Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Finishes 17th in Final Regular-Season Poll
2/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Feb. 23, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana wrestling team finished the dual season ranked 17th among the nation's top-25 announced the USA Today / NWCA / InterMat NCAA Div I Coaches' Poll on Feb. 22. The Hoosiers concluded the dual season at 11-6 on the season and 2-6 in Big Ten action. Indiana now looks towards the postseason that begins on March 4-5 at the 2006 Big Ten Wrestling Championships at Assembly Hall.
Defending national champion Joe Dubuque held onto the top spot of the 125-pound division for the 15th straight week. Dubuque currently stands at 19-0 on the season and finished 7-0 in Big Ten duals. The senior heads into the Big Ten championships as a favorite to take the title.
Redshirt freshman Andrae Hernandez currently boasts a 6-3 ledger against ranked opponents, and with finishing out the Big Ten season with a pair of victories against Northwestern and Michigan, Hernandez finished 7-1. Hernandez is 26-6 overall.
Sophomore Brandon Becker won his last three matches of the season to go 5-3 in Big Ten action. Becker now stands in sixth in the polls and has extended his stay in the top 10 to 15 straight weeks. The Mickleton, N.J., native is 19-6 on the season.
Wrapping up the Hoosiers in the rankings is senior two-time NCAA qualifier Brady Richardson. Richardson currently holds the 12th-place spot, and with the drop in the rankings, Richardson fell out of the top 10 for the first time in 10 weeks.
