After compiling an 8-9 record in the regular season, No. 13 Northwestern will kick off a "new season" Saturday at the Big Ten Championships in Minneapolis.
Though the Big Ten dual season was important for individual wrestlers to earn pre-seeds in this weekend's tournament, the Wildcats' goals are ahead of them in both the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.
It will take a top-seven individual finish for wrestlers to earn a bid to the NCAA tournament, a minimum goal for every wrestler on the team.
"There's a lot more riding on this tournament than the duals," freshman 141-pounder Keith Sulzer said. "Mistakes in the dual season cost you a match, but here it can cost you the rest of the season if you screw up."
Only a freshman, Sulzer will compete in the tournament for the first time in his career.
Ranked 14th in his weight class, Sulzer is pre-seeded seventh for the weekend despite a perfect Big Ten record. Sulzer has battled the injury bug throughout the season and expects to compete for a Big Ten title.
Sulzer downplayed his inexperience, pointing to the fact he comes from an elite high school program and has competed in countless tournaments in his career.
Still, coach Tim Cysewski values the veteran presence of the team's five seniors, believing experience gives wrestlers an edge.
"(Experience) definitely gives them an advantage," Cysewski said.
"They know what the intensity factor is going to be. It's not like they're going in there not knowing what's at stake, where some of the first-timers, they might not really realize, 'Wow, this is Big Tens, what's it all about?'
"Our guys are pretty experienced, they know what's expected of them, and they are prepared to win the matches."
Defending Big Ten champion Mike Tamillow, pre-seeded first at 197 pounds, will be competing at the tournament for the last time in his career.
A year ago, Tamillow won the tournament as a two-seed and went on to earn All-America honors at the NCAA Championships.
2008 Woodie Awards
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