Bucknell University Athletics
Hot Start Puts Bucknell's LeValley Among Best in Country
1/10/2010 7:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Jan. 10, 2010
By Todd Merriett, Bucknell Athletic Communications
Bucknell wrestling seniors David Marble, Andy Rendos and Shane Riccio have combined for eight NCAA berths, nearly 300 career victories and one All-America citation in their careers. That trio has garnered most of the headlines for the reborn Bison wrestling program over the last four years, but surprisingly, a team member outside of that threesome has had the best start to the 2009-10 campaign.
Junior Kevin LeValley, a 2009 NCAA qualifier who was ranked No. 8 nationally at 149 pounds in mid-December, opened the season with an 18-3 record while facing a team-high seven nationally ranked opponents. All three of his losses were to top-10 foes with his largest deficit being a mere two points.
Even with a 12-0 start and a team-best 18 victories, the most memorable bout of the first month of LeValley's season was actually a loss. Bucknell hosted No. 1 Iowa and Rutgers in Sojka Pavilion the day after Thanksgiving, and with more than 2,100 passionate fans rooting him on, LeValley faced No. 1 Brent Metcalf of Iowa. Metcalf owned a 78-2 career record at the time, won the 149-pound national title in 2008 and was runner-up last year. LeValley, who was ranked 13th nationally at the time, ended up falling 3-2 to his highly touted opponent, but just missed recording a takedown in the final minute that would have given him the upset victory.
"Because of the work I put in training over the summer and in the preseason, I knew going into the match (vs. Metcalf) that if I wrestled my best, I could beat him," says LeValley. "I went out there and didn't wrestle my best and I still almost beat him. If I wrestle my best, anything can happen.
"The whole match was awesome. We are instructed to block out the crowd while we are wrestling, and most of the time I can't hear anything. Occasionally I can hear my coaches, but normally I just get in the zone. That day I could definitely hear what was going on in the stands and it was awesome having that much community and university support."
LeValley's hot start this year is nothing new. As a rookie in 2007-08 he opened with a 9-3 record with a third-place showing at the Binghamton Open and a fourth-place finish at the Navy Classic. Last year, the Hugo, Colo., native got off to a 10-2 start and finished fifth at the Michigan State Open and second at the Navy Classic before Dec. 1.
While LeValley has been excellent throughout his career, piling up 69 victories and a winning percentage just shy of placing him in the top 10 in program history, he has really blossomed this season. He was a combined 1-16 against ranked opponents the last two years, but this season already has four wins against ranked foes, including three over Virginia Tech's Peter Yates. The wiry strong LeValley won the Clarion Open and Navy Classic, has not lost two consecutive bouts and has five wins by major decision and a career-high three by technical fall.
"I feel like I have a little more confidence this year," mentions LeValley, who finished sixth at the 2009 EIWA Championships to earn an automatic berth to NCAAs. "I don't know if it is the number of hours of preparation I have put in, but I think it has a lot to do with the coaching staff telling me I am there and can do it."
Like most of his teammates, LeValley has put in the work necessary to be great and it shows. He has stayed at Bucknell the last two summers and worked, took classes and trained. His schedule, which featured the alarm going off at 5:30 a.m. every weekday, would cause most people to shudder at the thought of it.
"The summer is when you make your strides as an individual and as a team," comments a passionate and focused LeValley. "You need to put in the time when no one else is."
During the supposed relaxed summer months, LeValley would lift or do cardio at 6 a.m. followed by a day full of classes and working as a tour guide for the admissions office. He would then return to the Kenneth Langone Athletics and Recreation Center and participate in a wrestling workout before heading home to eat dinner and prepare to do it all again the next day.
LeValley's summer training has already paid off and will continue to as the Bison get to the second half of their season. The 149-pound weight class is the toughest in the EIWA and LeValley's ranked opponents tally will no doubt soar into double figures by the conclusion of the campaign.
"It's helpful to have such great competition in the EIWA," says LeValley about his fellow 149-pounders. "Week in and week out we are wrestling the best guys in the country, but that's how we get better. To beat the best, you have to consistently face the best."
LeValley, who has his focus set on wrestling well the first and third weekends in March and winning a national title, has had the opportunity to qualify for and compete at the University National Freestyle Championships and the World Team Trials during recent offseasons. He hopes those freestyle wrestling experiences help him reach his current goal and possibly springboard him to a position on a World Team or even a spot on the Olympic Team.
"I love being on the mat and I love training and events like the World Team Trials allow me to get on the mat and wrestle when the season is not going on," mentions LeValley, who says aiming for an Olympic berth will depend on how his mind and body feel after his career at Bucknell is complete.
Those offseason competitions are great for LeValley's development, but even he says the Bison coaching staff occasionally has to push him away from the wrestling room and take some time off.
The December holiday season is a time that most Bucknellians − even the wrestlers − will get some time off, but LeValley stayed in Lewisburg this holiday season. Just four days after the Christmas holiday, LeValley and his Bison teammates were in action in Evanston, Ill., at the Midlands Championships. The dedicated junior didn't want to take three cross country flights in the days leading up to that competitive tournament and risk not having his legs. Just one of the many sacrifices he is forced to make for his sport of choice.
While LeValley did not make the trek home last month, he recently saw his parents, grandparents and sister when they visited Pennsylvania the final week of November. His family had the opportunity to see him go 3-0 and win the Navy Classic, knock off No. 6 Matt Kyler in a dual at Army, fight hard against Metcalf and post a 15-0 technical fall victory against Rutgers' Kellen Bradley.
LeValley credits much of his success to his coaches - from the age of seven when he took up wrestling to current head coach Dan Wirnsberger and the rest of the Bison staff. He admires their work so much, he would like to explore the chance to coach at the collegiate level once he graduates with his degree in education in May 2011.
Until that graduation date arrives, LeValley will be focused on trying to go down as one of the best Bison wrestlers in program history, listing his name alongside Marble, Rendos and Riccio's.
Note: This story appeared in a recent Bucknell Basketball game-day program.
