In this week's 10 Questions, Sun Assistant Managing Editor Jasmine Marcus wrestles answers from grappler Troy Nickerson. They talked about everything from singlets to the mysterious Redman to the time Troy lost a match to a girl.

1. So tell me a little bit about cutting weight and gaining weight. Which of those issues affects you?

I’m definitely a weight cutter. I cut a decent amount of weight. Unfortunately, it’s just something that comes with our sport, just like boxing or mixed martial arts. It’s really an art form almost, knowing how to cut the weight. A lot of people ask, ‘How much you gotta lose?’ When you’ve got to lose 10 pounds in two days, I don’t think they really realize it’s actually weight loss; it’s a lot of water shifting back and forth. It’s doing the right things — eating right. So really our bodies get pretty used to it and it doesn’t affect us too much. Unfortunately it gives our sport a bad rep. We all do it smart, we know how to do it.

What is doing it smart?

Eating right. Knowing your diet. Eating a lot of protein instead of carbohydrates. Obviously that’ll hold less water — being a science major. Eating a low-sodium diet so I don’t retain a lot of water. And that last day or few hours before weigh-ins, cutting that water weight by restricting myself from drinking. It’s a little price we pay for the sport.

You don’t get dehydrated?

There’s testing that we do in the pre-season to make sure we have our certifications to make sure we don’t get our body weights too low. We have to pass a dehydration test, a body weight test and things like that. Depending on where we certify, that tells us where we can drop. It’s pretty healthy actually.

2. What’s with the singlets that you guys wear? Some people have said that they make you look like super heroes, but I’ve also heard from some athletes from other sports that you’re the only team that will actually lift weights in them, and not regular gym clothes.

Well sometimes some of our guys will lift in them. They’re kind of like unitards almost. I think some people get offended by them, but its part of our nature — we really just don’t care. I think the other athletes are referring to the compression shorts that we wear.

Yeah. That was it. Why don’t you wear regular shorts on top?

We’re just comfortable with ourselves. We think we look good.

Better than the other athletes?

Maybe. I don’t know. It’s probably a toss-up between us and the volleyball team. I think they’re the only other ones to wear the tight clothes.

3. What really happens during the holds? I’ve heard of people biting and grabbing each other to get out of holds.

I don’t think it really happens too often. You know, wrestling is pretty much a sport that is a legal street fight. A street fight with rules. And that’s how our team really portrays it. You know there’s things you can and can’t do. As far as grabbing somebody, I’ve never done it; I don’t believe I ever would. But wrestling sometimes gets a bad rep. It has been done before.

Have you ever been grabbed?

Accidentally. I don’t know – I hope [it was accidental]. I definitely don’t prefer that to happen.

4. Do people ever try to start fights with you guys since you’re wrestlers?

I think a lot of people on campus either love us or hate us. There’s not many people in between. We’re a pretty tight-knit group and we stick together quite a bit. I think some people may have some animosity towards us. We’re not a bunch of bullies or anything like that. Really we’ve just got a bunch of knuckleheads on our team, who are fun guys to be out with. We like going out and having a good time — just having fun. Maybe people are a little intimidated by us. I don’t really feel they should be. But we just go out and have a good time.

And sometimes get into fights?

I mean, I think it happens sometimes with any team. Anybody is going to have their issues, but I wouldn’t consider us bullies — that’s for sure.

On a slightly different note, Jeff K., The Sun’s sex columnist, has a theory that with some of these more high-profile teams, there are always girls throwing themselves at you. Would you agree with that?

I would like to think so. I don’t think it happens as much as we would like [laughs]. But I think everybody definitely does have their groupies, if you want to call them that. But, you know, definitely being in the spotlight, being a nationally ranked team does give you a lot more popularity with anybody. So it definitely has its benefits.

5. So you’re the first athlete in any Ivy sport to be named Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year in the same year. Obviously, that was a while ago, but what was that like?

Yeah, that was a long time ago, but it was a good honor. I mean we really try to look past the Ivy League. It’s something we think we should win every year. Probably out of the last six or seven years, probably five of them, we’ve had the Rookie of the Year. My freshman year, I was lucky enough to make it all the way to national finals and competed better than anyone else in the Ivy League. I just kind of fell into it. I don’t really expect much less of myself.

6. OK, now for my most important wrestling question: Who is the Redman?

The Redman is a mystery that I will not reveal; nobody on our team will. I will give you a hint: he’s been seen tearing up the dance floor at Johnny O’s, so if you’ve seen his moves at our matches, you could probably make a good assumption.

He keeps coming up in my newsfeed because all my friends are friending him.

The Redman has been picking up a lot of friends. He’s become very popular very quickly.

Is he new this year?

We’ve had a Redman in the past. A few years ago, he kind of got in trouble for getting too rowdy, but this year we brought him back. And he’s got a new uniform and some sick dance moves.

