Indiana University Athletics

Indiana Wrestling to Compete in Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor
3/2/2023 9:00:00 AM | Wrestling
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. ––––– The postseason has arrived for Indiana Wrestling with the Big Ten Championships taking place on March 4 & 5 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
PRE-SEEDS ANNOUNCED:
-At the start of the week, the Big Ten Conference announced the pre-seeds for this weekend's Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich. at Crisler Arena.
-Barring any changes at Friday's scheduled coaches meeting to discuss seeding, these announced placements are indicative of the bracket for each weight class.
-Indiana's ten tournament entries earned the following pre-seeds. No. 13 Jacob Moran (125), No. 11 Henry Porter (133), No. 13 Cayden Rooks (141), No. 7 Graham Rooks (149), No. 10 Derek Gilcher (157), No. 11 Nick South (165), No. 6 DJ Washington (174), No. 13 Clayton Fielden (184), No. 10 Nick Willham (197) and No. 8 Jacob Bullock (285).
-The action will get underway on Saturday, March 4 at 10 a.m. for Session I, followed by Session II at 5:30 p.m. that evening.
-Sunday, March 5 will feature Session III at 1 p.m. and Session IV at 4:30 p.m. the same day.
TOURNAMENT ALLOCATIONS:
-The NCAA also recently announced the number of allocation spots available to clinch at each conference championships for each weight class.
-For the Big Ten, the wrestlers who finish in the top nine at 125-149 and 184-285 lbs. will get automatic bids to the NCAA Championships, as well as the top-ten finishers at 157 lbs., the top-eight finishers at 165 lbs. and the top-seven finishers at 174 lbs.
-Any grappler who does not wrestle out to one of those spots will need to be selected as an at-large bid to compete in the NCAA Championships.
BUILDING ON LAST YEAR:
-Last year's Big Ten Championships weren't the Hoosiers' best. Indiana finished 14th at the 2022 Championships.
-The Hoosiers are looking to vastly improve from last year's showing, just like they did in the dual season. Indiana improved from 3-8 in 2021-22 to 8-5 in duals in 2022-23.
-Indiana returns eight participants from last year's championships. The only new members to the lineup are freshman Henry Porter who replaced three-time national qualifier Brock Hudkins at 133 lbs., and Army transfer Clayton Fielden who starts at 184 lbs.
-Additionally, last year DJ Washington wrestled at 184 lbs. and Nick South was at 174 lbs., each bumped down a weight class this season.
-A number of Indiana starters have significantly improved their individual records from last season.
-Graham Rooks has gone from 12-12 to 25-6, Derek Gilcher has improved from 9-7 to 22-10, DJ Washington is up to 21-4 this year, after a 13-9 year last season and Jacob Bullock went from 11-11 to 18-4.
LOOKING TO TULSA:
-Indiana has its sights set on putting its most qualifiers into the NCAA Championships field in recent memory.
-In 2022, Indiana had two qualifiers in Washington and Hudkins. In 2021, Washington and both Rooks brothers qualified.
-Indiana had five guys ranked in the latest NCAA Coaches Rankings in Porter, Graham Rooks, Gilcher, Washington and Bullock.
-If all five of them qualified, Indiana would have its most qualifiers since 2013.
-The NCAA Championships will be from March 16-18 in Tulsa, Okla. at the BOK Center.
PRE-SEEDS ANNOUNCED:
-At the start of the week, the Big Ten Conference announced the pre-seeds for this weekend's Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich. at Crisler Arena.
-Barring any changes at Friday's scheduled coaches meeting to discuss seeding, these announced placements are indicative of the bracket for each weight class.
-Indiana's ten tournament entries earned the following pre-seeds. No. 13 Jacob Moran (125), No. 11 Henry Porter (133), No. 13 Cayden Rooks (141), No. 7 Graham Rooks (149), No. 10 Derek Gilcher (157), No. 11 Nick South (165), No. 6 DJ Washington (174), No. 13 Clayton Fielden (184), No. 10 Nick Willham (197) and No. 8 Jacob Bullock (285).
-The action will get underway on Saturday, March 4 at 10 a.m. for Session I, followed by Session II at 5:30 p.m. that evening.
-Sunday, March 5 will feature Session III at 1 p.m. and Session IV at 4:30 p.m. the same day.
TOURNAMENT ALLOCATIONS:
-The NCAA also recently announced the number of allocation spots available to clinch at each conference championships for each weight class.
-For the Big Ten, the wrestlers who finish in the top nine at 125-149 and 184-285 lbs. will get automatic bids to the NCAA Championships, as well as the top-ten finishers at 157 lbs., the top-eight finishers at 165 lbs. and the top-seven finishers at 174 lbs.
-Any grappler who does not wrestle out to one of those spots will need to be selected as an at-large bid to compete in the NCAA Championships.
BUILDING ON LAST YEAR:
-Last year's Big Ten Championships weren't the Hoosiers' best. Indiana finished 14th at the 2022 Championships.
-The Hoosiers are looking to vastly improve from last year's showing, just like they did in the dual season. Indiana improved from 3-8 in 2021-22 to 8-5 in duals in 2022-23.
-Indiana returns eight participants from last year's championships. The only new members to the lineup are freshman Henry Porter who replaced three-time national qualifier Brock Hudkins at 133 lbs., and Army transfer Clayton Fielden who starts at 184 lbs.
-Additionally, last year DJ Washington wrestled at 184 lbs. and Nick South was at 174 lbs., each bumped down a weight class this season.
-A number of Indiana starters have significantly improved their individual records from last season.
-Graham Rooks has gone from 12-12 to 25-6, Derek Gilcher has improved from 9-7 to 22-10, DJ Washington is up to 21-4 this year, after a 13-9 year last season and Jacob Bullock went from 11-11 to 18-4.
LOOKING TO TULSA:
-Indiana has its sights set on putting its most qualifiers into the NCAA Championships field in recent memory.
-In 2022, Indiana had two qualifiers in Washington and Hudkins. In 2021, Washington and both Rooks brothers qualified.
-Indiana had five guys ranked in the latest NCAA Coaches Rankings in Porter, Graham Rooks, Gilcher, Washington and Bullock.
-If all five of them qualified, Indiana would have its most qualifiers since 2013.
-The NCAA Championships will be from March 16-18 in Tulsa, Okla. at the BOK Center.
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