Indiana University Athletics
IU Grapplers Poised for Tough Test at Midlands
12/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
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Dec. 20, 2005
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana wrestling team continues its non-conference schedule as it travels to Evanston, Ill., to compete at the Midlands Championships on Dec. 29-30. The Hoosiers (5-0) look to make a big statement at the championships as some of the nation's best wrestlers are set to be in attendance.
"Outside of the NCAA Championships, the Midlands Championships without a doubt is the highest quality tournament during the collegiate season," head coach Duane Goldman said. "This tournament will serve as a great opportunity for our competitors to gage where they are at early in the season."
MIDLANDS PREVIEW
Indiana will travel to Evanston, Ill., for the 44th installment of the Midlands Championships hosted by Northwestern University. The Hoosiers will have their work cut out for them as they face some of the toughest competition in the country.
Three weight classes of this year's tournament should prove to be exceptionally competitive. Four of the top-five nationally-ranked wrestlers in the 157-, 174- and 184-pound weight classes will be competing in the Midlands this year, posing a challenge for Indiana's All-American Brandon Becker (157), sophomore Marc Bennett (174) and sophomore Justin Curran (184).
Defending national champion Joe Dubuque looks to dethrone reigning 125-pound Midlands Champion Nick Simmons (MSU), who also is ranked fourth in the coaches' poll, as Dubuque enters as an early favorite at the weight. Also posed with an interesting matchup is two-time NCAA qualifier Brady Richardson at 197 pounds. Richardson faces a handful of nationally-rated talent, but looks at a field that is not returning a 2004 champion and the highest returning place-winner from a year ago was seventh.
The most wide-open weights will be 133 and 165 pounds. The 133-pound field includes three ranked wrestlers and a slue of competitive talent. Redshirt freshman Andrae Hernandez will look to put his 13-2 record to the test as he faces one of the most challenging fields for the Hoosier to date. NCAA Qualifier Max Dean will look to move himself among the nations' best again as he faces a field of top-rated grapplers at 165. Dean entered the season ranked 16th, but after a rocky start, fell out of the polls. Since then, Dean has returned to form and has won eight out of his last nine bouts and brings a 9-3 record into the competition.
HOOSIERS AT A GLANCE
The Indiana wrestling team is off to a 5-0 start on the young season. The Hoosiers have defeated their opponents by an average of 30 points, and their most lopsided victory came against Wisconsin-Whitewater, 45-4. IU also handed No. 21 Northern Illinois its second loss of the season as it defeated the Huskies, 28-9.
PILING ON THE WINS
Head coach Duane Goldman needs only six more dual wins to bring his all-time mark to 175. During the 2003-04 season, Goldman earned the honor of being IU's winningest coach, surpassing the legendary Charlie McDaniel (1945-72) who previously held the record with 145. Goldman also has taken the Hoosiers to the postseason a remarkable 12 straight years. Goldman's win total currently stands at 169.
REMEMBER THE TIME
The last time defending national champion Joe Dubuque walked away from a mat without his hand being raised as the victor, came at the 2005 Big Ten Championships. Dubuque lost in the second round of the event (3/5-6) before finishing third. Since March 6, 2005, the Glenn Ridge, N.J., native has gone on to win 15 straight, including his 2005-06 mark of 8-0.
Sophomore Brandon Becker also might have trouble recollecting his last loss. Becker dropped his first bout at the 2005 NCAA Championships (3/17-19), before rattling off five straight wins to finish fifth at the championships. Becker currently has won 13 straight, including his 8-0 start in 2005-06.
ANDRAE WATCH
Redshirt freshman Andrae Hernandez is making his first start for the Hoosiers this season and has taken the reins of the weight class with force. After dropping his first bout of the season, Hernandez went on to win eight straight. The Griffith, Ind., native is slowly making his name known to the wrestling world, posting an early season record of 13-2 while owning a 2-0 mark against ranked opponents.
