Indiana University Athletics
Mountain Climbing -- IU Poised to Make Big Ten Wrestling Move
12/18/2023 4:30:00 PM | Wrestling
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Climbing a mountain is never easy, especially when it's the Big Ten wrestling mountain built on the achievements of legends with names of Gable, Sanderson and Brands.
Here is Angel Escobedo, a legend in his own right with a national championship and four All-America honors as an individual, seeking as head coach to elevate Indiana's program to elite status.
And it includes this ultimate mountain-top quest:
"That's the goal -- get guys on the podium and get a national champion," Escobedo says.
The No. 24 Hoosiers, with a 3-0 dual-meet record and a Battle at the Citadel team championship in the books, are all in.
"I'm super confident," 141-pounder Dan Fongaro says. "I think we'll knock off some teams in the Big Ten people won't expect us to. I think we can compete with the Michigans, the Ohio States. We can be gritty and fight with them."
Escobedo has built a formidable lineup of gritty fighters, including Fongaro (10-1, ranked No. 26 in his class), 149 Graham Rooks (4-2, ranked No. 13), 157 Brayton Lee (1-0, No. 19), 165 Derek Gilcher (7-0, No. 9), 174 DJ Washington (3-0, No. 10), 184 Roman Rogotzke (9-4, No. 33) and 197 Gabe Sollars (9-3).
Rooks, Lee, Gilcher and Washington have previously qualified for the NCAA tourney. Rooks, for instance, made the round of 12 last year and was a victory away from earning All-America status.
"He's had a slow start," Escobedo says, "but he's getting back in the tune of things.
"Those guys are progressing the way we want them to after having great runs in the NCAA Tournament. We wanted them to come into the season with confidence. They've been doing their jobs, leading and taking care of business.
"At the end of the day, those guys want to be on the podium. That's what they came to this program to do."
Beyond NCAA tourney success, the Hoosiers hope to make a run in the Big Ten, a huge challenge since it remains, by far, the nation's best wrestling conference.
Eight Big Ten teams are ranked -- No. 1 Penn State (the defending national champ), No. 4 Iowa, No. 7 Michigan, No. 8 Nebraska, No. 10 Ohio State, No. 11 Minnesota, No. 15 Rutgers and IU.
A Big Ten team has won every national title since 2007, ending a streak of four straight national championships for Oklahoma State.
The Hoosiers are closing the gap. Last year's 8-5 record included three Big Ten victories. Escobedo, who is starting his sixth season as head coach, says four conference wins this season are within reach, impressive given they were a combined 2-16 against Big Ten teams in his first two years.
"In our eight Big Ten matches, on paper -- now, obviously you have to do it -- we could walk away with four wins," he says. "That's saying a lot from where we started.
"Winning half of our matches in such a dominant Big Ten conference is closing the gap. After that you go from four to five to six wins. You keep building up. The next thing you know, you're in line with the Penn States and Iowas."
Much of this team returns, as will a trio of veteran standouts -- Jacob Bullock, Jacob Moran and Henry Porter -- who are redshirting to try to qualify for next year's Summer Olympics.
"It's one step at a time, one dual meet at a time," Escobedo says. "It's climbing the ladder of the Big Ten."
*****
Team victories aren't just about winning, but decisive winning through individual pins and major decisions. Bonus points are crucial.
And with wrestlers such as Rogotzke (six pins, one major decision) and Sollars (five pins, two majors) dominating opponents, it's paid off with a strong start.
"We've made that a point of emphasis," Escobedo says. "Last year we were so close to winning some more meets but lost a couple because of bonus points.
"This year we knew we had guys who can pin and get bonus points. We emphasize that -- taking care of business individually and getting those bonus points will help the team."
It paid off in rugged 18-15 and 25-15 dual-meet wins over Princeton and Central Michigan, respectively.
"Those bonus points mattered," Escobedo says. "They helped us win. Without them, who knows? It's nice to see our guys taking ownership out there."
Adding extra incentive is the competition between Sollars and Rogotzke over who winds up with the most bonus points.
"They talk crap to each other about who's going to get more pins," Escobedo says. "That's a good thing for us."
*****
Recruiting fuels the Hoosiers' improvement. They likely won't beat out Penn State and Iowa for the nation's highest-rated high school wrestlers, but that doesn't mean they can't build a team to compete with them and, perhaps eventually, beat them.
What attributes beyond wrestling ability do Escobedo and his staff look for?
"We want guys who are mentally and physically tough," he says. "Guys who are hard workers, who fight for every point, who compete hard for seven minutes."
Escobedo points to wrestlers such as Washington, who didn't wrack up state titles and unbeaten records in high school, but who possess potential that can be developed.
