assistants Allen Hackmann and Chase Boontjer, who wrestled for Liberty before graduating last spring, go to Virginia Beach. |
Graduate assistant Chris Williamson, who wrestled at Messiah the past four years and is now pursuing his M.B.A. at Liberty, and Evan Canady, who competed for the Falcons as a freshman before transferring to Liberty last year, will feel right at home on Messiah's mats.
Castro believes the Falcons will be among the favorites in Saturday's 12-team field.
"They're that good, probably a top-five team in (NCAA) Division III," he said, noting Wheaton (Ill.), Washington & Jefferson (Pa.), and Ursinus (Pa.) colleges will also contend for the title. "Last year, we could have taken two different teams and done well at both tournaments because of the depth we had. We do have talent back this year, but we don't have a lot of depth. We're not bringing all of our starters and we're so untested, so I hope we can finish fifth."
Canady placed second at the NCWA tournament in his 235-pound weight class as a sophomore last season. He will compete at heavyweight on Saturday since most of the teams in the tournament are from NCAA Division I, II, or III schools, such as Messiah, and the 235-pound weight class is not currently offered by the NCAA.
"Evan Canady is certainly capable of winning the heavyweight title," said Castro, who is sending senior 235-pounder Josh Travers to Virginia Beach to compete at heavyweight. "Josh will be going back to his former school and he's proven himself here."
However, his time and energy is divided, not between the Flames and the Falcons, but between wrestling, his academics, a part-time job, and his military commitment.
"He has so many irons in the fire," Castro said. "He just got commissioned in the ROTC and he's on scholarship for that now, plus he's working. He loves wrestling, but at same time, he is being pulled."
Nordon, an NCWA runner-up last year, has stepped into a leadership role for the Flames this season at 125 while Podell, who bumps up a weight class to 149 pounds, could challenge for a national title after earning All-American status with a fifth-place finish at 141 last year.
One newcomer who has shown tremendous promise is freshman 141-pounder Logan Smith, a transfer from Ferrum College, which Liberty hosts on Feb. 10, 2016.
"He's probably an ace in the hole who's unknown," Castro said.
The Flames have a glaring hole to fill at 133, where Tyler Sigler is out with a knee injury and freshmen are battling for the starting position. But they look fairly strong in the middle- to upperweight classes, leaning on wrestlers such as 174-pound junior Josh Ferenczy.
"He's been wrestling really well and he's hungry," Castro said. "He's on a mission this year, one of those bright spots. By the end of the year, if he's not in contention for a national championship, hopefully he'll earn All-American status."
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
