Wrestlers balance matches, finals week

Finals are right around the corner for IU. Pulling all-nighters and fretting about grades are two of the main concerns for students. Hoosier wrestlers do not have this luxury. Not only must they worry about finals, but keeping their focus on upcoming matches is paramount for team success.\n"They are putting in a lot of work academically now, but there is enough time in the day for them to both study and wrestle," IU coach Duane Goldman said. "To be honest, practice for them is a good release when they are putting in a lot of study time."\nThe wrestlers this year face a daunting task. They first travel to Missouri Saturday for a dual meet with the Tigers, then quickly return to Bloomington for a Sunday four-team match with Eastern Illinois, Wabash and Gardner Webb. These two matches, combined with the prospect of finals, makes it a tough balancing act for the wrestlers.\n"A lot of it is time management," said sophomore Brady Richardson. "You have to look ahead and know what you have to study so time does not run out."\nOther teammates had similar views on how to stay focused during the hectic couple of weeks.\n"I think we have it about as hard as anyone," said sophomore Joe Dubuque. "We got to plan, study, make weight, cut weight, work out three or four times a day … It's crazy."\nThe life of a student-athlete often gets skewed. The public only sees the players at the matches battling competitors. Overlooked and unseen is the vast amount of time studying, working out and adjusting to the strenuous schedule.\n"The coaches do a lot with us going to the academic center attending study tables," said sophomore Josh Buuck. "We have to get our hours in so we don't slack. You get a little wore down, but they get us through it."\nThis help comes in handy, especially with two matches and finals awaiting them in less than two weeks. Any help is a positive for a wrestler who has to juggle a full day of activities. A normal Monday the week before finals could consist of two or three early morning classes, a weight lifting session, practice, a few hours of rest to eat dinner, back to work out, study and sleep. This is not a routine day.\n"It is real time consuming," Dubuque said. "My social life ends in the beginning of November and doesn't pick up until the end of March."\nThe University provides academic assistance to the time-crunched wrestlers. A computer lab and tutors are a few of the tools IU offers to help them, especially during the time right before finals.\n"You have got to take care of what you got to do early on so you are ready for finals week," said Richardson. "If you are crammed here at the end of the year with finals coming up, it is going to be a tough situation." \nHowever, coach Goldman said he is not worried about the team losing its focus.\n"We need to focus on the athletic side of it," Goldman said. "But the guys will also focus on their academics to tie everything together"