COOPER ON THE "MAT"
Junior Matt Cooper is looking poised to make a statement at 149 pounds for the Hoosiers this season. Cooper has opened the season 8-3 overall and 1-2 in dual action and is ready to take on the likes of the Big Ten. Overall, the Anacortes, Wash., native has tallied one fall and one major decision on the season while accumulating three dual points.
WINNING WAYS
Every Hoosier starter entering the Midlands Invitational on Dec. 29-30 brings with them a winning record. Two IU grapplers boast an untainted slate, senior 125-pounder Joe Dubuque (8-0) and sophomore 157-pounder Brandon Becker (8-0), while a trio of Hoosiers only have two losses on the young season, including redshirt freshman 131-pounder Andrae Hernandez (13-2), sophomore 184-pounder Justin Curran (11-2) and senior 197-pounder Brady Richardson (13-2).
Rounding out the Hoosiers in the winning column are senior 141-pounder Nick Spatola (7-6), junior 149-pounder Matt Cooper (8-3), sophomore 165-pounder Max Dean (9-3), sophomore 174-pounder Marc Bennett (8-4) and sophomore 285-pounder Dave Herman (16-5).
TRIPLE CROWN
Senior Joe Dubuque, sophomore Brandon Becker and junior Matt Cooper brought home a trio of individual crowns at the Mat Town Invitational on Nov. 26. The three Hoosiers also helped lead Indiana to the team title with a 40.5-point margin over second-place Buffalo and Oregon.
Defending national champion Joe Dubuque took the title after going 4-0 en route to his first season and career regular season tournament title. Dubuque capped off the title run with a decision over 18th-ranked Obenson Blanc (Lock Haven), 3-1.
All-American Becker strung three victories together on his way to his first season and career title. Becker ended the title run with a decision over 19th-ranked Seth Martin (Lock Haven). Cooper rounded out the Hoosiers claiming their first season and career titles with a 4-0 run in the 149-pound division.
NATIONAL EXPOSURE
The Indiana wrestling squad currently boasts a top-20 ranking in the USA Today / NWCA / Intermat NCAA Div I Coaches' Poll. The Hoosiers stand at 18th. Along with the Hoosiers, eight other Big Ten schools can be found in the top-25 poll. Leading the pack are No. 3 Minnesota, No. 4 Illinois and No. 5 Michigan.
The Indiana wrestling team opened the season ranked in all four preseason polls, with Amateur Wrestling News tabbing the Hoosiers 10th. The Wrestling Mall and W.I.N. Magazine polls both notched IU in the 11th-place spot, while the USA Today / NWCA / Intermat NCAA Div I Coaches' Poll had them 16th.
Indiana returns one national champion, two All-Americans and five NCAA qualifiers from last year's top-10 squad.
JERSEY BROTHERS
Senior Joe Dubuque (Bloomfield, N.J.) and sophomore Brandon Becker (Mickleton, N.J.) might not be brothers in real life, but their wrestling careers at Indiana make this duo some of the leading faces of IU wrestling.
Both grapplers opened the season with a top-five rating (Dubuque, 1st; Becker, 3rd) and both are undefeated on the year (Dubuque, 8-0; Becker, 8-0).
Dubuque is looking to make his third appearance in the postseason while Becker seeks his second trip in as many years. Both are out to keep their NCAA championships streaks alive as Dubuque, since making his debut at the championships in 2002 has not missed a return trip, and Becker looks to make it two straight showings.
Both IU grapplers garnered All-America honors in their first appearance at the NCAAs, Dubuque finishing eighth as a sophomore in 2002, while Becker claimed fifth as a redshirt freshman in 2005.
In 2005-06, Dubuque and Becker already own individual titles after claiming crowns at the Mat Town Invitational (11/26) at the 125- and 157-pound weight classes, respectively. The duo capped off their tournament-title runs by decisions over ranked opponents. The titles also mark the first for the season and career for both grapplers in the regular season.
