Oplinger falls one match short of career milestone
Anthony Antinore
Issue date: 4/3/09 Section: Sports
"Jon was truly a perfect student-athlete and a great role model for the team," Childs said.
Childs also mentioned Oplinger injured his leg during his first round match-up against Herbst, something Oplinger did not want to use as an excuse. The injury became a target for Todd in Oplinger's quarterfinal match.
"They really took advantage of his injury, but that's the way it goes," Childs said.
Though Oplinger did not achieve his ultimate goal of becoming an All-American, he still enjoyed the experience of wrestling on the country's grandest stage.
"At one point during my first round match, I couldn't hear my coaches at all," Oplinger said. "It was extremely loud wrestling in front of 16,000 people and a lot of fun."
In Oplinger's final season at Drexel he racked up a 5-2 Colonial Athletic Association record and a 33-7 record overall. His 2008-09 campaign also included his 100th win as a Drexel Dragon, a milestone only nine other Drexel wrestlers have accomplished.
Oplinger's success at Drexel has also helped form a relationship between Drexel wrestling and students at Northhampton High School, a high school wrestling powerhouse. Drexel currently has three wrestlers from the Northhampton area on its roster and hopes to add more in the years to come.
Oplinger's career at Drexel has been influential to many of the younger wrestlers both on and off the mat. Childs realizes what Oplinger has meant to his team for the past four years and knows he will be missed by many.
"Someone is going to replace Jon's spot on the roster, but no one will ever replace what Jon has meant to this team."
Childs also mentioned Oplinger injured his leg during his first round match-up against Herbst, something Oplinger did not want to use as an excuse. The injury became a target for Todd in Oplinger's quarterfinal match.
"They really took advantage of his injury, but that's the way it goes," Childs said.
Though Oplinger did not achieve his ultimate goal of becoming an All-American, he still enjoyed the experience of wrestling on the country's grandest stage.
"At one point during my first round match, I couldn't hear my coaches at all," Oplinger said. "It was extremely loud wrestling in front of 16,000 people and a lot of fun."
In Oplinger's final season at Drexel he racked up a 5-2 Colonial Athletic Association record and a 33-7 record overall. His 2008-09 campaign also included his 100th win as a Drexel Dragon, a milestone only nine other Drexel wrestlers have accomplished.
Oplinger's success at Drexel has also helped form a relationship between Drexel wrestling and students at Northhampton High School, a high school wrestling powerhouse. Drexel currently has three wrestlers from the Northhampton area on its roster and hopes to add more in the years to come.
Oplinger's career at Drexel has been influential to many of the younger wrestlers both on and off the mat. Childs realizes what Oplinger has meant to his team for the past four years and knows he will be missed by many.
"Someone is going to replace Jon's spot on the roster, but no one will ever replace what Jon has meant to this team."
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