Sunday, December 20
Reno, Nev.
All Day
Indiana University
vs
Reno Tournament of Champions
#IUWR Preview: Reno Tournament of Champions
12/18/2015 3:57:00 PM | Wrestling
Indiana heads to "The Biggest Little City in the World" for top national competiton
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana wrestling team is on their way to the 2015 Reno Tournament of Champions, their first of two tournaments they'll enter over the semester break. The 19th-ranked Hoosiers will aim to build their momentum from their 4-0 start to dual competition by testing themselves amongst some of the top wrestling talent in the NCAA.
"These remaining tournaments are opportunities to gain matches against RPI competition that we won't see later in the season," said coach Duane Goldman. "Once you get into the Big Ten schedule, the national picture begins to narrow. This allows them to face great opponents who wrestle outside of the Big Ten, so they're capable of winning a lot more matches in the season. Wins are harder to come by in the Big Ten, so hopefully our guys will go out and get a leg up on them."
Reno Tournament of Champions
Sunday, December 20 • Events begin at 12:00 pm ET, Finals begin around 9:00 pm ET
Reno, Nev. • Reno Events Center
Some of the most compelling bouts in this year's iteration of the Reno Tournament of Champions will happen in the 174 lbs. bracket, which features at least four nationally-ranked grapplers. Amongst the top talent in that bracket is Indiana's redshirt junior, No. 11 Nate Jackson.
"I watch film on everybody," Jackson said, describing his preparation for this tournament. "I enjoy watching matches, especially around my own weight, so I've seen them wrestle before. Wrestling guys in the top ten makes me excited, it gets me pumped up. Last night, I was working out at midnight, and I was thinking to myself, 'Those guys are probably asleep, and I'm training.'"
Jackson, along with fellow Hoosier grappler Wyatt Wilson, will hit the mat Sunday in hopes of matchups against contenders like No. 9 Mike Ottinger (Central Michigan), No. 8 Bryce Hammond (CSU Bakersfield), and #5 Zach Brunson (Illinois). In order to get to those matches, according to coach Goldman, the guys will need to avoid looking too far ahead in the bracket.
"They're going to be in big brackets, and they need to take it one match at a time," Goldman said. "You never know how the chips will fall for those other guys either, so it's not beneficial to look ahead in that situation. It's a great opportunity for them to go against highly-ranked guys, but we're putting more emphasis on them improving as wrestlers for the season ahead."
Another Hoosier looking to prove his national ranking is No. 20 Luke Blanton (149). Blanton, coming off of a strong weekend in which he won the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week, enters a bracket with two other nationally ranked wrestlers. The difference between his scenario and Jackson's, however, is that he faced both grapplers earlier this season—Blanton defeated No. 17 Nicholas Barber (Eastern Michigan) last weekend, but lost a close 7-5 decision against No. 8 Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan) at the Eastern Michigan Open.
"It's different depending on the individual," Goldman said regarding same-season rematches against tough competition. "Sometimes, you're anxious and you get the feeling that you can get the better of him. Sometimes, you're apprehensive because of the last meeting. We'll make adjustments from last time, as will his opponent, since that was their first meeting.
"Now, there's more mutual respect as well," Goldman continued. "Now, they're seeing each others' names on the national rankings, and it has a new social dynamic to it. If they meet, it'll be interesting to see how they wrestle this time around."
Hoosier freshman Elijah Oliver (125) is off to a white-hot start in his first year with Indiana. Oliver has an 11-1 record with eight wins in a row, picking up bonus points in nine of his 11 wins. He enters this tournament as an unranked contestant, but the Hoosiers believe he has the potential to make waves in a tough 125 lbs. bracket.
"I think that's what we're all waiting for, because he's done a great job this year against his competition," Goldman said on his expectations for Oliver. "It's important for him to have these matches so that he can get better and make a new measurement of himself, and where he needs to go from here. We want Elijah to wrestle against great competition this weekend so we can address the kind of things that will help him become one of the top guys in the nation."
Hoosier Notes:
BIG WIN IN THE BIG TEN
Indiana won their first Big Ten dual of the season on Friday night against #20 Minnesota, a 19-18 win on criteria. The win was the first Big Ten dual win since 2011, and their first dual win over Minnesota since 1968.
Redshirt sophomore Luke Blanton sealed the win for Indiana in the ninth bout of the night with a 17-10 upset against #10 Jake Short. Earlier in the dual, IU senior Alonzo Shepherd turned the tide for the Hoosiers with a second period pin. Nate Jackson, Matt Irick, and Elijah Oliver also grabbed decisions in the Hoosiers' historic dual win.
BIG TEN'S BEST
Indiana sophomore Luke Blanton (149) received this week's Big Ten Wrestler of the Week award after a 2-0 weekend, knocking off two nationally-ranked opponents. He is the first Hoosier to win the award since NCAA runner-up Taylor Walsh (12/31/2014).
