Indiana University Athletics
Now Healthy Lee Seeks Wrestling Championship Finale
1/26/2024 10:37:00 AM | Wrestling
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Sometimes, appreciation comes only after something is taken away. Sometimes, if you're Brayton Lee with a final shot at a college wresting national championship after two seasons of injury-caused misery suggested no chance at all, you embrace the opportunity.
"I'm grateful to be part of this team," the Indiana redshirt senior 157 pounder says from just outside the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall wrestling room.
"It's crazy to think this is my last year in college wrestling. I'm trying to savor it. It's fun. A lot of times college sports can get serious with a lot of pressure, but last week, with my first match back, I realized how fun it is. I'm grateful for a few more matches. I can't ask for much more."
Lee could, of course, ask for a lot more, starting with a bunch of victories culminating in a national championship. Given his All-American pedigree (he was once ranked as high as No. 2 nationally in his weight class), that's a possibility.
It starts with belief.
"Being a national champion is my goal," he says. "I've wrestled my whole life. I've been fortunate to make All-American. I'm grateful for that experience, but after you do it once, you want to stand on top of the podium."
Doing it as a Hoosier after spending the four previous seasons as a Minnesota Gopher would make it even more special given his state-of-Indiana upbringing -- he was a three-time high school state champion at Brownsburg outside of Indianapolis.
"It would be a pretty cool story to stand on top," he says.
IU coach Angel Escobedo embraces the cool.
"We've all seen the ability and what he's been able to accomplish. Injuries slowed him down, but a healthy Brayton who is confident and feels good, I don't know who can beat him. That's what we're seeing."
Seeing came in a big way last Sunday. In just his second match of the season, Lee dominated Maryland's highly regarded and No. 30-ranked Michael North 15-4.
"I'm seeing him get confidence," Escobedo says. "I'm seeing him bring energy into the room. He wants to be a national champion. What better way to do it than your last year at Indiana?"
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Lee has wrestled just twice this season. For comparison, teammates Roman Rogotzke and Gabe Sollars have each wrestled 26 matches.
Inactivity came with postseason purpose. The plan was to get Lee healthy and prepared, which he is. Now, it's going non-stop the rest of the way, highlighted by the Big Ten and NCAA tourneys.
Lee can't wait.
"I love wrestling," he says. "I wrestle pretty much every day. Sometimes you can't always show your capabilities as much as you'd like. I hope to do that with these matches I have left.
"In a perfect world, I'd wrestle 50 matches. With the body and injuries, sometimes you have to take the proper precaution. It's nice being able to wrestle again. It was tough sitting, but it was necessary."
Necessity brings perspective in a grueling sport that demands strength, athleticism, fitness, flexibility and mental toughness. For Lee, it starts by chilling out. He calls it "surrendering to the outcome," and if that sounds like something the psychiatrist from the Sopranos might have said, well, chill out.
"When you're ready to get out there," Lee says, "it's not hard to get revved up. Wrestling is an intense sport. It's natural to go super hard, use up all your energy and burn yourself out.
"We train so much and then to go out and wrestle tight is a shame. The key is to stay relaxed. It's a counterintuitive thing, but it works for me."
Conditioning remains a work in progress. Escobedo has modified Lee's training with rigorous biking and other methods in addition to wrestling to limit the physical pounding.
"We're being innovative with the training and resources we're putting around him," Escobedo says. "We'll continue to do different things that you wouldn't do with a normal guy, say a freshman.
"He's been around the block. He knows what it takes. He understands his body. With him, it's a different training method than our other guys."
Lee is all for it.
"For most part, I still wrestle a lot. To get that extra push, we do a lot of bike work. That's new. It's good. You can save the body, but almost push harder.
"I'm still trying to build the tank, but I like where I'm at."
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****
Lee had three dominant seasons at Minnesota, earning All-America honors in 2021 while delivering records of 26-7 (as an unattached redshirt), 25-6, 14-6 and 16-2. Injuries derailed him his last year and a half, and he decided to transfer.
IU was a no-brainer.
"When the opportunity came up and he was in the transfer portal," Escobedo says, "it was like, he has to come home. This is the place for him. Being close to family and representing Indiana motivates him."
Escobedo had recruited Lee out of high school and coached him for Team Indiana during Lee's run to a 2018 Junior Fargo National title.
"I've known Angel since high school," Lee says. "I really respect him. I like what he's doing here. He's a smart guy, a thoughtful guy. I trusted him.
"He coached me even after I had committed to Minnesota. He still helped me out in freestyle national tournaments. Those little acts you remember when you come to a decision (to transfer).
"I wanted to wrestle for him. The program was going the right way. It was in my home state. It's exciting to wrestle in front of my family and friends."
Escobedo shares the excitement.
"He was a big-time recruit. He was a big name in Indiana.
"I liked the way he competed, the way he trained, his mentality. He's a hard-nosed guy who wants to be the best."
Even in limited action, that best has Lee with a top-20 national ranking. His first IU match was a 3-2 December victory over Princeton's Rocco Camilaci. He says illness contributed to the close score.
