BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana wrestling team was topped by
top-ranked  Minnesota,  29-7,  on  Friday,  Feb.  2,  at  University  Gym.  Redshirt
freshman Trevor Perry and true freshman Nathan Everhart scored wins for the
Hoosiers, who fell to 10-3 (1-3 Big Ten). The Golden Gophers are now 15-1 (4-
0).
The match opened at 165, with Tyler Safratowich taking a 10-4 decision over No.
16 Max  Dean.  Safratowich  jumped out to  a  4-2, first-period  lead  on  a  pair of
takedowns and did not look back in the victory.
IU rebounded as Perry moved to 4-0 in the conference with a 12-7 decision over
Jeremy Larson, who is ranked 20th in the 165-pound class. Perry scored a strong
takedown  just  26  seconds  into  the  match  and  nearly  pinned  Larson  several
times, but Larson was able to avoid the fall, and Perry had to settle for a three-
point near fall. The redshirt freshman added a point in the second and held off a
strong effort from Larson in the third to take the victory.
At 184, No. 2 Roger Kish and No. 11 Marc Bennett did battle, with Kish taking an
11-4 victory. The two had an even first period, but Kish tallied a takedown and
near fall in the final two seconds of the first to take a 4-0 lead and held on for
the triumph.
Everhart responded at 197 with an impressive 8-0 victory over Yura Malamura to
earn his first Big Ten victory. Everhart scored a takedown with two seconds to go
in  the first, then  in  the third added a  near  fall  with  two seconds remaining to
earn bonus points and put the Hoosiers up 7-6.
Minnesota  retook  the  lead  as  undefeated  and  top-ranked  Cole  Konrad  pinned
Maurice Gunn at the 1:16 mark. At 125, No. 4 Jayson Ness took a tight contest
with No. 8 Angel Escobedo, 3-1. Escobedo appeared to tie the contest at three in
the final minute, but the official waved off his takedown, and Ness garnered the
three points.
Andrae Hernandez drew a tough task at 133 as he faced two-time All-American
Mack Reiter. Hernandez put himself in strong position after a scoreless first two
periods, holding two minutes of riding time. But Reiter earned an escape and a
takedown in the third to grab a 4-1 victory. No. 2 Manuel Rivera followed with a
25-10 technical fall of Scott Kelly at 141 to make the score 23-7.
At 149,  Matt  Coughlin faced his fourth  consecutive ranked opponent, this time
drawing defending national champion and undefeated Dustin Schlatter. Schlatter
took a 2-1 lead into the third, then scored an escape and a takedown to earn a
6-2 victory. His brother, Â C.P. followed with a 6-2 decision over Brandon Becker
with three points in the third to finish the meet.
Indiana is back in action on Saturday, Feb. 3, when it hosts NC State in a non-
conference battle. The dual is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. EST.
 MINNESOTA 29, INDIANA 7
165: Tyler Safratowich dec. #16 Max Dean (IU), 10-4
174: Trevor Perry (IU) dec. Jeremy Larson (UM), 12-7
184: #2 Roger Kish (UM) dec. #11 Marc Bennett (IU), 11-4
197: Nathan Everhart (IU) maj. dec. Yura Malamura (UM), 8-0
285: #1 Cole Konrad (UM) pins Maurice Gunn (IU) 1:12
125: #4 Jayson Ness (UM) dec. #9 Angel Escobedo (IU) 3-1
133: Mack Reiter (UM) dec. Andrae Hernandez (IU), 4-1
141: #2 Manuel Rivera (UM) tech. falls Scott Kelly (IU), 25-10
149: #1 Dustin Schlatter (UM) dec. #18 Matt Coughlin, 6-2
157: #3 C.P. Schlatter (UM) dec. #7 Brandon Becker (IU), 6-2
Escobedo Dominant as Indiana Sweep F.I.T.E. Duals
PARK FORREST, Ill. - The Indiana wrestling team upped its dual-meet record to 8-0-0
on the 2006-07 season by sweeping a trio of meets at the F.I.T.E. Duals on Sunday,
Dec. 17, at Rich East High School. The Hoosiers dominated their three opponents,
allowing each adversary to take just one of the 10 matches, as IU bested Southern
Illinois-Edwardsville (45-3), Eastern Michigan (33-3) and Harper (49-6).
