The wrestlers are usually getting workouts in the night before traveling for an Open and even the next morning. Almost everybody is dropping a final pound or two, or afraid of ticking upwards. So they are often men of few words when traveling. Load their stuff in the SUV, questioning each other about whether they have all their gear, etc., a few pleasant words to me about driving. Then they pile in and sleep for 6-7 hours (seriously!) all the way to Edinboro, Cleveland or wherever. Eating protein bars and little else all day. Work out at the hotel when we arrive whether its 7, 8, or 10 pm.

At the tournaments, they usually have to arrive early, like 7 am to weigh in. Then it’s time to eat, drink and nap a bit until they start warming up around 8:30. Then, all day, they’re resting, eating their wrestling-day foods of choice, and joking around with each other in between matches, playing videos and watching each other’s matches. Between the wrestlers and the coaches, someone usually knows a fair amount about every notable wrestler in a bracket, so they talk about his strengths, weaknesses and favorite tactics.

Mehki listens and appears to absorb everything, but he is extremely even-keeled throughout the day. He doesn’t look or act any different if he is stepping out against a no-name or a ranked opponent. He really doesn’t. He also acts the same low-key way after beating the no-name or ranked opponent. I think you see that quality with a lot of the best athletes/teams. At Edinboro, I remember that he nearly teched both his semifinal and finals opponents, and walked off talking about a couple things he missed, small mistakes, but again, pretty low key. The teammates watching his matches act way more excited than he does.

If you haven’t been to an open tournament, the wrestlers are supporting each other all day, often sitting in the corner like a coach for each other’s matches since I’m pretty sure the Tech coaches can’t do that for redshirts.

The ride back, other than a boisterous meal early on, involves a lot of sleeping again.

BTW, the NCAA has crazy rules about redshirts not traveling with the teams, which seems to impact wrestlers more than in any other sports. It makes no sense and is dangerous. I know that the ACC is trying to change those rules because of the safety concerns. It’s crazy to think that some of these young men drive themselves (with 2 or 3 teammates) for 5-8 hours – often through snow in places like WV or OH – wrestle all day, and pile back in a car exhausted. The team can’t pay for hotels for redshirts, so that’s money out of their pockets unless they can grab a room with someone else who has already paid for it. It’s a really bad system, which puts these young men in danger. That’s why we and other families try to drive the guys whenever possible.