Indiana University Athletics
Inside A Champion: Joe Dubuque
2/6/2006 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Feb. 6, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. The foundation of any champion includes natural ability, agility, speed, strength and a hardworking demeanor. When head coach Duane Goldman first saw then-freshman Joe Dubuque, there was no doubt a champion was in the making.
"We always knew Joey had what it took to become a champion," Goldman said of his 125-pound senior. "He had the natural skill and speed it would take. With a little grooming of his techniques, Joey had all the potential to be one of the best in the country."
After redshirting the 2001-02 season, Dubuque battled injuries to post a 23-5 record in 2002-03. Unfortunately, he suffered a concussion in the regular season finale that ended any postseason hopes.
Dubuque bounced back in 2003-04 to post a a 34-9 record and qualify for his first NCAA Championship, where he earned All-American honors for his eighth place finish.
Dubuque carried this momentum to his junior campaign, winning 29 matches en route to the 125-pound national title. Not only did Dubuque defeat three ranked opponents in order to claim the Hoosiers' first individual national crown since 1990, but he fueled IU's ninth place NCAA team finish.
The nation's top 125-pounder became the 12th wrestler in school history to record 100 victories with a triumph over Purdue's Brandon Tucker. Despite the accolades, Dubuque knows that the year is not over.
"It felt really good to achieve my 100th win, not only for me, but for this program," Dubuque said. "Individually, and as a team, I am getting a lot of success so far this season. The win is a big deal to me, and people are putting a lot of emphasis on it, but my main goal is, obviously, getting another national title and getting our team into the top five in the nation."
Nonetheless, Dubuque does not diminish the century milestone.
"The win meant a lot of different things to me," Dubuque said. `It was against Purdue, it was a record-setting feat and it was avenging a loss against a guy [Brandon Tucker] who I lost to last year. It was an emotional day for me, not too mention it is always good to get a win against Purdue."
Like any great athlete, Dubuque balances accomplishments and goals.
"To be honest, my mom [Nancy] had to remind me about my 100th win," Dubuque said. "The other records, it has really been other people reminding me about them. I am not really doing all of this to break records. It has been about getting the job done and getting a win for the team. If I break some records along the way, that is great, but that is not my goal. My goal is to help this team the best way that I can."
Dubuque has done just that. So far this season, Indiana is 11-0 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten on the season, the best start for the program since the 1995-96 season when it opened with 12 straight. Dubuque's individual efforts have spread like wildfire for the rest of the IU grapplers. The team currently boasts nine starters with winning records, five wrestlers with 20-or-more wins and three grapplers with three-or-less losses.
"It is always good to start off on the right foot," Dubuque said. "The great thing about this team is we trust each other enough that we do not feel like we have to go out and win a match by ourselves."
The Hoosiers have not just won matches, but dominated their opponents with an average margin of victory of 25 points. IU's most lopsided win came against Bloomsburg (42-(-1)) in the quarterfinals of the Virginia Duals on Jan. 13-14. Indiana went on to claim its second crown of the season with a win over then-25th ranked Penn, 18-15, in the finals bout.
The success on the mat continues to light a fire of confidence for the Hoosiers as they enter the heart to the Big Ten season. With the final four duals against ranked opponents, Indiana is going to have to be ready for a tough season-ending schedule.
"It has been our theme this whole year to dominate, not just win, but dominate our opponents," Dubuque said. "We are going to have a tough stretch the rest of the season. We are not going to lie down for anyone. We can contend and compete with any team in the country. We are not going to be satisfied with a good showing. We are not satisfied until we win and win big. This is definitely the best team I have been a part of, skill wise and emotionally. You can be assured that we are going to go out every match and get the job done."