Redshirt freshman Angel Escobedo continued his dominant season, pinning all three of
his opponents in an average time of 3:58. Escobedo, ranked seventh in the most recent
poll byRevWrestling.com  , began his day with a pin of SIUE's Tommy Hill in
3:21, and Andrae Hernandez and Scott Kelly followed with pins of their own to vault the
Hoosiers to an early 18-0 lead in the meet that they would not relinquish. The lone
blemish for IU was a 7-5 loss by Ryan Pribble in his dual-meet debut.
The Hoosiers followed by upending Harper by a count of 49-6, as four Hoosiers pinned
their opponents and two others won by forfeit. Walpole posted his fifth pin of the season
at 141, topping David Fear in 6:16. True freshman Nathan Everhart (197) registered his
first career pin as well in the match, as Harper totaled just 11 points in the 10 matches.
Seven of those came from Jesse Linczmaier, who pinned true freshman Nick Avery at
the 4:01 mark to give Harper its only dual points of the day.
Against Eastern Michigan, the Hoosiers were poised to post a shutout heading into the
heavyweight bout, but a late two-point takedown in the third period gave Charlie Walker
a 6-4 victory. Escobedo recorded the match's only pin, but Brandon Becker registered a
17-1 technical fall in the second period and Marc Bennett and Andrae Hernandez each
recorded major decisions. Fifth-ranked Matt Coughlin posted his second win over 15th -
ranked Jermain Thompson of the year, taking a 7-6, come-from-behind decision with
four points in the third period.
The Hoosiers will return to action on Friday, Dec. 29, for the 44th installment of the
Midlands Championships, hosted by Northwestern. For more information on Midlands,
go to www.NUsports.com.
Indiana 45, SIU-Edwardsville 3
125: Angel Escobedo (IU) pins Tommy Hill (SIUE), 3:21
133: Andrae Hernandez (IU) pins Larry George (SIUE), 4:53
141: Scott Kelly (IU) pins James Aschenbrenner (SIUE), 4:04
149: Matt Coughlin (IU) dec. Jed Lewis (SIUE), 2-1
157: Joe Rujawitz (SIUE) dec. Ryan Pribble (IU), 7-5
--more--
165: Max Dean (IU) dec. John Ficht (SIUE), 2-0
174: Nick Avery (IU) dec. Dan Midgett (SIUE), 7-5
184: Marc Bennett (IU) wins by forfeit
197: Nathan Everhart (IU) wins by forfeit
HWT: Maurice Gunn (IU) wins by forfeit
Indiana 49, Harper 6
125: Angel Escobedo (IU) pins Andy McArthur (HC), 2:43
133: Andrae Hernandez (IU) tech. falls Mike Ryan (HC), 18-0
141: Nick Walpole (IU) pins David Fear (HC), 6:16
149: Matt Coughlin (IU) wins by forfeit
157: Brandon Becker (IU) maj. dec. Dallas Hesseltine (HC), 9-1
165: Max Dean (IU) maj. dec. Justin Milos (HC), 8-0
174: Jesse Linczmaier (HC) pins Nick Avery (IU), 4:01
184: Marc Bennett (IU) wins by forfeit
197: Nathan Everhart (IU) pins Sean Evans (HC), 2:28
HWT: Maurice Gunn (IU) pins Alex Delonis (HC), 4:43
Indiana 33, Eastern Michigan 3
125: Angel Escobedo (IU) pins Zach Beck (EMU), 5:52
133: Andrae Hernandez (IU) maj. dec. Chris Jenkins (EMU), 13-5
141: Nick Walpole (IU) dec. Drew Lesko (EMU), 8-3
149: Matt Coughlin (IU) dec. Jermain Thompson (EMU), 7-6
157: Brandon Becker (IU) tech. falls Justin Brandel (EMU), 17-1
165: Max Dean (IU) dec. Nick Conklin (EMU), 5-3
174: Nick Avery (IU) dec. Josh Lewis (EMU), 7-2
184: Marc Bennett (IU) maj. dec. John McClure (EMU), 15-6
197: Nate Everhart (IU) dec. Tony Lyssiotis (EMU), 8-1
HWT: Charlie Walker (EMU) dec. Maurice Gunn (IU), 6-4
IU Wrestling Signs Three to National Letter of Intent
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana wrestling team has signed three grapplers
to National Letters-of-Intent, Head Coach Duane Goldman announced on Friday,
Dec. 8. The Hoosiers will add Joe Fagiano (Chicago, Ill./St. Patrick), Matt Ortega
(Rio Rancho, N.M./Rio Rancho) and Reece Freeman (Bloomington, Ind./South)
for the fall of 2007.
