COLUMBIA, Mo. –

 

Head Coach Brian Smith

 

On the Black and Gold MeetÂ…

“We practice every day so I see those competitions every day. It was good to be out there with the referees and the time and anxiety, which is what we’re going to experience this weekend. We’re finally going to get out of the practice room that we’ve been in since the day after the NCAA (Championships). We’ve been making corrections in practice, but now you can really see how the kids are going to do things.”

 

On playerÂ’s diets during the seasonÂ…

“Everybody’s different. We always have food on the bus. Our team meals probably aren’t as glamorous as other teams here. The good thing is our guys cut weight the right way. They maintain their weight because that’s the food you put into your body the day before travel. They understand that. We’re one of the few sports that has that problem and it definitely complicates things and adds stress to the athletes.”

 

On some of these weekends ranked matchupsÂ…

“There are some good matchups. At 125, I know (Camden Eppert) is ranked in the top 20, so we’ll see where Alan (Waters) is at with that matchup. I know 133 pounds is a big matchup with two top-10 kids going at it. (Justin) LaValle from Old Dominion is the one who knocked out (Nicholas) Hucke at the NCAA (Championships), so I know he is looking forward to that. There are some good matchups all the way through, but I’m more excited to see how we’re going to compete the first weekend.”

 

On setting the tone for the seasonÂ…

“I know we scheduled pretty tough teams. I think in the sport of wrestling every squad has some good people. With Old Dominion, this is one of their best teams coming back. I know they’re looking forward to the season. Purdue has four or five guys ranked. It’s going to be a good task, but I know this team is experienced and ready for it.”

 

On the experience of the rosterÂ…

“The way these guys train isdefinitely a confidence booster. This is pretty much the same team I had two seasons ago. Before, they would be nervous and they would perform great some weekends, but it was a lot of up and down. Last year it was more consistent. This year they expect to go out on a mat and win. There’s just that confidence that they have been there and done that.”

 

141 Weight Class, Nicholas Hucke

 

On facing real competitionÂ…

“We’ve been wrestling each other all summer. We’re ready to go and wrestle some new guys. I got (Justin LaValle) who I wrestled at the NCAA (Championships). He’s pretty tough.”

 

On training for this weekendÂ’s matchupsÂ…

“I’m wrestling a lot smarter. I’ve been watching film and I know what to do. It’s good to get some good competition right away. I’m ready to go. Hopefully, we can get some wins and beat some ranked guys. Our team is one of the top teams so I know they’re excited to play us.”

 

197 Weight Class, Brent Haynes

 

On facing real competitionÂ…

“It feels good. We’ve been training here since all the way through the summer with the same guys every day. Even last weekend was kind of boring and it showed in some of our performances. You’re still wrestling the same guys so everyone knows what you’re going to do.”

 

On setting the tone for the seasonÂ…

“It’s good to get quality wins right off the bat. It boosts your confidence. I don’t put too much into wins in the beginning of the season. It can get you on a roll. Even if you lose against a ranked opponent or a non-ranked opponent, you still have a whole season to come back. What matters in the NCAA (Championships).”