How is it that wrestling gets its own mascot?

We just created him ourselves, honestly. He brings a lot of excitement to our matches.

So what was he doing at the basketball game a few weeks ago? Was he cheating on the wrestling team?

He was there for a race at halftime.

They also had a clown come out with the Big Red Bear, so I was like, ‘Who are all these random creatures?’

Yeah, we’re actually trying to set up a wrestling match between Redman and the Big Red Bear at halftime at one of our matches.

I think the Redman may have a bit of an advantage.

[laughing] We’ll see.

Does the Redman know how to really wrestle?

He may.

So secretive.

7. I’ve been told that one of your nicknames is ‘The Boy Toy.’ What’s the story on that?

Actually, I knew our announcer back in high school, and he started calling me that. He was a Cornell alum and he was here my freshman year, and it just kind of carried over. I think there’s a song. I’ve actually never heard it. Something like, ‘Sexy Troy, you’re my boy toy.’ I don’t know, he used to always sing it to me.

Do you have a warm-up mix?

We do, and it’s never been on there.

Add it!

We do have song introductions before the matches that we come out to.

Perfect.

I might have to play that this weekend.

And some of the older guys used to call you Nickerdoodles?

Yeah, that came from a wrestling chat forum. I think they were doing look-a-likes, and I had a terrible picture from freshman year that my hair was just in a full out poof. And I guess someone compared me to Angela Lansbury from Murder She Wrote. It wasn’t too flattering. Needless to say, that picture has been completely erased from everything — it was pretty embarrassing.

8. Tell me about the time you lost a wrestling match to a girl.

That was actually my first match ever. I was 5 — in my defense. It was pretty unique to have that kind of a story and be able to still come here and still have the success that I’ve had.

How old was the girl?

I think she did have a couple of years on me, so she was probably tougher than me at the time. No, obviously she was tougher than me at the time. She beat me up pretty good. I didn’t want to wrestle again after that. But somehow my family was able to keep me in it.

I was also told to ask you if you’re legally a midget, but I’m 5-4 too, so I know that we’re not.

Yeah, no. I’m not legally a midget. I’ve got the four inches.

Is that the cutoff?

I think so. I’ve been told that if you’re under 5-0, you can get one of the handicap stickers for your car, which would be nice. It just wasn’t in my genes — what can you do? I don’t think I’ve grown since sophomore year of high school, and I don’t think I’m going to end up growing more.

So do you often date taller women?

Yeah, I’m down for anything. If they’re easy to get along with and they’ve got the look, then yeah, sure. I’m not biased. They can be taller than me, shorter than me, bring them all on.

So any Valentine’s Day plans?

I don’t. I’m looking for plans. I’m going to open applications, so let’s throw that in there.

OK, so what’s your e-mail address?

trn7@cornell.edu

Could you possibly be spending the day with [teammate] Corey Manson? I hear you sometimes disappear for hours together.

We like to go off and go check out some deer, go shoot some ducks. It’s fun. We’ve got a few guys on the team. It’s relaxing.

What do you do with the animals after?

We eat them. It never goes to waste. Not my style.

So on the one hand, you like to go hunting, but I’ve also been told you always clean and cook in the apartment. Basically, I hear you’re the apartment mom.

The apartment mom?! Wow. I try to not be too much of a pig and to do my share. I did just make a heck of a roast dinner the other night, so that may be what they’re referring to. I enjoy cooking; I feel like I’m domesticated enough. I do my share. We’re in college and we don’t have to be the neatest people in the world, but we try to do the best we can.

The actual quote is that you’re the apartment mom, but a really cool one who plays video games. Except that you always lose.

Oh man, I know who said that, and that’s not true. I’m pretty sure I dominate NHL 09.

Do you play Super Smash Brothers at all?

We don’t.

Too bad, because when I did 10 Questions with Chris Wroblewski, he told me that the basketball team is into that. It’d be cool to have some inter-team competition.

We do a lot of Halo, and that does get pretty competitive.

9. So, I have to ask: Which team would you most like to hang out with?

Hm, that’s a tough one. Probably have to give props to girl’s track. We know quite a bit of them. We’ve gotten along really well over the past years.

10. And because my name is Jasmine, signature question: If you could be any Disney character, who would you be, and why?

Actually, I saw that, so I had to actually prep for this. I cheated.

Really? That’s great. It’s becoming a thing.

I’m going to have to say Gaston from Beauty and the Beast.

Ooh, unusual choice.

I know he’s the antagonist, but he’s just the man’s man, and a total stud.

Pretty muscular.

He’s tall, dark and handsome, and he’s just a stud, so it’s got to be him. He is a jerk to Belle, but anybody that’s willing to fight a beast for a girl’s got an A in my book.