Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Opens Big Ten Season Against Ohio State and Purdue
1/18/2006 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Ohio State and Purdue Match Notes in PDF Format
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Jan. 18, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The 15th-ranked Indiana wrestling team opens its Big Ten slate on Jan. 20, hosting Ohio State at University Gym at 7 p.m. The Hoosiers (9-0, 0-0 Big Ten) look to keep their nine-match win streak alive this weekend as they then travel to West Lafayette, Ind., to face Purdue on Jan. 22.
"The Big Ten is one of the premier wrestling conferences in the country," head coach Duane Goldman said. "We do not have the luxury of overlooking anyone in this conference. We have to go out and work hard every match to get the win. Ohio State and Purdue have a good team. Everyone is looking to get a Big Ten win, and we are going to have to go out and take care of business."
OHIO STATE PREVIEW
The Ohio State Buckeyes pose quite a challenge for Indiana in both school's Big Ten opener. The Buckeyes (3-5, 0-0 Big Ten) return Blake Maurer (9-7, 0-1 dual) to the lineup at 174 pounds, giving OSU its starting line it has been missing for most of the season.
Indiana is undefeated (9-0) going into this weekend's matchup, but cannot overlook a Buckeye contingent that boasts three ranked grapplers in various polls. Leading the ranked OSU lineup is seventh-ranked Jeff Jaggers (17-4, 7-1 dual) at 149 pounds, followed by 16th-ranked Steve Somer (16-10, 4-4 Dual) and 11th-ranked Kirk Nail (12-3, 7-1) in the heavyweight division.
Ohio State is coming off a 2-2 weekend at the Virginia Duals, where Indiana took the overall crown and the Buckeyes lost in the consolation finals to North Carolina, 28-13.
OSU leads the overall series between the two Big Ten powerhouses, 44-36-2, while Indiana came out the victor (24-9) in the their last meeting on Jan. 30, 2005 in Columbus. Prior to IU's victory last year, IU had lost the previous eight matches. This is the first meeting in Bloomington since the two squads battled it out on Jan. 31, 2002 at University Gym, where OSU took the dual by a score of 17-15.
The Buckeyes finished 50th at last year's NCAA Championships and 10th in the Big Ten (8-11). OSU did not post any All-Americans in 2005.
PURDUE PREVIEW
The Purdue Boilermakers start a talented lineup with sixth-ranked Chris Fleeger (2-0) and fourth-ranked Ben Wissel (24-2) leading the charge. Along with their ranked grapplers, the Boilermakers feature two wrestlers with 20-plus wins, 141-pound Jason Cook (22-5) and 197-pound Nathan Moore (24-9), and eight overall wrestlers with winning records.
Purdue recently completed a 25-16 win over Cal State-Bakersfield in its last outing. The win for the Boilermakers (8-3, 0-0 Big Ten) completed their non-conference portion of the 2005-06 schedule, and left them in good shape compared to a year ago when they finished 6-6 in non-conference duals. Purdue opens its Big Ten season on the road against third-ranked Illinois on Jan. 20 before hosting Indiana on Jan. 22.
Indiana leads the overall series 49-30-3 against Purdue and won their last meeting, 18-12, on Feb. 18, 2005 in Bloomington. The Boilermakers finished 36th at last year's NCAA Championships and 11th in the Big Ten (8-12). Purdue did not collect any All-America recognitions in 2005.
AT&T CRIMSON AND GOLD CUP
The rivalry between IU and Purdue continues with the 2005-06 AT&T Crimson & Gold Cup, also presented by Simon Malls. The overall winner of the contest will be awarded a trophy at the end of the season.
Each sport can earn one point toward the overall championship. A total of 20 points can be won. The winner of regular season head-to-head competition earns the point for its institution. Should the teams split or tie in regular season competition the point is split between the two institutions (i.e. if each team wins two games in baseball the point is split).
Indiana and Purdue will square off on Jan. 22 in West Lafayette, Ind., at the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility on the campus of Purdue University. The dual is set to start at 2 p.m., with Purdue currently leading Indiana 3-2.5 in the standings. This weekend stands to give either university a marginal lead in the standings, as the Indiana wrestling, men's basketball (1/21) and women's swimming (1/21) teams are all set to face Purdue.
HOOSIERS AT A GLANCE
The Indiana wrestling team is off to a perfect 9-0 start in its non-conference dual schedule. Last year, IU finished its non-conference schedule 8-1 en route to a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. The Hoosiers have defeated their opponents by an average of 27 points, and their most lopsided victory came against Bloomsburg on Jan. 14, 42-(-1). Indiana has disposed of two ranked foes during its non-conference slate, dominating then-No. 21 Northern Illinois, 28-9, in its first ranked matchup on Dec. 18, followed by overcoming then-No. 25 Penn, 18-15, on Jan. 14 to claim its second team title of the season at the Virginia Duals.
2 UP, 2 DOWN
The Indiana wrestling squad has entered two team competitions in its non-conference slate and has walked away the overall champion on both occasions. In IU's latest challenge, it went 4-0 on Jan. 13-14 to claim the 26-th Annual Virginia Duals crown. Indiana posted wins over Virginia Tech (40-13), Bloomsburg (42-(-1)), RV Chattanooga (29-11) and then-No. 25 Penn (18-15) en route to its second crown of the season.
