Advertisement
But Malecek might not have been so sure when he found himself face-to-face on the practice mat with the object of his motivational ploy — Eagles 174-pound senior Josh Chelf.
 |
On a wall leading to UW-L’s wrestling room in Mitchell Hall, there is a line of photographs of past national champions. Chelf joined that pantheon in 2007 with his first title.
Malecek decided to remove Chelf from the wall about three weeks ago.
“I took it down because he’s not the national champion anymore,” Malecek said. “That got him going. He was upset. You don’t want Chelf upset.”
Said Chelf: “Every day this year I walked into the room and walked by the national champions and
then I didn’t see (his picture). I was like, ‘What the heck?’ Malecek said, ‘Hey, you’re not the national champion anymore. You want your picture up there, you better go get it.’”
Malecek wanted to sharpen Chelf’s focus for the NCAA Division III Championships, which are today and Saturday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
First, Malecek had to face the music.
“I wasn’t mad,” Chelf said. “He probably thought I was mad because I kicked his (butt) in practice.”
Malecek, having survived his encounter with Chelf, is looking forward to watching his top-ranked defending national champ finish off his career this weekend.
Chelf, a senior from Irma, Wis., takes a 36-3 record into the national tournament. He will face Ohio Northern’s Benjamin Plowman (20-7) in the first round today.
“I feel like I’m wrestling the best I’ve ever wrestled,” Chelf said. “I’m ready to put it out on the line and show everyone this weekend. If I stick with my style and not let (opponents) change how I wrestle, I don’t think there’s anyone who can touch me.”
Chelf didn’t really have any bumps in the road this season. He went undefeated against Division III competition, with two losses to Division I foes and one to an NAIA opponent.
“He’s stepped it up another notch,” Malecek said. “We talked a lot about not defending his title, but going down there for another one.”
Joel Badzinski can be reached at (608) 791-8402 or joel.badzinski@lee.net
