Jayson Ness BODY SHOTS
Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 03/07/2008 09:12:42 PM CST
HEAD
Jayson Ness first wrestled when he was in kindergarten.
"A flier came home from school one day. I thought it was WWF wrestling," Ness said. "I thought that would be pretty cool. I went out for it. It turned out to be completely different. I stuck with it anyway."
You can bet there are more than a few 125-pound wrestlers in the NCAA who would have preferred that Ness chose not to stick with wrestling. A sophomore at the University of Minnesota, he is the top-ranked 125-pounder in the nation with a 33-0 record that includes 18 pins.
"I love wrestling," Ness said. "To do well at this level, you really have to have a passion for it. The goal is to win every single match and do well in every single match. I want to make sure I get a national title."
Before that happens, Ness will try to repeat as the Big Ten Conference champion in his weight class. The Big Ten tournament will be held today and Sunday at Williams Arena. Ness is the Gophers' only top-ranked wrestler in the meet.
"He's got a very quiet passionate demeanor," Gophers coach J Robinson said. "He's very focused. He's very detailed. He's a student of the game. He understands what's going on."
EYES
Ness' eyesight is fine, but good vision isn't as important on a wrestling mat as it is for athletes who play on a court, rink or field.
"It's more of a feel," Ness said. "When you're tied up, you know what a guy is going to do and how he's going to react. It's feel. It's
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natural."
MOUTH
"When I get on the mat, I want to break a guy. It's really hard to get a pin unless the guy is broken. Mentally broke. You need to break the guy mentally. You need to make them want to give up. Put them on their back. If the guy has any fight, it's really hard to pin him. But once you break a guy mentally and they don't want to be out there, it makes it a lot easier."
HANDS
You can't succeed at wrestling without having good hands. Ness' undefeated record is a pretty good indicator that his hands are an asset.
"You have to have pretty strong hands, a pretty strong grip," Ness said. "A strong grip helps to turn guys over. I just have naturally strong hands."
Said Robinson, "He's got a very uncanny strength ability."
ARMS
At 5 feet 8, Ness is tall for a 125-pound wrestler. With that height come limbs that are longer than most of his opponents' arms and legs
"His arms are a big advantage, especially in riding," Robinson said. "If you reach around a guy and have short arms you may only get to here."
He put his hand on the right side of his torso.
"Long arms allow you to go deeper and grab here," Robinson said, reaching his arm across to the left side of his torso.
UPPER BODY
Ness has classmates at Minnesota who don't have a clue he's the best 125-pound college wrestler in the nation. He's wiry and thin. No thick muscles ripple through his shirt.
"A lot of people don't even know I'm a wrestler. From my body style, they wouldn't guess I'm a wrestler," Ness said. "I'm actually one of the skinniest at 125. A lot of guys I go against are shorter and stockier."
Though lean, Ness is plenty strong. He didn't get that way from weight lifting. He does a lot of push ups and pull ups to enhance his natural strength.
"I think I have pretty good strength overall," Ness said.
Robinson calls Ness "deceivingly strong, way stronger than people think he would be."
LEGS AND FEET
Ness isn't just good on his feet. He's exceptional.
"You use your legs a lot," he said. "Wrestling is a full body thing. You can't have a strong upper body and weak legs. You have to have strong legs to go with it. And I have quick feet. You can't have heavy feet, or you'll be taken down a lot. You have to keep light on your toes."
Ness has learned how to use his legs and feet to dominate opponents. Robinson said Ness is adept at using "position coupled with leverage."
"If you get a big enough lever, you can lift the world," Robinson said. "He has realized position negates a lot of things."
Jayson Ness Body Shots: TwinCities.com 
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