In the Hoosiers first test, Indiana dominated the 2006 Mat Town Invitational field, wining the overall event by a margin of 40.5 points over second-place Oregon and Buffalo. So far in 2006, Indiana is 9-0 and has two team titles under its belt.
CENTURY MARK
125-pound defending national champion Joe Dubuque is two wins away from eclipsing the 100-win mark in his career. Dubuque is currently 98-17 overall during his four illustrious years as a Hoosier. Dubuque has claimed All-America honors the last two seasons (2003-8th, 2004-1st), has won three titles (2003-Northern Iowa Open Champion, 2004-NCAA 125-pound Champion, 2005-Mat Town 125-pound Champion) and has pinned a total of 20 opponents.
When Dubuque achieves the 100-win mark, he will become the 12th Hoosier to reach the astounding feat. Other Hoosiers include Viktor Sveda (149, 1997-2002), Roger Chandler (134, 1994-97), Brian Dolph (127, 1987-90), Coyte Cooper (123, 2000-04), Pat DeGain (115, 2000-05), Sam Komar (114, 1975-78), Kevin Stanley (111, 1997-2001), Jim Pearson (1987-90), Mark Galyan (1978-82), Scott Holman (1986-90) and Anthony Hunter (1987-90).
Senior 197-pounder Brady Richardson is also looking to achieve the 100-win plateau, currently sitting at a record of 89-35. Should both Hoosiers hit the century mark, it will stand as the second-most grapplers to reach 100 wins in a season behind the 1990 Hoosiers that had four IU wrestlers meet the challenge (Dolph, Pearson, Holman, Hunter) at the end of the senior campaigns.
PILING ON THE WINS
Head coach Duane Goldman needs only two more dual wins to bring his all-time mark to 175. During the 2003-04 season, Goldman earned the honor of being IU's all-time 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 173.
REMEMBER THE TIME
The last time 125-pound 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 19 straight, including his 2005-06 mark of 12-0 (8-0 dual).
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 19-5 while owning a 4-2 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 11-4 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
Nine Hoosier starters entering the dual against Ohio State on Jan. 20 bring with them a winning record. IU grappler senior Joe Dubuque (12-0) brings an untainted slate while sophomore 157-pounder Brandon Becker (14-3), 131-pounder Andrae Hernandez (19-5), sophomore 184-pounder Justin Curran (19-5) and senior 197-pounder Brady Richardson (20-3) have only a handful of losses to their name.
Rounding out the Hoosiers in the winning column are junior 149-pounder Matt Cooper (11-4), sophomore 165-pounder Max Dean (19-6), sophomore 174-pounder Marc Bennett (10-8) and sophomore 285-pounder Dave Herman (21-7). At 141-pounds, senior Nick Spatola stands at 8-8 on the season and is the only Hoosier not above .500.
NATIONAL EXPOSURE
The Indiana wrestling squad currently boasts a top-15 ranking in the USA Today / NWCA / Intermat NCAA Div I Coaches' Poll. The Hoosiers stand at 15th for the third week in a row. Along with the Hoosiers, eight other Big Ten schools can be found in the top-25 poll. Leading the pack are No. 1 Minnesota, No. 3 Illinois and No. 4 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.
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.
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 are currently ranked in the top-10 (Dubuque, 1st; Becker, 7th) and both are looking poised on the season with winning records (Dubuque, 12-0; Becker, 14-3).
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 third at the Midlands Championships on Dec.29-30, followed by a 8-0 start to the dual season at the Hoosier, FITE and 26th-Annual Virginia 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 fifth, his highest career ranking in any division to date.
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 then 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 20-3 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 21-7, tallying three pins, two technical falls and three 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 5-2 at the Midlands Championships to place seventh overall. 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.
So far in dual contests, Curran is 7-1 and 19-5 overall. Curran's efforts at 184 pounds contributed to the Hoosiers second team title of the 2006 campaign, as IU ousted four opponents and then-No. 25 Penn in the finals to claim the 26th-Annual Virginia Duals crown.
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 four falls away from entering the all-time Indiana list for most pins in a career, while Richardson is 13 away from an appearance in the history book. Dubuque and Richardson currently stand at 20 and 11 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 98-17 career record. Dubuque falls just seven wins outside of the top 10 all-time most wins in a career record book. Should Dubuque garner seven more 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 89 wins in his career, 16 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 three 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 remained at the top spot of the 125-pound division for the 10th straight week. Dubuque currently stands at 12-0 on the season and boasts a 8-0 dual meet ledger.
Sophomore All-American Brandon Becker (157) fell to seventh-place after dropping a tight match against Eugene Zannetti (Penn). Becker, however, extended his appearance in the top 10 to 10 straight weeks and stands at 14-3 on the season and 8-1 in dual competition.
Wrapping up the Hoosiers in the rankings is senior two-time NCAA qualifier Brady Richardson. Richardson started the preseason at 11th, but has since climbed to his highest career ranking at any division of fifth at 197 pounds. The Vincennes, Ind., native has extended his appearance in the top 10 to six straight weeks and has cracked the top-five grapplers for the first time in his career.
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. On the season, Dubuque is 12-0 overall and 8-0 in dual action.
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. 3 Illinois (Jan. 27), No. 7 Iowa (Jan. 29), No. 1 Minnesota (Feb. 5), No. 10 Penn State (Feb. 10), No. 16 Northwestern (Feb. 17) and No. 4 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.
