As a prep, Metcalf compiled a perfect 228-0 mark and won four state titles for Davison High School in Michigan. He also captured six Junior Nationals titles in Fargo.
Brent MetcalfMetcalf competed unattached last year and compiled a 14-0 record, which included tournament titles at the Kaufman-Brand, Northern Iowa, and Glen Brand Opens. He also tested the waters in numerous senior-level freestyle events such as the Sunkist Kids International Open, Clansmen International, Dave Schultz Memorial, U.S. Nationals, and most recently the U.S. World Team Trials.
InterMat recently caught up with Metcalf and asked him if he harbors any hard feels towards Virginia Tech, what makes Tom Brands a great coach, his thoughts on his performance at the U.S. World Team Trials, who he sees as the biggest threat at 149 pounds, and what it's going to take for the Hawkeyes to bring home the title this season.
Obviously a lot has been made of the Virginia Tech situation, so I don't want to focus too much on that. But with everything that has happened, do you harbor any hard feeling towards Virginia Tech?
Metcalf: No, I don't have any hard feelings. They had the right to do what they did … and that's what they chose to do. Obviously, it didn't work favorably towards me, but it was their right. It was too bad they had to punish us that way, but it is what it is.
There are several wrestlers who are very loyal to Tom Brands. Mike Zadick and Doug Schwab quickly come to mind. It's obvious how much Tom Brands means to you and your wrestling career. What makes him such a great coach?
Metcalf: Just the type of person he is. It's his intensity and his passion for wrestling. He really gets you excited about the sport. He cares about you. He cares about your family. He cares about your friends. He's just a good guy. All of that put together makes you want to do anything in the world for him.
Describe Dan Gable's influence in the Iowa wrestling program.
Metcalf: I think Gable just brings back the mystique of Iowa wrestling. He brings it to light. His role in the room right now is to be a positive influence and take us in the direction we want to go.
The wrestling room at Iowa has quite a stable of very talented wrestlers around your weight. Who do you typically work out with?
Metcalf: There are a lot of guys. Probably the guys I train with the most are Ryan Morningstar, Matt Ballweg, and Mark Perry. Those are probably the main guys I wrestle with the most.
Do you work out with assistant coaches Doug Schwab and Mike Zadick much?
Metcalf: Oh yeah, and then the coaches … definitely Schwab and Zadick a lot too.
How about Tom Brands?
Metcalf: I wrestled with him one time at Virginia Tech, but he's getting to be kind of like Gable. He needs about 45 minutes to warm up. He doesn't get at it every day. He's on the mat for sure. He's suited up and ready to go every day.
At the U.S. World Team Trials last month, you went 2-2. You defeated Joe Johnston and Kendall Cross, but lost to Jared Frayer and Eric Larkin. How would you characterize your performance?
Metcalf: Good, but not good enough. I personally feel like I'm right there with them, but I need to definitely step it up … maturity-wise and smartness on the mat. I'm right in every one of those matches. I just made little mistakes … and those mistakes can't be there. It was a good performance, but not good enough for me to go 2-2.
Two seasons ago, while redshirting at Virginia Tech, you watched Dustin Schlatter win the NCAA title as a true freshman. What went through your mind after watching Schlatter win his NCAA title?
Metcalf: It confirmed what I knew in my mind, which was that I'm the best in the country. It confirms to me that I can achieve the things that I want to achieve.
How hard was it sitting out another collegiate season and watching Gregor Gillespie, a wrestler you defeated at the NHSCA Senior Nationals, win the NCAA title this past March at 149 pounds?
Metcalf: It wasn't fun by any means. But at the same time, I'm not going to sit here and dwell on it. The worst part about it was that it was in my hometown. But you know what, it is what it is. By that point, I already accepted it.
You were very active competing in freestyle this past season. You competed at the Sunkist Kids International Open in October, Dave Schultz Memorial, U.S. Nationals, U.S. World Team Trials. Did you ever seriously consider taking an Olympic redshirt this coming season?
Metcalf: I guess it was a possibility, but I didn't want to do it. I needed to get on the mat. These two years have been tough enough. Even my freshman year, I wanted to wrestle, but Tom wanted me to redshirt for whatever reason. It's been two years where I've been itching to wrestle … and I couldn't. In my mind, it wasn't a possibility.
Do you have aspirations of wrestling on the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team?
Metcalf: Absolutely.
Do you favor one style of wrestling, freestyle or folkstyle, over another?
Metcalf: I guess that I enjoy freestyle a little bit more. It's more fun. But at the same time, when you break it down it's all the same. A takedown is a takedown. The fundamentals of wrestling are in each of them. To me, they're both the same. You just have to wrestle differently in each one.
For wrestling fans that have never seen you compete, how would you describe your wrestling style to them?
Tom BrandsWould it be fair to call your style the throwback Iowa style?
Metcalf: I guess that's what I try to do. That's how I was raised. I was raised with videos of Tom and Terry Brands. My coach said, 'If you want to be good wrestlers, you have to exactly what these guys do.' You're never identical those guys. No one will ever be. But that's the attitude I try to carry with my wrestling.
Looking ahead to your competition this season at 149 pounds, which wrestler do you see posing the biggest threat to your NCAA title hopes?
Metcalf: There are a lot of guys out there. It's one heck of a weight class. It's deep. It's guys that I've competed with in the past. I know where I'm at. I just have to go out and perform.
Will anything less than an NCAA title be a disappointing season?
Metcalf: Yeah, I guess. I'm going out there to win an NCAA title. Period. I don't really like to use the term 'disappointing season' … it sounds kind of like a downer. I expect to win every time.
Your high school teammate at Davison, Jonathan Reader, is expected to be in the lineup for Iowa State this coming season. Do you still stay in touch with him? And what's it like having one of your high school teammates competing for your rival school?
Metcalf: You know, I don't stay in touch with him. I try to. I've called him, but I haven't really talked to him much. I think he takes the rivalry a little more seriously than I do. I'm really excited for him. It's really cool that we ended up wrestling in the state.
Is it realistic to think the Hawkeyes could win the NCAA team title in 2008? And if so, what is it going to take?
Metcalf: I think it's very realistic. But it's going to take a lot of growing up and a lot of good, solid wrestling. It's going to take a lot of guys maturing and performing to their ability. Ability-wise, we have it on our team. We just have to get the guys to go out there and perform like they can.
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