"All three of these individuals are great wrestlers and exceptional students,"
Goldman said. "They are dedicated, hard-working student-athletes with high
goals - exactly the kind of people who we want representing Indiana."
Fagiano was the 2006 Illinois state champion at 215 pounds in 2006 and will be
gunning for his second straight championship in 2007. He was named the 2006
East Suburban Catholic Conference Most Outstanding Wrestler after winning the
conference title, and was most recently ranked seventh in the nation at 215 by
Wrestling International Newsmagazine.
Ortega is a three-time New Mexico state champion and will seek a school-record
fourth title in as many years in 2007. He helped Rio Rancho to a fourth-place
finish at the Reno Tournament of Champions in December 2005, finishing
seventh at 119 pounds in the event. Ortega won his first championship at 103
pounds and his second at 112 before moving up to 119 for his junior campaign.
Ortega is currently the 12th-ranked wrestler in the 125-pound class byW.I.N.
Freeman was a teammate of current Hoosier freshmen Paul Young and Kurt
Kinser at Bloomington South, helping the team to two sectional, regional and
semi-state championships in his first three years. Freeman is the top-ranked
wrestler in the state at 119 after going 46-2 and placing fifth in Indiana last year.
He entered his senior campaign with a career record of 134-10 over three weight
classes.
Escobedo Wins Title as Indiana Takes Sixth At CKLV Invite
PRIMM, NEV. - Led by junior Brandon Becker and redshirt freshman Angel Escobedo,
the 17th-ranked Indiana wrestling team posted a sixth-place finish at the Cliff Keen Las
Vegas Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 2. IU finished with 89.5 points, as Escobedo took
the 125-pound title and Becker finished as the runner-up at 157. Missouri, ranked
second by the NWCA/Intermat, ran away with the team title, scoring 157 points and
beating second-place Michigan by 48.
Becker and Escobedo each advanced to their respective championship matches by
knocking off their first four opponents. Matt Coughlin (149), Max Dean (165) and Marc
Bennett also placed at the tournament, with Coughlin taking third place. Bennett
finished fifth, while Dean finished sixth.
Escobedo beat a pair of ranked wrestlers to move to the 125-pound finals. After winning
his first two matches, the Griffith, Ind., native topped 19th-ranked Patrick Castillo of
Northern Illinois in a 6-4 decision. He then faced fourth-ranked Tanner Gardner of
Stanford by beating the junior 4-1 in double overtime. He faced 11th-ranked Paul
Donahoe in the finals and took a 2-0 decision to move his season record to an
impressive 15-1.
Becker topped a trio of opponents to face Wisconsin's Craig Henning, ranked third in the
country, in the semifinal. Becker took a 4-2 decision over Henning to earn a spot in the
title bout against second-ranked Brian Stith of Arizona State, but Stith took a hard-
fought, 2-1 decision to grab the title. The two-time All-American is now 14-2 on the year
at 157.
Coughlin won his first three matches, including one of the bigger upsets at the tourney,
taking a 2-1 overtime decision over Wisconsin's Tyler Turner, the fourth-ranked wrestler
in the country at his class. Coughlin was stopped short of the championship bout by
Harvard's J.P. O'Connor, but rebounded with a 4-2 overtime victory over Eastern
Michigan's Jermaine Thompson to earn a spot in the third-place match. There he faced
Chattanooga's 10thåÊ-ranked Aaron Martin, and pinned the senior 49 seconds into
overtime.
