Wrestling Returns Home

1/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling

Bloomington, Ind. -- The Indiana wrestling team begins a full slate of action this weekend hosting Duke, Eastern Michigan and Truman State on Saturday and traveling north to Indianapolis for the Indianapolis Duals on Sunday.

Saturday's meet begins at 11:00 a.m. and will take place at University Gym. Live updates of Saturday's meet will be available on iuhoosiers.com. The Indianapolis Duals are slated to begin at noon.

Last weekend, IU went 2-1 at the Wendy's Duals, downing VMI, 31-6 and knocking off No. 25 Pittsburgh, 19-13 before falling to Ohio, 25-15.

HOOSIER REPORT
Senior Coyte Cooper (141) and sophomores Brady Richardson (174) and Joe Dubuque (125) went 3-0 on the day, while redshirt freshman Josh Buuck picked up two wins in his first action of the season in the heavyweight division.

Overall, the Hoosiers have five wrestlers ranked nationally. Cooper (22-0) is the highest ranked at No. 5 along with 11th-ranked junior Pat DeGain (16-3), 13th-ranked Richardson (16-5), 15th-ranked Dubuque (18-2) and 17th-ranked junior Andy Rios (16-4).

HOOSIER OPPONENTS
Duke: The Blue Devils head to Bloomington with a 2-0 record in dual meets. Last weekend, Duke defeated Duquense, 27-9 and Slippery Rock, 26-14 in its first dual action of the year. Five wrestlers picked up a pair of victories for the ACC power. Freshman Christian Smith (125), freshman Bryan Gibson (133), sophomore Daniel Shvartsman (141), senior Andy Soliman (149) and senior Michael Mitchell (165) each swept their matches.

Smith ranks second in the nation with five pins at 125 this season, trailing a trio of grapplers with six pins, including Joe Dubuque of Indiana. In the 141-pound division, Shvartsman ranks sixth nationally with 20 victories (20-14 overall).

Eastern Michigan: EMU was swept by Mid-American foe Ohio (32-10) and Northwestern (22-18) last weekend. In its conference opener against the Bobcats, Eastern managed three victories, including a 16-4 victory by 12th-ranked J.J. Holmes (165). Holmes also earned a victory against the Wildcats, improving to 13-5 on the season.

Joining Holmes in the winner's circle were senior Tim Hoff and junior Ed Magrys. The co-captains both went 2-0 on the weekend. Hoff gained his victories in the 174-pound class, while Magrys rolled at 184.

Truman State: The Bulldogs of Truman State enter the weekend with a 2-4 mark in dual action this season. Truman competed at the Simpson Wrestling Invite last weekend, finishing sixth out of nine teams at the event. Junior Gregg Nurrenbern, who went 4-0 and captured the individual title at 184, led the Bulldogs at the Invite. Junior Merrick Meyer finished second at 141, while junior Allen Stokes added a third-place finish at 125.

Overall this season, Nurrenbern leads Truman with 19 victories (19-6 overall). Meyer sits at 17-3 on the year and Stokes is the third Bulldog wrestler with double-digit victories with an 11-8 mark.

Indianapolis Duals: IU heads to Indianapolis for the Indianapolis Duals for the fourth straight season. Last year, the Hoosiers went 3-0 at the Duals, sweeping Carson-Newman (42-3), Truman State (39-9) and Indianapolis (34-12).

Indiana will open the Duals against Cumberland at noon, followed by a rematch from last year against Carson-Newman at 1:30 p.m. The Hoosiers wrap up the day against host school, Indianapolis at 3:45 p.m.

Head Coach Duane Goldman
Duane Goldman is entering his 12th season at the helm of Indiana wrestling.

Goldman served as an assistant under former Indiana head coach and current Michigan head coach, Joe McFarland, before being elevated to the top spot in 1992. Prior to arriving in Bloomington, he spent a year as an assistant at the United States Military Academy (Army).

As a collegiate wrestler, he was dominant while under the tutelage of legendary head coach Dan Gable at the University of Iowa. In his four years as a Hawkeye, Goldman accumulated a 132-10 career record, winning four Big Ten Championships, and was a four-time NCAA All-American. After three consecutive second-place finishes, he won the NCAA Championship in his final season at 190 lbs. After winning the NCAAs, Goldman won the gold medal at the Pan-American Championships in 1987 and was a member of the 1987 World Cup Team. In addition, he served as an alternate on the U.S. Olympic team in 1988.

As the head coach for the Hoosiers, Goldman has had 28 different wrestlers named Academic All-Big Ten, 43 qualifiers to the NCAA Championship, highlighted by a school record eight in 1994. Of the 43 qualifiers to the NCAAs, Goldman has had nine wrestlers earn All-America status, including a 1996 Big Ten champion and NCAA finalist, Roger Chandler, and most recently, Viktor Sveda in 1999 and 2001. Kevin Stanley also earned All-America status in 2001 after finishing sixth at 165. Additionally, the Hoosiers set a new school record for wins in a season with 16 in 1997. The 2002-03 team tied this record again as Goldman led them to a 16-9 record.

