Josh Condon steps into a new frontier this morning when he wrestles Buffalo's Mark Lewandowski at the NCAA tournament in Philadelphia.
If he wins the first NCAA tournament match of his career, he'll likely catch fourth-seeded Bubba Jenkins of Arizona State. It's a match he has shown he's very capable of winning, losing to Jenkins 3-2 earlier this season.
Yet his performance at the nationals will have no bearing on coach Heath Eslinger's esteem Condon has earned this year.
"He could win a national championship and I'd be more proud of him for making the dean's list last semester," Eslinger said. "I know what he capable of doing as a wrestler."
Condon, who enters the tournament with a team-best 23-6 record, was one of 16 Mocs wrestlers to gain dean's list status last semester. It was the first time the 157-pound sophomore had earned any accolades in a long time.
"I hadn't made anything like an honor roll since the third grade," Condon said as a smile of embarrassment flashed across his face.
There were questions about Condon before he arrived from his Powder Springs, Ga., home. He was labeled a maverick - if not a rogue - and the consensus was that he marched to a drummer's beat that no one else heard. He had the ability, but his discipline and lifestyle and dedication to academics were questioned.
Although Condon made the Southern Conference all-freshman team a year ago with a 13-6 record and a 3-0 conference mark, Eslinger wanted more and began to see what he wanted as preseason workouts began.
"He has brought a lot more consistency to his life and that in turn has made him a lot more consistent as an athlete," the coach said.
That consistency didn't come without a struggle, but Condon began to realize he wasn't going to make it at UTC solely on his wrestling skills.
"It was absolutely a struggle getting him there," Eslinger said. "I didn't waver. I told him he was going to make changes if this was really where he wanted to be, and we wanted him here because he's a stud. I know what my vision is for this program, and I wanted him to be a part of that."
Eslinger is a firm believer in a positive lifestyle and how it affects one's athletic performance, and Condon, albeit it grudgingly, became a believer.
"Everyone says I'm having a great season because of [changes]. Last year I didn't do so well but this year people say I'm having an awesome year," he said.
He credits changes away from the mat.
"I completely stopped drinking. My friendships have changed. I avoid situations where I might get into trouble. I'm actually studying for my tests, getting in extra workouts. I'm focusing more on the important things," he said. "Last year I had a bad year grade-wise and it made me realize I needed to get myself together and work on excelling in class. I guess I have grown up a little bit."
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Former Baylor wrestler Corey Manson finished fifth in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association tournament but still earned an automatic big to the NCAAs. The Cornell senior, wrestling at 141 pounds, opens against Boise State's Levi Jones. A two-time all-Ivy pick, Manson enters the tournament with a 20-13 record.