Shaun Wilbert is a junior at Plymouth State University and participated in his first NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament in Dubuque, Iowa on March 2nd and 3rd. He is the New England Conference Heavyweight Champion for the Plymouth State Panthers, and he wrestles in the two hundred and eighty-five pound division at only 21 years of age.
Shaun Wilbert is from Toms River, New Jersey and went to School at Toms River South High School. His career record in high school was 97-31. Currently a junior at Plymouth State University, he is 56-35. “I haven’t wrestled any of these guys that are going to be out there, but no one has expected me to do well, so I have no pressure, which makes it easier for me to wrestle,” Wilbert said.
He started wrestling in the fourth grade, and became really involved in seventh grade. “I played two years of football in high school but always was more favored to wrestle and I’m glad I did because it has done so much more for me during my life,” Wilbert said.
Wilbert’s Toms River South High teammate, Kyle Bilquist from Delaware Valley College, also qualified in the heavyweight division for the tournament, and he has seen some of the other opponents at earlier tournaments, but he has never faced them until now.
Wilbert was mentally ready for the NCAA Tournament during the interview, and clearly had his game plan ready. “My strategy for this weekend is to wrestle calm and smart and make sure I am there mentally,” Wilbert said. “The toughest challenge as a wrestler is the mental part of wrestling, because so much goes through your mind, and if you’re not ready mentally, you will not to perform at your best,” said Wilbert. Wilbert’s teammate, junior lightweight Chris Greenwood said, “It’s all about the mental part of wrestling, that is what makes you a better wrestler, being the most aware and prepared wrestler in the match.”
“The wrestling season is a long season and there are plenty of times throughout the season that you get banged up and hurt but that is just part of it and you have to work your way through it,” said Wilbert. “Wrestling is more physical and mental, including wear and tear on your body,” Wilbert explained after being asked about the physical comparison between a football season verses a wrestling season.
At the New England Conference finals Shaun defeated Tim Ferrera of Bridgewater State. “The finals win was a better victory since I lost to him in the dual meet several weeks earlier.” The Conference Champion’s goal out there was to place in the top eight in the nation and be an All-American.
Every player, in any sport, has some mechanism they use to warm up and get loose before they go out and perform. It is important for athletes to get into a rhythm where they are familiar and comfortable before they go out there. They need to get loose their own way in order to get in the right mindset to succeed. After asking Wilbert if he had any pre-match rituals, he replied, “Whenever I start a match, before I get into the circle I stand on the edge, bend down, and stretch, and then jump and touch my knees to my chest, it gets my blood flowing and my adrenaline going.”
As a collegiate athlete, the National Championship in any sport is a huge accomplishment: they have a chance to rank themselves with the best in the country. After asking if Nationals will be the toughest, most difficult, or most important tournament he has ever participated in during his wrestling career, Wilbert replied, “I think it will be the toughest and most difficult, but I can’t really say until I am out there, but as for importance it ranks up there with my high school state tournament.”
His cool, calm, and collected nature going into the tournament has grown to be an advantage for him. He felt he was being overlooked as a contender and he planed on using it to his advantage. He wanted to concentrate and do what he had to do, and give it his best no matter whom he faced.
Wilbert was matched against senior heavyweight Blake Gillis from Wartburg College and Spencer, Iowa. Gillis recorded a technical fall on Wilbert in their match’s first round. Wilbert was seated low as a junior and matched with a four-time All-American who road out a 20 game winning streak, and defeated Baldwin-Wallace’s Bryan Kmetz. Gillis and his teammate T.J. Miller won to give Wartburg 25 individual national champions in their school wrestling history. Wartburg College finished placing second at the Nationals.
Wilbert came back the next match facing first-year Dan Laurent of the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, who also was defeated in his first match. Laurent earned a technical fall over Wilbert and scoring 18 point to Wilbert’s three points. The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Champion ended the first trip to Nationals for Wilbert.
Wilbert’s first shot at achieving his National Championship, and All-American goals, has given him a very valuable asset in experience as every athlete does. He has now been there and knows what the atmosphere is like and what to expect. He has faced two very tough opponents and has the entire off-season and next season to prepare and analyze what went wrong.
Wilbert will now endure the mental side of wrestling and dealing with the outcome and planning of how he can make it back to the National Tournament next season. Wilbert is a PSU star captain and a player to watch for. He is a wrestler with the right mindset, and work ethic, to capitalize on the experience he gained, and place in the top eight at Nationals and become All-American next season.