TOP OF THE CLASS
Indiana redshirt junior Nate Jackson proved his #11/15 national ranking (InterMat/FloWrestling) in the 174 lb weight class with a win by decision over #20 Nick Wanzek (Minnesota). With two tournaments and four dual meets under his belt, Jackson has a 12-1 record with two pins, three technical falls, and two major decisions.
Luke Blanton (So. 149) broke into the national rankings as well, debuting at #20 (FloWrestling). It's the first time in Blanton's career that he's earned a national ranking.
UNDERCLASSMEN IMPACT
This season's underclassmen are already making noise in the early stages of their IU careers. Indiana's freshmen have achieved nine podium finishes in the team's first four tournaments, including a Keystone Classic Championship win by Elijah Oliver (125 lbs). This season, Oliver has an impressive 11-1 record with six major decisions, two pins, and one tech fall.
The Hoosiers have four freshmen in their starting lineup this season: Oliver, Cole Weaver (141), Jake Danishek (157), and Bryce Martin (165). They have a combined 12-4 record in dual action.
PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE
The Hoosiers are in their 106th season of competition in 2015-16. Indiana returns this year after sending two Hoosiers to the 2015 NCAA Wrestling Championships: national runner-up Taylor Walsh (165 lbs) and Nate Jackson (174 lbs).
This year, the Hoosiers return six starters and bring in 13 newcomers, and will look to talent both familiar and new for success this year.
SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE
Hoosier wrestling is active in the social media world. Up-to-the-minute news, team notes, live match results and much more can be found by following @IUWrestling1 on Twitter. In addition, 'like' the team's official Facebook page by searching "Indiana University Wrestling" and check for news on IUHoosiers.com.
Four-time IU All-American, NCAA National Champion, and Pan-American gold medalist Angel Escobedo's pursuit for Olympic Gold in Rio 2016 can be tracked on the Twitterverse as well, follow @driven2dominate.
"These remaining tournaments are opportunities to gain matches against RPI competition that we won't see later in the season," said coach Duane Goldman. "Once you get into the Big Ten schedule, the national picture begins to narrow. This allows them to face great opponents who wrestle outside of the Big Ten, so they're capable of winning a lot more matches in the season. Wins are harder to come by in the Big Ten, so hopefully our guys will go out and get a leg up on them."
Reno Tournament of Champions
Sunday, December 20 • Events begin at 12:00 pm ET, Finals begin around 9:00 pm ET
Reno, Nev. • Reno Events Center
| Entrants: Reno Tournament of Champions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Weight | #22 Indiana Hoosiers | Record (Dual Record) |
| 125 | Elijah Oliver, Fr. | 11-1 (4-0) |
| 133 | Alonzo Shepherd, Sr. | 8-5 (3-1) |
| 141 | Cole Weaver, r-Fr. | 9-6 (3-1) |
| 149 | #20 Luke Blanton, r-So. -and- Trevor Moody, r-Sr. | 8-3 (3-0) 6-4 (1-0) |
| 157 | Jake Danishek, r-Fr. -and- Eric Roach, r-Sr. | 3-1 (3-1) 0-0 |
| 165 | Bryce Martin, r-Fr. -and- Alex Gregory, r-Sr. | 8-8 (2-2) 6-4 |
| 174 | #11/15 Nate Jackson, r-Jr. -and- Wyatt Wilson, r-So. | 12-1 (4-0) 2-4 |
| 184 | Matt Irick, r-Jr. | 7-4 (4-0) |
| 197 | Jake Masengale, r-So. -and- Fletcher Miller | 3-7 (1-3) 2-2 |
| 285 | Garret Goldman, r-Sr. | 7-6 (2-2) |
Some of the most compelling bouts in this year's iteration of the Reno Tournament of Champions will happen in the 174 lbs. bracket, which features at least four nationally-ranked grapplers. Amongst the top talent in that bracket is Indiana's redshirt junior, No. 11 Nate Jackson.
"I watch film on everybody," Jackson said, describing his preparation for this tournament. "I enjoy watching matches, especially around my own weight, so I've seen them wrestle before. Wrestling guys in the top ten makes me excited, it gets me pumped up. Last night, I was working out at midnight, and I was thinking to myself, 'Those guys are probably asleep, and I'm training.'"
Jackson, along with fellow Hoosier grappler Wyatt Wilson, will hit the mat Sunday in hopes of matchups against contenders like No. 9 Mike Ottinger (Central Michigan), No. 8 Bryce Hammond (CSU Bakersfield), and #5 Zach Brunson (Illinois). In order to get to those matches, according to coach Goldman, the guys will need to avoid looking too far ahead in the bracket.
"They're going to be in big brackets, and they need to take it one match at a time," Goldman said. "You never know how the chips will fall for those other guys either, so it's not beneficial to look ahead in that situation. It's a great opportunity for them to go against highly-ranked guys, but we're putting more emphasis on them improving as wrestlers for the season ahead."
