Hoosiers Ignite Season at Clarion Open

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – With a long preseason of toiling inside the wrestling room at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall giving way to the 2017-18 regular season, Indiana's wrestling team is ready to show the fruits of their labor. The Hoosiers kick off another exciting NCAA wrestling season, the 26th under head coach Duane Goldman, in the heart of wrestling country at the Clarion Open in central Pennsylvania. The field includes grapplers from some of the NCAA's top conferences as Clarion continues to foster one of the toughest open tournaments nationwide.

Indiana will bring 14 wrestlers in their travel party, including eight returning starters and a trio of NCAA qualifiers: Jake Danishek (157), Devin Skatzka (174), and two-time qualifier Elijah Oliver (125). For some of the wrestlers in this field, the Clarion Open begins their long journey to the final weekend at Quicken Loans Arena next March. Who's ready for wrestling season?

2017 Clarion Open
Sunday, Nov. 5 • Matches Start at 9:00 a.m. ET • Clarion, Pa. • University Rec Center
FloWrestling Streams • Brackets on FloArena • Tournament Central • @IndianaWR

Tournament Entrants: Indiana University
No. 20 Elijah Oliver (125), Garrett Pepple (133), Brandon James (133),
Cole Weaver (141), Davey Tunon (149), Austin Holmes (149),
Bryce Martin (165), Gabe Koontz (174), No. 17 Devin Skatzka (174)
Norman Conley (184), Jake Hinz (184), Spencer Irick (184)
Fletcher Miller (285), Zach Horwitz (285)

Tournament Notes:
Veteran Presence
With no senior class in sight on this year's team makeup, the Hoosiers will look to their deeply experienced junior class for leadership this season. That class includes four wrestlers - Elijah Oliver (125), Cole Weaver (141), Jake Danishek (157), and Bryce Martin (165) - with two seasons of wrestling in IU's starting lineup. The fifth junior, Fletcher Miller (285), completed his first full season as the heavyweight starter last year.

Danishek and Oliver return to the mat after qualifying for the NCAA Championships last season, alongside current sophomore Devin Skatzka (174) and 2017 graduate Nate Jackson (184). Oliver is looking for his third NCAA appearance in as many seasons, having qualified as a freshman in 2016.

IU Wrestling in the Rankings
Indiana saw a trio of grapplers recognized in the national preseason rankings hype this season, the highest tally since the 2014-15 season. Devin Skatzka (174) received the highest rankings by any IU wrestler across several sources, peaking at No. 17 (Flo).

Jake Danishek (157) will start the season at No. 24 (TrackWrestling), the first preseason ranking of his career. Elijah Oliver (125) is in the preseason polls for the second consecutive season at No. 20 (TrackWrestling, WIN).

Clarion Open Overview
This Sunday marks Indiana's first trip to the Clarion Open at Clarion University. Its contingency will provide challenges for Hoosiers in all weight classes, as the nine teams in attendance will bring 22 nationally ranked wrestlers to the University Rec Center.

The tournament field also contains a returning All-American: No. 5 Jack Mueller (133, Virginia), who took sixth-place at 125 lbs. last season.

Big Shoes to Fill
The Hoosiers will bring three wrestlers weighing at 184 lbs. to the Clarion Open as they seek the solution to filling the void left by last year's starter, Nate Jackson. A two-time All-American and three-time national qualifier, Jackson capped his career with a 19-0 dual meet record and 21 bonus point wins last season.

Jake Hinz (184) and Norman Conley (184), last year's clash at 197 lbs., moves down a weight class as the two continue to provide close battles in the room. They're joined by freshman Spencer Irick (184), eager for mat action after missing his redshirt season to injury.

Up Next: Hoosiers Head East
Indiana will wait two weeks for their next set of early season matches with a two-stop weekend out east. The action starts on the banks of the Susquehanna River as the Hoosiers open dual meet season at Bloomsburg on Thursday night, November 16.

Indiana continues toward the coast on Saturday, November 18 with the Navy Classic, where the Hoosiers won the team title last season. Junior Bryce Martin (165) will look to defend his Navy Classic title after taking the top podium spot last season.

Back Points...
• Four Indiana wrestlers will make their varsity debuts this weekend: Davey Tunon (149), Austin Holmes (149), Spencer Irick (184), and Zach Horwitz (285).

• Teams expected to be in attendance at the Clarion Open, aside from IU and the tournament hosts: Bloomsburg, Cleveland State, Kent State, Utah Valley, Virginia, and West Virginia. The Hoosiers will meet Bloomsburg and Cleveland State in dual action prior to their Big Ten opener.

• Indiana concluded the preseason with an intersquad scrimmage, dubbed the Cream & Crimson Dual, on Thursday, October 26 at University Gymnasium. The Cream team prevailed 30-16 with wins in 8-of-11 matches, including bonus points from Jake Danishek (157), Jake Kleimola (197), and Fletcher Miller (285).

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