Indiana University Athletics
IU Prepares for Wendy's Duals
1/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
IU enters the weekend with a 7-2 record after going 2-1 at last weekend's Buckeye Duals. Indiana compiled victories over Bloomsburg (23-15) and Buffalo (27-8). The lone Hoosier loss came to No. 12 Ohio State, 29-17.
HOOSIER REPORT
Senior Coyte Cooper improved to 19-0 on the season after winning all three of his matches at the Buckeye Duals. Sophomores Joe Dubuque (125) and Brady Richardson (174) and junior Pat DeGain (197) joined Cooper with perfect 3-0 weekends. The victories extended Dubuque's unbeaten streak to 14 matches and DeGain's streak to nine straight.
Cooper also leads a contingent of ranked IU grapplers. The All-America candidate is ranked sixth in the nation. DeGain sits 10th along with redshirt freshman Matt McIntire, while Dubuque (12th), sophomore Brady Richardson (12th, 174), junior Andy Rios (13th, 184) and sophomore Joel Powers (20th, HWT) round out the ranked group.
Thus far in 2003, the Hoosiers are 7-2 in dual meets. This weekend marks IU's fourth visit to the Wendy's Duals. Last year, Indiana went 3-1 at the event.
HOOSIER OPPONENTS
Ohio: Indiana opens the Wendy's Duals against Ohio University. The Bobcats enter the weekend with a 3-2 record in dual action with its most recent victory coming Jan. 7 in its conference opener against Eastern Michigan (32-10). In addition, the Bobcats have knocked off Findlay twice and dropped matches to No. 20 Purdue and No. 22 Edinboro at the Edinboro Duals.
The Bobcats are led by junior Jake Percival, who is ranked third in the nation at 157 pounds. Percival is a perfect 25-0 on the season, claiming individual titles at the Carolina "Rubbermaid" Open (Dec. 6) and the Beast of the East Tournament (Dec. 19-20). Additionally, junior Jermiah Beltran is ranked 17th in the heavyweight division.
VMI: Virginia Military Institute enters this weekend coming off the heels of a heartbreaking 23-19 loss to rival Virginia on Wednesday, Jan. 7 at the "Wrestling Rumble on the River." The match was the team's first dual meet of the year. In tournament action, the Keydets best finish came at the Southern Scuffle on Dec. 29, where the team placed fifth out of 23 teams.
Jason Cox paces VMI with an 18-4 overall record. The senior ranks in the top 10 nationally with his 18 wins and four pins. After placing third in his 197-pound weight division at the Southern Scuffle on Dec. 29, Cox was named Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week on Jan. 5.
Pittsburgh: The Hoosiers' final opponent at the Wendy's Duals will be the Pittsburgh Panthers. Before heading to Ashland, the Panthers host No. 11 Penn State on Friday, Jan. 9. Entering the meet against the Nittany Lions, Pitt holds a 2-1 dual meet record. The Panthers posted victories over Bloomsburg (41-3) and Slippery Rock (34-3) and lost to No. 3 Lehigh (31-9). Pittsburgh is receiving votes in the Intermat and NWCA Top 25 polls.
Pitt has five wrestlers ranked in the top 20 in the nation, led by 12th-ranked Drew Headlee. The freshman enters the weekend with a 12-4 record, including a 2-1 mark in dual meets at 125. Sophomore Ron Tarquinio (19th, 141), junior Zachariah Doll (17th, 165), sophomore Francis Iorfido (19th, 174) and senior Joshua Birt (20th, 197) are the other Panthers in the national rankings.
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.
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.
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, senior Coyte Cooper, junior Pat DeGain and sophomores Joe Dubuque and Brady Richardson posted undefeated 3-0 records.
Streaking Hoosiers
After their performances at the Buckeye Duals, three Hoosier grapplers extended their current winning streaks. Coyte Cooper, Joe Dubuque and Pat DeGain each went 3-0 at the event, maintaining their perfect records in dual action as well. Cooper has started the season with 19 straight victories, including a 9-0 mark in dual meets. Dubuque has won 14 straight matches after beginning the season 1-2. He is also 9-0 in dual action. DeGain has won nine straight matches, eight of which have come in dual meets where he holds an undefeated 8-0 record.
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.
Goldman Keeps On Winning
With IU's 7-2 start, head coach Duane Goldman now has a career record of 138-78-4 in his 12 seasons at the helm of the Hoosiers. His 138 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 also ranks second all-time behind Billy Thom's .775 percentage (110-32-4 from 1928-1945).
Moving Up The Charts
Coyte Cooper and Pat DeGain are climbing up the Indiana career wins and pins lists. With 19 victories this season, Cooper now has 101 in his career, moving into a tie for 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 14-2 record, DeGain netted his 20th career pin against Kyle Cerminara of Buffalo at the Buckeye Duals. The junior now sits in 11th place on the career list, only one pin behind former All-American Sam Komar.
All-American Candidate
Coyte Cooper has kicked off his All-American campaign in style. The sixth-ranked wrestler in the nation at 141 pounds has raced off to a perfect 19-0 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 five major decisions in his 19 victories.
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, junior 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 by in both polls.
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.