Another Hoosier looking to prove his national ranking is No. 20 Luke Blanton (149). Blanton, coming off of a strong weekend in which he won the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week, enters a bracket with two other nationally ranked wrestlers. The difference between his scenario and Jackson's, however, is that he faced both grapplers earlier this season—Blanton defeated No. 17 Nicholas Barber (Eastern Michigan) last weekend, but lost a close 7-5 decision against No. 8 Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan) at the Eastern Michigan Open.
"It's different depending on the individual," Goldman said regarding same-season rematches against tough competition. "Sometimes, you're anxious and you get the feeling that you can get the better of him. Sometimes, you're apprehensive because of the last meeting. We'll make adjustments from last time, as will his opponent, since that was their first meeting.
"Now, there's more mutual respect as well," Goldman continued. "Now, they're seeing each others' names on the national rankings, and it has a new social dynamic to it. If they meet, it'll be interesting to see how they wrestle this time around."
Hoosier freshman Elijah Oliver (125) is off to a white-hot start in his first year with Indiana. Oliver has an 11-1 record with eight wins in a row, picking up bonus points in nine of his 11 wins. He enters this tournament as an unranked contestant, but the Hoosiers believe he has the potential to make waves in a tough 125 lbs. bracket.
"I think that's what we're all waiting for, because he's done a great job this year against his competition," Goldman said on his expectations for Oliver. "It's important for him to have these matches so that he can get better and make a new measurement of himself, and where he needs to go from here. We want Elijah to wrestle against great competition this weekend so we can address the kind of things that will help him become one of the top guys in the nation."
Hoosier Notes:
BIG WIN IN THE BIG TEN
Indiana won their first Big Ten dual of the season on Friday night against #20 Minnesota, a 19-18 win on criteria. The win was the first Big Ten dual win since 2011, and their first dual win over Minnesota since 1968.
Redshirt sophomore Luke Blanton sealed the win for Indiana in the ninth bout of the night with a 17-10 upset against #10 Jake Short. Earlier in the dual, IU senior Alonzo Shepherd turned the tide for the Hoosiers with a second period pin. Nate Jackson, Matt Irick, and Elijah Oliver also grabbed decisions in the Hoosiers' historic dual win.
BIG TEN'S BEST
Indiana sophomore Luke Blanton (149) received this week's Big Ten Wrestler of the Week award after a 2-0 weekend, knocking off two nationally-ranked opponents. He is the first Hoosier to win the award since NCAA runner-up Taylor Walsh (12/31/2014).
TOP OF THE CLASS
Indiana redshirt junior Nate Jackson proved his #11/15 national ranking (InterMat/FloWrestling) in the 174 lb weight class with a win by decision over #20 Nick Wanzek (Minnesota). With two tournaments and four dual meets under his belt, Jackson has a 12-1 record with two pins, three technical falls, and two major decisions.
Luke Blanton (So. 149) broke into the national rankings as well, debuting at #20 (FloWrestling). It's the first time in Blanton's career that he's earned a national ranking.
UNDERCLASSMEN IMPACT
This season's underclassmen are already making noise in the early stages of their IU careers. Indiana's freshmen have achieved nine podium finishes in the team's first four tournaments, including a Keystone Classic Championship win by Elijah Oliver (125 lbs). This season, Oliver has an impressive 11-1 record with six major decisions, two pins, and one tech fall.
The Hoosiers have four freshmen in their starting lineup this season: Oliver, Cole Weaver (141), Jake Danishek (157), and Bryce Martin (165). They have a combined 12-4 record in dual action.
PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE
The Hoosiers are in their 106th season of competition in 2015-16. Indiana returns this year after sending two Hoosiers to the 2015 NCAA Wrestling Championships: national runner-up Taylor Walsh (165 lbs) and Nate Jackson (174 lbs).
This year, the Hoosiers return six starters and bring in 13 newcomers, and will look to talent both familiar and new for success this year.
SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE
Hoosier wrestling is active in the social media world. Up-to-the-minute news, team notes, live match results and much more can be found by following @IUWrestling1 on Twitter. In addition, 'like' the team's official Facebook page by searching "Indiana University Wrestling" and check for news on IUHoosiers.com.
Four-time IU All-American, NCAA National Champion, and Pan-American gold medalist Angel Escobedo's pursuit for Olympic Gold in Rio 2016 can be tracked on the Twitterverse as well, follow @driven2dominate.
Players Mentioned
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
/ Wrestling
IUVB vs. Northwestern: Highlights
Thursday, September 25
FB: Under the Hood with Indiana Football - Week 5 (at Iowa)
Wednesday, September 24
FB: Aiden Fisher Media Availability (9/23/25)
Tuesday, September 23
FB: Pat Coogan Media Availability (9/23/25)
Tuesday, September 23