THE "RICH" GET RICHER
Richardson continues to impress the 197-pound field after finishing runner-up at the Mat Town Invitational on Nov. 26, followed by a 4-0 start to the dual season at the Hoosier and FITE Duals. The senior two-time NCAA qualifier is primed to make a run in the 197-pound weight class after competing at 174 as a sophomore and junior. In the USA Today / NWCA / Intermat NCAA Div I Coaches' Poll, the Vincennes, Ind., native is tabbed eighth, and began the season tabbed 11th.
Richardson began the year by winning his second career title at the Missouri Open on Nov. 20, defeating two ranked opponents en route to the title. Richardson won seven straight matches starting at the Michigan State Open on Nov. 12 and ending Nov. 26. Richardson's streak ended at the hands of fifth-ranked Kyle Cerminara of Buffalo in the championship bout of the Mat Town Invitational. Overall, Richardson is 13-2 on the season.
HERMAN OR HE-MAN
Sophomore Dave Herman is looking impressive in his first four tournaments, grabbing four top-five finishes, three of which were just one-win short of the title. Herman has posted an overall record of 16-5, tallying three pins, two technical falls and two major decisions in the process.
Herman is a returning letterwinner from last year's team that finished ninth at NCAAs and had seven starts for the Hoosiers behind senior All-American Pat DeGain. With DeGain's graduation, Herman looks to dominate the heavyweight starting position in 2006.
"JUST" IN TIME
Sophomore Justin Curran continued to solidify his starting position at 174 pounds, going 2-0 at the Hoosiers Duals ad 3-0 at the FITE Duals. Curran also claimed his second third-place finish of the season at the Mat Town Invitational (11/26). The Chicago native posted one decision and a one major en route to the bronze medal performance.
RECORDS WILL "FALL"
Seniors Joe Dubuque and Brady Richardson are looking to etch their names in the Hoosier record book this coming season. Dubuque stands just six falls away from entering the all-time Indiana list for most pins in a career, while Richardson is 15 away from an appearance in the history book. Dubuque and Richardson currently stand at 18 and nine falls, respectively, in their careers. Viktor Sveda (1998-2002), one of the program's most decorated wrestlers, owns the record with 47.
The seniors look to be the fourth and fifth graduating seniors in five years to etch their name in the IU career pins record book. Sveda took the top spot in 2002 (47), current IU volunteer coach Coyte Cooper tabbed third on the list in 2004 (37) and last year's All-American Pat DeGain finished in fourth in 2005 (35).
LOOKING FOR THE "W"
Senior national champion Joe Dubuque currently stands at a 94-17 career record. Dubuque falls just 11 wins outside of the top 10 all-time most wins in a career record book. Should Dubuque garner 11 wins in his senior campaign, the Hoosier will tie current 10th-ranked IU grapplers Mark Galyan (1978-1982) and Scott Holman (1986-1990) on the list at 105.
Also looking to end his career in record-setting fashion is two-time All-American Brady Richardson. Richardson currently stands at 82 wins in his career, 23 wins out of the top-10 record book. Viktor Sveda (1997-2002) currently holds the all-time record with 149.
TAKE DOWN KNABLE
Junior Isaac Knable has had an up-and-down career at Indiana, but there is one thing this Floyd Knobs, Ind., native has had no trouble doing, pinning an opponent. Of Knable's 24 career wins at IU, the 2005 NCAA Qualifier has taken 17 of those matches by falls.
Knable's 17 falls is one short of defending national champion senior Joe Dubuque for the most falls by any current Hoosier grappler, and is seven away from entering the all-time Indiana pins list. Should Knable post seven more pins in 2005-06, the junior will tie Pat Cassidy (1997-2000) on the list at 24. Viktor Sveda (1998-2002) holds the all-time IU record in the category with 47.
HOOSIERS IN THE RANKINGS
Three Hoosier grapplers currently have their names etched in the national polls in the latest release of the USA Today / NWCA / InterMat NCAA Div I Coaches' Poll.
