Saturday, March 3
East Lansing, MI
10 AM
Indiana University
vs
Session I
Oliver Clinches NCAA Berth at Big Ten Championships
3/4/2018 3:25:00 AM | Wrestling
Four Hoosiers have a shot at Cleveland in Sunday’s session
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Indiana wrestling junior Elijah Oliver became the first Hoosier to capture a trip to the NCAA Wrestling Championships in the second session of the Big Ten Championships. Oliver becomes the first three-time NCAA qualifier since Nate Jackson (2012-16), guaranteeing at least an eighth-place finish with a win over Travis Piotrowski (Illinois) in the second consolation round.
Oliver has been a standout grappler since arriving on campus in 2015, validated by punching his third NCAA ticket in as many years. The junior avenged his defeat to Piotrowski in dual season, breaking a 2-2 tie with a short time takedown in the first period and stepping on the gas in the third for a 7-3 decision.
The qualification by Oliver gives Indiana head coach Duane Goldman his 26th consecutive season with an NCAA Championships qualifier, a program record. Goldman now has seen 54 wrestlers earn a combined 118 NCAA berths, both of which are the most in Indiana wrestling history.
If Oliver manages to reach the final weekend as a senior next season, he'll become just the sixth grappler in program history to qualify for the NCAA Championships in all four eligible years and the first since current associate head coach Angel Escobedo (2007-10).
An additional four Indiana wrestlers will learn their fate in Sunday's third session. Two Hoosiers—Bryce Martin (165) and Devin Skatzka (174)—are in "do or die" time as they will need to win their opening match to secure a trip to Cleveland in two weeks.
Martin, who wrestled just one match between Indiana's dual meet at Ohio State and this weekend's Big Ten Championships, dropped a 5-2 decision to 10th-ranked Nick Wanzek (Minnesota) in his opening bout but bounced back with a 12-6 win over Mike Sepke (Northwestern) in the consolation bracket.
That set up a qualifying match with No. 7 Evan Wick (Wisconsin), but the Badger punched his ticket on a 6-2 decision. Martin nearly found a momentum-swinging nearfall in the second period but was unable to get an angle that yielded swipes from the head official.
Skatzka's opening round bye set up a tantalizing quarterfinal match with No. 5 Myles Amine (Michigan). When the two Michigan natives met in January, Amine left Bloomington with a one-point decision; this time around, Skatzka brought a fight but Amine entered the semifinals on a 9-5 decision.
Due to the Big Ten's prowess in national wrestling, the brackets at 125 and 149 lbs. will bring 10-of-14 entrants as automatic qualifiers to the NCAA Championships. So although A.J. Raya (149) dropped his first two bouts on the weekend, he gained another opportunity to battle back for one of the qualifying spots off the podium. And with Raya's 8-5 decision over Austin Nash (Purdue), the true freshman finds himself two wins away from an NCAA berth.
Up Next: Session III of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships
Sunday, March 4 • Starts at 12:00 p.m. ET • Breslin Center • East Lansing, Michigan
Indiana's potential qualifying bouts will have to be earned against tough competition. Skatzka faces Ryan Christensen (Wisconsin) in the seventh-place match, with the winner taking the seventh and final automatic bid at 174 lbs. Skatzka earned a 9-1 major decision over Christensen in their meet at Wisconsin earlier this year, and he's 2-1 all-time against Christensen.
Martin encounters Jacob Morrissey (Purdue) in the Big Ten's gauntlet 165 bracket, in which 10 wrestlers receive automatic bids. The winner enters a ninth-place match with the winner between Te'Shan Campbell (Ohio State) and Brendan Burnham (Maryland); both wrestlers in the ninth-place bout will reach the final weekend in Cleveland. Martin, injured during the Hoosiers' dual meet with Purdue, did not face Morrissey in their first potential meeting.
Raya will battle Malik Amine (Michigan) in a similar situation to Martin, as nine Big Ten grapplers qualify for the NCAA Championships at 149 lbs. The Hoosier freshman will need to top Amine and the winner between Juwan Britton (Michigan State) and Cole Martin (Wisconsin) to qualify.
