[fulsaasfan]

It has been awfully quiet around here lately guys so I just thought that I would post a few thoughts and observations to try to get something going. Things are looking pretty good in the practice room right now. They are making the best of the situation in the fieldhouse and it should work alright once they get some padding on the walls. Of course they have not started official practices yet but they are getting great participation in the off season workouts and the guys are working hard!

Overall the freshman class is looking pretty good and should be fun to watch them progress over time. None of them are ready to make a splash yet but they all show some promise for the future. Baldosaro might be the most impressive of the freshman right now and I was surprised when he got here just how big he is. I don't think that he'll ever see 149 again as he is thick. Nick Moore also looks very good as expected and is battling hard and should have a terrific career. He and St John have had plenty of good battles and I'm sure that will happen for the next 4 years! Telford is a BIG kid and he shows a lot of promise. A year on the weights with the coaching he'll get should do him wonders. Evans has a little work to do on his feet but he is working hard and should be a good one as well. He was banging with Keddy and Backes last week and is bound to get better doing that. I still think that he has some room to grow onto that frame and it will be interesting to see what weight he ends up at in a year or two. All of the other freshman look as good as expected as well and I'm looking forward to watching the likes of Jake Ballweg, Dziewa, Raider Lofthouse, etc... grow and develop.

The biggest things to me so far have been the progression of Nate Moore and Derek St John. These guys made big improvements and you can see that confidence growing in them every day. I expect very big things from them not only in the future but right away! Carew looks good and is on track to be our 149 this year and I'm looking forward to seeing how Dylan does as he has a ton of ability. Gambrall seems to be putting in the work and you can tell in his body that he is firming up and getting ready to battle. Both HWT's have been looking good as well and I expect this to be one of the more intriguing lineup battles in the Iowa room this year.

With this many young guys that should be in the lineup there are definitely some questions but there are a ton of guys with a world of ability and it will be fun to see how this team progresses as the year goes on. I am very excited to see what Brand & Co can do with this team and I still think that they will be right in the hunt for that top trophy come March!

[Hawkfromnorwalk]

I love Iowa wrestling but one week into the football season I don't even want to think about it yet.

[KWOODHAWK]

Thanks for your update and info FF. What weight is Raider at? And who else is in the room we don't know about yet? Walk-ons I'm asking about. Heard Walt Gilmore is in the room. If Baldy doesn't make 149 again.....then 157/165 has him, Kelly, Nick Moore, St.John for the next several years. Guess we won't have to worry about depth at those weights!

[CRlightweight]

FF, can people still attend practices at the fieldhouse, especailly on football game days? A friend of mine told me to get to the practice facility area you had to pay to get in. Not to the wrestling room, but to the fieldhouse in general. Is that correct?

Thanks for the updates, any more discussion around there about National Duals?

[AFHawk86]

Fulsaa - thanks for the updates. When does practice officially start? Also, any idea when the official schedule will be released?

[pin2win]

i would assume the schedule will be coming out anytime soon

thanks for the updates ff

[fulsaasfan]

Originally Posted by CRlightweight

FF, can people still attend practices at the fieldhouse, especailly on football game days? A friend of mine told me to get to the practice facility area you had to pay to get in. Not to the wrestling room, but to the fieldhouse in general. Is that correct?

Thanks for the updates, any more discussion around there about National Duals?

They have changed a lot of things at the fieldhouse. You can now only enter through the south doors and you have to pay to get in. However, if you go around practice time and tell them that you are not working out and there just to watch practice they should let you in for free.

[CRlightweight]

Originally Posted by fulsaasfan

They have changed a lot of things at the fieldhouse. You can now only enter through the south doors and you have to pay to get in. However, if you go around practice time and tell them that you are not working out and there just to watch practice they should let you in for free.

Thanks, i think what i'll do is just show up in a singlet and then they'll know I'm coming for wrestling practice for sure

[pin2win]

any chances of getting some photos ff?

[fulsaasfan]

Doubtful Pin, I don't think that coach Brands would want anyone taking pictures of practice right now. I'm trying to not say too much either as things are a little more tight lipped so far this year.

[IH8IAST8]

Originally Posted by fulsaasfan

Doubtful Pin, I don't think that coach Brands would want anyone taking pictures of practice right now. I'm trying to not say too much either as things are a little more tight lipped so far this year.

So you are telling me they cloned Brent Metcalf?

[AFHawk86]

Originally Posted by fulsaasfan

Doubtful Pin, I don't think that coach Brands would want anyone taking pictures of practice right now. I'm trying to not say too much either as things are a little more tight lipped so far this year.

Interesting...is this because of the young team, the decision on nat'l duals, Montell's behavior issues, all of the above, or something completely different?

[CRwrestling]

Here is my Random thought on the Random thoughts wrestling thread: pin2win has 5 green boxes under his avatar! That is incredible. I haven't seen anyone else even close. I would have thought that 3 green boxes was unacheivable.

The Hawkeyenation wrestling T-shirts should have said "I blog with pin."

[pin2win]

Originally Posted by CRwrestling

Here is my Random thought on the Random thoughts wrestling thread: pin2win has 5 green boxes under his avatar! That is incredible. I haven't seen anyone else even close. I would have thought that 3 green boxes was unacheivable.

The Hawkeyenation wrestling T-shirts should have said "I blog with pin."

lol i lost a few because of the tshirts me and my friends made


and ff thats cool i was more or less not wanting pics of practice but of the facilities