"We're not only looking for blue-chip recruits," Escobedo says, "we're also looking for the diamond in the rough, the DJ Washingtons, guys who maybe didn't have the most success in high school, but they can come here and develop into nationally known guys.
"We want those kids who have chips on their shoulder. They weren't highly recruited. They want to prove to other coaches in the nation they can compete at this level and win.
"That's where we are as a program. We can get those kids, develop them and turn them into something special."
The Hoosiers have taken advantage of the transfer portal era by bringing in standouts such as Lee from Minnesota, Rogotzke from South Dakota State and Fongaro from Columbia.
Consider Lee, a two-time All-America at Minnesota after winning three Indiana high school state titles at Brownsburg. Injuries limited him the past two seasons, and he's wrestled only once for the Hoosiers (a crucial 3-2 win over Princeton's Rocco Camillaci), with the goal to get him ready for the Big Ten and beyond.
"Our plan is to train him hard," Escobedo says. "We have a good month of a training segment. We know his skills and what he's capable of doing. It's getting him healthy and ready to rock.
"He wants to be a national champ. That's his mentality. He trains like it. Once he's healthy and ready to go, he'll be a national champ."
So much in sports comes down to mental and physical toughness, to effort and determination and the ability to thrive when it matters most.
Do you recruit for that? Can you develop it?
"People have to have mental toughness to bring it out," Escobedo says. "You can grow in that area, but it has to be in your wrestling."
Recruiting for that, he adds, starts with film work.
"We look at wins and losses, but primarily in losses and see, 'This kid is losing by 10, is he folding, is he laying down, is he going to quit, or is he still going after the guy and trying to score the next point?'
"That takes a lot of mental toughness when you're getting beat up and still keep coming, when you don't quit. We're looking for guys who don't have that quit in them. Then we know they're mentally tough."
IU heads to Pennsylvania this weekend for the Sheridan Invitational, and then the Southern Scuffle over the Jan. 1 holiday before beginning Big Ten action with trips to Rutgers and Penn State before ending January with home meets against Maryland and Purdue.
"We have a great group of guys who can make duals exciting," Escobedo says.
"Our goal is to make sure these guys are happy at the end of the year with the way they're progressing, training and wrestling. We want to get the most out of them, for them to have a great experience, a great journey. In that process, you win a lot of matches."
And, perhaps, summit the mountain.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Climbing a mountain is never easy, especially when it's the Big Ten wrestling mountain built on the achievements of legends with names of Gable, Sanderson and Brands.
Here is Angel Escobedo, a legend in his own right with a national championship and four All-America honors as an individual, seeking as head coach to elevate Indiana's program to elite status.
And it includes this ultimate mountain-top quest:
"That's the goal -- get guys on the podium and get a national champion," Escobedo says.
The No. 24 Hoosiers, with a 3-0 dual-meet record and a Battle at the Citadel team championship in the books, are all in.
"I'm super confident," 141-pounder Dan Fongaro says. "I think we'll knock off some teams in the Big Ten people won't expect us to. I think we can compete with the Michigans, the Ohio States. We can be gritty and fight with them."
Escobedo has built a formidable lineup of gritty fighters, including Fongaro (10-1, ranked No. 26 in his class), 149 Graham Rooks (4-2, ranked No. 13), 157 Brayton Lee (1-0, No. 19), 165 Derek Gilcher (7-0, No. 9), 174 DJ Washington (3-0, No. 10), 184 Roman Rogotzke (9-4, No. 33) and 197 Gabe Sollars (9-3).
Rooks, Lee, Gilcher and Washington have previously qualified for the NCAA tourney. Rooks, for instance, made the round of 12 last year and was a victory away from earning All-America status.
"He's had a slow start," Escobedo says, "but he's getting back in the tune of things.
"Those guys are progressing the way we want them to after having great runs in the NCAA Tournament. We wanted them to come into the season with confidence. They've been doing their jobs, leading and taking care of business.
"At the end of the day, those guys want to be on the podium. That's what they came to this program to do."
Beyond NCAA tourney success, the Hoosiers hope to make a run in the Big Ten, a huge challenge since it remains, by far, the nation's best wrestling conference.
Eight Big Ten teams are ranked -- No. 1 Penn State (the defending national champ), No. 4 Iowa, No. 7 Michigan, No. 8 Nebraska, No. 10 Ohio State, No. 11 Minnesota, No. 15 Rutgers and IU.
A Big Ten team has won every national title since 2007, ending a streak of four straight national championships for Oklahoma State.
