APPLETON, Wis. -- Nick Morphew has been working as long as he can remember for this moment. For Ben Dictus, the payoff has come sooner than even he expected.
These two Lawrence University wrestlers take center stage when they compete at the NCAA Division III Championships in Dubuque, Iowa, on Friday and Saturday. It is the first trip to nationals for both wrestlers, but Morphew is a senior while Dictus is only a sophomore.
Morphew, a native of Prophetstown, Ill., received an at-large berth after finishing second at 133 pounds at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships on Feb. 22. Morphew received the sixth seed after compiling a record of 33-4 a No. 6 national ranking, but all of the success he's experiencing now didn't come easily.
"I worked harder than I had before, but I didn't fulfill some of those goals," Morphew said of his previous college seasons. "I learned what it was like to feel that pain. This is definitely a big up for me. I'm trying to enjoy every moment of it."
Lawrence head coach Dave Novickis said Morphew's experience has carried him to another level this season. He is now winning the close matches against quality opponents.
"You go back and look at his records over the last few years and he was losing the close matches. This year he's winning the close matches," Novickis said.
"He found that through all that hard work he found the success he was looking for."
Dictus, a Kimberly native, took second at 184 at the WIAC Championships and received an at-large berth.
"I'm trying not to think about it," Dictus said of his impending trip to the national tournament. "It will probably hit me Thursday. Hopefully I can go and cause some damage down there."
Dictus, who will be unseeded in the tournament, has an impressive 35-11 record and is following in some pretty big shoes. The last sophomore from Lawrence to qualify for the NCAA meet was national champion Andy Kazik. He also did it that season with an at-large berth and wrestled in the same weight class as Dictus.
"It took a while for Ben to realize the dream can be achieved at Lawrence, and it can be for anyone here," Novickis said.
The road hasn't been nearly as long for Dictus, who didn't start wrestling until his freshman year in high school. Also a prep cross country runner and rugby player, Dictus' natural athletic ability and work ethic have been vital to his success.
"Ben worked very hard to get where he's at, and he is a quick learner," Novickis said. "He has raw talent and is a natural athlete."
The ultimate prize for both Morphew and Dictus is the coveted title of all-American. To reach that level, a wrestler must finish in the top eight in his weight class. The wrestlers will learn Thursday evening who they will face in their opening matches after the seeding committee concluded its business.
"I'm more excited about the chance to be an all-American, not nervous about it," Morphew said.
"That's my goal, but for right now, I'm focusing on that first match. If you don't win that first match, you're kind of in trouble. You have a long road to get back to that all-American round."