Jackson Earns Fifth-Place Finish, All-American Honors

Saturday, March 19

New York, N.Y.

11 AM

Indiana University

NCAA Championships - Medal Round

Jackson Earns Fifth-Place Finish, All-American Honors

3/19/2016 4:55:00 PM | Wrestling

The junior closes his season with a 5-2 win in the fifth-place bout

NEW YORK – Indiana wrestling junior Nate Jackson became the program's 53^rd All-American, and the third in the last three seasons, after a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Wrestling Championships. Jackson took the mat against Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State) in front of a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden, and emerged with a 5-2 decision win.

"It's a little crazy, putting the singlet in the bag and knowing that I won't take it out for a while," Jackson said, reflecting on his season and his NCAA success. "I want to thank God for the opportunity to showcase my talent in New York, in one of the best arenas in the world. I'm grateful and humbled by this experience. I came up short of my goals last season, and this season as well, but it's something good to reflect on and I'm going to use it as motivation for training this summer."

Jackson cruised through his first three matches with major decision wins against Michael Pavasko (Clarion), No. 5 Zach Brunson (Illinois), and Jadaen Bernstein (Navy) in the quarterfinals. In all three wins, Jackson didn't yield a single takedown to his opponents.

In the NCAA semifinals, Jackson faced top-ranked Bo Nickal (Penn State) in hopes of handing the freshman his second loss of the season, after dealing Nickal his only loss earlier this year in dual action. Jackson fell short by mere inches and seconds from upending Nickal for the second time this season, losing 4-3.

With two appearances under his belt, Jackson is now 6-4 at the NCAA tournament with three major decisions and his fifth-place podium finish. This year, Jackson gave up only three takedowns in his six-match campaign.

"It's crazy to think next year is my last year," Jackson reflected. "I still have a dream, and I know it's real, of becoming a national champion. But I also want our team to have some success, and I want to leave a legacy of success after next year."

NCAA Wrestling Championships: Consolation Semifinals
Bout 594
Casey Kent, Penn (35-9) dec. No. 12 Nate Jackson, Indiana (34-9), 9-5
Jackson: [1^st] T2 | [2^nd] E1, T2
Kent: [1^st] E1 | [2^nd] N4 | [3^rd] E1, T2, RT

Jackson's first match of the day was a battle for a spot in the third-place bout against Penn's Casey Kent. Jackson rallied from an early deficit to tie the bout after two periods, but ultimately fell to Kent in a 9-5 decision.

"He kind of fell victim to running away from the game plan," said Indiana head coach Duane Goldman. "He went to where that guy wrestled best, and we knew that guy was good on top. But he was feeling confident that he could take that chance, but this is the National Championships and everybody here are the top guys in the country. Unless you're confident in your strengths, you have to wrestle strategically."

Jackson took control at the end of the opening period with the bout's first takedown at the 2:45 mark. Kent escaped to halve Jackson's lead seconds before the period's conclusion.

Jackson started down in the second. Before he could escape, Kent caught the Hoosier in an adverse position and took the lead with four back points. Down, but not out, Jackson coupled an escape and a takedown to tie the bout heading into the final period.

Kent pulled away in the final two minutes with an escape and a takedown, sliding Jackson into the fifth-place bout.

NCAA Wrestling Championships: Fifth-Place Match
Bout 620
No. 12 Nate Jackson, Indiana (35-9) vs. Lelund Weatherspoon, Iowa State (27-13)
Jackson: [1^st] E1, T2 | [2^nd] E1 | [3^rd] RT
Weatherspoon: [1^st] T2

After falling out of the third-place race in the consolation semifinals, Jackson was determined to end his season on a high note against Iowa State's Lelund Weatherspoon in the fifth-place match. Jackson gave up the first two points, but rallied with five unanswered for the decision win.

"To get his head back together, to rebound from two tough losses and go against a great opponent from Iowa State and come back from a deficit is a great testament to his growth as a wrestler, his mental toughness, and his talent," Goldman said.

Weatherspoon opened scoring with the bout's first takedown, but Jackson didn't hesitate getting to his feet. He took the lead before the first period ended with his only takedown of the bout.

Jackson started down in the second, and escaped quickly to extend his lead to 4-2. He closed out the third period in dominating fashion, starting on top and riding Weatherspoon for the entire third period. The riding time point gave Jackson a win by three points, his fourth win of the tournament.

"I was just wrestling hard," Jackson said regarding his final period. "My top game is not the best, but I know that I can hold him down, and I think I broke him a little towards the end."

Indiana Finishes 28^th at NCAA Championships
With the Hoosiers' team score settled, Indiana will finish the season with a 28^th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Although it isn't the finish that the Hoosiers hoped to achieve, the wrestlers and coaching staff believe a bright future is on the horizon with the returning and incoming wrestlers.

"We have some leaders that are going to emerge alongside myself and Elijah Oliver," Jackson said on the future of the team. "I think it's going to be huge for the program. I want this program to be awesome next year."

Head coach Duane Goldman, when asked about the future ahead, is optimistic about the seasons to come for Indiana's wrestling program. The Hoosiers are loaded with talent in their underclassmen, and a lot of wrestlers will aim to turn the corner next year.

"It shows we're on the move," Goldman said about the successes of the 2015-16 season. "We showed a lot of improvement in our dual meet capabilities and got some notoriety there. We had a lot of young guys step up with great seasons, even though they didn't make the NCAAs. To come in here with two guys not in the top-eight seeds and walk away with an All-American is great for Nate, and it's a reflection of our room and our program."