By ANDY DILLON
The Duke wrestling team's triple threat may resemble another famous trio in that they spend every afternoon putting each other in headlocks and throwing each other around. But Dan Covatta, Chris Heckel and Scott Frinzi are no Three Stooges.
These three wrestlers have combined for a 57-18 record this season, leading the Blue Devils to a 6-5 overall record, already surpassing last year's win total of five. What makes this accomplishment special, however, is that these three wrestlers have only one year of varsity experience between them.
Both Covatta and Heckel have been extremely successful in their freshman campaigns, scoring records of 15-7 and 20-5 respectively. Frinzi, a sophomore, has improved on his 13-11 mark of last year, boasting the team's best individual record of 22-6.
"They are a tremendous lift to the program," head coach Bill Harvey said. "When you can get a freshman to come in and win 20 matches, and have another freshman win 15 matches and Frinzi is a sophomore and he is over 20, that's a lot of wins in a single season. You know that every one of those guys has a pretty good chance of going out there and winning, regardless of who they are wrestling."
The three combine to form Duke's own version of "Murderers Row," as they wrestle consecutively and set the tone for the rest of the Blue Devil wrestlers. Beginning with Heckel in the 126-pound class, followed by Frinzi at 134 and finally Covatta at 142, these three have assumed the role of team leaders and established a special relationship, acknowledging the importance of their performances to the rest of the team
"I think there is kind of a bond since we're right after another," Frinzi said. "One match inspires another, so we get each other pumped up."
Since the three wrestle early in the meets, they set the tone and supply the Blue Devils with early leads to pace them into the heavier weight classes.
"I just go out there and do what I can," Frinzi said. "I like to try to set the tone by winning, but if I lose, I think the other people can pick it up."
Covatta agrees, yet acknowledges that none of them do anything different than their teammates but hit the mat, looking for a win.
"I just look at it that your objective is to win the match," Covatta said. "It is plain and simple. As long as I keep winning, I'll be happy. But I do think that we spark the team's enthusiasm. We get some wins in the lower weight classes and that catches on up."
The bottom line with the three is their intense competitiveness that drives them to win. This burning desire to succeed carries into practice where the three wrestle each other.
"We all work out together in practice everyday," Covatta said. "I think we all have the desire to win, that is why we go out there. We all just hate to lose and that is something that we have in common and in some way bond."
As wrestling is an individual event, there is little interaction during the meets, so it is the performances by the three -- on the mats and in practice -- that sets the team's mood.
"I think they lead by their actions, and they are all hard workers," Harvey said. "I think that is contagious. That rubs off on the other guys and the other guys work hard."
Though young and untested in the college ranks, the freshmen brought impressive credentials to the Blue Devil program. Covatta, en route to a state championship in Pennsylvania, won 145 matches in his high school career, more than any other wrestler from his region.
Heckel was a three time state champion in Arizona, with two older brothers who wrestled in college -- one who wrestled at Oklahoma and another who was a three time All-American at Clemson.
Though the team, as a whole, is still without a win in the Atlantic Coast Conference, individually, Covatta, Heckel and Frinzi are preparing for the ACC Tournament that will be held in two weeks, and maybe a berth to the national tournament in Chapel Hill. The three are also looking further ahead to actually achieving national honors at some point in there careers.
"I think they all have the potential to reach All-America status," Harvey said. "We have to see what happens this year. They are all young and will have some tough matches in the ACC and that is how you qualify, so we are taking it one step at a time.
"We certainly think that all three of them have the potential to be there [ at the national tournament] this year. So that is where we are now, getting ready for the ACCs so we can qualify for the national tournament."
Tonight, the Blue Devils will wrestle North Carolina State at 8 p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke's triple threat could be one short, as Heckel is nursing a sprained knee suffered in his win at Maryland last weekend. Heckel will likely sit out, so that he can be fully recovered for the ACC Tournament.
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