Bennett, who entered the tournament 10-0 on the season, was defeated in his first
match, falling 5-4 to Cal Poly's Yuri Kalika. After that, Bennett won six straight matches
to face seventh-ranked Joe Rovelli of Hofstra, but Rovelli ended Bennett's string with a
7-6 decision. Bennett moved to the fifth-place match against Raymond Jordan of
Missouri, taking a 4-3 decision to improve to 17-2 on the year.
After winning his first three matches, Dean faced seventh-ranked Matt Pell of Missouri
with a trip to the championship match on the line. Pell took a 9-6 decision to send Dean
to the wrestleback bracket. Dean faced Zach Shanaman for a spot in the third-place
bout, but was bested 3-1 in overtime. The Westchester, Ohio, native moved on to a
match for fifth place, where he faced Arizona State's Patrick Pitsch, but Pitsch took sixth
with a 6-4 decision.
True freshman Nathan Everhart (197) had a solid debut for the Hoosiers, winning his
first match by a 9-1 major decision. He followed that by facing the fourth-ranked
wrestler in the nation, Max Askren, but Askren escaped with a 5-4 decision. Everhart
won his first match in the wrestleback, but was topped 4-2 by Buffalo's Ricky Scott to
end his run at a place.
Maurice Gunn (HWT) opened his weekend with a 5-3 decision over Wisconsin's Jordan
Hein in the opening round. In round two, though, Gunn met up with sixth-seeded Zack
Hammond, who took a 3-1 decision. Gunn pinned his first opponent, George Mason's
Ryan Kittrick, in 33 seconds, but ended his day 2-2 after a 6-3 loss to The Citadel's John
Buck.
At 133 pounds, Andrae Hernandez received a first-round bye and followed that up by
pinning Eli Huizar of Dickinson State in the second round. Unfortunately, Hernandez
followed that with a 7-3 loss in the round of 16 to Pitt's Drew Headlee and a 5-3 loss in
the wrestleback to Marques Bravo of Western State.
Trevor Perry (174) opened his tournament with a 5-4, opening-round win over Buffalo's
Nate Rock. However, Perry was defeated in his next two matches, 10-2 to Nick
Hernandez of Cal Poly and 8-3 to Dan Hospodka of Nebraska-Kearney, to end his run.
After a first round bye, Nick Walpole (141) drew a tough assignment, going up against
seventh-ranked Dominick Moyer of Nebraska, who topped the true freshman with an 8-0
major decision. Walpole moved on to the wrestleback, where he faced Derek Francavilla
of Columbia University. Walpole kept the match close, but was topped by a 5-3 score.
Indiana (5-0-0) is in action next on Sunday, Dec. 17, when it travels to Park Forrest, Ill.,
for the FITE Duals.
Escobedo Named Co-Wrestler of the Week
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Redshirt freshman Angel Escobedo has been named the Big Ten
Co-Wrestler of the Week, the conference office announced Wednesday, Nov. 29. Escobedo,
who shares the honor with Minnesota's Roger Kish, went 5-0 at the Hoosier Duals on Nov.
25, registering four falls on the day.
Escobedo is the first Hoosier to garner Wrestler of the Week honors since his predecessor
at 125 pounds, Joe Dubuque, won the honor on Dec. 22, 2004. Escobedo is currently
ranked 13th in his weight class by Amateur Wrestling News and 16th by Wrestling
International
Magazine.
After posting a major decision in his first match, the 125-pound Escobedo pinned each of
the following four wrestlers he faced, registering falls on three of his adversaries in the first
period. The Griffith, Ind., native also pinned Delrico Choates, the top-ranked wrestler in the
NAIA, in 4:04, helping the Hoosiers to a 41-6 victory over Cumberland.
Escobedo is now 10-1 on the year, with his only loss coming to Lock Haven's Obenson
Blanc, the seventh-ranked wrestler in the nation according to the NWCA/Intermat poll, by a
2-1 score. Escobedo has five falls on the year to go with one major decision.
The Hoosiers will see one wrestler in each weight class travel to Primm, Nev., for the Cliff
Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 1-2. The remainder of the team will head to
University
Park, Pa., for the Penn State Open on Dec. 3
Ten Indiana Hoosiers Earn Top Four Finishes at Missouri Open
COLUMBIA, Mo. - Ten different Hoosiers placed in the top four at the
Missouri Open on Sunday, Nov. 19. In the Open division, Josh Buuck and Dave
Herman finished as co-champions at heavyweight while competing unattached,
while Nick Walpole took the 141-pound title in the freshman/sophomore division.
