InterMat: Inside info from the N.W.C.A
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Determination shows through for true third winners
By Jason Bryantjbryant@intermatwrestle.com
Ames, Iowa – They weren’t on center stage during Sunday morning’s first session at the 2005 U.S. World Team Trials at the Hilton Coliseum on the campus of Iowa State University, but they still battled just as hard.
They weren’t the best in their weight class on this day and motivation wasn’t a premium, but athletes have to dig deep to muster enough heart and emotion to get their job done.
That job – a true third place finish.
Since the U.S. World Team Trials uses tournament placement to determine the U.S. National Team, the true third matches have meaning.
“It’s important in any case,” said current Michigan State wrestler Nick Simmons. “The point is to come back and the highest place you can get.”
Simmons beat Matt Azevedo at 55kg in men’s freestyle to earn a spot on the National Team.
While being on the World Team for the U.S. was the ultimate goal, some are still proud of what the perks are for being a member of the USA Wrestling roster.
“The fact that you’re on the national team gives you a lot more opportunity to travel and see guys you’re going to see in a couple years when you’re on the world team,” said Jared Frayer, who finished third at 66kg.
“It’s tough to come back for that round,” Frayer said. “It’s tough to get up for, especially since I was wrestling my roommate.”
Frayer beat Jesse Jantzen to earn a National Team nod and the two share an apartment in Boston and Frayer also believes that the financial compensation is also a motivator.
“As meager as it may seem or a little of an amount it is, 100 dollars here, a thousand bucks there, it makes a difference when it comes to guys’ training,” Frayer said.
“You don’t get the opportunity to wrestle for money very much.”
Greco-Roman wrestler Joe Betterman, a member of the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan, agreed.
“Being at that level is important and knowing you’re at that level,” Betterman said. “You get to travel with the national team and go a lot of different places.”
Sometimes early losses derail an athlete’s demeanor and drive.
“You just come back and get third no matter what – that’s just how I’ve been taught,” Simmons said.
Betterman was in a similar situation.
“I was always taught if you lose, that you need to come back and get third,” he said.
On the women’s side, Erin Tomeo has wrestled in the true third bouts before, but the 2005 World Team Trials were not just about making the World Team, it was about seeing where she was at.
“This one was good for me, since I was coming off (foot) surgery and this is my first competition in a year,” said Tomeo, a former World Team member.
Tomeo didn’t have the best return to the mat in Ames, as she was sent to the consolations in the challenge tournament by Brandy Rosenbrock in the quarterfinals.
From then on, Tomeo started to regain her past form.
Her confidence increased as the event went on.
“You have to wrestle every match after that like you’re wrestling for first,” she said.
“I started having fun and glad that I had a lot of matches ahead of me.”
Tomeo finished out third in the challenge tournament, beating Rosenbrock the second time around before beating Rachel Billerbeck in the true third match.
“It’s really hard to come out after that first loss,” Tomeo said. “You have to put it behind you and not think about it.”
She also echoed the sentiments of Betterman, Frayer and Simmons about making the national team.
“It’s real important to get the experience wrestling with the national team and the benefit of that is really important in our sport,” she said.
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