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| Dave Rice ’08 |
November 22, 2011
By Tony Pinciaro
NEW YORK, N.Y. — David Rice did not have much time to prepare for the Ithaca Wrestling Invitational to open the season.
The Edgemont graduate and New York University senior returned from a torn meniscus in his left knee two weeks prior to the tournament. Rice turned up the intensity in the wrestling room to have himself ready.
Rice went on to win the 165-pound title at the Ithaca Invitational, punctuating it with a 9-8 decision of Ithaca?s Nicholas Sanko in the final.
He has kept the momentum going and is currently 6-0 this season.
?I came into the tournament I felt I was out of shape,? said Rice, a double major in computer science and economics. ?Coming back two weeks before it, I had to quickly get myself back into the best shape possible.
?Once I got into the room, I worked harder and made sure I got in a few extra runs on my own. After a week, I felt my conditioning was decent enough to wrestle.?
Rice, who was seeded second in the tournament, had a first-round bye. He scored a 10-1 major decision in his quarterfinal match. He decisioned Centenary?s Nick Bach, 3-2, in the semis, then defeated the top-seeded Sanko.
Even though Rice won, he was not pleased with the way his final match went. He said he grabbed a big lead only to have Sanko rally. This was the antithesis to what Rice did in high school. Rice was at his best in the third period of matches during his Edgemont career, which included the 2008 Section 1 Division II 145-pound title.
?That is not like me to struggle in the third period,? Rice said. ?It was a good accomplishment, winning the title, for the little time I had to prepare. There is nowhere to go but up.?
Since winning the tournament, Rice has worked his way back into form and is ready to continue his fine season.
?I feel I am definitely caught up, but I could be doing better,? Rice said. ?I am continuing with the hard work and getting those extra workouts and runs in.?