Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 31, 1993 TAG: 9303310011
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-12 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
At the NCAA Tournament two weeks ago, three of Feldman's four matches were against wrestlers from the first-, second- and third-ranked teams in the country. The Tech junior won one of those - against 12th-seeded Greg Troxell of second-ranked Penn State - en route to a 2-2 record and a ninth-place finish.
The top eight are recognized as All-Americans, and Feldman thinks he can get there next year.
"It made me a better wrestler," he said of the competition he faced. "Unfortunately, I didn't win the matches. I think I'm definitely at the same level as any of the guys out there. I got takedowns. I'm going to really work on conditioning and strength. My strength and wrestling skills are good enough to put me there."
Feldman's first match at the NCAAs, held at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, was against the top-ranked University of Iowa's John Oostendorp.
"Iowa bought out a whole section of seats," Feldman said. "I was right in that corner. It was a bad atmosphere for me, but a good atmosphere for him. I think I overcame it pretty well. I was winning the match after the first period."
He lost 13-7, then won a consolation match 2-1 over Troxell. He beat Brian Keck of Bloomsburg 3-1 to reach the consolation quarterfinals. The winner of his match with third-ranked Nebraska's Rulon Gardner was for All-American status; Gardner won 15-3.
Feldman's 27-7 record was the fifth-best in Tech history, and his NCAA finish was the best since 1984 when Rick Stageberg finished ninth after losing 6-3 to Louisiana State's Kevin Jackson, who won an Olympic gold medal in freestyle wrestling last summer in Barcelona, Spain.
Tech has had one wrestling All-American: 130-pounder Brandon Glover, who finished third in 1959.
"I try not to think about the pressure of being Tech's second All-American," Feldman said. "I just want to go out and wrestle my best."
\ \ TURNAROUNDS: According to figures compiled by the NCAA, Virginia Tech's women's basketball team posted the third-best regular-season turnaround in the country this season, which helped coach Carol Alfano earn the Metro Conference coach-of-the-year award.
The Hokies, 10-18 in 1991-92, finished 20-8 this year, a 10-game improvement - a half-game better than Final Four participant Ohio State, which went from 15-13 to 24-3 before playing in the NCAA Tournament. The Buckeyes, now 27-3, are 11 games better than a year ago.
Western Michigan was the country's most improved team, going from 2-25 to 14-13, a 12-game difference. Next was NCAA participant Oklahoma State (11-17 to 23-9, 10 games); Oklahome State was a half-game better than Tech before losing in the tournament's first round.
The Hokies were tied with Tennessee State, which went from 8-19 to 18-9. Ironically, Tennessee State's men's program posted the nation's best turnaround (15 games) under former Tech coach Frankie Allen.
\ \ SERVING NOTICE: Virginia Tech was picked sixth in the seven-team Metro Conference coaches' preseason poll and Virginia Commonwealth second. But the Hokies swept the Rams in a weekend series to open the Metro season for both.
The Hokies are getting help from third baseman Bo Durkac, a transfer from North Carolina who was batting .485 after 10 games. Freshman Josh Herman of Roanoke started quickly with seven hits in 13 at-bats, a .538 average.
\ \ UPCOMING IN BLACKSBURG: Baseball - Old Dominion, 3 p.m. March 31; George Mason, 2 p.m. April 3.
Scott Blanchard is a Roanoke Times & World-News sportswriter.
by CNB