University of Minnesota Athletics
An Undying Hunger; Senior Wrestler Luke Becker
3/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
And the hunger is evident in the way 157-pound Becker wrestles. It's non-stop, aggressive action, constantly moving forward.
"I just want to go out there and attack, attack, attack-that's the biggest thing for me," Becker said. "I need to be out there and in his face the whole match. Being aggressive, attacking, that's what Minnesota wrestling is all about, and that's exactly what I like to do out there. I'm not looking to pin or technical fall my opponent every time, but if I always attack, those things are going to happen."
His words are like music to the ears of the coaching staff, who continually preach a style of wrestling that can be best described as frenetic and unrelenting. Becker's flawless interpretation of the Minnesota trademark, 149-pounder Jared Lawrence said, can be attributed to two things: determination and natural talent, which work seamlessly together in Becker's dominating formula.
"He's just so powerful that he's explosive," Lawrence said. "He has made his hips so strong that as long as Luke is in the right position, there is nothing that anyone else can do. But he's just a natural, too, and that is what makes him so talented along with how hard he's worked to get that way."
Assistant coach Mark Schwab said one essential component to Becker's success is his presence at every single Minnesota wrestling event. Whether it is practice at 6:45 a.m., optional training or summer camp, Becker is always there. Also, Schwab added, Becker has the natural talent-and shape-that is preferred for excelling in this sport.
"He just has gifts from God," Schwab said. "When I look at Luke, I see no boundary on possibility. He's just blessed with gifts. Just look at his body. He's obviously done a lot to help it, to gain strength, but a lot is just natural. That really helps him to be better than his opponents."
Even after the team's second national championship, Becker was training as hard as he ever had. His coaches say that Becker's tendency to be hard on himself, while a driving factor as to why he is at the pinnacle of college wrestling, can also be so exacting sometimes that they have to force him to take a break.
"Not long after the NCAAs last March, Luke was back in training, building his body into a machine so he can take the pounding of a season," assistant coach Joe Russell said. "He's a perfectionist who wants to be the best. Luke is actually the guy we have to tell, `Go home, that's enough.'"
Wrestling better is what Becker has done each year as a Golden Gopher. He joined the team as the nation's top-ranked high school wrestler, having won three state championships, and after a year of honing his skills while redshirting, Becker jumped in the lineup. He placed second at Big Tens and gained his first All-America honor with his sixth-place finish at the 2000 national meet. Two years ago, Becker repeated his runner-up conference finish and improved to fourth place at the NCAAs, helping to lead Minnesota to its first national title. Then, with a team crown in hand, Becker captured his first Big Ten title his junior season, gained his third All-America honor after winning the 157-pound NCAA title, and led his team to their second consecutive NCAA championship.
According to Schwab, these great things were evident in Becker from the start. Although everyone recruited to the Minnesota wrestling team had significant prep success, there was something else about Becker that convinced the coaches that he would make a distinct impression on the Maroon and Gold.
"Some guys come in and you hope you can mold them," Schwab said. "Others come in and you know they'll make an impact. Luke was one of those guys, and we knew it right from the beginning. He's the kind of guy who you imagine when you think of a wrestler."
Lawrence remembers the early days when he and Becker worked tooth-and-nail to keep up with the Chad Krafts and Tim Hartungs that were seemingly years ahead of them. Back then, the standard set by the older guys was their motivation.
"Our freshman year, we would do three workouts a day," Lawrence said. "We would go to study hall from 7-9 and then go work out. That was two or three times a week, times 52 weeks a year, and that right there is why Luke got better. People wonder why he is a national champion. Well, that's it. It's the extra things he did."
But what you might think of Becker due to his wrestling style-a merciless, venomous type with a commanding personality-is dead wrong. In fact, he is the exact opposite. As a self-described "quiet, reserved type of guy," Becker prefers to stay away from the cameras and out of the spotlight.
"I'm not really like how I am on the mat," Becker said. "I like to keep stuff to myself. I'm not very good at the whole interview thing."
However, Becker's reserved demeanor doesn't translate to a small impact on the team. Becker is a leader-a quiet one, but one that leads by example and lets others follow. He spends time with the younger guys on the team, Schwab said, and doesn't try to separate himself from them or elevate his position because he is older or more experienced.
This is probably because Becker still knows what it is like to have to devote yourself, physically and mentally, to training for those seven adrenaline-packed minutes. And it's not because he remembers what the younger guys are going though-its because he is right there with them. He's got a second individual title to win, a third team championship to work toward, and a fourth All-America honor-a feat only accomplished by one Minnesota wrestler ever-to call his own.
"I might have won a national title, but that doesn't mean I'm the best this year," Becker said. "I have to prove myself again, both to myself and to the nation, that I'm unbeatable. I want it just as badly as I did last year."
Written by Media Relations Student Assistant Kimberly Jackson (Kimberly welcomes comments at gophers@umn.edu) It seems Minnesota's Luke Becker has everything a collegiate wrestler could want. Two team national championships, one individual title and a top five ranking. Every one of those things is like a dream come true; accomplishments most wrestlers won't see in a lifetime. And it's not to say Becker takes these things for granted-quite the opposite, in fact. Where many athletes would take those triumphs as an opportunity to relax and reflect on the many years spent working hard, Becker kicks it into high gear, concentrates on the season ahead, still hungry for more.
