Injuries certainly played a huge role in the wrestling team’s woes this season, but the team’s struggles nevertheless warranted a relatively low grade. The problems began long before any wrestler ever grappled with an opponent. Darrion Caldwell won the 2009 national championship, but a rollerblading injury ended his title defense before it ever started.

Caldwell’s mishap was the first of many for the 2010 team. Of the ten who started the season opener against The Citadel, only a pair of freshmen also started in the Pack’s final conference match of the season against Virginia Tech. Even those two faced difficulty beyond the typical struggles common to all freshmen. Shull moved down from 141 to 133 pounds halfway through the season, and McClean wrestled in only 14 matches due to injuries.

The highlight of the team’s season was the collective effort of three wrestlers in their first season with the Pack. Shull, freshman heavyweight Eloheim Palma and sophomore Bobby Ward each stood out all year long, as Palma set the school record for wins by a freshman heavyweight with 23, Ward qualified for nationals and won one match there before losing out, and Shull won 18 of his 34 matches.