NCAA SESSION 3 NOTES: Movie about Trenge debuts this weekend; Unknown Fisch from Rider makes NCAA semifinals
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by Gary Abbott
Veritas, a movie about Jon Trenge, debuts this weekend
Veritas, a full-length movie about former Lehigh wrestling star Jon Trenge, is being previewed this weekend for wrestling fans at the NCAA Fan Festival Tent outside of the Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich.
The movie chronicles the 2004-2005 Lehigh Univ. team, and focuses on Trenge's senior season. It shows the ups and downs of his year, including a battle with a serious eye injury and his quest for the NCAA individual title.
Trenge, who is an assistant wrestling coach with Lehigh, is excited that the movie is being shown to the wrestling community here at the NCAA Championships, the place where so much of his life story has been told.
"The cool thing about it is that the producer, Howie Miller, wrestled at my high school and was a two-time ACC champion. He was a good wrestler. And he is about 30 years old, so during the process, he was one of the guys, but with a camera in his hand," said Trenge.
Trenge goes through the season wearing a pair of goggles, to protect his eye which had gone through surgery for a detached retina. There are some flare-ups during the year when Trenge reacts angrily to opponents who seem to be trying to take advantage of his eye injury.
"The eye injury is a necessary part of the drama," said Trenge. "But it is not the focus. It's about a lot of other stuff."
Miller started the project seeking to follow Lehigh's team, and as the process went along, he gave more focus to the Trenge story.
"I had known that Jon Trenge had eye problems and an interesting "back story" and we followed the team," Miller said. "It was No 2 in the country and thought it would be interesting to follow the team, and it became clear early that Jon would be the focus. The way the season went, it became Jon's story and the story of his relationship with Coach Strobel is an important part of it."
Trenge to have been a part of the movie, and has great faith that people will enjoy to follow the story.
"It tells a good story about what college wrestling is all about, and how wrestlers aspire to achieve their dreams, and what happens when they fall short of those goals. I feel lucky, very fortunate, to have an opportunity to send that message. It is good for high school wrestlers and young kids to have something to aspire to," he said.
Miller explains why the movie has the title Veritas?
"Jon has a tattoo that says Veritas on his leg," said Miller. "During his senior season, he was suspended by the team for some on-mat incidents relating to guys attacking his eyes, and he was ordered to undergo anger management. During that time, he had Veritas tattooed on his leg to remind him to do the right thing."
After following the Lehigh team and the Trenge story for a year, Miller had to put it all together in the final version. Wrestling fans will see the product of his effort this weekend during the premier of the movie.
"We're just finishing everything up and it will be released on DVD fairly soon. We're trying to sell it to TV and theaters. It's really been a labor of love making it," he said
How does if feel to be the subject of a feature-length movie?
"It is very humbling. I am glad they did it. It is good for the sport, and for Lehigh, and it might be good for me," said Trenge.
Trenge believes that any of the athletes in the Div. I Championships would make a good subject for this kind of project.
"I am by no means special. Everybody here at the NCAA Championships has a story. And it is cool, because I didn't win it. There was no happy ending. It leaves you on the edge. So what happens when it is all over? It is about the journey and not the destination," said Trenge.
"Only 10 people are happy in this gym when it is over," he continued. "This movie is for the other 310 wrestlers in this arena. This salutes those who work just as hard, but didn't quite do it. Everybody in the NCAAs could have a movie about him."
-- special thanks to Gary Blockus of the Morning Call on this report
Unseeded Fisch makes semifinals with upset of Rivera
Every NCAA Tournament there is one wrestler who seemingly comes out of nowhere and goes deep into the draw. This year, that wrestler would be Don Fisch of Rider, who is unseeded at 141 pounds, but has reached the semifinals.
Fisch, a junior from Williamstown, N.J., was second in the Colonial Athletic Association two weeks ago. However, so far this week in Michigan, he has knocked off three consecutive seeds with some very exciting wrestling.
On Thursday, Fisch worked past No. 5 Dominic Moyer of Nebraska and No. 12 Cassio Pero of Illinois. On Friday morning, he knocked off No. 4 Manuel Rivera of Minnesota, 10-4. Fisch scored most of his points in the third period, when he got a pair of takedowns and a three-point turn to break open the match.
"I had nothing to lose. I was unseeded coming in," said Fisch after the win over Rivera. I know I am as good as him, but I had to show it on the mat. I take what they give me, and try to capitalize on it."
Fisch missed last season with a herniated disc and had to take a redshirt year. Fisch did not even get onto the mat until September. During a season in which Fisch made progress and returned to form, he has truly put it together this weekend.
"He is a timing wrestler," said Rider coach Gary Taylor. "He was beating people he should beat easily by a narrow margin. He now has his timing back. He had to struggle through it. He has really put it together. When he has his confidence, he is tough, talented wrestler."
His run through the bracket makes him the third semifinalist in Rider's wrestling history, joining Leo Giel in 1999 and Lou DeSerafino in 1980.
"In some ways, it helps him that he is unseeded," said Taylor. "He knows he can wrestle with the best people. He belongs here. He has used it as an advantage, rather than a disadvantage.
His next seeded opponent? Fisch has drawn No. 1 Ryan Lang of Northwestern in the semifinals. Stay tuned.
Could an unseeded, unknown wrestler from Rider actually win the NCAA Championships? His coach Gary Taylor believes it could happen.