And the hunger is evident in the way 157-pound Becker wrestles. It's non-stop, aggressive action, constantly moving forward.
"I just want to go out there and attack, attack, attack-that's the biggest thing for me," Becker said. "I need to be out there and in his face the whole match. Being aggressive, attacking, that's what Minnesota wrestling is all about, and that's exactly what I like to do out there. I'm not looking to pin or technical fall my opponent every time, but if I always attack, those things are going to happen."
His words are like music to the ears of the coaching staff, who continually preach a style of wrestling that can be best described as frenetic and unrelenting. Becker's flawless interpretation of the Minnesota trademark, 149-pounder Jared Lawrence said, can be attributed to two things: determination and natural talent, which work seamlessly together in Becker's dominating formula.
"He's just so powerful that he's explosive," Lawrence said. "He has made his hips so strong that as long as Luke is in the right position, there is nothing that anyone else can do. But he's just a natural, too, and that is what makes him so talented along with how hard he's worked to get that way."
Assistant coach Mark Schwab said one essential component to Becker's success is his presence at every single Minnesota wrestling event. Whether it is practice at 6:45 a.m., optional training or summer camp, Becker is always there. Also, Schwab added, Becker has the natural talent-and shape-that is preferred for excelling in this sport.
"He just has gifts from God," Schwab said. "When I look at Luke, I see no boundary on possibility. He's just blessed with gifts. Just look at his body. He's obviously done a lot to help it, to gain strength, but a lot is just natural. That really helps him to be better than his opponents."
Even after the team's second national championship, Becker was training as hard as he ever had. His coaches say that Becker's tendency to be hard on himself, while a driving factor as to why he is at the pinnacle of college wrestling, can also be so exacting sometimes that they have to force him to take a break.
"Not long after the NCAAs last March, Luke was back in training, building his body into a machine so he can take the pounding of a season," assistant coach Joe Russell said. "He's a perfectionist who wants to be the best. Luke is actually the guy we have to tell, `Go home, that's enough.'"
Wrestling better is what Becker has done each year as a Golden Gopher. He joined the team as the nation's top-ranked high school wrestler, having won three state championships, and after a year of honing his skills while redshirting, Becker jumped in the lineup. He placed second at Big Tens and gained his first All-America honor with his sixth-place finish at the 2000 national meet. Two years ago, Becker repeated his runner-up conference finish and improved to fourth place at the NCAAs, helping to lead Minnesota to its first national title. Then, with a team crown in hand, Becker captured his first Big Ten title his junior season, gained his third All-America honor after winning the 157-pound NCAA title, and led his team to their second consecutive NCAA championship.
According to Schwab, these great things were evident in Becker from the start. Although everyone recruited to the Minnesota wrestling team had significant prep success, there was something else about Becker that convinced the coaches that he would make a distinct impression on the Maroon and Gold.
"Some guys come in and you hope you can mold them," Schwab said. "Others come in and you know they'll make an impact. Luke was one of those guys, and we knew it right from the beginning. He's the kind of guy who you imagine when you think of a wrestler."
Lawrence remembers the early days when he and Becker worked tooth-and-nail to keep up with the Chad Krafts and Tim Hartungs that were seemingly years ahead of them. Back then, the standard set by the older guys was their motivation.
"Our freshman year, we would do three workouts a day," Lawrence said. "We would go to study hall from 7-9 and then go work out. That was two or three times a week, times 52 weeks a year, and that right there is why Luke got better. People wonder why he is a national champion. Well, that's it. It's the extra things he did."
But what you might think of Becker due to his wrestling style-a merciless, venomous type with a commanding personality-is dead wrong. In fact, he is the exact opposite. As a self-described "quiet, reserved type of guy," Becker prefers to stay away from the cameras and out of the spotlight.
"I'm not really like how I am on the mat," Becker said. "I like to keep stuff to myself. I'm not very good at the whole interview thing."
However, Becker's reserved demeanor doesn't translate to a small impact on the team. Becker is a leader-a quiet one, but one that leads by example and lets others follow. He spends time with the younger guys on the team, Schwab said, and doesn't try to separate himself from them or elevate his position because he is older or more experienced.
This is probably because Becker still knows what it is like to have to devote yourself, physically and mentally, to training for those seven adrenaline-packed minutes. And it's not because he remembers what the younger guys are going though-its because he is right there with them. He's got a second individual title to win, a third team championship to work toward, and a fourth All-America honor-a feat only accomplished by one Minnesota wrestler ever-to call his own.
"I might have won a national title, but that doesn't mean I'm the best this year," Becker said. "I have to prove myself again, both to myself and to the nation, that I'm unbeatable. I want it just as badly as I did last year."
Written by Media Relations Student Assistant Kimberly Jackson (Kimberly welcomes comments at gophers@umn.edu)
