U wrestling: After years of waiting, freshman about to realize dream

Gophers 125-pounder Zach Sanders has wanted to wrestle in a home college meet for as long as he can remember. Today, he gets his chance.

By ROMAN AUGUSTOVIZ, Star Tribune

Last update: January 1, 2009 - 2:32 AM

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GOPHERS VS. OKLAHOMA STATE 2 P.M. TODAY • SPORTS PAVILION

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Zach Sanders, a redshirt freshman for the Gophers, has waited for years to wrestle in a big home match in college. Today he finally will.

"I've been thinking about it for a long time," Sanders said, "since I was a little kid -- wrestling in front of a big crowd like at a college, like at the U of M."

A chartered bus, expected to be packed, will bring family and friends of Sanders from his hometown of Wabasha, Minn., to the Sports Pavilion. There, the No. 7 Gophers will face No. 13 Oklahoma State at 2 p.m. in Minnesota's first home meet of the season.

Sanders, who competes at 125 pounds, hopes his match will be first. It will be, if Cowboys coach John Smith agrees to start at the lowest weight. But that's unlikely. The Gophers' strength is at the bottom, so a blind draw probably will decide the starting weight.

"I like going out there right away, starting it off and then enjoying the rest of it," Sanders said.

Sanders was a five-time state high school champion at Wabasha-Kellogg in Class 1A. So was older brother Eric. That select club has only one other member, Matt Nagel of Frazee.

Last season Sanders, in his college redshirt year, practiced with the Gophers but had to compete unattached in an unmarked, maroon singlet. He was 26-1. He is 16-1 so far this season and has moved up to seventh at his weight in the national rankings.

A few Sanders facts: When asked his height, the 5-3 1/2 Sanders rounds up to 5-4. He weighs 130 pounds yet easily makes 125. He has choirboy looks but relishes pummeling opponents.

"If it wasn't for wrestling, I don't know what I would do," Sanders said. "Maybe baseball, and I was not nearly as good at that. ... I was born into [wrestling], I guess. My dad is a coach and my brother wrestled. I was always following them to tournaments and watching."

Learning, too. Sanders' 16 victories and five technical falls are both team highs. He also has three pins.

"I've become a lot more physical of a wrestler," Sanders said. "Before, I was kind of slick. Now you are not going to outslick everybody. ... In college, you stick to what works for you."

Sanders often watches wrestling tapes, studying his matches and those of potential opponents. His ultimate goal is an NCAA individual title.

"Obviously, winning the NCAA tournament is going to be tough as a freshman," Sanders said, "but I've watched videotapes of everybody. It's not like they are extra, extra special. Why not me?"

J Robinson, the Gophers head coach, said Sanders views life through a wrestler's goggles and knows the path to success on the mat.

"He has great intensity, he has great focus and he is wrestling really hard," Robinson said. "It's about getting out there and competing for seven minutes and, when you do that, the wins and losses will follow."

Especially wins, in Sanders' case.