"He believes so," said Taylor. "That is what he is here for. He believes he can compete with anybody. He came into college highly-ranked in high school. He has been good throughout his three years with us. He just had to miss that one year with the injury. So, it could be possible."
Veritas, a full-length movie about former Lehigh wrestling star Jon Trenge, is being previewed this weekend for wrestling fans at the NCAA Fan Festival Tent outside of the Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich.
The movie chronicles the 2004-2005 Lehigh Univ. team, and focuses on Trenge's senior season. It shows the ups and downs of his year, including a battle with a serious eye injury and his quest for the NCAA individual title.
Trenge, who is an assistant wrestling coach with Lehigh, is excited that the movie is being shown to the wrestling community here at the NCAA Championships, the place where so much of his life story has been told.
"The cool thing about it is that the producer, Howie Miller, wrestled at my high school and was a two-time ACC champion. He was a good wrestler. And he is about 30 years old, so during the process, he was one of the guys, but with a camera in his hand," said Trenge.
Trenge goes through the season wearing a pair of goggles, to protect his eye which had gone through surgery for a detached retina. There are some flare-ups during the year when Trenge reacts angrily to opponents who seem to be trying to take advantage of his eye injury.
"The eye injury is a necessary part of the drama," said Trenge. "But it is not the focus. It's about a lot of other stuff."
Miller started the project seeking to follow Lehigh's team, and as the process went along, he gave more focus to the Trenge story.
"I had known that Jon Trenge had eye problems and an interesting "back story" and we followed the team," Miller said. "It was No 2 in the country and thought it would be interesting to follow the team, and it became clear early that Jon would be the focus. The way the season went, it became Jon's story and the story of his relationship with Coach Strobel is an important part of it."
Trenge to have been a part of the movie, and has great faith that people will enjoy to follow the story.
"It tells a good story about what college wrestling is all about, and how wrestlers aspire to achieve their dreams, and what happens when they fall short of those goals. I feel lucky, very fortunate, to have an opportunity to send that message. It is good for high school wrestlers and young kids to have something to aspire to," he said.
Miller explains why the movie has the title Veritas?
"Jon has a tattoo that says Veritas on his leg," said Miller. "During his senior season, he was suspended by the team for some on-mat incidents relating to guys attacking his eyes, and he was ordered to undergo anger management. During that time, he had Veritas tattooed on his leg to remind him to do the right thing."
After following the Lehigh team and the Trenge story for a year, Miller had to put it all together in the final version. Wrestling fans will see the product of his effort this weekend during the premier of the movie.
"We're just finishing everything up and it will be released on DVD fairly soon. We're trying to sell it to TV and theaters. It's really been a labor of love making it," he said
How does if feel to be the subject of a feature-length movie?
"It is very humbling. I am glad they did it. It is good for the sport, and for Lehigh, and it might be good for me," said Trenge.
Trenge believes that any of the athletes in the Div. I Championships would make a good subject for this kind of project.
"I am by no means special. Everybody here at the NCAA Championships has a story. And it is cool, because I didn't win it. There was no happy ending. It leaves you on the edge. So what happens when it is all over? It is about the journey and not the destination," said Trenge.
"Only 10 people are happy in this gym when it is over," he continued. "This movie is for the other 310 wrestlers in this arena. This salutes those who work just as hard, but didn't quite do it. Everybody in the NCAAs could have a movie about him."
-- special thanks to Gary Blockus of the Morning Call on this report
Unseeded Fisch makes semifinals with upset of Rivera
Every NCAA Tournament there is one wrestler who seemingly comes out of nowhere and goes deep into the draw. This year, that wrestler would be Don Fisch of Rider, who is unseeded at 141 pounds, but has reached the semifinals.
Fisch, a junior from Williamstown, N.J., was second in the Colonial Athletic Association two weeks ago. However, so far this week in Michigan, he has knocked off three consecutive seeds with some very exciting wrestling.
On Thursday, Fisch worked past No. 5 Dominic Moyer of Nebraska and No. 12 Cassio Pero of Illinois. On Friday morning, he knocked off No. 4 Manuel Rivera of Minnesota, 10-4. Fisch scored most of his points in the third period, when he got a pair of takedowns and a three-point turn to break open the match.
"I had nothing to lose. I was unseeded coming in," said Fisch after the win over Rivera. I know I am as good as him, but I had to show it on the mat. I take what they give me, and try to capitalize on it."
Fisch missed last season with a herniated disc and had to take a redshirt year. Fisch did not even get onto the mat until September. During a season in which Fisch made progress and returned to form, he has truly put it together this weekend.
"He is a timing wrestler," said Rider coach Gary Taylor. "He was beating people he should beat easily by a narrow margin. He now has his timing back. He had to struggle through it. He has really put it together. When he has his confidence, he is tough, talented wrestler."
His run through the bracket makes him the third semifinalist in Rider's wrestling history, joining Leo Giel in 1999 and Lou DeSerafino in 1980.
"In some ways, it helps him that he is unseeded," said Taylor. "He knows he can wrestle with the best people. He belongs here. He has used it as an advantage, rather than a disadvantage.
His next seeded opponent? Fisch has drawn No. 1 Ryan Lang of Northwestern in the semifinals. Stay tuned.
Could an unseeded, unknown wrestler from Rider actually win the NCAA Championships? His coach Gary Taylor believes it could happen.
"He believes so," said Taylor. "That is what he is here for. He believes he can compete with anybody. He came into college highly-ranked in high school. He has been good throughout his three years with us. He just had to miss that one year with the injury. So, it could be possible."
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