KUTZTOWN, PA (January 13, 2011) – After achieving a great amount of success at the high school level, John Paukovits (Northampton, PA/Northampton) came to Kutztown University hoping to hone his skills and find his place on the team. Four years later, Paukovits has earned the respect of his teammates and become a vocal leader of the team.
Paukovits and the rest of the Kutztown University wrestling team are set to host a pair of dual matches on Saturday as it will go up against West Liberty University and Seton Hill University at the Keystone Field House beginning at 10:00 a.m.
Despite being scored on an individual basis, wrestling is very much a team sport. From working out with teammates to pushing and guiding each other at practice, matches can often be won or lost based upon the mentality and desire to win of not just the wrestler competing, but of the whole team.
“A strong mentality is a key component of being a successful wrestler,” said Paukovits. “Having your team and coaches supporting and cheering for you helps keep you motivated on and off the mat. It's difficult to keep a positive mind state day in and day out, so sometimes you need a little motivation from elsewhere. That's where the whole "team" aspect of wrestling comes in to play. We are like a family. When one of us has a bad match or a rough week at practice, we have to be there to pick each other up.”
Paukovits has been wrestling for over 10 years now He doesn't remember how he got into the sport. He came from Northampton High School where wrestling is a huge part of its culture because of its successful tradition. Paukovits left Northampton with not only a career at Kutztown waiting for him, but with a plethora of awards and achievements to bring with him. A three-time District XI champion, Paukovits was part of a team that won two PIAA class AAA championships. He was also a three-time state qualifier, a two-time state place winner, and a Northeast regional champion.
Like any competitor, Paukovits and his coaches have goals they hope to achieve at the conclusion of this year's season. Paukovits finished with 20 wins last year and knows he can compete with other top wrestlers in the country. There is minimal to no room for excuses in this individual based sport, which often brings out a high level of competition every match.
Having said that, achieving a wrestler's ultimate goal and becoming an NCAA All-American is a goal that would cap off his already great career at KU.
“John has grown tremendously as a person first and foremost,” said head wrestling coach Rob Fisher. “He has matured and developed into an outstanding young man. The entire team looks up to John and respects him for his hard work and his leadership. He goes about the sport with professionalism and knows what he needs to do to be successful. Everyone can respect that.”
After his time at KU, Paukovits will graduate with a Bachelor's in business administration with a concentration in management. He also hopes his passion and love for the sport can help him find his way into a coaching position someday.
Having wrestled for four years, Paukovits has been a part of one of the best wrestling programs in school history. After winning a school record 17 matches last season, Kutztown has continued to look to the future, focusing heavily on recruiting and producing nationally-ranked wrestlers.
A main reason for its success has been the team's eagerness to continue to train and get better. With a squad that keeps a positive attitude when it struggles, and desires to improve when it's on top, it's no surprise why the program has a bright future.
“We have added so much depth and talent to our program since I first arrived,” said Paukovits. “Our coaches have really done an excellent job of recruiting the past couple of years. Our current record certainly does not reflect how good of a team we are, but we have added some new guys for the second semester and I believe we are going to start showing people our true potential. We wrestle two solid teams this weekend and I think we have a great shot at winning both matches.”
Kutztown (3-8 overall) is coming off its match against the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown last weekend where despite splitting matches with the sixth-ranked team in the nation, dropped a 24-15 decision. Paukovits was one of five wrestlers achieving victories.
West Liberty (0-1) is currently ranked 15th in the NCAA Division II top 20 and will feature three individually-ranked wrestlers as well. Mitch Knapp is ranked third at 197, Seth Phalen is fourth at 157, and J.D. Ramsey is sixth at heavyweight.
Seton Hill (3-7) is coming off a 21-17 victory over Shippensburg.
After Saturday's dual matches, the Golden Bears will prepare for the Regional Duals hosted by the University of North Carolina-Pembroke on Jan 22. It will go up against Newberry College and Limestone College.
“Our goal remains the same,” said Fisher. “We want to wrestle with passion and improve each week right up until the East Regional tournament at the end of February. We want to get as many guys to the National Championships as possible. If we win more duals along the way, that would be great. However, the end of the year is our ultimate prize.”
--KU--