During the summer of 2000, Goldman accompanied former assistant coach Charles Burton to the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where he served as an assistant coach and workout partner.

Goldman and his wife, Patricia, have three children, daughters Aphten and
Avery and son, Garret.

Assistant Coach Mike Mena
Mike Mena is in his fourth season as an assistant coach for the Indiana wrestling program. Mena came to Indiana after spending three years training with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club, coached by the legendary Dan Gable. He trained in international freestyle wrestling and operated his own youth wrestling school full-time, where he coached several state and national champions.

Mena is currently a U.S. National Team member at 55 kilos. He earned that spot by placing second at the U.S. World Team Trials in Indianapolis, Ind. He is a three-time U.S. freestyle national team member.

Mena graduated from the University of Iowa in 1997 as a four-time All-American with a career record of 118-24. He was a national finalist in 1997 and captured a Big Ten title in 1995. Additionally, Mena was a three-time Big Ten Finalist and won Midlands titles in 1994 and 1995.

Assistant Coach Reggie Wright
Wright is in his second season as an assistant coach for the Hoosiers. Wright's main duties include working with the middle weights on their technique.

The Chicago, Ill., native was a three-time wrestling All-American during his tenure at Oklahoma State. In addition, Wright was a Big 12 champion for three consecutive years, wrestling in the 145-pound class. He also placed fourth in the U.S. Open in 2003 and is currently training for the Olympics.

Volunteer Assistant Butch Hildebrand
Hildebrand is in his second season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Indiana wrestling team. A 2000 IU graduate, Hildebrand was a four-year starter on the Hoosiers wrestling squad.

Aside from his wrestling duties, Hildebrand also serves in the United States Marine Corps. He was recently deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom to Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Hildebrand and his wife Sara, a three-time athlete of the year at IU and U.S. Olympic diver, reside in Bloomington.

Hoosiers In The Rankings
Senior Coyte Cooper is ranked fifth in the national rankings, making him the highest ranked Hoosier. Joining Cooper in the rankings are junior Pat DeGain (11th), sophomores Brady Richardson (13th) and Joe Dubuque (15th) and junior Andy Rios (17th).

In addition, Dubuque's six pins are tops in the nation at 125 pounds, while Cooper is fourth at 141 with nine pins and 21 victories. DeGain is tied for 10th with 16 victories in the 197-pound division.

Streaking Hoosiers
After their performances at the Wendy's Duals, three Hoosier grapplers extended their current winning streaks. Coyte Cooper and Joe Dubuque each went 3-0 at the event, maintaining their perfect records in dual action as well. Cooper has started the season with 22 straight victories, including a 12-0 mark in dual meets. Dubuque has won 17 straight matches after beginning the season 1-2. He is also 12-0 in dual action.

In addition, Brady Richardson picked up three victories at the event and currently rides an eight-match winning streak into this weekend. Richardson is 16-5 overall and 10-2 in dual meets.

Pat DeGain had his nine-match winning streak snapped, but won his final two matches, moving to 10-1 in dual action and 16-3 overall.

Moving Up The Charts
Coyte Cooper and Pat DeGain are climbing up the Indiana career wins and pins lists. With 22 victories this season, Cooper now has 104 in his career, moving into ninth place on IU's all-time career wins list. The senior's six pins have moved him into third place on the school's career pins list. Cooper now has 35 in his career, five pins behind former Hoosier standout Roger Chandler.

In addition to compiling a 16-3 record, DeGain netted his 21st career pin against Jason Cox of VMI at the Wendy's Duals last weekend. The junior now sits in a tie for 10th place on the career list with former All-American Sam Komar, two pins behind Gene Denisar's total of 23.

Buuck Provides A Boost
Redshirt freshman Josh Buuck picked up a pair of victories in two matches in his first action of the season in the heavyweight division at the Wendy's Duals. Buuck went 2-0 wrestling as a heavyweight after entering the day having only wrestled at 197 this season. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native improved to 5-4 overall on the year and helped the Hoosiers hang onto their lead over Pittsburgh (19-13 win) with a clinching 5-0 victory over Travis Shirley.

Goldman Keeps On Winning
With IU's 9-3 start, head coach Duane Goldman now has a career record of 140-79-4 in his 12 seasons at the helm of the Hoosiers. His 140 wins rank second on the Indiana's all-time list, trailing only Charlie McDaniel, who posted a 145-139-11 record from 1946-1972. Additionally, Goldman's winning percentage of .637 ranks second all-time behind Billy Thom's .775 percentage (110-32-4 from 1928-1945).