Five Hoosiers placed finished in the top four in each division.
Buuck and Herman each won their first three matches to face off in the
heavyweight final. Rather than go head-to-head for the
championship, the
teammates elected to finish as co-champions at the division. Herman, the top
seed, registered a pair of decisions and a disqualification, while Buuck pinned all
three of his opponents, including a fall of the second seed, Oklahoma's Brad
Farmer, in 1:31.
IU had a pair of wrestlers finish second in the Open division, with Andrae
Hernandez finishing as runner-up at 133 pounds and Kurt Kinser taking second
at 149. Hernandez went 3-1, posting a pair of falls, before meeting up with UT-
Chattanooga's Matt Keller, who was ranked fourth in the preseason in the
NWCA/Intermat poll. Keller needed overtime to defeat Hernandez 6-4 in the
division. Kinser, competing unattached, pinned three of the first four grapplers
he faced, including a fall of third-seed Josh Wagner of Missouri in
1:00. Kinser
advanced to the final, but was defeated by 11th-ranked Aaron Martin of
Chattanooga.
Nathan Everhart had his second consecutive impressive outing, taking fourth
place at 197 pounds. After losing his first-round match, Everhart won four in a
row before being defeated by third seed Brent Jones in the final by medical
forfeit. Also at 197, Justin Curran picked up a fifth-place finish, going 3-2 in the
class, with his losses coming to the No. 1 and No. 3 seeds. Elsewhere in the
Open, Paul Young went 3-2 at 157 pounds to finish fifth, while Scott Kelly went
0-2 at 141 pounds.
After going 3-2 at the MSU Open, Walpole was a perfect 5-0 in the
freshman/sophomore division at Missouri to take the title. Walpole dominated the
competition, registering two falls and two
major decisions leading up to the final,
then took a 10-3 decision over Chattanooga's Mark Nicely in the final.
Freshmen Nick Avery (174) and Kyle Sammuels (165) each took second-place
finishes while competing unattached for the Hoosiers. Avery won his first three
matches by decision, but was bested in the finals by Central Oklahoma's Daniel
Morrison. Sammuels, competing in his first collegiate event, went 3-1, including
his first career fall, pinning Cumberland's Trey Meyers in the semifinals.
Sammuels was defeated by Zack Sikes of UCO, 6-1, in the finals.
Sophomore Elijah Cook (165) and Justin Kuhn (1997) each earned third-place
finishes in their respective weight classes. Cook went 5-1 on the day, with his
only loss coming to eventual champion Sikes in the semifinals. Kuhn went
4-1,
posting his first career fall and first career major decision in the event.
At 133 pounds, Mike Peysakhovich took a sixth-place finish after winning his first
two matches, while Ted Strychalski went 1-2 in the division. At 141, Alex Warren
went 5-3, finishing sixth and taking a pair of technical falls and a pin in the
process. Justin Sciscoe went 4-2 at 149, but did not place, while Bryan Beard
went 3-2 at 157 pounds. Freshmen Eric Cameron (4-3) and Jantzen Minton (1-2)
each competed at 184, with Cameron taking sixth in the division.
The Hoosiers are back in action on Saturday, Nov. 25, when they will host the
Hoosier Duals, as five teams come to Bloomington for a day of dual meets.
Appalachian State, Bucknell, Cumberland, Ohio and Oregon will join the Hoosiers
for the
round-robin event beginning at 10 a.m.
Hoosiers
Host Intra-Squad Scrimmage
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana
wrestling team will host an intra-squad
scrimmage on Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. The event will take place
at the Brown
County High School gym and will feature 12 matches in weight classes
ranging
from 125-HWT.
Competing at the scrimmage are senior
125-pound national champion Joe
Dubuque, NCAA qualifiers senior Brady
Richardson, junior Isaac Knable and
sophomores Brandon
Becker and Max Dean. Senior Nick Spatola, juniors
Marc
Bennett, Josh Buuck, Ian Campbell and Matt Cooper, sophomores
Blane Culp,
Justin Curran and Dave Herman and redshirt freshmen Jose Escobedo,
Andrae
Hernandez and Heath Vandeventer also will see time on the mat.
