Indiana University Athletics
Senior Class Remembered for Sparking Turnaround
2/12/2016 11:00:00 AM | Wrestling
By Tori Ziege | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana's senior class has never been one for the spotlight.
It isn't the class with the strongest pedigree or the class that will garner the most accolades. But there's one thing this senior class boasts that none from the past five years can.
They are the leaders of a resurgent season for Indiana in Big Ten play.
"It's a total change from freshman year," senior Matt Irick said. "We're turning the program around."
Prior to this season, Irick had never experienced his team winning a Big Ten dual meet. Not only that, but the Hoosiers hadn't won a conference dual since before he joined the program, dating back to the 2009-10 season.
This year, Indiana's number of Big Ten wins has already tripled, including the program's first win over Minnesota in nearly half a century.
It's a win that will leave behind a legacy for this senior class, Irick said.
"When we finally got over that hump, that was a big deal," he said. "We hadn't beaten them since Vietnam, you know."
He isn't joking. The Vietnam War ended in 1975. The last time the Hoosiers had beaten the Golden Gophers was 1968.
Though it's Indiana's freshmen that have been talked about ad nauseam in regards to the season's success, head coach Duane Goldman said the seniors have been just as important.
They've set the example of what it takes to wrestle in the Big Ten.
"It's not really based on record," he said. "These guys need to see that leadership from those seniors to keep them in balance, keep them in line and to not make it all about them. That's where wrestling really becomes a team sport."
What the 2016 graduating class lacks in record, it makes up for in perseverance.
Four members are walk-ons. Others, such as senior Eric Roach, have had to battle back from injury. In Goldman's case, it was three shoulder surgeries.
Without much opportunity for individual recognition, many of these seniors, in light of the challenges they faced, had every reason to quit.
But they stuck it out anyway, for four grueling years competing in what is — in Goldman's mind — the Big Ten's most competitive sport.
"It's week in and week out," Irick said. "I just want to be known as a hard worker in the room, a guy who pushes others."
Tonight, senior night, offers a chance for the Hoosier veterans to be recognized for their years of hard work and commitment.
But there's one member of the senior class who has been under careful eye since he stepped foot in University Gym.
"I've been asked that question more than anything I can ever remember," said Garret Goldman, when asked what it's like wrestling for his dad. "He's done a good job of as far as wrestling just treating me like somebody on the team rather than his son."
Coach Goldman said he is proud of his son's choice to play at a school where he knew coming in expectations would be high.
The experience has created a special connection not only between father and son, but between Coach Goldman and the entire senior class.
"I hope that as it goes along not only for Garret but for all these seniors they realize the impact that they've had and the importance that they've had being a part of this team," he said. "It comes down to the man and who you are as an individual. They're all great guys."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana's senior class has never been one for the spotlight.
It isn't the class with the strongest pedigree or the class that will garner the most accolades. But there's one thing this senior class boasts that none from the past five years can.
They are the leaders of a resurgent season for Indiana in Big Ten play.
"It's a total change from freshman year," senior Matt Irick said. "We're turning the program around."
Prior to this season, Irick had never experienced his team winning a Big Ten dual meet. Not only that, but the Hoosiers hadn't won a conference dual since before he joined the program, dating back to the 2009-10 season.
This year, Indiana's number of Big Ten wins has already tripled, including the program's first win over Minnesota in nearly half a century.
It's a win that will leave behind a legacy for this senior class, Irick said.
"When we finally got over that hump, that was a big deal," he said. "We hadn't beaten them since Vietnam, you know."
He isn't joking. The Vietnam War ended in 1975. The last time the Hoosiers had beaten the Golden Gophers was 1968.
Though it's Indiana's freshmen that have been talked about ad nauseam in regards to the season's success, head coach Duane Goldman said the seniors have been just as important.
They've set the example of what it takes to wrestle in the Big Ten.
"It's not really based on record," he said. "These guys need to see that leadership from those seniors to keep them in balance, keep them in line and to not make it all about them. That's where wrestling really becomes a team sport."
What the 2016 graduating class lacks in record, it makes up for in perseverance.
Four members are walk-ons. Others, such as senior Eric Roach, have had to battle back from injury. In Goldman's case, it was three shoulder surgeries.
Without much opportunity for individual recognition, many of these seniors, in light of the challenges they faced, had every reason to quit.
But they stuck it out anyway, for four grueling years competing in what is — in Goldman's mind — the Big Ten's most competitive sport.
"It's week in and week out," Irick said. "I just want to be known as a hard worker in the room, a guy who pushes others."
Tonight, senior night, offers a chance for the Hoosier veterans to be recognized for their years of hard work and commitment.
But there's one member of the senior class who has been under careful eye since he stepped foot in University Gym.
"I've been asked that question more than anything I can ever remember," said Garret Goldman, when asked what it's like wrestling for his dad. "He's done a good job of as far as wrestling just treating me like somebody on the team rather than his son."
Coach Goldman said he is proud of his son's choice to play at a school where he knew coming in expectations would be high.
The experience has created a special connection not only between father and son, but between Coach Goldman and the entire senior class.
"I hope that as it goes along not only for Garret but for all these seniors they realize the impact that they've had and the importance that they've had being a part of this team," he said. "It comes down to the man and who you are as an individual. They're all great guys."
Players Mentioned
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FB: Drew Evans - Spring Practice No. 11
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FB: Bray Lynch - Spring Practice No. 11
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FB: Spring Practice - Curt Cignetti Press Conference
Thursday, April 16