Although Oliver's NCAA berth is certain, his spot on the podium remains in flux. He and Rayvon Foley (Michigan State) battle for seventh-place in a rematch of their opening round encounter. Foley won the postseason match by major decision, 15-3, but Oliver won 11-8 in their dual meet earlier this year.
All consolation matches and finals bouts will stream live on BTN Plus and FloWrestling.
Oliver has been a standout grappler since arriving on campus in 2015, validated by punching his third NCAA ticket in as many years. The junior avenged his defeat to Piotrowski in dual season, breaking a 2-2 tie with a short time takedown in the first period and stepping on the gas in the third for a 7-3 decision.
The qualification by Oliver gives Indiana head coach Duane Goldman his 26th consecutive season with an NCAA Championships qualifier, a program record. Goldman now has seen 54 wrestlers earn a combined 118 NCAA berths, both of which are the most in Indiana wrestling history.
If Oliver manages to reach the final weekend as a senior next season, he'll become just the sixth grappler in program history to qualify for the NCAA Championships in all four eligible years and the first since current associate head coach Angel Escobedo (2007-10).
An additional four Indiana wrestlers will learn their fate in Sunday's third session. Two Hoosiers—Bryce Martin (165) and Devin Skatzka (174)—are in "do or die" time as they will need to win their opening match to secure a trip to Cleveland in two weeks.
Martin, who wrestled just one match between Indiana's dual meet at Ohio State and this weekend's Big Ten Championships, dropped a 5-2 decision to 10th-ranked Nick Wanzek (Minnesota) in his opening bout but bounced back with a 12-6 win over Mike Sepke (Northwestern) in the consolation bracket.
That set up a qualifying match with No. 7 Evan Wick (Wisconsin), but the Badger punched his ticket on a 6-2 decision. Martin nearly found a momentum-swinging nearfall in the second period but was unable to get an angle that yielded swipes from the head official.
Skatzka's opening round bye set up a tantalizing quarterfinal match with No. 5 Myles Amine (Michigan). When the two Michigan natives met in January, Amine left Bloomington with a one-point decision; this time around, Skatzka brought a fight but Amine entered the semifinals on a 9-5 decision.
Due to the Big Ten's prowess in national wrestling, the brackets at 125 and 149 lbs. will bring 10-of-14 entrants as automatic qualifiers to the NCAA Championships. So although A.J. Raya (149) dropped his first two bouts on the weekend, he gained another opportunity to battle back for one of the qualifying spots off the podium. And with Raya's 8-5 decision over Austin Nash (Purdue), the true freshman finds himself two wins away from an NCAA berth.
Up Next: Session III of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships
Sunday, March 4 • Starts at 12:00 p.m. ET • Breslin Center • East Lansing, Michigan
Indiana's potential qualifying bouts will have to be earned against tough competition. Skatzka faces Ryan Christensen (Wisconsin) in the seventh-place match, with the winner taking the seventh and final automatic bid at 174 lbs. Skatzka earned a 9-1 major decision over Christensen in their meet at Wisconsin earlier this year, and he's 2-1 all-time against Christensen.
Martin encounters Jacob Morrissey (Purdue) in the Big Ten's gauntlet 165 bracket, in which 10 wrestlers receive automatic bids. The winner enters a ninth-place match with the winner between Te'Shan Campbell (Ohio State) and Brendan Burnham (Maryland); both wrestlers in the ninth-place bout will reach the final weekend in Cleveland. Martin, injured during the Hoosiers' dual meet with Purdue, did not face Morrissey in their first potential meeting.
Raya will battle Malik Amine (Michigan) in a similar situation to Martin, as nine Big Ten grapplers qualify for the NCAA Championships at 149 lbs. The Hoosier freshman will need to top Amine and the winner between Juwan Britton (Michigan State) and Cole Martin (Wisconsin) to qualify.
Although Oliver's NCAA berth is certain, his spot on the podium remains in flux. He and Rayvon Foley (Michigan State) battle for seventh-place in a rematch of their opening round encounter. Foley won the postseason match by major decision, 15-3, but Oliver won 11-8 in their dual meet earlier this year.
All consolation matches and finals bouts will stream live on BTN Plus and FloWrestling.
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