Holiday Break with Spates

Dec. 21, 2007

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma head coach Jack Spates sat down this week with Soonersports.com to give insight on the state of his wrestling squad heading into the holiday break. Spates, coaching in his 15th season with the Sooners, tells OU fans why he is encouraged by this young team heading into Big 12 competition and shares holiday break plans for both he and his Sooner squad.

On the state of the program heading into the new semester:
"Overall, I am encouraged. We are a very young team and we saw a really good, competitive spirit. Our guys have improved significantly from the first of the season to where we are now. I think we are going to be a competitive squad every time we take the mat. The big emphasis now is to try and jump that hurdle to get guys that are ranked in the top 20 in the country into the top eight where they can be All-Americans."

On if he was pleased with the way the team bounced back after a loss to Oklahoma State with a win over UCO:
"That was a good win against UCO. They were a very tough squad that really came to wrestle. They were coming off a big loss right before our match, so they were really out to prove a point against us. Our guys came out really hard and aggressive to make sure that didn't happen."

On what the team is working to improve over the break:
"We are having practice twice a day. We are lifting, running and working hard on our techniques. Also, we are battling hard in the room. We go until Friday, when we have our last practice before the break. Our guys have been working extremely hard and we are excited to see that."

On how much of a break the team gets for the holidays:
"Our guys are going to go home and get an important break. We give the guys several days off, a longer break than most other colleges give. We want our guys going home and want them to kick some rear in their hometown wrestling rooms to revive their confidence. We want them to go home and refine their techniques that maybe they are struggling with in the college room that is as competitive as ours. We want them to get fresh and be ready for the big push."

On the addition of the newcomers to this year's squad:
"Our new guys have done a really good job. We have some other guys in the room that people haven't seen that will emerge next year. Joey Fio is a bright spot. He has wrestled and worked so hard and has earned the respect of everyone. Zack Bailey is doing a great job. He has been ranked as high as No. 11 in the country in his first year of college competition, all while coming off several surgeries. Max Dean has done a really good job and works very hard. We have guys in the room like Eric Lapotsky and Ryan Smith who are ready to come in next year and make a big mark."

On the success Will Rowe, Joshua Weitzel and Joel Flaggert are having this year:
"We have great leadership, probably the best we have had. All those guys are going to make a mark. I look for them to be on the stand at the end of the year."

On team goals of next semester:
"I want to get us into the top 10. We are not used to being out of it, and frankly, we are used to being a trophy team. We have got to get back up there and compete hard in the second half of the schedule. If you look at the rankings, almost everyone we wrestle next semester is ranked. Guys are going to have to put it all on the line and go out and compete. We will be battle-tested for the end of the year."

On what he hopes to gain by competing in the Lonestar Duals on Jan. 5:
"We helped start that tradition down there in Arlington. Some of the reason was to develop Texas wrestling. We will have some great competition down there. Navy and Cal-State Fullerton are both ranked in the top 25. We also wrestle North Carolina, so we will get a lot of different looks from all over the country. The opportunity to compete prior to jumping into the fire of Big 12 competition will be good for us."

On competing in the Big 12 conference:
"We will have, I think, four of the top eight teams in the country at the end of the year. The goal for us is to be one of them. It is beastly, but that is what makes you better."

On his holiday plans:
"I leave on Dec. 21 to see some family in Long Island, N.Y. I am then going to meet six of our wrestlers who are competing in a tournament in Pennsylvania. Those six are guys who are on the cusp of starting and guys who may be factors next year. That tournament will be an opportunity to show where they are."

On what his favorite Christmas present he received as a child:
"Christmas was a big tradition in our family. We had seven children in the family. Santa always came the night before and we would line up at the top of the steps in the morning and then race down the stairs and just dive in to a pile of presents. We would rip the wrapping paper to shreds. It was amazing. I would say probably a guitar and amplifier would probably be a couple of presents I remember most. I also remember getting bicycles and Daniel Boone hats, just a lot of great stuff throughout the years."

On why fans should come out and support the Sooners next semester:
"We have a young and exiting team that really comes to wrestle. We had a great turnout in our only home dual of the first semester versus North Carolina State. We are looking to build upon that next semester. We have some great squads coming in here, so we encourage everyone to come out and support this great group of Sooner wrestlers."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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