Wrestling Adds Cream & Crimson Dual on October 26

Thursday, October 26

Bloomington, Ind.

7 PM

Indiana University

Cream & Crimson Dual

Wrestling Adds Cream & Crimson Dual on October 26

10/20/2017 11:27:00 AM | Wrestling

Season Schedule Roster

The Hoosiers’ intersquad meet includes starting lineup position battles

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana wrestling head coach Duane Goldman announced an exciting addition to the start of the Hoosiers' 2017-18 season schedule: The Cream & Crimson Dual. This intersquad dual meet is set to take place on Thursday, October 26 at 7:00 p.m. ET at University Gymnasium.

"The intersquad match is a great opportunity for us as coaches to see which of our guys are ready to compete and what our lineup might turn out to be," Goldman said after the announcement. "It's exciting to have the season just around the corner."

Indiana's coaches have been so excited by the talent and development in the room this preseason that they elected to make a preseason preview for the home fans. The meet will put 11 matches on the mat across all 10 weights. The battles within pit newcomers against veterans, long-time teammates against each other, and potential starters in position for Indiana's first dual meet lineup.

The Matches: 2017 Cream & Crimson Dual

Matchups displayed as "Cream vs. Crimson"
125: Elijah Oliver vs. Liam Cronin
133: Garrett Pepple vs. Kyle Luigs
133: Brandon James vs. Michael De La Peña
141: A.J. Raya vs. Cole Weaver
149: Davey Tunon vs. Austin Holmes
157: Jake Danishek vs. Dillon Hoey
165: Logan Herrera vs. Bryce Martin
174: Gabe Koontz vs. Devin Skatzka
184: Norman Conley vs. Jake Hinz
197: Jake Kleimola vs. Mike Maguire
285: Fletcher Miller vs. Zachary Horwitz

The meet will begin with a compelling match at 125 lbs. between Elijah Oliver and Liam Cronin, who both entered the starting lineup last season. Oliver, a two-time NCAA qualifier who floated around the national top-20 in his first two seasons, will challenge Cronin, who cut his teeth against some of the country's best lightweights last year.

Two matches at 133 lbs. follow as the coaches look for answers in a deep weight class. Garrett Pepple, Indiana's returning starter at that weight, grapples newcomer Kyle Luigs, who's impressed the coaches since he came to Bloomington from Evansville Mater Dei this summer. After that, freshman Michael De La Peña encounters Brandon James, and Indianapolis native who joined the Hoosiers last season after transferring at semester from Old Dominion.

The 141 lbs. bout will see Cole Weaver, Indiana's two-year starter with a couple of near misses from NCAA qualification, take on California newcomer A.J. Raya.

Indiana's decision at 149 lbs. requires great deliberation, as the coaches look for a new face to fill a void left by recent graduates Luke Blanton and Chris Perez. Goldman's staff sees potential in both Austin Holmes and Davey Tunon. Holmes gained experience last season in unattached competition; Tunon missed his redshirt season to injury, but has made great strides since his return to full strength.

The Hoosiers' 157 lbs. bout features two-year starter Jake Danishek and newcomer Dillon Hoey. Danishek returns from a breakout sophomore campaign that ended with his first career NCAA qualification, while Hoey presents a challenge as a recent graduate of Chicago's prestigious Mount Carmel wrestling program.

A late addition to the announced match lineup, Bryce Martin and Logan Herrera will square off in the 165 lbs. bout. Martin enters this year with two solid seasons under his belt, nearly making the NCAA's 33-man field at 165 lbs. last spring. He faces Herrera, a newcomer from Santa Maria, California who adds depth to the middleweight group.

At 174 lbs., Indiana fans will see a clash against a couple of grapplers who have been teammates since their arrival in Goldman's room. Devin Skatzka, ranked as high as 15^th (Flo) in the preseason polls, amassed a darling freshman campaign last year with 13 dual wins and two victories against ranked wrestlers. Gabe Koontz, a native of nearby Ellettsville, bumps up from 165 lbs. last season after an 11-7 campaign in his first varsity season.

The Hoosiers are familiar with the battle at 184 lbs., as Jake Hinz and Norman Conley regularly battled for starting spots at 197 lbs. last year. Now with the graduation of two-time All-American Nate Jackson, Indiana will look to one of these sophomores to fill that void. Both guys feel confident in the lower weight class, so fans can expect a hard-fought match.

The penultimate bout of the evening pairs two exciting prospects at 197 lbs. Second year grappler Jake Kleimola, ranked No. 13 in his weight class at the prep level, could become a breakout contributor to this year's lineup. In the opposite anklet is Mike Maguire, Indiana's only Pennsylvania native, who honed his craft at Unionville High School and joined the room this fall.

Indiana announced the evening before the scrimmage that a heavyweight match would take place. Returning starter Fletcher Miller will line up opposite Zachary Horwitz, who returned to the Hoosiers last spring.

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