Photos: Courtesy of Chattanooga Athletic Communications
Chattanooga's Cody Cleveland
Cleveland, D1CW's #3 ranked 141lber had a breakout season in 2007-08 winning a SoCon Championship and earning All-American honors in St. Louis. Not a bad season for a first-year starter. Now in his junior season, the Mocs will be looking for leadership out of Cleveland, as the team has lost five of 2008's starters. Cody recently took some time to talk with D1CW about his upcoming season.
D1CW: In the 2008 season you placed 8th at National's, what do you see happening in 2008?
Cody Cleveland: Placing Higher! Last year was my first year starting. This year I’m coming in expecting to win a national championship. My weight is now where it’s supposed to be and I’m ready to go.
D1CW: In order to become an AA you had to win four straight matches in the consi’s after being upset in the first round. How did you get the mindset you do so?
CC: I just know that I had to do it to make All-American. Two of the guys I faced, I beat earlier in the season so I knew what to expect, and I knew I could beat them (Harvard’s Corey Jantzen and Oklahoma’s Zach Bailey). The round of 12 match with Kellen Russell had to be the hardest match I’ve ever wrestled. I had watched Russell’s Big Ten Final match on the Big Ten Network a couple of times, so I was familiar with him. I think that my performance in the first match may have had to do something with making weight and just being in St. Louis, because I know I could have done better than I did.
D1CW: Do you think that you snuck up on some people last season after not seeing too much time as a freshman? How will that be different as a top ranked wrestler?
CC: I think maybe, but it also can work the other way. Guys may look at me a little differently since I’m an All-American, maybe the refs will have a couple of the close calls go my way!
D1CW: How has having two coaches who are active World-Class wrestlers benefitted you?
CC: Tremendously! I wrestle with both a lot. I’ve seen on the message boards that some people think Coach Bono should retire, but we think it’s great. Having him working so hard, trying to compete only makes us work harder. I love having Nate (Gallick) around too. He was a national champion at my weight class, so he’s a great partner for me.
D1CW: What have you worked to improve on over the summer?
CC: Just to get better all-around. A lot of stuff from my feet. Mainly movement, finishing shots and just fine-tuning a bit of everything.
D1CW: How do you see the team doing this season? You have lost quite a few guys who had successful careers at UTC.
CC: Yeah we are young, but if our young guys step up we can be fine. Maybe not quite as competitive as last year . We still aren’t sure of who will be starting at every weight, just yet. Once our young guys develop, we’ll be alright.
D1CW: Coming out of HS, what made you choose UTC?
CC: I went to high school in Chattanooga. (Terry) Brands was still here at that time and I was looking forward to wrestling for him. My high school coach wrestled at UTC and being in this area I had already gotten to know some of the guys on the team. I also am able to get in-state tuition and I'm close to home.
D1CW: In high school you were not one of the top recruits nationally, yet you have made All-American after your sophomore season, what has changed in that time?
CC: My sophomore year of high school we had a really good team, but guys graduated and I didn’t have as many solid workout partners those last two years. I didn’t realize until I came here and got to wrestle with Coach Bono and Gallick how much that helps.
I had also hurt my shoulder my junior year of high school and didn’t have it worked on until my freshman season at UTC. I didn’t wrestle a match my redshirt season, because of that. Once my shoulder was fixed it was a huge difference.
D1CW: How would you describe yourself as a wrestler or your style of wrestling?
CC: I don’t want to give away my secrets! I just try to go out and do whatever I’ve got to do to win.
D1CW: When and why did you begin wrestling?
CC: My dad wrestled in high school. Even though he went to college to pole vault, he wanted my brother and I to both try wrestling. So I started when I was in first grade, I really liked it and stuck with it.
D1CW: Is there anything else that you would like to say?
CC: I would like all the guys from Tennessee and the South to know that they can win in college and they can do it here. Tennessee has had some good wrestlers recently who have gone out-of-state to wrestle, which is cool too, but we can win at home. This is a strong program here at UTC. We have great coaches, unbelievable support from our boosters. The school itself is small with small classes where you can get a lot of attention.
D1CW: Good Stuff! Thanks Cody and good luck!