October 21, 1992
Originally published by the Daily Collegian (Fresno State)
How to deal with raised expectations and standards after a highly successful season is any athlete's challenge to avoid the "sophomore jinx". A runaway start to a career becomes a tough act to follow.
Gerry Abas is in that boat this year. He's only has one wrestling season under his belt but already a great career. Abas enjoyed a highly productive 1991-'92 season, going 41-7 with one pin.
He marched all the way to the NCAA tournament, where he placed sixth. Abas, a returning All-American, was 18-1 in dual matches and was third in the WAC tourney.
Try these other highlights on for size: He was fifth-ranked nationally in his 142-pound weight class by Wrestling USA magazine. Abas was also named one of two Bulldog most outstanding wrestlers. He shared the honor with Lorenzo Neal, who also can be seen throwing opponents at Bulldog Stadium.
To no one's surprise, Abas was named the Bulldogs' most outstanding freshman.
Head Coach Dennis DeLiddo contends that Abas was quite possibly the best recruit the team has ever had.
"I knew he'd be real good. He wrestled real well during his redshirt year and he was going to have a great year, no doubt about it," DeLiddo said. "I hope he can do it again--I hope he has another three years like that. I'd like to see him place higher in the NCAA's and win the WAC this year."
Abas said that the year he spent as a redshirt was the best things he could have done upon entering Fresno State.
"I thought it would be best to redshirt," Abas said. "I learned a lot.
"There's a big difference between high school and college, and I realized it well. It's like the minors and majors. By redshirting and sitting out that transition year, I could use that year as a way to slowly adapt to college," Abas said.
"That was a big jump. In one blink, I was dependent and living at home, and then the next I'm moving out and getting my own apartment. By the second year, I was ready to go and real hungry.
"The best thing about it was that I wasn't pushed. There were two others in my weight class with more experience when I got here, so I just took a back seat to them and tried to learn as much as I could."
When Abas takes to the mat in 1992, he will be trying to extend his success in another way. The 5'10" grappler has a 10-match winning streak heading into this season.
Abas was second on the Bulldogs in match points last year, with 70. His 41-7 record last year was the eighth best in school history and was the sixth best winning percentage at .854. He also made impressive showings in season tournaments, winning the All-California tournament, the CSU Fullerton tourney and placing second and third at the Oklahoma Open and Las Vegas Invitational.
Now comes the tough part. There is another season to prepare for, another in which to outdog and pin opponents who want a piece.
"I didn't have any pressure on me or expectations last year, because I was new," Abas said. "I was continuing to win and by midseason I had a spark in me to be an All-American. I kept telling myself 'You're only a freshman, there is no pressure'. Pressure will eat you up and spit you out. I tried to avoid it as much as I could and still do when I wrestle.
"There will be an increase in pressure every year and with that will come new challenges. People will be telling me every year that I'll do better than last year. I'll have to win more, pin more and surpass last season in order to say I had a good year. People will be gunning for me this time around. I caught them by surprise when they thought they could pound on me because I was unknown.
"The tide has turned. One year, I was an underdog to everybody and supposed to lose. The next, I'm expected to win. I'll just have to deal with the pressure, and I think I can do that. I think I can uphold my standards."
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