Wisc. Hall of Famer Donnie Pritzlaff talks Induction, Schedule and Season to TDR

Posted on | September 21, 2010 | No Comments

MADISON, Wis. — An exciting schedule awaits the University of Wisconsin wrestling team in 2010-11. The Badgers placed fourth at the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, tying for the best finish in school history, and looks to surpass that finish in 2011.

“It’s a great schedule,” Wisconsin head coach Barry Davis said. “It’s going to challenge our athletes and prepare our team for the NCAA tournament in March.”

In total, the Badgers host seven events at the Field House in Madison, Wis., including the annual Intrasquad Meet on Oct. 28.

“That Intrasquad meet is a great way to start the season,” Davis said. “It gives our fans the chance to see some of their favorite athletes. They get to watch not only guys like Andrew Howe and Tyler Graff but also some of the guys that they have never seen before. It gives our team a chance to compete early and the chance for our fans to see new faces.”

Wisconsin, which returns All-Americans Graff, Trevor Brandvold and Howe, a 2010 NCAA Division I Champion, competes in at least 16 team events this season and two unattached events.

After competing in two unattached competitions in early November, the Badgers travel to Raleigh, N.C. on Nov. 19 for its first dual meet against the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.

Wisconsin concludes the weekend on Nov. 21 in Chapel Hill, N.C., to compete in the Big 10/ACC Clash.

“I think that the Big Ten/ACC tournament will be an exciting event,” Davis said. “It’s a great way to match our two conferences up. It gives our teams the chance to go somewhere different. We haven’t been there for a while, and there is no doubt there will be a lot of competition at that tournament.”

The Badgers open the month of December in Las Vegas for the Cliff Keen Invite, an event where in 2009 both former Badger Kyle Ruschell and then-sophomore Howe claimed individual titles.

“The invite in Las Vegas is a great tournament every year,” Davis explained. “It has a lot of the top teams in the country. Out of the top 30 teams in the country, roughly at least 15 of those teams will be at that tournament which will be really great for us.”

Wisconsin hosts its first two home duals against Northern Iowa and Michigan on Dec. 11 and 12, respectively. Following its two-event homestead, UW competes in the Midlands Invite in Chicago Ill., to conclude 2010.

The Badgers open the new year at the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Jan. 8-9 and opens the Big Ten season with Illinois a week later.

Wisconsin concludes regular Big Ten competition in East Lansing, Mich., with a dual against Michigan State on Feb. 20.

The Big Ten Championships are slated for March 5-6 in Evanston, Ill., and the 2011 NCAA Championships will take place March 17-19 in Philadelphia.

____

Donny Pritzlaff, a 2002 graduate of the University of Wisconsin, enters his fourth season as an assistant with the Badgers, but first year as associate head coach. Pritzlaff was elevated to the role of associate head coach during summer of 2009.

Pritzlaff works with UW’s middle weight wrestlers and helped Andrew Howe become a Big Ten champion and reach the NCAA finals at 165 lbs. as a true freshman during the 2008-09 season.

Prior to joining UW, Pritzlaff was an assistant coach at Hofstra for three years. In 2005-06, the Pride sent eight wrestlers to the NCAA championships and won their fifth-consecutive Colonial Athletic Association title.

As a Badger wrestler, Pritzlaff was a three-time Big Ten champion (1999-2001), a two-time NCAA champion (2000 and 2001) and a four-time All-American (once at 150 lbs., three times at 165 lbs.). His career winning percentage of .894 (135 wins, 16 losses) stands as the second best in program history while his 135 career wins ranks fourth.

Pritzlaff was a junior world champion in 1998 and was a member of the United States National Team in 2002-03. Following his graduation with a degree in sociology, the Lyndhurst, N.J., native served as a volunteer assistant at Wisconsin during the 2002-03 season. Pritzlaff won a bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships and finished his competitive wrestling career during the summer of 2008 after training for the 2008 Olympic Trials.

Pritzlaff currently lives in Madison with his wife Robin and daughter Adalena.