Eric Albright is known as a "tough Pennsylvanian kid." It is this toughness which has made five-foot, six-inch, 133-lb. Albright an instant leader of Virginia wrestling, despite his sophomore standing.
The York, Penn. native chose Virginia for the school's combination of strong academics and good wrestling.
"The coaches down here are some of the best coaches there are," Albright said. "I definitely had to look at a great school like this with the good coaches, and the future is real bright for this school."
Before joining the Cavaliers, Albright was ranked a top-20 recruit in the country. Fortunately, his domination followed him to the collegiate wrestling mat. After posting a 29-9 overall record (12-3 in duals) for the 2005-2006 season, he was named the 2006 ACC Freshman of the Year -- a first in Virginia history. Last year, Albright was a top seed at 133 lbs. at the ACC Championship and placed third. He finished the ACC season 4-1, with 3 pins.
So far this season, Albright is undefeated and ranked No.18 by W.I.N magazine.
"He has beaten some quality kids, and hopefully he will get up to the NCAA Tournament and do the same," First-year coach Steve Garland said. "I think he is much better than his 18th ranking. I think he can beat any of the guys ranked above him, I really do. I wrestle with him every day, [assistant] coach [Scott] Moore wrestles with him every day, and if he battle with us everyday then he can do the same thing against somebody else out here."
Albright is confident that his achievements early in the season will lead to postseason success.
"I am 7-0, 8-0 if you count the forfeit [against Delaware State]," Albright said. "It's just a small part in getting [to the NCAA Tournament], there is a long ways to go."
Garland credits Albright's aggressiveness with his success.
"The thing about Albright is that he attacks," Garland said. "He is everything that you want him to be. He is really good on top. He is just a tough kid ... He doesn't shy away from the competition, he steps up when the lights are on, and I think that is what distinguishes him."
Both Garland and Albright agree, however, that there is always room for improvement.
"The big thing he needs to improve on is just always working towards conditioning to the point where he can constantly attack without getting tired," Garland said.
Albright, furthermore, desires to improve on his shots and pressure.
"[I want to improve on] staying on my feet, making kids want to quit" Albright said.
The Cavaliers take on Wisconsin, Northwestern and Purdue in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge this weekend, where Albright will look to continue his undefeated season.
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