UNI Wrestling Dictates #10 Josh Alber's Lifestyle

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - For Josh Alber, wrestling is not just a hobby. It's his lifestyle.

At 4 years old, his father introduced him to the sport, and he fell in love instantly. As a young athlete, Alber just wanted to have fun.

However, as he got older, he realized he had passion and talent for wrestling. He became more driven and competitive with each season. Since the initial spark, he has spent lots of time preparing and practicing so that he could be the best on the mat.

"When I'm training," he said, "my main goal is to always try to be the hardest worker in the room."

Before coming to UNI, he wrestled at Dakota High School in Freeport, Illinois, where he went undefeated, 182-0. In addition to his high school team, he wrestled for Team Illinois, where he had the opportunity to compete against the top, out-of-state competition. He is just the 15^th wrestler in Illinois history to earn four state titles.

Schools such as Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, CMU and Northwestern were all campaigning for him to join their team.

"I picked UNI because of coach Doug Schwab," Alber said. "He is the best coach I've ever had and an even better man."

Not only was the coaching staff superb, but the distance from home was perfect. Alber said he is close with his family, including his parents, Tony and Sherry, sisters, Brittany and Jenny, and his fiancée Reid.

Alber said he is trying to be more disciplined both in and out of the West Gym. He realized he had to make some changes to his lifestyle if he wanted success this season. He makes sure to get plenty of sleep, manages a well-balanced diet and stays mentally positive.

These adjustments are not the only factors that helped his sophomore season campaign. He admitted that his belief in his abilities is something that keeps him working hard and staying positive.

"Staying relaxed in a chaotic environment and having lots of self-confidence are two things that make me different from my competition," Alber said.

In the 2015-16 season, Alber posted a 27-12 record. Some of his losses were to Corey Keener of Central Michigan, Cameron Kelly of Ohio and Earl Hall of Iowa State. As he is well into the 2016-27 season, he has avenged all of those losses while keeping a record of 18-3.

"I'm on the right track, and I've made lots of gains in the past year." Alber said.

Last year, Alber earned an at-large bid to the national championships. Ultimately, his goal is to place in the top eight, earning an All-American title.

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UNI Wrestling Dictates #10 Josh Alber's Lifestyle

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