Indiana University Athletics
Wrestling 1997-98 Outlook
11/17/1997 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Wrestling 1997-98 Outlook
What does a Top 20 wrestling program do when it loses the all-time winningest wrestler in school history? Naturally, it goes out and recruits some of the best incoming freshman in the nation and jumps right back in the hunt.
The Indiana Wrestling team will begin the 1997-98 season looking to replace three of its four NCAA championship participants, and will likely have five starters without a match of varsity experience. Luckily for them, Head Coach Duane Goldman doesn't believe in rebuilding years.
"I feel it's as talented a group as I've had since we've been here, and I?still expect us to have a successful season,"?Goldman said. "The biggest thing is how they react to adversity."
For the past four seasons, the Hoosiers have been able to look to three-time All-American Roger Chandler to help carry the team to strong national finishes. This year, Goldman looks to his four seniors for leadership among a talented young core of wrestlers. Among his seniors is Mike Powell, who despite a successful season at the 177 class last season (16-7), will return to 167, where he earned All-American honors two years ago.
The Hoosiers also have a total of eight state champions among their new wrestlers. Four of last season's redshirt wrestlers were individual champions in their respective states two years ago, while four true freshmen won their state's title last year. Needless to say, the potential is limitless.
"I?feel pretty confident about most of our lower weights, all of the ones we have experience at," Goldman said. "I?also have confidence in the other weights, I've just never seen them wrestle."
Those other weights will include at least three and possibly five redshirt freshman. It's a talent-filled group though, as the class was ranked the 10th best recruiting class in the nation last year. With a year of varsity practice under their belts, they will now be expected to produce.
At the 118 pound level, the Hoosiers will start Pat Cassidy, a redshirt sophomore who finished last season at 13-16, but was third on the team with five pins. The three-time Indiana State Champion was 11-9 in tournament competition last season, and looks to improve on that record this year.
"I?think he had one of the best high school careers in Indiana over a long period of time, and I definitely feel he can wrestle at the national level,"?Goldman said. "It's just a question of him performing up to his ability."
Battling at the 126 spot will be senior Matt Deters and true freshman Brian Smiley. Deters saw action for the first time last season in 12 tournament meets, finishing at 7-5. He will be competing with Smiley, who won the Indiana state championship last year, finishing 37-2 overall. Smiley, an Indiana State Champion, placed sixth in the Asics-Tiger Junior Nationals, and figures to give the senior Deters a run for his money.
"Neither of them have started for us, but I feel we'll be competitive,"?Goldman said.
Junior James Torres will be challenged at the 134 class by redshirt freshman Gabe Cook, the Indiana Freestyle and Greco wrestling state champion during his senior year of high school. Torres will be making the jump from 126, where he finished tied for third on the Hoosiers with 17 victories. He figures to be one of the top returnees, as he went undefeated in Big Ten competition last season (3-0), and was 9-2 in dual meets.
At 142, the Hoosiers will expect big things from Tim Myers, who split time last year at 134 but did not wrestle at the Big Ten Tournament. Myers, a junior from Decatur, Indiana, finished undefeated in both dual meets (4-0), and Big Ten competition (2-0), while ending up 17-5 overall.
"Tim got a lot of good experience last year, and I have high expectations for him,"?Goldman said. "I?believe he can have a successful season."
Stepping into the 150 spot will be redshirt freshman Dan Weber, who actually participated in two tournaments last season, winning the championship in the freshman/soph-omore division of the St. Louis Open, and finishing second in the Northern Open. The former Illinois State Champion will be called upon to try and repeat his successes from a year ago.
Last season's 150-pounder Butch Hildebrand will compete with redshirt freshman Kevin Stanley at 158. Hildebrand, a native of Eaton, Ohio, finished 12-22 overall last season with a 10-7 record in tournament matches. Stanley is expected to challenge Hildebrand though, as the two-time Missouri State Champion and former high school All-American hopes to crack the starting lineup.
"One fifty-eight is a wide open weight," Goldman said. "Right now I can't say which one has the edge. They're just going to have to work that out through wrestle-offs and competition."
The Hoosiers strongest returner is at the 167 slot, with former All-American Mike Powell looking to regain his 1996 form after a successful season at 177. Powell, a senior with junior status, finished seventh in the nation during his first collegiate season, and then finished 16-7 overall last year. In addition to his 8-5 tournament record and 8-2 finish in duals, he went undefeated (3-0) in the Big Ten and fell just one point short of repeating his All-American honors. Goldman will look to Powell for veteran leadership and hopefully a repeat of his All-American season.
"He had to battle some injuries during the regular season and still had a decent showing in the NCAA Tournament,"?Goldman said. "I'd like to see him regain his All-American form and wrestle with more confidence."
Powell's old spot at 177 is "up in the air"?according to Goldman, who says two redshirt freshmen, Nathan Pickle and Josh Greenspan, will battle for the starting nod. Greenspan hails from Shaker Heights, Ohio, and was the state champion his senior year. Pickle finished his senior season with a 54-3 record at Chrysler High School in New Castle, Indiana.
At 190, the Hoosiers will find a familiar face in Jason DeVries, a four-year starter. The Academic All-Big Ten selection completed his junior year with a 16-12 overall record and will be counted on to lend his knowledge to the young Hoosier squad.
Finally, the Hoosiers look to start Mike Dixon, a redshirt freshman at heavyweight. Dixon was the Indiana State Freestyle champion, and finished his senior season with a 45-4 record. He too was a member of Indiana's tremendous recruiting class last year, and hopes to live up to those expectations this season.
Since Duane Goldman took over the Indiana program in 1993, the team has seen it's national finish improve nearly every season, going from from 50th in '93 to 16th last season. If the team is able to continue along those lines, it could see itself in the national top ten for the first time since 1990: with only the sky as the limit.
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Last updated: 22 March 1998
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