In sophomore Kenny Robertson’s 40 matches this season at 174 pounds, 12 have been against wrestlers ranked in the top 20 in the nation.

In three of Robertson’s matches against top five wrestlers, two losses to Northern Iowa’s Eric Hauan and one to Northwestern’s Jake Herbert, he was within two points of winning.

This weekend Robertson, ranked 20 with a record of 31-9, will wrestle No. 18 J.J. Holmes of Eastern Michigan and No. 2 Ben Askeren of Missouri.

And if asked about these matches, he’ll probably say the same thing he does about almost every opponent – ‘It’s just another match.’

“(Kenny’s) pretty level-headed about things,” Eastern head coach Ralph McCausland said. “He knows how to put things in perspective.”

Some of that level headedness comes from Robertson’s experience.

Robertson, who McCausland describes as an anyone, anywhere, anytime type guy, started wrestling when he was 4-years-old for the Metamora Redbirds Children’s Club.

Metamora High School head coach Steve Schroeder said he’s known Robertson his whole life and coached his uncles in high school as well.

“We got him involved in the program, and it seems like he’s been around forever,” Schroeder said. “He just goes out and gets the job done.

“Kenny’s always calm and relaxed, but he’s aggressive on the mat.”

Robertson wrestled varsity for the Redbirds all four years of high school and became one of Schroeder’s most successful wrestler’s. He was a three-time state qualifier, taking second his junior and senior year, and had a 143-21 record in high school.

“It was real tough when (Kenny) lost at state his senior year,” Schroeder said. “He wanted it as much, if not more, than anyone else.

“I told him to look back at his career because a lot of kids wish they could do half of what he did.”

When Robertson was done as a Redbird, he came to Eastern, where he red-shirted his freshman year.

Robertson’s top priority when he chose a college was finding one to prepare him for a career in technology education, Schroeder said.

“He’s just the basics,” McCausland said. “He just loves hard work.”

McCausland said he’s gotten to see just how much Robertson likes to work – and not just on the mat.

While the wrestling team was chopping wood for a local family, Robertson chopped so much he had blisters and cuts on his hands.

“Instead of quitting he just put some duct tape over them and kept chopping,” McCausland said. “That’s just the type of kid he is – he loves to work hard and compete.”

And hopefully all the hard work and big matches will pay off as he prepares for the NCAA West Regional March 5, but McCausland knows his experience will carry him through it.

“Even though he’s only a sophomore, he’s had exposure that brings a level of composure to him,” McCausland said.