Indiana University Athletics
Wrestling Hosts IU Quad on Sunday
1/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Jan. 16, 2009
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The #20 Indiana University wrestling team hosts the IU Quad on Sunday, Jan. 18 inside University Gym. Indiana will face American, Clarion and Gardner-Webb in the round-robin event scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
This weekend marks the final non-conference warm-up before the start of Big Ten action. Indiana's conference opener against Penn State next Friday (Jan. 23) will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network at 7 p.m.
The Cream and Crimson has never lost to any of the three adversaries, holding a 5-0 advantage in the all-time series over Gardner-Webb and a 2-0-1 record versus the Golden Eagles of Clarion. Sunday will be the first ever meeting between American and Indiana on the wrestling mat.
ORTEGA IS OUTSTANDING
Redshirt freshman Matt Ortega has gotten off to quite a start to his career, winning 11 of his first 12 bouts in the dual match lineup. Not only has the Ortega had his hand raised, but he has also racked up tons of bonus points. His +55 dual match point differential is tops on the team, coming via eight pins and a major decision.
HEY DJ, S(PIN) THAT RECORD
By season's end, upto four current Hoosiers have a good chance of all being in the all-time top-10 for career pins in IU history. Angel Escobedo and his 26 career falls are already there, tied for fifth all-time. A trio of Hoosiers in Kurt Kinser, Trevor Perry and Nick Walpole are each just four pins away from also cracking the top-10 with 21 career falls apiece. If any or all of them were to reach 24 pins, they would pull even with Patt Cassidy (1997-2000) for 10th place all-time.
Eleven of Walpole's 21 career falls have come this season, putting him just one pin shy of the single-season top-10 list. The all-time record is 19, set by Rod Chamberlin in 1981.
RECRUITING CLASS RANKED #17
Head Coach Duane Goldman and his staff inked a pair of highly-touted recruits in the early signing period. W.I.N. Magazine tabbed Indiana's recruiting class No. 17 in their early recruiting rankings.
Max Ortega, projected in the 141-149 lbs. range, is a four-time New Mexico state champion from Rio Rancho High School. Sound familiar? That's because Max's older brother, Matt, was also a four-time New Mexico state champion and is currently a redshirt freshman on the Hoosier wrestling squad. Goldman also snagged a big-time recruit from the Empire State, signing two-time New York state champion Ryan LeBlanc. LeBlanc hails from Morrisville-Eaton H.S.
Players Mentioned