Defending national champion Joe Dubuque continues to hold the top spot for the eighth week in a row after opening the dual season 4-0. Dubuque is 8-0 on the season.
At 157, sophomore All-American Brandon Becker (third) received a top-five nod from the coaches' poll. Becker began the season ranked fifth, and for the second week in a row holds his highest career ranking. Becker had a solid performance at the Mat Town Invitational (11/26) where he took home the 157-pound crown. The Mickleton, N.J., native wants to remain as one of the nation's best and has started the season 5-0 in dual action. Becker's top-five preseason ranking and current ranking mark the first time he has received preseason recognition or a top-five regular-season ranking, respectively. Becker is currently 8-0. Rounding out the preseason accolades is senior Brady Richardson at 197. Richardson, who wrestled at 174 in 2004 and 2005 and qualified for the NCAA Championships in both seasons, is looking to make his mark at his new and stronger weight division. The Vincennes, Ind., native is currently ranked eighth for the fourth week in a row and owns a 13-2 record on the season.
REPEAT PERFORMANCE
Indiana 125-pound national champion Joe Dubuque returns for his senior season and looks to defend his national championship from a year ago. His journey has already started off on the right foot as Dubuque added his first career tournament title to an already long list of accomplishments during his campaign as a Hoosier. At the Mat Town Invitational on Nov. 26, Dubuque pinned two and registered a major decision to dominate the field and go 4-0 at the invite to claim the title.
The Bloomfield, N.J., native became the first Indiana national champion since Brian Dolph grappled to the title in 1991 and looks to be the first Hoosier to achieve back-to-back titles in a career.
Charlie McDaniel (1935-38) is the only Hoosier to win two NCAA crowns (1935 and 1938) during his stint at IU, and one of only three Hoosiers to garner All-American status three times (Millard Duffy, 1935-36,38; Brian Dolph, 1987-90).
Dubuque looks to join the ranks of some of the best Hoosier grapplers ever to don the Cream and Crimson.
A TALL MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB
Indiana wrestling is looking at one of its toughest schedules under Duane Goldman's leadership. The Hoosiers, once the Big Ten season starts, open the campaign against currently unranked Ohio State (Jan. 20) and Purdue (Jan. 22).
The Hoosiers then take on six straight ranked opponents in No. 4 Illinois (Jan. 27), No. 6 Iowa (Jan. 29), No. 3 Minnesota (Feb. 5), No. 12 Penn State (Feb. 10), No. 14 Northwestern (Feb. 17) and No. 5 Michigan (Feb. 19) to close out the regular season.
TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER
Head coach Duane Goldman named seniors Joe Dubuque and Brady Richardson as the 2005-06 team captains.
Both Hoosiers enter the senior campaign with high goals for not only the team, but have individual expectations.
Dubuque looks to become the first Hoosier to garner back-to-back NCAA titles, the second (Charlie McDaniel, 1935 and 1938) Hoosier to garner two national crowns in a career and only the fifth IU grappler to receive All-American honors three-times during their stint at IU.
Richardson looks to garner his first All-American accolade after qualifying for the postseason the last two years at 174. Goldman says the Vincennes, Ind., native looks stronger and more comfortable in his new weight class and has all the potential to achieve his 2006 goals.
NEW FACES
At 133, 2004 starter Brian Dyer left the IU program and has now left the spot open for either another redshirt freshman Andrae Hernandez.
At 141, both seniors Mike Simpson and Cameron Sakon graduated to leave the weight class vacant. Looking to fill the opening will be senior Nick Spatola.
At 174, a weight usually filled by current senior Brady Richardson who moved to 197, is now open for sophomore Marc Bennett, who will be looked upon to carry the load for the Hoosiers.
After an early graduation, Andy Rios vacated the 184-pound starting spot, leaving room for sophomore Justin Curran. Graduated senior Pat DeGain, a 2005 All-American, leaves the weight class open for sophomore Dave Herman who had seven starts in 2004-05.
