Spartans prep for Friday's dual vs. No. 5 Minnesota

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Heading into Big Ten play, the MSU wrestling team hopes more experience will equate to more success.

The Spartans have finished close to the bottom of the Big Ten standings the past two seasons, but with more upperclassmen in the lineup than in previous years, a defending national champion in 133-pound senior Franklin Gomez and a solid nonconference run, the Spartans hope to climb the standings and improve against the conference’s best.

The Spartans’ run toward an improved Big Ten season begins against No. 5 Minnesota at 7 p.m. Friday at Jenison Field House.

“We’ve learned a lot, and I think we’ve made some good progress in several areas,” head coach Tom Minkel said. “We’re about as prepared as we can be at this stage, and I know we’re all excited to get into the Big Ten.”

Perhaps the biggest area of improvement for the Spartans is in the team’s level of experience. Last season, the Spartans regularly might have had five freshmen in the lineup, whereas this year’s group is fairly evenly balanced between sophomores, juniors and seniors.

In a Big Ten conference that is loaded with top-ranked teams, the Spartans need to use every advantage they can get on the competition.

“Those kids are all a year older now, and there’s really no substitute in this league for experience and having been through it,” Minkel said. “The first time it’s kind of a shock when you’re young, and it can be kind of a jolt. Right now, we’re just more a mature team in the way we approach our matches, and the way we’re wrestling.”

The road can’t possibly get more difficult for the Spartans, as eight of their next nine matches are against ranked opponents, including three ranked in the top five.

Nevertheless, the Spartans have shown consistency during their 6-1-1 start and have fought hard in several matches, including Saturday’s 16-16 tie with Rutgers, which is unranked but receiving votes.

The Spartans are led by Gomez, who has a 26-match win streak, but now have a steady group of seniors backing him and young, rising wrestlers to give the lineup more depth.

“We did well in the nonconference. … It’s gone much better than in previous years,” senior heavyweight Alan O’Donnell said.

“We’ve wrestled really hard all the way through, so I’m just excited to see how things translate over to Big Ten competition.”

The Spartans will battle No. 5 Minnesota on Friday, then continue in the Big Ten by hosting No. 19 Illinois at 1 p.m. Sunday. The rigorous pace continues next week, as the Spartans prepare for road matches against Michigan on Jan. 29 and No. 1 Iowa on on January 31.

Minnesota comes into East Lansing with a 5-4 record but has faced a difficult schedule. Five Golden Gophers currently are ranked in the top 10 of their respective weight classes.

As of Wednesday, Illinois holds a 5-3 record also having wrestled a tough schedule.

The Spartans have a difficult month of Big Ten play ahead, but for now are just excited about being a year older and continuing to climb the Big Ten ranks.

“The experience won’t hurt,” Gomez said. “That’s definitely going to help us a lot during those tough matches.”

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