Indiana University Athletics
Big Ten Championship Brackets Released
3/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
March 4, 2009
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The #21 Indiana University wrestling team begins the postseason on Saturday (March 7) at the Big Ten Championships, hosted by Penn State inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
The first of three sessions begins on Saturday at 11 a.m. EST. The final session is set to start at noon on Sunday. The finals will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network, starting at 2 p.m. EST. Tim Johnson, Jim Gibbons and Ken Chertow are set to fill the broadcast booth and provide the expert analysis duties.
Check back right here at IUHoosiers.com for up-to-the minute updates on how the Hoosiers are faring throughout the weekend.
INDIANA'S LINEUP
125 lbs.- Angel Escobedo (19-3, 6-2) • No. 3 seed
Enters the Big Ten Championships as the defending champion and owner of a 19-3 overall record ... sat out the early season tournaments with a shoulder injury ... came back to win his first nine matches of the season ... has tallied four wins over nationally-ranked opponents, including three of his potential Big Ten foes ... concluded the regular season by topping #4 Zach Sanders of Minnesota, 8-7 ... has increased his career pin total to 30, the seventh most in school history ... has also notched his 92nd career win this season, putting him just 15 away from Indiana's all-time top-10 ... named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week on Jan. 20 after a 3-0 performance at the IU Quad that included a first-period pin of #20 Jay Ivanco ... ranked fifth nationally.
133 lbs.- Matt Ortega (21-11, 2-6) • unseeded
Recorded bonus points in each and every one of his 16 dual-match victories, including a pair of major decisions in the Big Ten ... compiled 10 pins, five major decisions and a forfeit during his dual-match slate for a grand total of 38 additional bonus points ... ranks second on the team with 10 falls this season ... paces the Hoosiers with a season total of six victories via major decision ... won four of six matches at the Las Vegas Open ... is ranked #31 at 133-lbs. in the national RPI with his 21-11 overall record.
141 lbs.- Andrae Hernandez (14-11, 2-4) • No. 8 seed
Former All-American and three-time NCAA Qualifier has been ranked as high as #7 this season at 141-lbs. ... went out in style, defeating his former high school teammate and second-ranked Alex Tsirtsis of Iowa on Senior Night ... clinched the victory over #2 Tsirtsis by turning the Hawkeye for a two-point near-fall in the second tiebreaker period ... it was the 92nd win of his career, putting him IU's top-20 all-time ... began the season by winning his first eight matches.
149 lbs.- Nick Walpole (24-17, 3-5) • No. 7 seed
His 13 pins this season are the 10th highest single-season total in school history ... now has 23 career pins, the 11th most in IU lore ... won three straight bouts to reach the championship match at the Michigan State Open ... also placed at the Missouri Open by going 4-2 for a fourth-place finish ... defeated four of his potential foes this weekend during the regular season, including two pins ... put together an eight-match stretch midseason in which he had his hand raised seven times ... is slotted #29 in the national RPI with his 24-17 overall record.
157 lbs.- Kurt Kinser (17-5, 5-3) • No. 3 seed
Enters the weekend with a 17-5 overall record and 5-3 mark in the Big Ten ... recorded four wins over nationally-ranked opponents, including victories over Jason Johnstone of Ohio State and twice defeating Northwestern's Jason Welch ... pinnned Welch and topped #8 Matt Moley en route to the 157-lbs. title at the Michigan State Open ... named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week on Nov. 11 following his 5-0 day at the MSU Open ... also placed at the Las Vegas Open, going 4-2 for a seventh-place finish ... has increased his career pin total to 23, just one fall shy of IU's all-time top-10; doing so in less than two years donning the Cream and Crimson ... ranked 15th nationally ... slotted #16 in the national RPI.
165 lbs.- Paul Young (26-11, 4-4) • No. 7 seed
Leads the Hoosiers with 26 total wins and six major decisions on the year ... went 4-4 in his first full Big Ten slate ... has a pair of wins over nationally-ranked opponents, including a 4-1 decision over #8 Dan Vallimont of Penn State ... placed fourth at the Michigan State Open ... tallied a total of seven wins at the Midlands and Las Vegas Open ... began the season by winning 13 of his first 14 bouts ... ranked #24 in the national RPI with an overall record of 26-11.
174 lbs.- Trevor Perry (25-12, 4-4) • No. 6 seed
Two-time NCAA qualifier is second on the team with 25 wins ... began his season with a third-place showing at the Michigan State Open by winning four of five matches ... has increased his career pin total to 23, the 11th most in school history ... has a pair of wins over nationally-ranked opponents, including a 3-1 sudden victory over Penn State's Quentin Wright ... slotted #14 in the national RPI with a 25-12 overall record and 4-4 mark in conference action ... ranked #18 nationally.
184 lbs.- Eric Cameron (19-15, 0-5) • unseeded
Enters the weekend with an overall record of 19-15 with three pins, three major decisions and a technical fall ... finished fourth in the 184-pound division at the Michigan State Open ... had his hand raised three times at the MSU Open ... started five of eight Big Ten duals for the Hoosiers.
197 lbs.- Matt Powless (18-12, 4-4) • No. 6 seed
Earned the No. 6 pre-seed at 197-lbs. for the Big Ten Championships after going 4-4 in conference duals as a freshman ... recorded a takedown with just three seconds remaining in regulation to top #13 Logan Brown and clinched the team victory for IU over arch-rival Purdue ... strung together four consecutive wins in the Las Vegas Open wrestleback, leading to an eight-place finish ... enters the weekend with an overall mark of 18-12 overall.
285 lbs.- Nathan Everhart (23-13, 6-2) • No. 5 seed
Totaled six wins during the Big Ten season, including a 4-3 decision over #17 Corey Morrison of Ohio State ... topped another nationally-ranked adversary earlier in the season, defeating Gardner Webb's #11 Dustin Porter by a 2-1 tally ... began his season with a run to the championship match at the Michigan State Open ... has been ranked as high as #14 this season and enters the weekend ranked #25 ... slotted #32 in the national RPI.
The Big Ten received 61 of the 278 automatic bids for the 2009 NCAA Championships, held March 19-21 in St. Louis, Mo. Utilizing a new weighted system that takes into consideration coaches rankings, winning percentage and RPI, the NCAA is using a new system for determining national qualifiers this year. Each weight at nationals will have 33 participants and the final 52 qualifiers, or wildcards, will be decided by the NCAA's national committee on Wednesday, March 11, meaning the Big Ten could very well receive more than 61 national qualifiers.
Players Mentioned
