Indiana University Athletics
Wrestling Trio Shows True Hoosier Pride
5/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
May 1, 2007
On March 17, 2007, three student-athletes donning the cream and crimson stood tall. In front of thousands of fans in Auburn Hills, Mich., these three represented their school as every college wrestler dreams - by finding themselves on the All-American stand at the NCAA Championships.
For just the second time in the last 60 years, three Indiana University wrestlers were on the stand. And while they were glad to represent IU with pride, these three held another common bond. Angel Escobedo and Andrae Hernandez of Griffith and Matt Coughlin of Evansville were all representing their home state.
"As far as the state is concerned, these are some of the better kids to have come out of Indiana," assistant coach Mike Mena says. "The youth wrestling in Indiana should be inspired by what these kids have done and to have Indiana kids go far, it shows the state of Indiana that they can do that, too. These kids have paved the road of success and inspiration for the younger kids. Indiana kids need to believe in themselves that they can do it, too."
In terms of its high school wrestling reputation, Indiana has taken a back seat to its neighbors Ohio and Illinois. But in head coach Duane Goldman's eyes, these three made a statement to up-and-coming Indiana wrestlers and to the rest of the nation.
"Having all these Indiana athletes become All-Americans has a huge impact on our team," Goldman says. "It's always great to have All-Americans, but when you have home-grown kids earn All-America, it builds the reputation of the state and inspires high school wrestlers within the state to pursue their national championship dreams at the high school and college level."
For the three, each held a chip on their shoulder because they were not regarded as highly as their counterparts from other states. That was just one of the things that drove them to the All-America stand.
"I have always wrestled [with a chip on my shoulder] because people always thought we weren't as good as we are, and I've always used it as motivation," Coughlin says. "A lot of us didn't receive the rankings we would hope for in high school because we are from Indiana and it's perceived that the wrestling is not as tough in Indiana, so we all had that chip on our shoulder to represent the state the best that we can."
Hernandez agrees.
"It was a big statement knowing that a lot of people say that Indiana is not a tough state for wrestling and knowing that we have three underclassmen as All-Americans is great," Hernandez says. "Our coaches here prepare us well. It just comes down to how bad you want it and a lot of Indiana kids are wanting the success."
In Escobedo's eyes, the performance by the trio should serve as inspiration to the high school wrestlers in the state who have similar dreams, and that Indiana University is a good place to make those dreams come true.
"It's a great thing that we are home-grown guys," he says. "It shows Indiana kids that we can do it and if you go to IU you can become a top competitor. If we can do it, they can do it. It helps out this program a lot."
When Goldman and his staff landed the three wrestlers over a two-year span, it marked a key moment for the program, as Escobedo, Hernandez and Coughlin were all regarded as some of the top high school wrestlers the state had seen in years.
"We were thrilled to get them out of high school because they were three of the best wrestlers to come out of the state in recent years," he says. "We've been happy to have the opportunity to coach them and been pleased with the effort they've put forth.
"I hope that with the lead that some of these guys have taken, it will help to motivate other high school kids to achieve the same things or to try to do even better."
For these three, the formula for landing on the stand at the NCAA Championships was simple - wrestle with pride, work hard and represent your home state well. And with their success and the performance of those before them, the Hoosiers have made a name for themselves in each of the last three national championships. And with the buzz that these three have created, the future is bright for Indiana wrestlers as they finish their high school careers and look to IU as the place to clinch their dreams.
"You can see it in high school now because of success on the national level," Hernandez. "It will help out with us having three All-Americans. We were all successful in high school and now we are having success here at IU."
For Coughlin, accomplishing one of his dreams at his state school was the perfect combination.
"That's why I came here in the first place," Coughlin says. "I wanted to represent Indiana and Indiana wrestling and it's a great feeling to give hope to all of the future Indiana wrestlers."
Players Mentioned
