College wrestling: Ex-Hawk Todd eyes NCAA title, Olympics

By TIM DUMAS Chronicle Sports Writer

Tyrel Todd is ranked second nationally in his weight class, but reaching the No. 1 plateau isn’t a goal of his. He wants to go higher than that.

The former Bozeman High wrestler already has it in his mind that he will become an NCAA champion next month. After that, the Olympics will splash across his radar screen.

Becoming the top-ranked 184-pound wrestler would be nice, for sure. Todd, however, has larger goals in mind.

“To be honest, I don’t pay much attention to the rankings,” the University of Michigan junior said Sunday night. “I focus on my training and improving day to day. The rankings are important, but personally, I like to focus on one match at a time.”

That mindset has served him well this season. After losing a bout during opening weekend, Todd hasn’t lost since and carries a team- and career-high 19-match win streak into Friday’s home dual meet against Big Ten Conference foe Illinois.

Todd, a three-time Montana state champion and record holder for most career wins (136) at Bozeman High, earned All-America status last year at Michigan, placing fifth at the NCAA Championships.

When the NCAAs roll around again in March, in Todd’s mind, he will leave the mat as a champion.

“I’m going to win a national title this year,” he proclaimed. “That’s what I train for. Anything can happen, but I truly believe that if one plans for the best, the best can happen.”

His No. 2 ranking is the highest he has achieved in college. He won’t get the chance to face the top-ranked 184-pounder (Iowa State’s Jake Varner of the Big 12) until at least the NCAAs, although Todd has defeated him in the past.

Todd’s only loss this season came to Maryland’s Josh Haines, 4-1, on Nov. 24. That week, Todd was suffering from a staph infection that he believes came from climbing a rope during a workout.

“That was my first match back and the coach wasn’t going to wrestle me,” Todd said. “I don’t like to make excuses, but I wasn’t mentally where I needed to be.

“I hate to lose any match, but it really woke me up and got me ready to go for the season.”

As far as schoolwork, Todd is majoring in history with a minor in psychology and is attempting to earn his teaching certificate to use for a possible coaching career. That may have to wait, however, until his grappling days are over.

Once his college season ends, Todd says he will begin training for April’s U.S. Open (where he placed fifth last year) and June’s U.S. Olympic Trials, both of which are being held in Las Vegas.

Todd is currently ranked 10th at his weight (85 kilos) for freestyle wrestling, the style that is used for the Olympics. His ranking could be higher, but since he has been competing in college, which uses folkstyle, that number has suffered, although he has defeated the ninth- and fourth-ranked wrestlers.

Once the college season ends, Todd will begin training with, among others, Andy Hrovat, one of his coaches at Michigan. Hrovat happens to be the No. 2-ranked wrestler at 85 kilos and could be one of Todd’s main competitors at the Open and at the Trials, where the top two travel to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

“Andy’s one of my best friends, but I might have to face him,” Todd said.

Friendships aside, one of Todd’s main goals is to become an Olympic gold medalist. The top ranking in college can wait.

“That’s always been a childhood dream of mine,” he says of making the Olympic team, “and I’m just going to keep working hard every day and see what happens.”

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