Indiana University Athletics
Sunday, November 14
Boone, N.C.
9:00 AM
Indiana University
at
Mountaineer Invite
Indiana Wrestling Heads to Mountaineer Invite
11/12/2021 1:19:00 PM | Wrestling
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - After a pair of dominating wins over Bellarmine and SIUE to open the season, the Indiana wrestling team heads to Boone, N.C. to compete in the Mountaineer Invite alongside Appalachian State, Gardner-Webb, Air Force, Arizona State, Duke and Kent State.
This is IU's first Invite since wrestling in the Black Knight Invite on the campus of Army on November 17, 2019.
IU will send 15 wrestlers to compete in the Mountaineer Invite. Six weight classes will see just one IU representative. The 141-lb weight class will feature three Hoosiers, with 157, 165 and 285 seeing two.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
• This weekend will see IU wrestlers compete against a combination of opponents from six different schools as each weight class attempts to crown an individual champion.
• Arizona State leads the pack of schools in the competition. The Sun Devils are No. 8 in the latest Coaches Poll. The host, Appalachian State, is receiving votes in this week's poll.
LAST TIME OUT: 2020-2021 SEASON
• During the COVID-19 shortened season, IU wrestled only Big Ten opponents in Head Coach Angel Escobedo's third year in charge. The Hoosiers finished 13th at the Big Ten Championships but qualified three underclassmen to the NCAA Championships.
RETURNING TALENT
• Last year, IU saw three wrestlers qualify to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis. Redshirt sophomore D.J. Washington, redshirt junior Graham Rooks and junior Cayden Rooks all took part in the event featuring the nation's best wrestlers.
• Graduate student Brock Hudkins, sophomore Jacob Moran and junior Nick Willham all return as expected starters and heavy contributors.
THE BEST OF THE BEST
• Over the summer, redshirt sophomore D.J. Washington wrestled at the Junior World Championships in Ufa, Russia. He was selected to represent the USA after winning a Junior National Championship in June.
THE YEAR AHEAD
• The Indiana Wrestling team opens its 2021-2022 season with a trip to Louisville to face Bellarmine and SIUE. IU will wrestle in five home matches and face eight conference opponents ahead of March's Big Ten Championships in Lincoln, Neb.
• This season will also take IU to the prestigious Midlands Championships as well as the Mountaineer Invite in Boone, N.C.
• The campaign will culminate in Detroit, Mich. for the NCAA Championships.
NEW FACES
• Junior Kasper McIntosh returns home to Indiana after spending two years at Minnesota.
• IU welcomed five freshmen to the program this year. Jake Evans, Alec Freeman, Noah Gochberg, Robert Major and Zack Rotkvich hail from four different states and join IU's roster to begin the season.
• On the coaching staff, Riley LeFever and Lincoln Kyle begin their first seasons on the IU bench.
BIG TEN DOMINANCE
• The Big Ten once again figures to be NCAA Wrestling's premier conference. 11 of the conference's teams are featured in the Top 25 of the Coaches Poll.
• IU will wrestle six of those teams in conference action.
• This is the first year of divisional formatting in Big Ten Wrestling. IU will face its fellow six East Division Teams as well as two crossovers (Illinois and Purdue).
OPENING STRONG
• Against Bellarmine and SIUE, IU swept matches in nine of the weight classes.
• D.J. Washington opened the season with two pins while Brock Hudkins and Nick Willham each added one.
• Jacob Moran picked up a pair of tech fall victories at 125.
This is IU's first Invite since wrestling in the Black Knight Invite on the campus of Army on November 17, 2019.
IU will send 15 wrestlers to compete in the Mountaineer Invite. Six weight classes will see just one IU representative. The 141-lb weight class will feature three Hoosiers, with 157, 165 and 285 seeing two.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
• This weekend will see IU wrestlers compete against a combination of opponents from six different schools as each weight class attempts to crown an individual champion.
• Arizona State leads the pack of schools in the competition. The Sun Devils are No. 8 in the latest Coaches Poll. The host, Appalachian State, is receiving votes in this week's poll.
LAST TIME OUT: 2020-2021 SEASON
• During the COVID-19 shortened season, IU wrestled only Big Ten opponents in Head Coach Angel Escobedo's third year in charge. The Hoosiers finished 13th at the Big Ten Championships but qualified three underclassmen to the NCAA Championships.
RETURNING TALENT
• Last year, IU saw three wrestlers qualify to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis. Redshirt sophomore D.J. Washington, redshirt junior Graham Rooks and junior Cayden Rooks all took part in the event featuring the nation's best wrestlers.
• Graduate student Brock Hudkins, sophomore Jacob Moran and junior Nick Willham all return as expected starters and heavy contributors.
THE BEST OF THE BEST
• Over the summer, redshirt sophomore D.J. Washington wrestled at the Junior World Championships in Ufa, Russia. He was selected to represent the USA after winning a Junior National Championship in June.
THE YEAR AHEAD
• The Indiana Wrestling team opens its 2021-2022 season with a trip to Louisville to face Bellarmine and SIUE. IU will wrestle in five home matches and face eight conference opponents ahead of March's Big Ten Championships in Lincoln, Neb.
• This season will also take IU to the prestigious Midlands Championships as well as the Mountaineer Invite in Boone, N.C.
• The campaign will culminate in Detroit, Mich. for the NCAA Championships.
NEW FACES
• Junior Kasper McIntosh returns home to Indiana after spending two years at Minnesota.
• IU welcomed five freshmen to the program this year. Jake Evans, Alec Freeman, Noah Gochberg, Robert Major and Zack Rotkvich hail from four different states and join IU's roster to begin the season.
• On the coaching staff, Riley LeFever and Lincoln Kyle begin their first seasons on the IU bench.
BIG TEN DOMINANCE
• The Big Ten once again figures to be NCAA Wrestling's premier conference. 11 of the conference's teams are featured in the Top 25 of the Coaches Poll.
• IU will wrestle six of those teams in conference action.
• This is the first year of divisional formatting in Big Ten Wrestling. IU will face its fellow six East Division Teams as well as two crossovers (Illinois and Purdue).
OPENING STRONG
• Against Bellarmine and SIUE, IU swept matches in nine of the weight classes.
• D.J. Washington opened the season with two pins while Brock Hudkins and Nick Willham each added one.
• Jacob Moran picked up a pair of tech fall victories at 125.
Players Mentioned
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