Air Force wrestling has impartial way of determining lineup

Published: October 26, 2011, 4:27 pm, by admin

Air Force baseball coach Mike Kazlausky probably won’t have a home run derby to determine his starting first baseman this season, and Jeff Reynolds and Andrea Williams won’t have one-on-one games to figure out who will start at point guard for their Falcons basketball teams. But Air Force wrestling’s way of picking its line up is pretty black and white, as shown in tonight’s Blue-Silver intrasquad match: You beat your teammates at your weight class on the mat, you travel.

The match at Clune Arena at 6:30 p.m., open to the public and streamed on goairforcefalcons.com, will feature 10 intrasquad matches. The winners will be on the team’s season-opening roster and travel to the Hokie Open in Salem, Va. to start the season on Nov. 6. (Here is the list of matches.)

You can’t ask for a more fair way of determining the lineup.

“Unlike other coaches, these guys get to determine who the best man is,” coach Joel Sharratt said. “Last man standing.”

The Falcons had a wrestle-off, which Sharratt said started Monday, to determine the final two at each weight class for tonight. Air Force had a 12-5 record in dual meets last season, the first winning season since 2003, so the competitive approach might have some benefits.

“I like it a lot,” senior captain Alec Williams. “It’s the most fair way of doing it. If you just a pick a guy, then somebody on the team will say ‘I beat that guy on Tuesday, it’s not fair he’s the wrestler that represents us.’”

3 comments on “Air Force wrestling has impartial way of determining lineup

  1. Every wrestling team at every level determines its starters this way.

  2. What AFA All American Wrestler was also an All American Football player?

  3. Terry Isaacson was an All-American quarterback and wrestler for the AFA
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdPfpyu3yGs