Cornell's Troy Nickerson

Troy Nickerson came to Cornell as one of the top recruits in the nation after becoming the first high schooler to win five New York State Championships.  Once at Cornell, he did not disappoint finishing as a National Runner-Up in his freshman campaign.  A year later Troy earned his second All-American honor, this time as a third-place finisher.  Troy was not able to compete at all in 2007-08 because of a shoulder injury.  The injury also forced Troy to miss part of this season.  However, once back on the mat Nickerson has not missed a step,  winning all 16 of his matches in 2008-09.  Recently Troy, the #2 ranked wrestler at 125, took some time to talk with D1CW...

D1CW: Troy, you are back after missing about a year and a half because of injury.  How hard was it for you to go for so long without competing?

Troy Nickerson: It was definitely difficult.  I am a competitor so it was hard to just sit back and watch my teammates wrestle.  It was also hard seeing some of the guys at my weight (125) have sucess.  My coaches really helped me in my rehab.  They didn't let me come back too soon and risk another injury.  That helped because I wanted to get back as soon as possible.

D1CW: Do you feel like you are back at the same level you were prior to your injury?

TN: I'm close.  Not quite 100%, but everytime I step on the mat I feel better and feel like I'm closer to 100%.  My hopes are that I will be all the way back for Nationals.

D1CW: Some wrestlers are able to view the sport differently when the cannot compete.  Do you feel like you have learned anything in your time away from the mat?

TN: I just learned to be fortunate for the time you have on the mat.  I was able to kind of step back and evaluate myself and the sport in general.  Working just to get back on to the mat will let you learn a lot about yourself and your love for the sport.

D1CW: Currently you are undefeated, but your last defeat took place in the 2007 National Semi-Finals to Paul Donahoe (the eventual National Champion) who is also undefeated.  Have you thought about getting a chance to avenge that loss?

TN: Absolutely!  I am really looking forward to a rematch.  Before that match we had wrestled each other many times over the years.  A lot depends on seeds, bracketing and me winning the matches before hand.  I've watched the video from that Semi-Final so many times and evaluated my mistakes.  I don't think I wrestled up to my ability that match, but I feel like I have learned from my mistakes since then.

D1CW: Your freshman season ended with a Runner-Up finish at Nationals, what are some of the factors that prepared you for immediate success at the college level?

TN: The most credit goes to my coaches. At the time, Steve Garland was with us and I got to work very closely with him day in and day out.  Coach Koll and Travis Lee were also great for me.  All of those guys are people who have been in the through the same things as I have.  Along the way they were able to keep me calm and relaxed.

D1CW: Earlier this season, Cornell upset Iowa State to make the finals of the National Duals (where they fell to Iowa).  What did that experience do for your team?

TN: Well, we expected to be there.  Entering the Duals we thought of ourselves as the #1 team in the country and we still do.  Unfortunately we fell short in the finals.  There were a couple of matches we lost, that could have gone either way.  We've stayed positive though.  We are working toward Nationals and letting people see what we are capable of.

D1CW: Can you describe yourself as a wrestler, or your style of wrestling?

TN: I'm pretty physical. I guess I'm fairly technical also.  I can create from a lot of situations.  Usually I try to be more offensive than my opponent, and I'm looking to score. 

D1CW: Coming out of high school why did you choose Cornell?

TN: Cornell was the total package for me.  I wanted to go to a top notch school academically, but I didn't want my wrestling to suffer.  Cornell being an Ivy League school with one of the top wrestling teams in the nation was perfect.  Also, I grew up in Binghamton, New York which is about 45 minutes away from campus, so I'm pretty close to home.  I wrestle in my own backyard and have a lot of my hometown fans that are able to come to our matches.  That sort of support has been huge for me.

D1CW: When did you begin wrestling and why?

TN: I started when I was five, my Dad brought me into the sport.  He showed me a few moves and entered me into a tournament.  I ended up getting pinned by a girl!!  I was pretty upset about it, but he made me keep at it.  I stuck with it and ended up progressing and having fun.  Eventually, one day everything just clicked and I knew that I wanted wrestling to be big part of my life.

D1CW: Thanks Troy!!