Hoosier newcomers include freshmen Matt
Coughlin, Angel Escobedo, Wesley
Fike, Maurice Gunn, Hunter Hughes, Scott Kelley and Trevor Perry
also will take
to the mat on Tuesday.
The Hoosiers are coming off an open competition at the Eastern
Michigan Open,
where Perry took the crown at 174
pounds followed by Herman in second
at
heavyweight and Angel Escobedo taking bronze at 133.
Indiana will open its season at the Missouri Open in Columbia, Mo., Nov. 20.
Hoosiers
Find Success at Eastern Michigan Open
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana
wrestling used this past
weekend as
preparation for the upcoming season as it traveled to the Bowen
Field House for
the Eastern Michigan Open in Ypsilanti, Mich., on Nov. 5.
The Hoosier grapplers, who competed unattached at the event,
brought home a
trio of accolades led by freshman
174-pound Trevor Perry, who finished
first.
Sophomore Dave Herman finished second
at the open
in the heavy weight
division followed freshman Angel Escobedo
with a third-place outing at 133
pounds.
Perry strung together an impressive performance, going 5-0
in the event to clinch
his first career tournament title. The Davison, Mich., native
had three decisions,
one fall and a default due to injury en route to the open victory.
Herman also had a strong performance to finish second in his
first event of 2005.
The Indianapolis native started off the competition with two falls,
followed by a
major decision (13-2) and a decision before falling in the championship
match to
Tanner Garret (Navy), 4-1.
In his first collegiate competition, Escobedo transferred his
high school success
onto the collegiate mats, compiling a 4-1 mark en route to his
bronze
finish.
Freshmen Matt Coughlin (157 lbs), Wesley
Fike (125 lbs), Maurice Gunn (285
lbs), Hunter Hughes (165 lbs), Louis Gouletas (184 lbs), Scott
Kelley (133 lbs)
and Seth Parker (197 lbs) also saw action. Sophomore Blane Culp
competed for
Indiana as the only Hoosier to not compete unattached at the open,
going 2-2 in
his first 2005 event.
Indiana will open its season at the Missouri Open in Columbia, Mo., Nov. 20.
IU
Tabbed 16th in NWCA/Intermat Preseason Poll
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana
wrestling team collected its
third
top-20
preseason ranking as the National Wrestling
Coaches Association placed the
Hoosiers 16th. The USA Today/NWCA NCAA Division I coaches preseason
dual
meet poll also tabbed four Hoosiers
in the top 20 in their respective
weight
classes.
With a No. 1 ranking, senior NCAA 125-pound national champion
Joe Dubuque
earns his third top ranking of the preseason. Sophomore NCAA qualifier
Brandon
Becker grabbed fifth at 157 pounds,
sophomore NCAA qualifier Max Dean
placed 14th at 165 and
senior two-time NCAA qualifier
Brady
Richardson
collected an 11th-place nod at 197.
Eight Big Ten teams received top-20
rankings with the 2005 NCAA runner-up
Michigan leading the pack in third. No. 4 Illinois, No. 5 Iowa,
No. 6 Minnesota,
No. 11 Northwestern, No. 12 Penn State, No. 15 Wisconsin and No.
19 Michigan
State round out the Big Ten's appearances in the preseason top
20.
The Hoosiers garnered their third top-20 nod after finishing
ninth (59.5 points) at
last year's NCAA Championships and graduating
only two seniors and an All-
American.
The NWCA/InterMat rankings are the official college
coaches poll, which is
conducted weekly by a group of coaches representing each wrestling
conference. The rankings are
released weekly on the
Intermatwrestle.com
website, the official news source of the NWCA. The
National Wrestling Media
Association, a collection of journalists from major wrestling
outlets vote for the
individual rankings.
For a complete listing of the NWCA/Intermat preseason poll,
visit
Intermatwrestle.com.
