A BIG
ADDITION
In helping the Badgers score a pair of Big Ten wins,
reshman Connor Medbery has played an integral role in an
early-season resurgence for the Wisconsin wrestling team
BY MIKE LUCAS ��� UWBADGERS.COM
W
isconsin heavyweight wrestler
Connor Medbery resisted the
urge to take the conversation
down this path ��� the football
path ��� even though he was
prodded into doing so.
But he did let his guard down at the thought of
running behind the Badgers��� ���Barge������ formation.
���I thought about it,������ he said shyly.
The formation is heavy on linemen; a dreamcome-true for a running back.
Medbery once rushed for 315 yards in a high
school game.
Wrestling, though, was his dream.
As a result, he turned down football scholarships from Colorado State and Colorado ��� among
some other BCS schools that expressed interest ���
to pursue his goals as a collegiate wrestler.
���I miss it (football) sometimes,������ said Medbery,
a redshirt freshman from Loveland, Colo. ���I defi-
nitely took some time to think about what I wanted to do. I had a love for both sports.
���But, in the end, I���ve been wrestling since I was 5.
So giving that up would have been really difficult.
I wouldn���t trade my situation right now. I���m really
enjoying wrestling.������
He���s not the only one who feels that way.
Wrestling is far more enjoyable when you���ve
having a little success.
Just ask UW head coach Barry Davis.
���I���ll tell you what,������ Davis said, ���I���m sleeping
much better at night.������
The Badgers have won their first two Big Ten
dual meets, including last Sunday���s 19-17 upset
of No. 9 Nebraska, which marked the first victory
over a top-10 opponent since early January 2011.
That came on the heels of 19-12 win over Michigan State last Friday, which snapped an eightmatch conference losing streak that dated back to
2011.
