Photo Courtesy of Dennis Wolverton                              

                              Oregon State's Colby Covington

One of the pleasant surprises of the 2009-10 wrestling season has been the emergence of the Oregon State Beavers.  OSU is currently ranked #17 in the nation by D1CW and one of the Beavers top wrestlers has been Colby Covington. Colby started his collegiate career by winning a JUCO National Championships wrestling for Iowa Central CC, and then spent a year at the University of Iowa.  In his first season back home in Oregon, Covington has won 29 matches and currently holds a #11 national ranking at 174.  He recently chatted with D1CW about his 2009-10 season and more....

D1CW: Colby, we have passed into the New Year and you have recorded almost 30 wins, placed 4th at the Midlands Championships, and are currently ranked #11 by D1CW.  Is this how you pictured your season going?

Colby Covington: Well, no not really.  I want to be number one and I think I am capable of being number one.  I am very confident in my abilities and think positively.  Honestly, I feel like I should have won Midlands.  Other people may not think that and that's ok, but that's how I feel.  I have gotten better as the season has gone on, but I still have a lot of work to do.  The good thing is that Nationals are in March, not December or January.   But yes, I think I should do much better.

D1CW: During this offseason, what areas of your wrestling did you want to focus on improving?

CC: Coach Zalesky preaches the basics for me.  Basically in all of my losses this year, I have been caught trying to do a roll of some sort.  It happened when I wrestled Lee (Nate Lee of Boise State).  I tried a granby and got caught on my back.  I have been trying not to rely on my funk.  That type of stuff worked for me in Junior College, but in order to win at the DI level you need to be more solid.  Aside from that, I just wanted to improve myself from every position.

D1CW: Talk a little bit about the Oregon State team.  I think it's fair to say that you were not on most people's radar prior to the start of the season, but now you have won 13 straight duals and 14 of 15 overall. 

CC: We really can be a good team.  Guys are really starting to break through and show what they are capable of doing.  We have great practices and if we can carry over what we do in practice to matches, we will be really tough.  I think right now guys are starting to believe that we can be a good team.  The good thing is that we are a very young team with guys that are all striving to get better.

D1CW: This year you are at 174 after spending your entire career at 165.  Has the jump in weight been different for you?

CC: I knew that I would need to get stronger.  My opponents are all stronger at 174.  It helps to have Travis Pascoe as one of my coaches.  He competed at 184, so he's a bigger guy to train with.  It seems like at 165 you get more guys who are into funk and the matches are faster paced, while at 174 it is more about technique against the bigger guys.

D1CW: You spent last season wrestling for Iowa, how did you benefit from that experience?

CC: To be honest with you, I don't think that I did.  Nothing against the team or coaches or anyone.  I just don't feel like I was improving at all.  I guess it was just a bad relationship, it didn't work out.  If you want to be positive, I guess the whole experience made me grow up.  It made me more motivated and hungry for this season.

D1CW: I'm sure being an Oregon native is a huge factor for you, but why did you choose to transfer to Oregon State?

CC: Sure that was a big reason and its great to be back home.  I like having the social support network that I do at Oregon State.  I almost came here last year anyways.  The coaching staff is unbelievable.  Coach Zalesky, Steiner, and Roberts are just great people.  They were very welcoming to me and they really care about their wrestlers.  They made me feel like one of their own kids.  Going here just felt "right" for me.

D1CW: How would you describe your style of wrestling?

CC: I'm not best in one particular position or area.  I like to think that I'm good in all areas.  I'm just the kind of guy that doesn't want to stop until he wins.  I make sure that I put it all on the line every time I step on the mat.  I want to just grind on guys and wear them out.  I just have a lot of confidence and belief in myself and my abilities.  I know what I'm capable of doing.

D1CW: When and why did you begin wrestling?

CC: I started when I was around 8.  My dad got me into it because he knew it was a sport that would toughen me up.  It was something that would teach me to handle myself, if I ever had kids picking on me at school.  My dad liked to say that "No one messes with wrestlers".  When I was young they made it fun and we played games and stuff like that.  As I got older, I grew to love the sport and I love how it teaches discipline, motivation, and respect.

D1CW: Thanks Colby!!!