Complete Team Rankings Below:
USA Today/NWCA
NCAA Division I Coaches Preseason Dual Meet Poll
Rank Team Points Last Season
1. Oklahoma State (12) 600 1
2. Oklahoma 584 7
3. Michigan 574 6
4. Illinois 567 2
5. Iowa 549 9
6. Minnesota 534 11
7. Iowa State 528 3
8. Lehigh 515 5
9. Cornell 499 13
10. Arizona State 492 19
11. Northwestern 471 18
12. Penn State 470 16
13. Central Michigan 445 8
14. Missouri 436 15
15. Wisconsin
430 10
16. Indiana 424 17
17. Nebraska 414 4
18. Hofstra 406 14
19. Michigan State 378 20
20. Pittsburgh 352 --
21. Cal Poly 346 --
22. Chattanooga 313 24
23. Edinboro 286 --
24. Boise State 263 --
25. Penn 141 23
Others receiving votes: Navy 84, Northern Iowa 57, West Virginia
55, North
Carolina 54, Virginia Tech 52, UNC Greensboro 29, Rider 26, Purdue
26.
2006
Indiana University Wrestling Preview
Indiana University 2006 Wrestling Preview
The Indiana wrestling program is nothing less than a cannon
reloaded and ready
to fire into the new season. With a
national champion, two All-Americans,
five NCAA
qualifiers and five grapplers finishing in the top six at the
Big Ten Championships
headlining the roster, the Hoosiers are set to contend for another
top-five and top-10
finish at the Big Ten and NCAA Championships, respectively.
Head coach Duane Goldman is also coming off one of his best
seasons in his 14-
year tenure, finishing in the top-10 at the NCAA Championships
(ninth) and tied for fifth
at the Big Ten Championships.
"We had a very talented team last year," Goldman
said, "but there is no reason
that we cannot be better and stronger than we were a season ago."
The Hoosiers enter the season with a top-10 recruiting class
and are highlighted
by 125-pound Joe Dubuque (24-3), who is back to defend his national
championship
from a year ago. The
Bloomfield, N.J., native will look to be
the fourth Hoosier to garner
three All-American nods in his career and the first since Roger
Chandler (1995-97).
"Joe has goals of repeating his national championship
and competing for a Big
Ten championship," Goldman said. "It is a difficult
weight to come back at, but Joe is a
hard worker. He has high goals for not only himself, but also
the team as a whole. He is
one of the premier student-athletes I have ever had the opportunity
to work with."
All-American Brandon Becker (27-11) collected a pair of fifth-place
outings at
NCAAs and Big Tens in 2005 and will fill the 157-pound position
again for IU this
season. Both appearances in the year-end finals were a debut for
last year's redshirt
freshman. The Michleton, N.J., product again looks to make an
appearance on
the
national stage, while also making a run at a conference championship.
"Brandon returns after garnering All-American status and
looks to improve on
that in 2006," Goldman said. "He has a great attitude
and is really talented at a lot of
positions. He is just an exciting wrestler for the fans to watch."
Two-time NCAA qualifier Brady Richardson (23-6) also returns to
the IU roster
with one goal in mind-- making the NCAA tournament and garnering
All-American
status.
"Richardson is making a move up, and he feels more comfortable
at the new
weight," Goldman said. "He is stronger this year and
is ready to start the season. We, as a
coaching staff, feel it is a great opportunity for him to finish
as an All-American, which is
his goal. He has made the tournament a couple of times and it
is just
his time."
In 2005, Richardson made his second straight appearance in
the national
tournament and went 1-2 in the 174-pound division. Richardson
also looks to improve on
his third-place finish at the Big Ten championships from a year
ago. In 2006, Richardson
will move to the 197-pound division to take the vacancy left by
junior Josh Buuck, who
is dropping to the 184-pound weight class.
Junior Isaac Knable (149) is also coming off a solid 2005 campaign
where he
finished sixth at the Big Ten Championships and qualified for
his first NCAA
appearance. Knable went 9-16 last year and looks to again make
his name shine on the
national stage. Also returning at 149 is senior Matt Cooper, who
has never started for the
Hoosiers, but has accumulated a 28-39 career record in his three
campaigns as a Hoosier.
"Isaac was
a national qualifier last year while senior
Matt Cooper had a good
season last year before suffering some injuries," Goldman
said. "Both of these guys are
definitely capable of achieving All-American status this year
for us at 149. It will be a
real battle for the spot."
