Introducing the 2011-12 All-Backup Team ...
125: Erik Spjut (Virginia Tech)
The redshirt sophomore placed third at the Penn State Open and the Virginia Tech open. He's won the Shorty Hitchcock Memorial Tournament and compiled an overall record of 24-8 this season. Spjut has earned two pins and two tech falls this season. Were it not for Ty Mitch, Spjut would be seeing the ACC tournament, and possibly the NCAA tournament.
Iowa's Tyler Clark is stuck behind No. 4 Tony Ramos (Photo/Iowa Sports Information)At the end of the 2009 season Hawkeye fans were excited to hear that Tyler Clark was transferring from Iowa State. Clark, a native Iowan, put up a great 2008-09 campaign for the Cyclones, finishing runner-up at the Big 12s and earning a bid to the NCAA tournament. He finished that season with a 25-8 record. While at Iowa State, Clark notched wins over some of the nation's top wrestlers, including Angel Escobedo of Indiana and Anthony Robles of Arizona State. Clark was forced to redshirt after his transfer and used his time off to compete against top competition, and even placed second at the Kaufman-Brand. However, last season with eligibility in play, he was unable to best Tony Ramos, who again this season won the starting spot, and is currently ranked fourth in the country. Clark, who beat Ramos in competition last season, can't go up a weight either, lest he face off against two-time All-American and NCAA runner-up Montell Marion.
141: Seth Lange (Minnesota)
Lange finished his true freshman season with a 17-2 overall record while recording three pins and three major decisions. This season he has been impressive. He finished fourth at the Body Bar Invitational and has compiled a 22-9 record, including a 1-1 record against starting teammate Nick Dardanes, the 12th ranked wrestler in the country at 141 pounds. Lange, only a redshirt freshman, will likely see the lineup for the Gophers before the end of his career.
Cornell's Craig Eifert is challenging for the starting spot at 149, but lately Chris Villalonga has been getting the call (Photo/Lindsey Mechalik, Cornell Sports Information)The sophomore from Michigan has some of the most impressive wins of anyone on the list, having pinned All-American P.J. Gillespie of Hofstra last season on his way to being named co-winner of the Graham Morin Eleventh Man Award for the Big Red. Right now, Eifert is lodged behind Chris Villalonga, who was named EIWA Wrestler of the Week for his win over Corey Jantzen of Harvard. Eifert has had some success this season. He beat nationally ranked Dylan Ness of Minnesota in the Big Red's first dual and climbed to 14th in the country. According to Cornell coach Rob Koll, Eifert is not out of contention for the starting spot. "The reason Craig is considered one of the best backups is because he doesn't consider himself, nor should he consider himself, a backup," said Koll. "He will continue to challenge for the starting spot until he either makes the team, or the season ends."
157: James Vollrath (Penn State)
The current collection of Penn State middleweights (149-194) is arguably the most dominating and impressive of any in the history of college wrestling. James Vollrath, who started last season and placed seventh at the Big Tens, is this season stuck behind No. 7 Dylan Alton, who is by any metric is having an excellent season. Vollrath, a redshirt sophomore, was 23-7 last season and this year has a win over Joey Napoli of Lehigh and an overall record of 10-4.
165: Nicholas Visicaro (Rutgers)
Scott Winston was the first big recruit of the Coach Goodale era. Winston, a three-time undefeated New Jersey state champion, helped Goodale and his staff attract several big recruiting classes. Over the past few years that Scarlet Knights have enjoyed excellent regular seasons and high rankings, though NCAA All-American title have eluded their grasp. Winston, currently ranked No. 9 in the nation, is being backed by Nicholas Visicaro, a sophomore with an impressive 18-5 record on the season, including a recent major decision of Lehigh's Sean Bilideau. Whether he moves up to 174 pounds next season or stays at 165 poudns and chooses to compete with Winston is unclear. Whatever he chooses, Visicaro will be a valuable addition to Goodale's lineup and a likely All-American candidate.
Penn State's Matt Brown reached the finals of the Southern Scuffle, only to lose to teammate Ed Ruth (Photo/Bill Ennis)There is just nowhere to go for Matt Brown. Sitting behind two of the best wrestlers in the country has made Matt Brown into arguably the best overall backup in the nation. This season he finished runner-up at the Southern Scuffle, with his finals loss coming at the hands of teammate and No. 2 Ed Ruth. Brown, a redshirt freshman, has compiled a record of 20-2 and has a win over No. 7 Logan Storley of Minnesota and Dorian Henderson of Missouri. It almost seems unfair that he'd be locked behind such a talented wall of wrestlers, but if training behind those guys for three years gets him an NCAA title, I'm sure he'll think it a smart decision to stay in Happy Valley.
184: Joel Bauman (Minnesota)
A member of the Junior World Team in Greco-Roman, Joel Bauman has posted a 12-3 record during his redshirt freshman season. A highly touted recruit, Bauman has been biding his time behind returning All-American Kevin Steinhaus. Coincidentally, Baumann and Steinhaus were actually high school teammates at Kerkhoven-Murdock in Minnesota, with the latter being the elder by a year.
197: Cayle Byers (Oklahoma State)
A two-time NCAA qualifier from George Mason, Byers transferred to Oklahoma State this season. Byers, who was ranked as high as No. 2 in 2010 before being removed from the team, had expected to start this season for the Cowboys, but lately has been forced to sit behind Blake Rosholt. Byers is 12-3 on the season with losses to the aforementioned Rosholt, Sonny Yohn of Minnesota, and a recent decision loss to Alfonso Hernandez of Wyoming. Cowboy fans should have confidence that if something does happen to Rosholt, they have a very capable backup in Byers.
Iowa's Blake Rasing was a Big Ten champion last season (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)It's a rare occasion in wrestling when the defending Big Ten champion is sitting the bench, but in Iowa it's not all that uncommon. Blake Rasing, who last year won the heavyweight title for the Hawkeyes, lost his 2011-2012 starting spot to mega-recruit/freshman Bobby Telford. The No. 10 Telford and Rasing scrapped earlier in the season with the former coming away with the win. Rasing is getting mat time, though not with the type of success Tom Brands would like to see, dropping a decision to No. 15 Mike McMullan of Northwestern and No. 6 Cameron Wade of Penn State.
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