UW-Oshkosh Preview
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Titans
Head Coach: Chris Stratton
Years at School as head coach: 2nd
Career Record: 8-5
Assistant Coaches:Efrain Ayala, Kyle Coleman, Nick Matiash, Joe Terrill, and Larry Marchionda (administrator)
2010-2011 Dual Meet Record: 8-5
2010-2011 National Qualifiers and All-Americans: Carl DeLuca (125) and Sam Engelland (184)
Returning Qualifiers and All-Americans: Carl DeLuca (2011), Zach Mueller (2010), Sam Engelland (2009, 2010, and 2011)
Top returning starters:
125- Carl DeLuca Sr.- NQ
133- Zach Mueller Sr.- NQ 2010
141- Alex Mueller Sr.- Returning from an elbow injury two seasons ago
149- Jose Quintana Sr.- 4th at WIAC (157)
157- Nazar Kulchytskyy So.- 12-0 with 7 pins in 2010-2011 season
165- Aaron Konitzer Sr.- 4th at WIAC
174- Aaron Geiger Sr.-6th at WIAC
184- Sam Engelland Sr.- 3x NQ
197- Ryan Heath Sr.- 5th at WIAC (HWT)
HWT- Jason LaPlante Sr.- 9-4 last season
Top incoming wrestlers:
197- Jody Vanlaanen- Wisconsin State Champ (Ashwaubenon, WI)
HWT- Brandon Clapper- Tri County, WI
141- Thomas Dahlke- Shiocton, WI
Season outlook:
Health will play a big role for the Titans this year, as a few wrestlers are returning from injury to bolster a lineup featuring three former NCAA qualifiers. Sam Engelland is back looking for a fourth trip to the big dance but his first time on the podium. The bottom of the lineup features a pair of strong wrestlers in 2011 qualifier DeLuca and 2010 qualifier Mueller. Even with those three in the lineup, the top Oshkosh wrestler might be sophomore Nazar Kulchytskyy. He put in an injury shortened season last year as a freshman, but he was 12-0 with seven falls including a convincing win over 3x All-American Matt Mauseth of La Crosse. Fresh off a summer training in his native Ukraine, if he is healthy he will be a top contender at 157. The lineup will be mostly seniors this year save for Kulchytskyy and transfer Jody Vanlaanen, a former state champ who had been playing football at Northern Iowa. With this kind of experience in the lineup, the Titans will be a tough matchup for their competition in the WIAC and could put a few on the podium in La Crosse come March.