The Hoosiers are closing the gap. Last year's 8-5 record included three Big Ten victories. Escobedo, who is starting his sixth season as head coach, says four conference wins this season are within reach, impressive given they were a combined 2-16 against Big Ten teams in his first two years.
"In our eight Big Ten matches, on paper -- now, obviously you have to do it -- we could walk away with four wins," he says. "That's saying a lot from where we started.
"Winning half of our matches in such a dominant Big Ten conference is closing the gap. After that you go from four to five to six wins. You keep building up. The next thing you know, you're in line with the Penn States and Iowas."
Much of this team returns, as will a trio of veteran standouts -- Jacob Bullock, Jacob Moran and Henry Porter -- who are redshirting to try to qualify for next year's Summer Olympics.
"It's one step at a time, one dual meet at a time," Escobedo says. "It's climbing the ladder of the Big Ten."
*****
Team victories aren't just about winning, but decisive winning through individual pins and major decisions. Bonus points are crucial.
And with wrestlers such as Rogotzke (six pins, one major decision) and Sollars (five pins, two majors) dominating opponents, it's paid off with a strong start.
"We've made that a point of emphasis," Escobedo says. "Last year we were so close to winning some more meets but lost a couple because of bonus points.
"This year we knew we had guys who can pin and get bonus points. We emphasize that -- taking care of business individually and getting those bonus points will help the team."
It paid off in rugged 18-15 and 25-15 dual-meet wins over Princeton and Central Michigan, respectively.
"Those bonus points mattered," Escobedo says. "They helped us win. Without them, who knows? It's nice to see our guys taking ownership out there."
Adding extra incentive is the competition between Sollars and Rogotzke over who winds up with the most bonus points.
"They talk crap to each other about who's going to get more pins," Escobedo says. "That's a good thing for us."
*****
Recruiting fuels the Hoosiers' improvement. They likely won't beat out Penn State and Iowa for the nation's highest-rated high school wrestlers, but that doesn't mean they can't build a team to compete with them and, perhaps eventually, beat them.
What attributes beyond wrestling ability do Escobedo and his staff look for?
"We want guys who are mentally and physically tough," he says. "Guys who are hard workers, who fight for every point, who compete hard for seven minutes."
Escobedo points to wrestlers such as Washington, who didn't wrack up state titles and unbeaten records in high school, but who possess potential that can be developed.
"We're not only looking for blue-chip recruits," Escobedo says, "we're also looking for the diamond in the rough, the DJ Washingtons, guys who maybe didn't have the most success in high school, but they can come here and develop into nationally known guys.
"We want those kids who have chips on their shoulder. They weren't highly recruited. They want to prove to other coaches in the nation they can compete at this level and win.
"That's where we are as a program. We can get those kids, develop them and turn them into something special."
The Hoosiers have taken advantage of the transfer portal era by bringing in standouts such as Lee from Minnesota, Rogotzke from South Dakota State and Fongaro from Columbia.
Consider Lee, a two-time All-America at Minnesota after winning three Indiana high school state titles at Brownsburg. Injuries limited him the past two seasons, and he's wrestled only once for the Hoosiers (a crucial 3-2 win over Princeton's Rocco Camillaci), with the goal to get him ready for the Big Ten and beyond.
"Our plan is to train him hard," Escobedo says. "We have a good month of a training segment. We know his skills and what he's capable of doing. It's getting him healthy and ready to rock.
"He wants to be a national champ. That's his mentality. He trains like it. Once he's healthy and ready to go, he'll be a national champ."
So much in sports comes down to mental and physical toughness, to effort and determination and the ability to thrive when it matters most.
Do you recruit for that? Can you develop it?
"People have to have mental toughness to bring it out," Escobedo says. "You can grow in that area, but it has to be in your wrestling."
Recruiting for that, he adds, starts with film work.
"We look at wins and losses, but primarily in losses and see, 'This kid is losing by 10, is he folding, is he laying down, is he going to quit, or is he still going after the guy and trying to score the next point?'
"That takes a lot of mental toughness when you're getting beat up and still keep coming, when you don't quit. We're looking for guys who don't have that quit in them. Then we know they're mentally tough."
IU heads to Pennsylvania this weekend for the Sheridan Invitational, and then the Southern Scuffle over the Jan. 1 holiday before beginning Big Ten action with trips to Rutgers and Penn State before ending January with home meets against Maryland and Purdue.
"We have a great group of guys who can make duals exciting," Escobedo says.
"Our goal is to make sure these guys are happy at the end of the year with the way they're progressing, training and wrestling. We want to get the most out of them, for them to have a great experience, a great journey. In that process, you win a lot of matches."
And, perhaps, summit the mountain.
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