Indiana University Athletics
IU Wrestling Alumni Set Sights on Olympic Team Trials
4/8/2016 12:00:00 PM | Wrestling
The Hoosier trio, comprised of recent graduates and an NCAA Champion, will compete for one of 16 spots on the U.S. National Team
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – This weekend, 216 of the nation's best wrestlers will convene at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa to compete for the 18 available spots on the U.S.A. Wrestling team headed to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympic Games. Among the field are three Indiana Wrestling Alumni: NCAA Champion Angel Escobedo (2010), NCAA runner-up Taylor Walsh (2015), and NCAA qualifier Luke Sheridan (2015).
Sheridan will kick off the weekend in the 85 kg Greco-Roman tournament on Saturday, April 9 at 10:00 a.m. ET. On Sunday, April 10, Escobedo (57 kg Freestyle) and Walsh (75 kg Greco-Roman) will pursue their Olympic dreams starting at 10:00 a.m. ET.
"Through the recruiting process, the wrestlers who favor Greco-Roman or Freestyle ask if that's something they can continue after they graduate," said Indiana head coach Duane Goldman, when asked about the Hoosiers' presence in the Olympic Trials field. "We affirm that they can, because we've had a number of guys go through to not only have success in those disciplines in college, but after college as well. Their background, combined with the skills learned in their time at IU, still serve them well when they get out there."
2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling
Saturday, April 9 – Sunday, April 10, 2016
Carver-Hawkeye Arena • Iowa City Iowa
Hoosiers in the Field
Angel Escobedo | 57 kg Freestyle | Olympic Trials Qualifiers – 7th Place
Taylor Walsh | 75 kg Greco-Roman | 2015 Vantaa Cup Bronze Medalist
Luke Sheridan | 85 kg Greco-Roman | Olympic Trials Qualifiers – 4th Place
A 2015 Pan-American Games silver medalist, Escobedo has maintained his position around the top of his weight class since winning his NCAA Championship in 2008. Indiana's only four-time All-American entered the field with a seventh-place finish at the Olympic Trials Qualifiers. Escobedo's international experience includes 14 tournament podium finishes and two championships.
Since completing his thrilling run to the 2015 NCAA Championship match, Walsh has picked up momentum in his post-graduate wrestling career. Indiana's all-time top pinner reached this weekend's trials with a Bronze Medal finish at the 2015 Vantaa Cup, knocking off Poland's Mateusz Wolny in the bronze medal bout.
In the week leading up to the tournament, Walsh returned to Bloomington for additional training and weight cutting on his way west towards Iowa City. The 2015 graduate spent his afternoons with the IU Wrestling team, catching up with old friends and teaching new moves in between his drill sessions.
That Walsh would return to the Indiana wrestling room in the days heading into the tournament is a testament to the culture fostered by the IU wrestlers and coaching staff. In addition, the Indiana coaches share a bevy of experience at the international level and the Olympic styles of wrestling.
The gesture does not go unnoticed by Indiana's 24-year head coach.
"We maintain good relationships with our guys," Goldman said. "I think the trust and the hard work we put in together when they're here as student-athletes carries over after they leave. We care for them beyond just being here as student-athletes; we care about how they do with their lives afterwards and their quest to reach wrestling goals."
Sheridan, a two-time NCAA qualifier during his time at Indiana, has taken off in similar fashion to his fellow 2015 graduate, Taylor Walsh. IU's 2015 Billy Thom Leadership Award-winner surged through the Olympic Trials Qualifiers for a fourth-place finish in his weight group.
All three Hoosier grapplers will face one of the toughest tests of their careers this weekend, as they hit the mat against World Team members, international tournament champions, and reigning NCAA Champions. Goldman, who has garnered experience at the international level as both a wrestler and a coach, believes that the key to success is a blend of pinpoint execution, near-flawless preparation, and a bit of circumstance.
"This weekend is for all the marbles, so it's just about putting together your best performance," Goldman said. "Hopefully, you feel the best you've ever felt and are as prepared as you've ever been. The reality is, almost every guy in the field shares that mentality. You have to go out there and make every match count, and you can't look ahead, especially against a field like this."
Sheridan will kick off the weekend in the 85 kg Greco-Roman tournament on Saturday, April 9 at 10:00 a.m. ET. On Sunday, April 10, Escobedo (57 kg Freestyle) and Walsh (75 kg Greco-Roman) will pursue their Olympic dreams starting at 10:00 a.m. ET.
"Through the recruiting process, the wrestlers who favor Greco-Roman or Freestyle ask if that's something they can continue after they graduate," said Indiana head coach Duane Goldman, when asked about the Hoosiers' presence in the Olympic Trials field. "We affirm that they can, because we've had a number of guys go through to not only have success in those disciplines in college, but after college as well. Their background, combined with the skills learned in their time at IU, still serve them well when they get out there."
2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling
Saturday, April 9 – Sunday, April 10, 2016
Carver-Hawkeye Arena • Iowa City Iowa
Hoosiers in the Field
Angel Escobedo | 57 kg Freestyle | Olympic Trials Qualifiers – 7th Place
Taylor Walsh | 75 kg Greco-Roman | 2015 Vantaa Cup Bronze Medalist
Luke Sheridan | 85 kg Greco-Roman | Olympic Trials Qualifiers – 4th Place
Since completing his thrilling run to the 2015 NCAA Championship match, Walsh has picked up momentum in his post-graduate wrestling career. Indiana's all-time top pinner reached this weekend's trials with a Bronze Medal finish at the 2015 Vantaa Cup, knocking off Poland's Mateusz Wolny in the bronze medal bout.
In the week leading up to the tournament, Walsh returned to Bloomington for additional training and weight cutting on his way west towards Iowa City. The 2015 graduate spent his afternoons with the IU Wrestling team, catching up with old friends and teaching new moves in between his drill sessions.
That Walsh would return to the Indiana wrestling room in the days heading into the tournament is a testament to the culture fostered by the IU wrestlers and coaching staff. In addition, the Indiana coaches share a bevy of experience at the international level and the Olympic styles of wrestling.
The gesture does not go unnoticed by Indiana's 24-year head coach.
"We maintain good relationships with our guys," Goldman said. "I think the trust and the hard work we put in together when they're here as student-athletes carries over after they leave. We care for them beyond just being here as student-athletes; we care about how they do with their lives afterwards and their quest to reach wrestling goals."
Sheridan, a two-time NCAA qualifier during his time at Indiana, has taken off in similar fashion to his fellow 2015 graduate, Taylor Walsh. IU's 2015 Billy Thom Leadership Award-winner surged through the Olympic Trials Qualifiers for a fourth-place finish in his weight group.
All three Hoosier grapplers will face one of the toughest tests of their careers this weekend, as they hit the mat against World Team members, international tournament champions, and reigning NCAA Champions. Goldman, who has garnered experience at the international level as both a wrestler and a coach, believes that the key to success is a blend of pinpoint execution, near-flawless preparation, and a bit of circumstance.
"This weekend is for all the marbles, so it's just about putting together your best performance," Goldman said. "Hopefully, you feel the best you've ever felt and are as prepared as you've ever been. The reality is, almost every guy in the field shares that mentality. You have to go out there and make every match count, and you can't look ahead, especially against a field like this."
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