New wrestling coach promises improvement
By Matthew Wilder
Ben Stehura, a former CSU graduate assistant, was named head wrestling coach on Aug. 22. Stehura, who helped coach the wrestling program from 2001-2003, trained Viking wrestling legends Gerald Harris and Rocco Mansueto.
After Stehura’s tenure at CSU, he started a program from scratch at Limestone College in South Carolina. “Our dual meet record at Limestone isn’t great, but we had three all-Americans and one national champion,” he said.
Stehura returns to CSU with an optimistic view about his new team. “Looking at the last two recruiting classes, they’ve been very solid students, very solid wrestlers.” When asked about his coaching style, he said, “I guess I’m a developmental coach.” “I can’t promise exact results, but I can promise improvement, striving for perfection, but demanding improvement.”
Stehura also said that he wants to teach the wrestlers life lessons. He wants to make sure they become young men, outstanding citizens in the community and excelling students.
He wants to get to know the wrestlers on a personal level. “You know of them, you know their accomplishments but getting to know their personalities,” said Stehura. He said the team is doing community service this weekend and he expects the team to visit his office.
Stehura said, “Sometimes they’re going to spend more time here than with their families.” “Spending seventy-two hours on the road, you better like them (the wrestlers).
Stehura is more concerned about the team’s improvement than individual and team records. He also wants the wrestlers to do very well academically.
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