Feb 19, 2008 - 04:05:37 CST
Outsiders might say that Travis Lang made a poor decision when he signed to wrestle at the University of Minnesota.Lang, a 2004 Bismarck graduate, is now competing for Augsburg College, an NCAA Division III school in Minneapolis. But the junior 133-pounder says his two years with the Gophers represent time well spent.
"I don't regret going to Minnesota at all," Lang said. "I'm glad I went there. I learned a lot about myself, wrestling and people in general. I had to go through a lot of hard change. It's a chapter I look back on and learn from."
It was at Augsburg where Lang rediscovered his passion for wrestling. The 133-pounder is ranked No. 1 in the nation with a 32-1 record and 19 pins.
Lang and Augsburg travel to the regional meet in St. Cloud on Saturday. The top two finishers in each weight class advance to the national tournament a goal that Lang set at the beginning of the season.
"The coaching staff at Augsburg is amazing,"Lang said. "They're pulling a lot of good things out of me. Ihave two main coaches who are helping me day-to-day. They're bringing me back to where I was mentally in high school."
Lang turned in an illustrious prep career. He graduated as a four-time state champ with a career record of 224-7. He won his final 134 high school matches, and collected 116 career pins. He finished his career competing at 125 pounds.
At Minnesota, Lang fashioned a 25-16 record with 10 falls at 125 pounds. But something was missing.
"It was a combination of a lot of things," said Lang, a communications major. "Everybody has their own type of fit with college. Every program isn't for everyone. I think I'm a better fit at Augsburg."
A year off
After spending two years in the Gopher program, Lang took a year off from wrestling, but continued his education at Minnesota.
During his year off, Lang worked out on his own and wrestled with friends. He paid attention to wrestling results, and watched some of his old tapes.
In some ways, he thought he could possibly return to the sport.
"I felt if I didn't go back to wrestling, and the way it ended, I think I would have looked back and regretted it," Lang said. "For people in all sports, breaks and time off is beneficial, if it's done right. You have to be passionate and happy with your sport or you won't compete at your top level. At the U, I wasn't passionate and I didn't wrestle to my potential."
The year hiatus proved to be the right medicine.
"I think it was a another piece to my puzzle, and it was all in the plan God had for me"Lang said. "Taking a year off refreshed me. It helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my life. It was more of a positive than a negative."
Feeling at home
He transferred to Augsburg this school year. Augsburg is a liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The 133-pound division seems to suit Lang better. Trying to cut weight to stay at 125 was one of the factors that made him unhappy at Minnesota.
"At the U, 125 is a hard weight to make," Lang said. "I got to 150 during the summer, and it was hard to get back down. I got my body sculpted to fit 133. I'm comfortable at that weight class."
Lang said he is more excited than surprised by his success at Augsburg.
His lone loss came against Upper Iowa grappler Trevor Franklin in his third match of the season. Since then, he's won 30 straight.
"It was my first tournament in a year and a half," Lang said. "... There was a burning inside me. It reminded me of my ninth-grade year when I lost in the finals. That helped boost my motivation. It was an eye-opener to out-train everybody."
The coaching staff at Augsburg reminds Lang of his high school days. Lang said the Augsburg coaches share the same philosophies as the Bismarck coaches.
"They bring out a lot of good memories,"Lang said. "It motivates me more to get into the room every day. A big part of my success is how the coaches have been treating me. They make me want to be a better wrestler."
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