Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Hosts Defending National Champion Hawkeyes Friday Night
2/18/2009 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Feb. 18, 2009
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The #18 Indiana University wrestling team (15-5-1) wraps up the regular season this weekend by hostiing top-ranked and the defending national champion Iowa Hawkeyes (22-0) Friday night at 7 p.m. inside University Gym before heading north road a road match at #12 Minnesota (14-7) on Sunday (3 p.m. EST).
The first 300 IU fans at the Iowa match will receive a free IU Rally Towel. Click here for live scoring of the Iowa contest.
PROBABLE MATCH-UPS vs. IOWA
125 lbs.- #5 Angel Escobedo (18-2, 5-1) vs. #5 Charlie Falck (18-2, 5-1)
133 lbs.- Matt Ortega (21-9, 2-4) vs. #1 Daniel Dennis (23-2, 6-0)
141 lbs.- Andrae Hernandez (13-10, 1-3) or Scott Kelly (14-15, 0-2) vs. #2 Alex Tsirtsis (22-2, 5-1)
149 lbs.- Nick Walpole (23-16, 2-4) vs. #1 Brent Metcalf (27-0, 6-0)
157 lbs.- #13 Kurt Kinser (16-4, 4-2) vs. Matt Ballweg (11-13, 1-5)
165 lbs.- Paul Young (25-10, 3-3) vs. #3 Ryan Morningstar (23-4, 4-2)
174 lbs.- #15 Trevor Perry (24-11, 3-3) vs. #4 Jay Borschel (21-2, 4-0)
184 lbs.- Eric Cameron (19-13, 0-3) or Seth Parker (6-5, 0-2) vs. #3 Phillip Keddy (25-1, 6-0)
197 lbs.- Matt Powless (18-10, 4-2) vs. #15 Chad Beatty (14-3, 5-1)
285 lbs.- Nate Everhart (22-12, 5-1) vs. #7 Dan Erekson (17-6, , 2-1) or Jordan Johnson (1-3, 1-1)
PROBABLE MATCH-UPS at MINNESOTA
125 lbs.- #5 Angel Escobedo (18-2, 5-1) vs. #7 Zach Sanders (31-3, 5-2)
133 lbs.- Matt Ortega (21-9, 2-4) vs. #5 Jayson Ness (28-5, 5-2)
141 lbs.- Andrae Hernandez (13-10, 1-3) or Scott Kelly (14-15, 0-2) vs. #7 Mike Thorn (25-12, 4-3)
149 lbs.- Nick Walpole (23-16, 2-4) vs. Joe Grygelko (7-16, 1-6)
157 lbs.- #13 Kurt Kinser (16-4, 4-2) vs. Tyler Safratowich (25-10, 5-2)
165 lbs.- Paul Young (25-10, 3-3) vs. Scott Glasser (19-13, 3-4)
174 lbs.- #15 Trevor Perry (24-11, 3-3) vs. Kaleb Young (17-15, 0-4) or Matt Everson (6-6, 1-2)
184 lbs.- Eric Cameron (19-13, 0-3) or Seth Parker (6-5, 0-2) vs. Sonny Yohn (7-12, 1-6)
197 lbs.- Matt Powless (18-10, 4-2) vs. Gordon Bierschenk (12-11, 4-2)
285 lbs.- Nate Everhart (22-12, 5-1) vs. #17 Ben Berhow (23-6, 7-0)
YOU LOOK FAMILIAR
Several of the expected pairings this weekend will be rematches as the combatants have met previously in their careers. The most familiar pair is at 125 lbs. in the Iowa match where Angel Escobedo and Charlie Falck have split four career showdowns. Escobedo has come out on top in the most recent two bouts, defeating Falck in the semifinals of both the Big Ten and NCAA Championships last season.
At 157 lbs., Kurt Kinser pinned Iowa's Matt Ballweg in less than a minute in their lone career meeting. Nate Everhart has also tasted previous victory against his expected opposition. Everhart topped Minnesota's Ben Berhow 9-7 in the `08 Big Ten Championship, but dropped a 2-3 decision earlier this season to the Gopher heavyweight at the Las Vegas Open.
Meanwhile, Trevor Perry came up short in both of his matches against Jay Borschel of Iowa.
BOOKENDS REMAIN STURDY
The very top and bottom of the Hoosier line-up have been the two strongest positions for IU during the Big Ten season. Angel Escobedo (125) and Nate Everhart (HWT) are each 5-1 in conference bouts. Escobedo has won his last five while Everhart is coming off a major decision over Northwestern's Paul Rands last Sunday.
KEEPING AN RPI ON YOU
The individual Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) of each wrestler will play a much larger role in determining who qualifys for the NCAA Championship this season than in season's past. In the most recently released RPI ranking, Indiana is represented in eight of the 10 weight classes' top-33 (Escobedo had not yet met the matches wrestled minumum). The top 33 is an important number starting this year as each and every weight class at NCAAs will have exactly 33 participants. Here is how the Hoosiers were fairing in the RPI as of Feb. 9:
141 lbs.- Andrae Hernandez #32
149 lbs.- Nick Walpole #25
157 lbs.- Kurt Kinser #9
165 lbs.- Paul Young #24
174 lbs.- Trevor Perry #13
184 lbs.- Eric Cameron #30
197 lbs.- Matt Powless #25
285 lbs.- Nate Everhart #29
TAMING THE WILDCATS
The Hoosiers defeated #16 Northwestern on Feb. 15, 23-11. It marks the third straight win for IU over the Wildcats, and the Cream and Crimson's 10th victory in the last 11 meetings between the two schools. Indiana won seven of the 10 individual bouts on the night.
Players Mentioned
