THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 24, 1994 TAG: 9411240818
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
The CIAA doesn't offer wrestling, and for Norfolk State, it's probably just as well.
Without a conference schedule to weigh them down, the Spartans gird for the NCAA championships by wrestling anybody and everybody they can during the regular season.
Last year, the Spartans loaded up on Division I opponents and finished 17th at the Division II championships, the best showing since coach Jackson Gerst took over seven years ago.
This year, the schedule is again tough. So while the Spartans may not have much of a dual-meet record, they could again make some noise at the national level.
In fact, they're expected to. The NCAA has Norfolk State ranked 20th in preseason.
``It is the first time we've been ranked during preseason during my tenure here,'' Gerst said.
Gerst will pin his hopes on four returning wrestlers, two with All-American potential.
The top man back is senior Charles Daniels, who is ranked third in the nation at 167 pounds after finishing fifth at the Division II championships last year.
Back at 134 pounds is junior Corey Williams, who is ranked sixth in the nation and finished first at the Old Dominion Invitational last weekend.
Rounding out the veterans are Marcus Johnson, at heavyweight, and Felton Woodson, at 158. Johnson, ranked second in the Southeast region, could be asked to drop to 190 pounds. Woodson, coming off a knee injury last year, is expected to contend for a spot at the NCAA championships.
``Those four guys will be our top guns,'' Gerst said. ``If we get performance out of those four and get some points out of the other divisions we'll be real good.''
One wrestler with potential to surprise is sophomore Rodney Turner, at 118. Turner, the team's equipment manager last year, was second at the ODU Invitational. by CNB