Rounding out the NCAA qualifiers from a year ago is sophomore
Max Dean. A
native of West Chester, Ohio, Dean claimed fifth at the Big Ten
tournament and posted a
1-2 mark at the NCAA competition. Dean's leadership role will
be looked for as a
second-year starter at 165 pounds.
"Max will continue to get better as the season progresses,"
Goldman. "Last year,
he competed for the 157-pound position for most of the year, but
this year comes in as a
bona fide 165 competitor. Dean has become solid in his weight
in the off season and
is
looking to have a great year."
The rest of the Hoosier roster features two or three grapplers
vying for the starting
position. At 133, sophomore Andrae Hernandez is the forerunner
for the starting position
for the Hoosiers. Hernandez posted a 6-3 record last year, while
tallying two pins in the
process. Joining Hernandez at 133-pounds, are freshmen Angel Escobedo
and Scott
Kelley who join Indiana after having stellar high school careers.
"Andrae looks to be the front runner after having a stellar
year as a freshman and
a strong high school career," Goldman said. "We are
hoping for very good things out of
him as the season progresses. Joining him are Angel Escobedo,
who was one of the top
Indiana high school wrestlers, and Scott Kelley, who also had
a solid high school
campaign at
Carmel."
Competing for a starting position at 141 are senior Nick Spatola,
junior Ian
Campbell and sophomore Joel Jeffries.
"Any of these guys are capable of taking the spot,"
Goldman said. "They are all
very close in the workout and training room right now. Nick Spatola
is the only guy in
the group with some varsity experience, but each of these guys
are challenging for the
spot."
At 174, sophomore Marc Bennett looks to fill the Hoosiers'
starting grappler spot,
while freshman Trevor Perry comes to the weight class after leading
his high school team
to four State championships and claiming the individual state
title in 2005.
"Marc might be a first-time starter for us this year,"
Goldman said. "He had some
success last season with Brady Richardson moving up a couple
of
weight classes and
looks to take charge this year. Marc is very able to compete at
174."
Rounding out the Hoosier starting contingent are Buuck and
senior Dave Herman
in the 184-pound and HWT division, respectively. Buuck, a starter
for IU at 197 a year
ago, looks to fill the mat left vacant by Andy Rios. The Ft. Wayne,
Ind., native will have
competition from sophomore Justin Curran and redshirt freshman
Heath Vandeventer at
184.
"Buuck has the most varsity experience of each of the
guys in 197," Goldman
said. "Justin had some solid competition in 2005, while Heath
is coming off a redshirt
year. Between all of them, this will be a strong weight class
for us."
Herman will challenge the wrestling arena at the HWT position
highlighted last
year by All-American Pat
DeGain.
"Dave Herman will be our starter there," Goldman
said. "Last season, he
competed behind All-American Pat DeGain who took third at nationals,
but had a solidseason in the class. He has quite a bit of experience
with a couple of seasons with 30-plus
matches under his belt and looks to step into the spot and make
some noise."
The Hoosiers' 2005-06 schedule is filled with national and
conference powers, an
agenda that looks to challenge IU's seasoned and young roster.
"We are a young team at a lot of weight classes,"
Goldman said. "I look for the
young guys to improve as the season matures, while the returners
will be looked at again
to challenge for titles."
Indiana begins the season at the Missouri Open (11/20), followed
by trips to the
Mat Town Invitational (11/26)
and UNI Open (12/3) before hosting
the Hoosier Duals
(12/10). The tournament part of the Hoosiers' schedule ends with
matches at the FITE
Duals (12/17), Midlands (12/29-30) and Virginia Duals (1/14).
Big Ten action gets underway with home contests against Ohio
State (1/20),
Illinois (1/27), Iowa (1/29) and Penn State (2/10). IU will
also face Big Ten rivals
Purdue (1/22), Minnesota (2/5), Northwestern (2/17) and Michigan
(2/19) on the road.
Indiana again hosts the Big Ten Championships (3/4-5) at Assembly
Hall before
traveling to the NCAA Championships (3/16-18) in Oklahoma City,
Okla.