Midlands Day Two: Are You Not Entertained?
It has been a long time since I've been this entertained by a sporting event. And it wasn't just the numbers: Two Champions, two bronze medals, and three other podium finishes. A fifth-place team finish with only eight scoring wrestlers. There was more to it than the numbers. It was also the drama. Watching Lucas Byrd and Zac Braunagel wrestle instant ILLINI classics, watching Edmond Ruth wrestle a calculated match until he explodes at the perfect time. Watching Danny Braunagel work his butt off for the big upset, and watching young wrestlers like Dylan Connell, Danny Pucino and Trey Sizemore start to believe. Now that's entertainment! I have loved watching the ILLINI in the MSU Open, the Tiger Style Invite and the Midlands. But as much excitement as was had in those first two, the Midlands doubled it. Part of that is getting to watch back-to-back-to-back-to-back ILLINI matches with so much on the line. Sometimes there are as many as three O&B wrestlers shaking hands at