Indiana University Athletics
Five Grapplers Prepare for NCAA Championships
3/9/2006 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 9, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -
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The Indiana wrestling team is primed for another run at the NCAA Championships in 2006 on March 16-18 in Oklahoma City. With five Hoosier competitors, IU is looking for another solid showing in the national spotlight, with goals set to finish in the top 10 for the second time in as many years.
The IU wrestling contingent includes defending national champion Joe Dubuque at 125 pounds and sophomores 2005 All-American Brandon Becker and 2005 NCAA qualifier Max Dean. Wrapping up IU's championships roster are NCAA newcomers sophomore Dave Herman and redshirt freshman Andrae Hernandez in the heavyweight and 133-pound divisions, respectively.
HOOSIERS AT A GLANCE
The Indiana wrestling team finished its Big Ten season with a 10th-place finish at the conference championships on March 4-5 with a 43.5 point total. IU concluded the regular season 11-6, with all six of its losses coming against teams ranked among the top-15.
IU opened the season with 11 straight wins, the best start since the 1995-96 campaign when it won 12 straight. The 11-0 start also marked the second-best start for head coach Duane Goldman since he took over the program in 1991. In the Hoosiers' 11 victories, they defeated their opponents by an average of 25 points. Indiana 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 a victory over then-No. 25 Penn, 18-15, on Jan. 14.
INDIANA'S 2005 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS APPEARANCE
The Hoosiers finished ninth (58.5) at NCAAs last season, the best finish for a Hoosier squad since 1989. That year, head coach Joe McFarland led Indiana to a eighth-place finish at the championships in his first season at the helm of the program. Last season, then-junior Joe Dubuque won the national title at 125-pounds with a victory over Illinois' Kyle Ott in the championship bout, producing IU's first NCAA individual champion since Brian Dolph took the title at 150 pounds in 1990.
Indiana sent seven grapplers to the championships, making it only the third time in the last 15 years it had seven-or-more competitors in the postseason.
At the Championships, Dubuque, DeGain and Becker all earned All-America accolades for finishing in the top-eight of their class. That is the first time that the Hoosiers had three grapplers garner the honor since they had four in 1946. It also was the first time since 1946 that three IU wrestlers finished in the top-five at the same championship.
It was the best placement for Goldman's charges since they tied for 16th in 1997. The last time IU finished in the top 10 was an eighth-place showing in 1990. It is only the second time since 1953 that IU closed a championship in the top 10. "This is really incredible for us to finish this high," Goldman said at the time. "At the beginning of the year, we didn't get ranked by any of the polls. We had some young guys and some new guys, but they all came together this year. Pat, Joe, Brandon and the entire team all responded well."
2006 BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS RECAP
The No. 17 Indiana wrestling team closed out the 2006 Big Ten Championships at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind., on March 5, with a 10th-place tally of 43.5 points. Overall, the Hoosiers grabbed five spots at the NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City, Okla., from March 16-18.
Meanwhile, No.1 Minnesota claimed the overall title with 138 points, while No. 9 Illinois finished second with 125 points. No. 2 Michigan rounded out the top three with a 115-point total.
In the 125-pound division, defending national champion Joe Dubuque swept his two bouts to finish in third place. Initially, he dominated Collin Cudd of Wisconsin with a 12-1 major decision, before downing No. 3-seed John Velez of Northwestern 2-1 in the third-place bout. With the pair of conquests, Dubuque improved to 23-1 this season.
Redshirt freshman Andrae Hernandez secured a spot at the NCAA Championships in the 133-pound division with an 8-1 victory over No. 8-seed Reece Humphrey of Ohio State to claim seventh place. The win moved Hernandez's record to 13-5 on the year.
Sophomore Brandon Becker also punched his ticket to the national meet in the 157-pound grouping with a pair of wins on the day to take third place. He opened up with a 5-4 triumph over No. 2-seed Craig Henning of Wisconsin, before downing No. 6-seed Steve Luke of Michigan by a 6-0 decision. With the stellar performance, Becker improved to 22-7 on the season.
Sophomore Max Dean became IU's fourth NCAA qualifier with a fifth-place effort. He started the day with a 3-2 loss to No. 2-seed Mike Poeta of Illinois, before knocking off Dan Bedoy of Purdue by a 2-1 count. The split pushed Dean's record to 23-14.
Sophomore Dave Herman snared Indiana's fifth berth at the NCAAs with a 3-1 decision over Max Lossen of Michigan State to garner seventh place. The victory advanced Herman's record to 26-14 on the season.
