Indiana University Athletics
Hoosier Grapplers Conclude Home Schedule on Friday
2/9/2011 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Feb. 9, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana University wrestling team (10-5) wraps up the 2011 home schedule this Friday (Feb. 11), playing host to the Michigan State Spartans (9-5) at 7 pm on the national stage as the match will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network; tape-delayed on Feb. 12 at 2 pm. Tim Johnson (play-by-play) and Lee Kemp (color commentary) are set to call all the action.
IUHoosiers.com will be providing a live blog as well.
It's Senior Night inside University Gym as six senior wrestlers will be recognized approximately 10 minutes before the start of the match.
Four Hoosiers are ranked nationally while Michigan State is expected to send a pair of nationally-ranked wrestlers onto the mat. Both ranked Spartans will face off with ranked Hoosiers as the 149-pound bout pits #13 Kurt Kinser vs. #20 Dan Osternman; and at heavyweight, #9 Ricky Alcala will enter the circle opposite of #20 Joe Rizqallah.
INDIANA vs. MICHIGAN STATE
125 lbs.- Justin Brooks, r-Fr. (13-14) vs. Eric Olanowski, Jr. (15-11)
133 lbs.- Matt Ortega, r-Jr. (14-13) vs. Chris Lyon, r-Fr. (4-1) or Levi Stace, r-Fr. (0-4)
141 lbs.- Mitchell Richey, Fr. (13-15) or Geno Capezio, r-So. (3-5) vs. Joel Trombly, Sr. (1-15)
149 lbs.- #13 Kurt Kinser, r-Sr. (22-7) vs. #20 Dan Osterman, So. (20-6)
157 lbs.- #8 Paul Young, r-Sr. (21-6) vs. Sean McMurray, Fr. (12-8)
165 lbs.- Ryan LeBlanc, r-Fr. (7-8) or Ryan Konz, r-So. (10-11) vs. Bobby Nash, r-Fr. (14-10)
174 lbs.- Nick Avery, r-Sr. (9-15) vs. Curran Jacobs, Jr. (20-7)
184 lbs.- Eric Cameron, r-Sr. (12-16) vs. Ian Hinton, Jr. (14-6)
197 lbs.-#9 Matt Powless, r-Jr. (30-3) vs. Tyler Dickenson, Jr. (20-9)
285 lbs.-#9 Ricky Alcala, Grad. (24-7) vs. #20 Joe Rizqallah, So. (17-7) or Mike McClure, r-Fr. (18-5)
Each match result will be posted at twitter.com/IUWrestling1.
SPARTANS SERIES
Michigan State leads the all-time series 44-21-3, but the Hoosiers have dominated as of late with four consecutive victories; a winning streak that dates back to 2005.
NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN
Michigan State assistant coach Roger Chandler was a 1997 Big Ten Champion under IU Head Coach Duane Goldman. Chandler ranks third all-time in IU lore with 40 pins and 10th at 38 wins.
BIG BOYS DOING BIG THINGS
Indiana's two heaviest wrestlers, 197-pounder Matt Powless and HWT Ricky Alcala are each red-hot lately. Powless' team-high 30th win of the season came against #11 Anthony Biondo (Michigan). Alcala also posted a big-time victory over the Wolverines, topping #8 Ben Apland for his second triumph over a top-10 foe in as many weeks.
NUMBERS DON'T LIE
Matt Powless leads all of Division-I wrestling with 12 major decisions and ranks 12th nationally with 30 victories overall (second-most in the Big Ten). Kurt Kinser can also be found in the national statistical rankings, tied for 33rd with his nine pins (T-11th in the Big Ten).
AMONGST NATION'S ELITE
Four of Indiana's 10 regular starters are ranked in the latest Intermat national rankings. Five different IU grapplers have cracked the top-20 at some point this season. Those currently ranked are:
Paul Young - #8 at 157 lbs.
Matt Powless- #9 at 197 lbs.
Ricky Alcala- #9 at 285 lbs.
Kurt Kinser- #13 at 149 lbs.
CRACKING THE CENTURY MARK
Kinser and Young are also racking up wins at an impressive pace. Kinser talled win number 100 of his career by defeating Minnesota's Danny Zilverberg on Jan. 14. He is just the 15th Hoosier in school history to crack the century mark. Meanwhile, Young has had his hand raised 98 times. The redshirt seniors need to reach 112 victories to crack IU's all-time top-10.
FLAT TO THE MAT
High school classmates Kurt Kinser and Paul Young each rank in the top-10 for most career pins in school history.
Kinser is sticking opponents at record-breaking pace, already ranking third all-time with 40 pins and just eight falls shy of surpassing Viktor Sveda (1998-2002) for the top slot. Young owns 31 career pins, pulling him even with former teammate Trevor Perry (2007-10) for eighth place all-time.
Players Mentioned
