Indiana University Athletics
SVEDA PINS AGAIN
2/4/2000 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
SVEDA PINS AGAIN
Bloomington, Ind. - IU sophomore Viktor Sveda pinned ninth-ranked Ross Thatcher of Penn State as he continues to show why he is one of the best in the country at 197.
Sveda (22-4, 3-1 Big Ten) recorded the pin with just 12 seconds remaining to end the match. He trailed Thatcher 1-0 after two periods, but stormed back in the final stanza with an escape point early and a takedown just shortly before the pin.
"Viktor (Sveda) just keeps working on guys," says IU head coach Duane Goldman. "He is always looking for a way to score points."
The pin is the 18th of Sveda's career which is 10th all-time at Indiana. He needs one more to tie for eighth with three-time All-American Brian Dolph (1987-90) and Chuck Wertschnig (1967-69). It is also the 10th of the season for Sveda which ties him for tenth at IU with his own 1999 performance. The win was Sveda's third win over a top-ten opponent in two weeks. He defeated then sixth-ranked Pat Quirk of Illinois 5-2 January 21 and then No. 10 Lee Weber of Iowa 0-5 January 23.
The rest of the meet was much closer than the 28-9 loss would indicate. The Hoosiers (10-6, 0-4 Big Ten) lost three weight classes by one point in the dual with Penn State (3-9, 1-3 Big Ten). Goldman stressed the importance of close matches after the meet.
"I'm not disappointed with anyone's effort," said Goldman. "We just need to pick it up. We could have won five more matches. It's a mental game and we just have to learn to come out on top in those situations."
There were a total of five one-point matches with Indiana going 1-3 over those. Tenth-ranked Kevin Stanley gained IU's one-point win at 157 with a 6-5 advantage. The match was tied at five as time ran out with Stanley earning a point for riding time to win the match. The Hoosiers close losses were Tim Myers at 149, Mingo Morrison at 174, and Ty Matthews at 184.
In the highly anticpated 125 matchup, Hoosier fifth-ranked Pat Cassidy lost a 5-2 decisoin to top-ranked Jeremy Hunter. Cassidy made several solid moves but was unable to gain a takedown, scoring both points on escapes. Hunter has allowed just one takedown all season and showed why by staying just out of the reach of Cassidy.
The Hoosiers host their final home conference meet of the season when they face Ohio State February 5 at 1 p.m.
