Up 2-1 with the riding time advantage against Kent State All-American and then-No. 5 Nic Bedelyon, Missouri freshman Alan Waters ignored Coach Brian Smith's advice and chose down to start the third period. The junior All-American Golden Flash couldn't turn Waters, however, eventually cut him and Waters hung on for a 3-1 decision and his first major collegiate upset.
Alan WatersThe irony here is that Smith largely attributes Waters' success this season to the fact that he sticks to his game plan, and doesn't divert from it in a panic.
"It's not easy to be a true freshman and wrestle our schedule," Smith said. "[But] Alan wrestles the most–mistake free of my lineup right now. He's one of the few freshmen that I've had come in who are really good in all three positions, which is unusual ... usually they struggle in one of them."
But Waters has certainly adapted well to the college scene thus far. He's 22-0, and has climbed from being unranked at the beginning of the season to No. 8 in the country (according to InterMat) heading into the prestigious Midlands Championships at Northwestern.
Alan Waters (Photo/Missouri Sports Information)"It is just [Waters'] attitude," Missouri 133-pounder Nathan McCormick recently attributed to his success. "When he came [to campus] this summer, he was just a sponge. He wanted to learn as much as he could and stayed after our summer workouts to learn moves. He was just trying to put things together, and he really soaked up a ton of knowledge."
His high school coach at Park Hill, Bill Erneste, saw that drive from when he first met at Alan at just 8 years old.
"He's willing to do whatever it takes," Erneste said. "He just wants someone to guide him, and I think that Brian Smith and the Missouri coaching staff have done a great job of that."
In general, Waters is a serious, likable kid with a quiet confidence about him and a burning desire to compete. He doesn't particularly enjoy media attention, but knows what he wants to accomplish and plans on doing everything in his power to do so.
"I think a lot of college wrestling is mental," Waters said. "You just have to go out here and expect to win. Being confident in yourself is the main thing."
Coach Erneste recalls a story from when Waters was in eighth grade to illustrate this attribute. After losing to a familiar local rival in a schoolboy freestyle national championship, Waters went over to shake the coach's hand. The coach consoled him in a friendly way and said, "Hey Alan, nice job, we'll wrestle you anytime." According to Erneste, Waters went right back to the center of the mat and strapped on the ankle band, raring to go and avenge the previous result.
Alan Waters (Photo/Missouri Sports Information)Midlands should provide a good litmus test for the young freshman. He will likely be the fifth seed in a bracket that includes defending NCAA champion Matt McDonough of Iowa, No. 2 Brandon Precin of Northwestern, ODU's fourth-ranked James Nicholson, and Oklahoma's fifth-ranked Jarrod Patterson.
"I'm seeing Midlands as an opportunity to possibly beat them -- and learn from them," Waters said. "I should see McDonough before finals, [as] I'm expecting to be on the same side of the bracket as he. Since McDonough is on top right now, it'd be nice to take him out."
He added, "I want to be a national champion this year. The Midlands will show me where I'm at."
It's difficult for anyone, let alone a true freshman, to survive the meat grinder that is the NCAA Tournament and come out on top. But who knows?
As Erneste says, "Alan Waters can do whatever he puts his mind to."
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now