Indiana to Compete in Sheridan Invitational

Friday, December 22

Bethlehem, Pa.

All Day

Indiana University

Sheridan Invitational

12/21/2023 10:30:00 AM | Wrestling

Match Notes (PDF)

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– Indiana will head back to the Keystone State for the Sheridan Invitational in Bethlehem, Pa., and hosted by Lehigh.

This will be the Hoosiers' third invitational tournament of the season and first competition since the dual victory over Central Michigan on Dec. 9 in Bloomington.

HEADING BACK EAST:
-For the third time already, Indiana will be heading to the eastern Pennsylvania area this season.

-The Hoosiers will compete in the Sheridan Invitational on Friday, Dec. 22 in Bethlehem, Pa. Previously this season, the team competed in the PRTC Keystone Classic at Penn and went just over the state border in a dual at Princeton.

-Indiana will have 18 wrestlers compete in a loaded tournament that has nine other teams participating.

-The teams competing include host Lehigh, two dual opponents from this season in Rider and Central Michigan, as well as Army, Binghamton, Brown, Cornell, Franklin & Marshall and Rutgers.

-Including No. 24 Indiana, there will be four ranked squads in competition. Host Lehigh is No. 23, Big Ten foe Rutgers checks in at No. 15 and Cornell is slated at No. 5 nationally.

-Indiana freshman Joey Buttler (141) is set to make his collegiate debut this weekend. Senior Clayton Fielden (174) will compete for the first team this season.

CMU REWIND:
-In Indiana's first dual of the season at Wilkinson Hall, the Hoosiers had a strong showing with a 25-15 win over Central Michigan on Saturday, Dec. 9.

-The Hoosiers put together a number of impressive performances that included three bonus-point victories, two pins and two wins over ranked opponents.

-No. 26 Dan Fongaro (141) got Ja'Kerrion Merritt flat late in the bout for a third period fall (6:17). Gabe Sollars (197) pinned Luke Cochran at the 2:54 mark.

-No. 10 DJ Washington (174) scored early and often in a dominant 15-4 win by major decision over No. 18 Alex Cramer.

-No. 11 Graham Rooks (149) used a late reversal to top No. 16 Corbyn Munson in a 2-1 decision.

ONWARD AND UPWARD:
-The Hoosiers continue to elevate the level of the program's standard for success with a consistent total of seven wrestlers throughout the year who are in the national rankings.

-Seven ranked wrestlers at one time are the most ranked Indiana wrestlers of a Hoosier lineup in the Angel Escobedo era.

-Of the seven, three of them are ranked in the top-15 of their weight class.

-The ranked Hoosiers are No. 26 Danny Fongaro (141), No. 11 Graham Rooks (149), No. 19 Brayton Lee (157), No. 9 Derek Gilcher (165), No. 10 DJ Washington (174), No. 33 Roman Rogotzke (184) and No. 31 Nick Willham (285).

-Gilcher and Washington both currently hold undefeated records.

MOVING TO THE MIDPOINT:
-With the Sheridan Tournament taking place on Friday, the Hoosiers are reaching the midpoint of the season.

-After the Sheridan Tournament, the team will only have one more non-conference competition before entering the Big Ten dual season in January.

-Indiana will compete in the prestigious Southern Scuffle tournament on Jan. 1-2 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

-The team's first Big Ten dual will be at Rutgers on Friday, Jan. 12.

NEW FACES:
-Indiana has eight new wrestlers on the roster for this season.

-Of the newbies, five of them are freshmen while the other three are transfers.

-All five freshmen are from the state of Indiana. They include Bryce Lowery (Indianapolis), Joey Buttler (Greenwood), Cheaney Schoeff (Avon), Anthony Bahl (Crown Point) and Aidan Torres (Chesterton).

-Lowery, Buttler and Torres all won an IHSAA individual State Championship during their senior season. Bahl won a Team State Title with the Crown Point Bulldogs, the second in a row for the team, and their third in four years.

-Lowery won IndyStar's Most Outsanding Wrestler award for the best senior wrestler in the state for the 2022-2023 school year.

-Indiana's transfer class includes Dan Fongaro, Brayton Lee and Roman Rogotzke.

-Lee, a known commodity around NCAA Wrestling, returns to his home state after spending five years at Minnesota.

-The two-time All-American (2020, 2021) is seeking to recapture his momentum after entering last season as the No. 2 ranked wrestler at 157 lbs. in the country.

-Lee's 2022-23 season was cut short due to injury at The Big Ten Championships.

-Fongaro comes to Indiana after five years at Columbia where he competed at 141 and 149 lbs. He will wrestle at 141 lbs. for the Hoosiers.

-Fongaro owns fifth and sixth place finishes at the EIWA Championships in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

-Rogotzke, a transfer at 184 lbs., from South Dakota State, enters his redshirt sophomore season with plenty of momentum.

-Last year, Rogotzke racked up 17 wins and took first place at two open tournaments.

SEASON OUTLOOK:
-Indiana's 2023-2024 schedule features 12 dual matches and four invitational tournaments in the regular season.

-Indiana's dual slate features eight Big Ten matches and four non-conference duals.

-Indiana will compete at Southern Scuffle for the first time this season.

INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS:
-The Indiana Wrestling team had a number of wrestlers compete in offseason competition to get better and compete on the world stage.

-Senior Jacob Moran competed for Team Puerto Rico at 57 kg in Freestyle and took third place at the Central American and Caribbean Games while also competing at the 2023 U23 World Championships in Albania.

-Derek Gilcher took fifth place at the 2023 U.S. Open at the Senior Level at 74 kg.

-Gabe Sollars earned sixth place at the 2023 U.S. Open in the U20 division in Freestyle at 92 kg. He also had a sixth place finish at the U20 World Team Trials in the same weight class and division.

-DJ Washington finished in second at 86 kg in the U23 World Team Trials in Freestyle.

-Nick Willham had a fourth place finish at 92 kg in the U23 World Team Trials in Freestyle.

-Tyler Lillard earned 7th place at 74 kg in the U20 World Team Trials in Freestyle.

-Cole Rhemrev took 7th place at 67 kg in Greco-Roman at the U20 World Team Trials. Magnus Kuokkanen got 7th in the same division, but at 77 kg.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISPERSION:
-Indiana's roster features wrestlers everywhere across the country.

-Fifteen wrestlers on the team are home grown, in-state Hoosiers, including all of the freshmen.

-Of the 30 wrestlers on the team, there are 13 different states represented.

-The states represented on Indiana's roster include Indiana, New Mexico, Illinois, New Jersey, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Wisconsin, Ohio, California, Minnesota, Kansas and Kentucky.