Dan Wirnsberger probably isn't really a what-if kind of guy, not much of a surprise when you think about the cliff he jumped off five years ago.
When Wirnsberger left Bloomsburg to become the wrestling coach at Bucknell, he did so without a net. He took over a program lacking one key ingredient: wrestlers. It was Wirnsberger's job to reinvent a team five years after it was left for dead, the victim of budget cuts and Title IX compliance. His first year in Lewisburg, there was not one practice.
So Wirnsberger and his coaching staff had to build everything. From scratch. Without a template.
And all things considered he's done a remarkable job. The Bison qualified a record six wrestlers for the NCAA Championships last spring despite not having a single senior in the room. Andy Rendos became just the school's fourth All-American and beat the No. 1 wrestler in the country during a dual at Davis Gymnasium.
Now, in its fourth season since coming back from the dead, Bucknell is 8-6 overall and has made huge strides not only in terms of competitiveness, but in terms of program recognition.
Iowa, the two-time defending national champions, actually came in from the Midwest to wrestle in Lewisburg the day after Thanksgiving, a huge moment for Bucknell wrestling. And while the Bison lost 29-7, you could see the difference a year made after Iowa thumped them 40-3 in Iowa City last year.
So with so much going right, there's no reason for Wirnsberger to wonder what this season really could be. The Bison are on the verge of being a top 25 program, and if not for a couple of what-ifs, they certainly would be.
This is the first year since the return of the program that Bucknell has had any seniors. This was the season Wirnsberger, his coaching staff and his wrestlers, have been building to since he got the gig on May 10, 2005.
Following Sunday's tough three-point loss at No. 25 Old Dominion, Bucknell is 8-6. Certainly respectable, but a mark that leaves you wondering what if?
What if Derek Reber, the golden boy who stayed in his hometown to go to college, did not get hurt warming up for a preseason scrimmage, forcing him to redshirt.
What if Andy Rendos, an All-American a year ago, also wasn't hurt, leaving a hole in the middle of the BU lineup?
And what if Eric Lapotsky, a key recruit in Wirnsberger's first class, did not transfer after that first season? What if Lapotsky, out of nearby Mount Carmel who qualified for nationals as a freshman, stayed in Lewisburg instead of leaving for Oklahoma and the Big 12, where he is currently ranked in the top 10 nationally at 197 pounds?
Throw those three in the mix at 125 (Reber), 165 (Rendos) and 197 (Lapotsky) and you are looking at three wins in most duals, three potential All-Americans. The Bison are unbeaten in the EIWA -- after finishing third at last year's EIWA Championships -- but there is no doubt they could be a top 25, maybe top 15 team with those three in the lineup.
In Reber, Rendos -- who should return soon after a knee injury -- and Lapotsky, you are looking at three studs. It's tough to not have one of them, but to not have three of them leaves me wondering what if.
Of Bucknell's six losses, only two of them -- to Iowa and No. 10 Oklahoma -- have been lopsided. The rest have been winnable duals, with a bout here or there changing the outcome.Taking the Iowa and Oklahoma losses out the equation, Bucknell's other four losses have been by a combined 21 points, our about five points each. Two of them, Virginia Tech and Sunday at Old Dominion, were two and three points, respectively.
Put Reber on the mat in either of those matches and Bucknell wins. Put Rendos in Sunday against the Monarchs and the Bison probably win.
But those are all what-ifs. Thinking about them won't do Wirnsberger or his wrestlers any good. For everyone else, they are fun to think about, though.
NEWCOMER: So much for a learning curve.
Delaware Valley freshman Emily Soper, a Selinsgrove graduate, has started all 17 games for the Aggies so far this winter and averages more than 27 minutes a game.
Soper averages 10.5 points, 7.4 boards and 1.5 blocks a game and ranks in the top 10 in the MAC Freedom in field goal percentage, blocks and rebounds.
Last Wednesday, Soper was 10-for-13 from the field and finished with a career-high 23 points while adding nine rebounds in a 69-65 win over Manhattanville.
Soper has helped the Aggies already surpass last year's win total and they are tied for second in the conference.
n Sports editor Bill Bowman covers college sports for The Daily Item. E-mail comments to bbowman@dailyitem.com.