All-American Candidate
Coyte Cooper has kicked off his All-American campaign in style. The fifth-ranked wrestler in the nation at 141 pounds has raced off to a perfect 22-0 start, winning individual championships at the season-opening Missouri Open on Nov. 23 and the Northern Iowa Open on Dec. 5. Cooper has nine pins and six major decisions in his 22 victories.

Back At the Buckeye Duals
IU put forth a solid showing at the Buckeye Duals, going 2-1 in its three matches. The Hoosiers dropped its match against No. 12 Ohio State, 29-17 before rebounding with wins over Buffalo, 27-8 and Bloomsburg, 23-15. On the day, Coyte Cooper, Pat DeGain, Joe Dubuque and Brady Richardson posted undefeated 3-0 records.

Return To The Mat
Sophomores Matt Cooper and Nate McMillin returned to the mat for the first time at the Buckeye Duals since suffering injuries at the season-opening Missouri Open. Cooper went 2-1 in three matches, downing Chris Tate of Bloomsburg, 7-3 and defeating Casey Burchfield of Buffalo, 15-13. McMillin participated in three matches as well and is scheduled to compete at this weekend's Wendy's Duals.

Home Cooking
The Hoosiers improved to a perfect 5-0 in dual action at home after sweeping three meets on Dec. 14. IU defeated Wabash, 38-12, Eastern Illinois, 32-13 and Gardner-Webb, 37-13. Joe Dubuque, sophomore Cameron Sakon, Coyte Cooper, Andy Rios and Pat DeGain swept all three of their matches.

Four Finish First
IU concluded a successful weekend at the Northern Iowa Open, claiming four individual titles and placing a total of nine wrestlers in the top six in their weight classes. Coyte Cooper won his second title of the season at 141 pounds and second-straight championship at the UNI Open, dropping second-seeded Jason Rhoten from Minnesota State in the title match. Joining Cooper in the winner's circle were Joe Dubuque (125), Andy Rios (184) and Pat DeGain (197).

Brady Richardson finished runner-up at 174, while redshirt freshman Matt McIntire earned a fourth-place finish at 149. Sophomore Joel Powers (HWT) and freshman Brian Dyer (133) both turned out fifth-place performances, and junior J.P. Stanley carded a sixth-place finish in the 157-pound weight class.

Dubuque Picks Up First Title
By winning the 125-pound class at the Northern Iowa Open, Joe Dubuque collected his first collegiate victory to add to an already impressive career resume.

The Bloomfield, N.J., native swept five consecutive matches, defeating Chris Helegassen of Northern Iowa en route to the championship. Last season, Dubuque compiled a 23-5 record as a redshirt freshman with seven major decisions and three pins.

Freshman Sensation
Brian Dyer, a true freshman out of Naperville, Ill., turned in an impressive performance at last weekend's Northern Iowa Open in the first action of his collegiate career. Despite dropping his first match, Dyer rebounded with five victories before losing his final two matches for a fifth-place finish at 133.

Brothers In Arms
Last year, the Cooper brothers reunited in Bloomington when Matt joined his older brother Coyte on the squad. Last season, wrestling as a true freshman, Matt went 17-22 at 149 pounds. Meanwhile Coyte enjoyed an incredible season, compiling a 38-5 record and qualifying for his third consecutive NCAA Championship.

In their second season together, the two enjoy pushing each other and seeing each other succeed. Coyte is off to a 19-0 start to the campaign at 141 pounds, while Matt is 3-3 at 157 pounds.

IU In The Polls
The Hoosiers are sitting just outside the Top 25 in two polls, receiving votes in the InterMat Top 25 and the NWCA Top 25. In both polls, eight of Indiana's opponents this season are ranked. In addition, two IU opponents are receiving votes in the NWCA poll and one opponent is receiving votes in the InterMat poll. Overall, seven Big Ten teams are ranked in the InterMat poll and six are ranked in the NWCA poll.

Opener At Mizzou
The Hoosiers opened their season on Nov. 23 with a strong showing at one of the nation's most competitive events, the Missouri Open. Coyte Cooper captured his second collegiate title after rolling off four straight victories to win the championship at 141.

Four other IU wrestlers garnered top-five finishes in their respective weight classes. Matt McIntire placed second (149), Andy Rios netted third (184), Cameron Sakon finished fourth (141) and Brady Richardson claimed fourth (174).

Dominating Dual
Indiana opened its dual meet season at home on Nov. 29 with victories over Southern Illinois-Edwardsville and Manchester. The Hoosiers dominated both clubs, knocking off Manchester, 32-6 and beating SIU-Edwardsville, 36-9. Seven Hoosiers swept a pair of matches including Joe Dubuque, Coyte Cooper, J.P. Stanley, Tim Falls, Brady Richardson, Andy Rios and Joel Powers.