Regular-season homecoming for Clayton

Mike Clayton is very familiar with wrestling in Iowa, and will be able to share it with his wrestlers

The Brooklyn, Iowa, native, is in his fifth year as head wrestling coach at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, N.J., and has returned to his home state for the first time for regular-seasons competition.

Clayton and the Ducks will compete in a stout field of the Cornell Matman Invitational Saturday in Mount Vernon. Action begins at 9 a.m.

“It's very exciting to bring my team back to this environment to give them a different flavor,” Clayton said. “It's going to help us prepare for what we're going to see at the NCAAs.”

Even his mother, Mary Ellen Clayton, who still lives in Brooklyn, suggested bringing the team to compete in Iowa so the wrestlers could experience the sport's culture here. They were introduced to it quickly.

“Taking the team to breakfast and everybody is asking about the wrestling team,” Clayton said. “They're like, ‘Yep, this is where it's at.'”

That impression pales in comparison to the impression the 39-year-old has made on the Stevens program, elevating it to new heights. The Ducks have earned their highest national ranking, climbing as high as 16th this season. Stevens never had an All-American before Clayton, who has guided three of six NCAA qualifiers to All-America status the last four seasons. He led the Ducks to winning seasons in three of his first four years and posted a 40-32-1 dual mark before this season, ranking first among Stevens coaches. Stevens set a record with 14 wins last year, surpassing the old record of 12 set in 2008-09, and is 7-3 this year.

Clayton takes as much pride in the results in the classroom at the engineering school that boasts strong math and science curriculum. The Ducks have finished in the top 10 of the National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-America Team, including third last year.

"That's something we feel very good about," Clayton said. "We're not just building a great wrestling program. We're doing it with smarter kids every year."

This week's snowstorm canceled a trip to Brooklyn, where Clayton planned for them to practice at BGM High School and visit his mother's farm. The Ducks missed a chance to see where Clayton built his foundation.

“My coaching philosophies are still based from my experiences in growing up in and around Iowa,” said Clayton, the 2008 NWCA Rookie Coach of the Year who also has been an assistant for the Navy and Army college wrestling programs. “What helped me in high school is to be disciplined about my approach to wrestling. As a coach, that's what I've carried on, but what's great is every experience I've had since I left Iowa, I gain something from everyone I come into contact.”

Clayton was one of the best wrestlers in BGM history. He was a three-time state qualifier, placing third in 1990 as a senior, before wrestling collegiately at the Naval Academy. He ranks seventh with 118 career wins, fourth with 76 career pins, second with 79 three-point nearfalls and seventh in reversals.

Wrestling molded his mentality and drive.

“For me, I developed everything through wrestling,” Clayton said. “How I was raised, all the goals I set for myself revolved around wrestling.”

A BGM connection was a part of Stevens entering the Matman. Cornell Associate Director of Athletics Dick Simmons is a BGM alum. Clayton also praised Rams Coach Mike Duroe, whose accommodations played a key role.

“We have some good links to Cornell,” Clayton said. “It just seemed like a really good fit, having a lot of ties to the program to bring our guys to this.”

Seven of the top 10 rated NCAA Division III teams, including top-ranked Wartburg, No. 2 Augsburg, third-ranked Wisconsin-La Crosse and No. 4 Coe, and 10 of the top 26 are in the field. More than 40 ranked wrestlers are expected to wrestle. The Ducks have been preparing mentally and physically for the test that Clayton considers a good gauge of the team.

“It's been five years building our program to where I really thought we could come out here and really try to compete well against some of the top teams,” Clayton said. “For the guys who are going to be here it's really exciting to get that opportunity.”

Wartburg has won the last three Matman team titles. Host Cornell, ranked sixth, also will be using the tournament as a measuring stick, attempting to improve on last year's sixth-place finish.

“This weekend will really tell us a lot about our team in terms of where we are and in our development,” Duroe told Cornell Sports Information Department. “This is a critical next three weeks for our program. I hope our guys are up to the challenge.”