My Trip to the Appalachian State Dual

I live in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and don't get to see the ILLINI in person like the old days. So, being able to sit in the stands in a live environment again is something that I'm really anticipating. Here are some things that I'm looking forward to:

THE APP STATE TEAM.  The Mountaineers have a rugged team. They take wrestling seriously, boasting five wrestlers in the top 33 according to Andre at wrestlestat.com. Their star is John Milner at 149, who is a 2x NCAA qualifier and 1x All American (8th). He's ranked #14. Up and down the lineup, there doesn't appear to be a single easy match for the good guys.

Wrestlestat.com predicts wins for App State at 125, 149, 157 and 174 with a final score of ILLINOIS 21, Appalachian State 12. The marquee matchup at the dual is Milner versus Mikey Carr at 149. However, 125 and 165 aren't far behind. The worst ranking on the Mountaineer squad is #78. All of their wrestlers at 184 and above are ranked in the seventies. That's where the ILLINI should pull away. 

EXTRA MATCHES.  Last year wrestling fans were spoiled with a lot of extra matches before duals. Will teams continue to do that? I hope so. Both teams have very deep rosters with a lot of hungry wrestlers looking for matches. I would like to see this at every dual, but in this match, I would love to see Chad Bellis versus the ILLINI's Maximo Renteria or Dane Durlacher or Josh Contreras. 

Bellis was an ILLINOIS high school kid who went to finish his schoolboy career in Iowa before signing with App State. I knew his dad and there's a pretty funny story about that, which I'll share with you at a later date. 

THE SCHEDULES.  The ILLINI have the dual listed for Saturday, November 13. App State doesn't have anything scheduled for November 13. Instead, they have a dual meet tournament called the Mountaineer Invitational scheduled for the next day, Sunday, November 14. Wrestlestat.com has the dual scheduled for November 13 (probably based on the ILLINI schedule). It would be great if the ILLINI wrestle both days, but whatever. I'm just happy the team is in my nape of the woods, neck of the wape. 

THE MOUNTAINS.  This'll be a four-day trip, as I intend to see the sights. I plan on climbing both Mount Mitchell (highest peak East of the Mississippi) and Grandfather Mountain (home of the mile-high swinging bridge). Mount Mitchell is part of the Appalachians, while Grandfather Mountain is in the Blue Ridge range. This is Mount Mitchell:

THE ASHEVILLE ART MUSEUM.  The Asheville Art Museum featured in a story I wrote about one of my heroes: Lewis Wickes Hine. This man traveled around the country sneaking into factories and mines to photograph children at work. For example, Sadie Phifer was nine years old and working in a cotton mill in 1908 when she was photographed by Hine. She started working eleven-hour shifts at the age of seven. It was around this time that he became a one-man National Geographic. This photograph of Sadie Phifer working in a mill in Lancaster, South Carolina was taken by Lewis Hine:

In part, because of Lewis Wickes Hine, Child Labor laws were enacted in the United States so that our children can now sit on their ***** and play video games all day. I'm just kidding. Seeing the young coal-smudged faces of almost-toddler miners is excruciating. The Asheville Art Museum recently hosted an exhibition of Hine photographs, and I'm hoping to get my grubby (but gloved) paws on any remnants. 

PRESS PASS.  I intend to apply to App State for press credentials. I will insist on paying the admission fee at the door--we need to support wrestling whenever and wherever possible--but I would like to get on the floor and take photographs: ILLINI student-athletes in action!