Indiana University Athletics
Wrestlers’ Friendship Helps Them To NCAAs
3/16/2016 11:47:00 AM | Wrestling
By Sam Beishuizen | Twitter
IUHoosiers.com
NEW YORK - Nate Jackson and Elijah Oliver have been talking about this weekend for months.
The two friends and teammates will be in New York's Madison Square Garden wrestling in the NCAA Championships. It's a goal they set together long before the season even began.
"To be going up there with Elijah, it's pretty cool," Jackson said. "It's exactly what we said we'd do."
Jackson and Oliver's friendship dates back to their youth wrestling days where they competed for the Harvey Twisters Wrestling Club out of Harvey, Illinois. Jackson was initially closer friends with Oliver's older brother Eric but began to gravitate to Elijah as they climbed the wrestling ranks.
Oliver, only just now completing his freshman year, may have never ended up in Bloomington had it not been for Jackson, a redshirt junior. While Indiana's coaches were recruiting him, Jackson was making personal pitches of his own.
The most frequent thing Jackson told Oliver was that if he came to IU, they'd end up wrestling for national championships together.
Now that promise is being fulfilled.
"He's kind of like an older brother figure to me," Oliver said. "He's kind of taken the place of my older brother, Eric Oliver. He's leading me in the right direction telling me what I need to do, what I don't need to do. It's been awesome."
Jackson (174) and Oliver (125) have trained alongside each other throughout the season. Wherever one of them is, the other isn't usually far behind.
There's been days where before heading into the gym to do extra work, Jackson will text Oliver with an open invitation to join him. Rarely, if ever, did one of them end up working out alone.
"They're close," head coach Duane Goldman said. "If you had to pick guys just to go out there and feed off each other, that's probably a good combination."
No. 12 Jackson (31-7), an experienced NCAA Tournament wrestler, will begin his second consecutive run through the NCAA Championships, after going 3-2 last year, against Clarion's Michael Pavasko (21-13).
A win would advance Jackson to the second round to wrestle the winner of the match between Illinois' Zach Brunson and an opponent yet to be determined.
Jackson hasn't hid the fact that he's trained with the NCAA Tournament in mind all year long. Now that it's only days away, he's got championships on the mind.
"It's exciting because this is what you work for," he said. "Now you've just got to leave it all out there."
No. 16 Oliver will face a familiar opponent in the first round in Rutgers' Sean McCabe. Oliver defeated McCabe 8-6 in the consolation quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament just two weeks ago.
Should Oliver win, top-ranked Nathan Tomasello is likely to be waiting in the second round. The Ohio State wrestler looking to defend his national championship will be favored against Iowa State's Kyle Larson in the opening round.
"I know that in order for me to win a national championship, he's the guy I'll have to beat," Oliver said of a potential bout with Tomasello. "I'll have to wrestle him eventually, so why not early? Knock him off and keep cruising down the bracket."
It doesn't take long into a conversation with Oliver to pick up on his confidence. He and Jackson hold each other accountable to being positive when they're wrestling because they both agree if they don't believe in themselves, nobody will.
In that sense, both head to New York expecting to come back to Bloomington as national champions. That's how they operate.
And it's all part of their plan.
"This is what we talked about," Oliver said. "It's just a step along the way to being a national champion, all-american."
IUHoosiers.com
NEW YORK - Nate Jackson and Elijah Oliver have been talking about this weekend for months.
The two friends and teammates will be in New York's Madison Square Garden wrestling in the NCAA Championships. It's a goal they set together long before the season even began.
"To be going up there with Elijah, it's pretty cool," Jackson said. "It's exactly what we said we'd do."
Jackson and Oliver's friendship dates back to their youth wrestling days where they competed for the Harvey Twisters Wrestling Club out of Harvey, Illinois. Jackson was initially closer friends with Oliver's older brother Eric but began to gravitate to Elijah as they climbed the wrestling ranks.
Oliver, only just now completing his freshman year, may have never ended up in Bloomington had it not been for Jackson, a redshirt junior. While Indiana's coaches were recruiting him, Jackson was making personal pitches of his own.
The most frequent thing Jackson told Oliver was that if he came to IU, they'd end up wrestling for national championships together.
Now that promise is being fulfilled.
"He's kind of like an older brother figure to me," Oliver said. "He's kind of taken the place of my older brother, Eric Oliver. He's leading me in the right direction telling me what I need to do, what I don't need to do. It's been awesome."
Jackson (174) and Oliver (125) have trained alongside each other throughout the season. Wherever one of them is, the other isn't usually far behind.
There's been days where before heading into the gym to do extra work, Jackson will text Oliver with an open invitation to join him. Rarely, if ever, did one of them end up working out alone.
"They're close," head coach Duane Goldman said. "If you had to pick guys just to go out there and feed off each other, that's probably a good combination."
No. 12 Jackson (31-7), an experienced NCAA Tournament wrestler, will begin his second consecutive run through the NCAA Championships, after going 3-2 last year, against Clarion's Michael Pavasko (21-13).
A win would advance Jackson to the second round to wrestle the winner of the match between Illinois' Zach Brunson and an opponent yet to be determined.
Jackson hasn't hid the fact that he's trained with the NCAA Tournament in mind all year long. Now that it's only days away, he's got championships on the mind.
"It's exciting because this is what you work for," he said. "Now you've just got to leave it all out there."
No. 16 Oliver will face a familiar opponent in the first round in Rutgers' Sean McCabe. Oliver defeated McCabe 8-6 in the consolation quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament just two weeks ago.
Should Oliver win, top-ranked Nathan Tomasello is likely to be waiting in the second round. The Ohio State wrestler looking to defend his national championship will be favored against Iowa State's Kyle Larson in the opening round.
"I know that in order for me to win a national championship, he's the guy I'll have to beat," Oliver said of a potential bout with Tomasello. "I'll have to wrestle him eventually, so why not early? Knock him off and keep cruising down the bracket."
It doesn't take long into a conversation with Oliver to pick up on his confidence. He and Jackson hold each other accountable to being positive when they're wrestling because they both agree if they don't believe in themselves, nobody will.
In that sense, both head to New York expecting to come back to Bloomington as national champions. That's how they operate.
And it's all part of their plan.
"This is what we talked about," Oliver said. "It's just a step along the way to being a national champion, all-american."
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