Trey Perry - Feb 28, 2018
Courtesy Photo | Doaneline
Two Doane wrestlers will compete in Des Moines Mar. 2 at the NAIA National Championships after qualifying at the GPAC tournament on Feb. 17.
Senior Chandler Knight and sophomore Zach Linton will be representing Doane, but this won’t be the first time they have made the trip to the national stage. Knight got his first taste of national competition his sophomore year, while Linton competed nationally for the first time last year.
As for the GPAC tournament, while Knight and Linton both qualified for nationals, the team as a whole did not do as well, finishing eighth out of nine teams. Linton said that bad luck with injuries was a major factor in the team’s placing.
Head Coach Matt Hansen said the journey from the beginning of the season to nationals was not an easy process but one that the entire team tackled head on.
“It’s a whole year. These guys started training the second week of school,” Hansen said.
Linton said workouts had changed since the beginning of the season, incorporating much more CrossFit training techniques and conditioning.
Linton, ranked fifth in the country in the 184 pound weight class, had his sights set on big things for nationals, including a top eight finish, which would earn him All-American honors. However, Linton’s main goal is to be at the top of the podium by the end of the tournament.
“A natty (national) title,” Linton said. “That’s the goal.”
Knight, who is ranked 15th nationally in the 197 pound weight class, will be competing for the last time as a Doane wrestler. He said that his four years on the team have been much more than just competing in a sport.
“It’s helped me make a lot of good friends that I’m going to be friends with outside of wrestling regardless of where I’m at in life or where I go,” Knight said.
While both wrestlers have been to nationals before, Knight did not feel a large difference between this year and his sophomore year. However, Linton said that he felt the pressure a little more than he did last year.
“(There are) a lot more nerves,” Linton said. “I feel like I’m supposed to be the top dog. So I’ve got to perform, I’ve got to show people what I’m worth.”
For Hansen, it came to no surprise to him that Knight and Linton made it into the post season.
“They both do a lot of things right,” Hansen said. “From their work ethic, to their diet and their nutrition. When they go out and compete, they’re ready to perform.”