"Our big thing is to keep him healthy," Escobedo says. "Push the pace as much as you can, and score as many points as you can."
"He's going to be tired. He's only had two matches, but we're only in January. We still have February and still have March. Everything is a building block for him to get in better shape and better his skills."
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****
Escobedo is building IU into a national power, a necessity in a loaded Big Ten that boasts eight top-21 teams, five in the top-10.
A 3-0 start boosted the Hoosiers into the top-25. Losses to No. 1 Penn State and No. 14 Rutgers (both without Lee) knocked it out of the rankings, but last Sunday's comeback victory over No. 21 Maryland boosts optimism for a strong finish.
"There's a lot of excitement," Lee says. "Everybody trusts and believes in Angel. He goes about things differently. He's a great coach.
"I certainly believe in his program. It will continue to rise."
IU hosts rival Purdue on Saturday night. It also will face Michigan State, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 11 Michigan and Northwestern before ending the regular season against Chattanooga (receiving votes in the coaches' poll) and then the Last Chance Open in Virginia.
"We can go on a couple match winning streak," Escobedo says. "I think we can get four Big Ten wins. That's probably the most we've had in decades. We have a team that can do that."
That's especially true with Lee in the lineup.
"With Brayton, it's a different element," Escobedo says. "With his leadership and the way he competes, everybody else has a lot more confidence."
Lee faces a tough challenge against Purdue on Saturday. Freshman Joey Blaze is ranked No. 16 with a pair of top-5 wins, most recently a pin of No. 3 Peyton Robb of Nebraska.
Blaze is one of five ranked Boilers. The others are No. 1 Matt Ramos at 125, No. 32 Greyson Clark at 141, No. 30 Stoney Buell at 165 and No. 32 Brody Baumann.
IU counters with Lee, No. 23 Dan Fongaro at 141, No. 15 Graham Rooks at 149, No. 22 Tyler Lillard at 165 and No. 10 D.J. Washington at 174. It also has No. 33 Sollars at 197, who leads the nation with 11 pins.
But success requires more than national rankings.
"This team is improving every week," Escobedo says. "I'm excited to see what they can do the rest of the way. The future is bright -- this year, next year and the years after that. We have a great recruiting class and we're building the right foundation to be a great team."
As for Lee, life after college wrestling centers on pursuing world and Olympic titles. Unlike some college standouts, it will not include MMA opportunities.
"I respect MMA, but I'm not too intrigued about getting punched and choked," he says with a smile.
Appreciation, you see, has its limits.
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IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Sometimes, appreciation comes only after something is taken away. Sometimes, if you're Brayton Lee with a final shot at a college wresting national championship after two seasons of injury-caused misery suggested no chance at all, you embrace the opportunity.
"I'm grateful to be part of this team," the Indiana redshirt senior 157 pounder says from just outside the Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall wrestling room.
"It's crazy to think this is my last year in college wrestling. I'm trying to savor it. It's fun. A lot of times college sports can get serious with a lot of pressure, but last week, with my first match back, I realized how fun it is. I'm grateful for a few more matches. I can't ask for much more."
Lee could, of course, ask for a lot more, starting with a bunch of victories culminating in a national championship. Given his All-American pedigree (he was once ranked as high as No. 2 nationally in his weight class), that's a possibility.
It starts with belief.
"Being a national champion is my goal," he says. "I've wrestled my whole life. I've been fortunate to make All-American. I'm grateful for that experience, but after you do it once, you want to stand on top of the podium."
Doing it as a Hoosier after spending the four previous seasons as a Minnesota Gopher would make it even more special given his state-of-Indiana upbringing -- he was a three-time high school state champion at Brownsburg outside of Indianapolis.
"It would be a pretty cool story to stand on top," he says.
IU coach Angel Escobedo embraces the cool.
"We've all seen the ability and what he's been able to accomplish. Injuries slowed him down, but a healthy Brayton who is confident and feels good, I don't know who can beat him. That's what we're seeing."
Seeing came in a big way last Sunday. In just his second match of the season, Lee dominated Maryland's highly regarded and No. 30-ranked Michael North 15-4.
"I'm seeing him get confidence," Escobedo says. "I'm seeing him bring energy into the room. He wants to be a national champion. What better way to do it than your last year at Indiana?"
Â
*****
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Lee has wrestled just twice this season. For comparison, teammates Roman Rogotzke and Gabe Sollars have each wrestled 26 matches.
Inactivity came with postseason purpose. The plan was to get Lee healthy and prepared, which he is. Now, it's going non-stop the rest of the way, highlighted by the Big Ten and NCAA tourneys.
Lee can't wait.
"I love wrestling," he says. "I wrestle pretty much every day. Sometimes you can't always show your capabilities as much as you'd like. I hope to do that with these matches I have left.
"In a perfect world, I'd wrestle 50 matches. With the body and injuries, sometimes you have to take the proper precaution. It's nice being able to wrestle again. It was tough sitting, but it was necessary."
Necessity brings perspective in a grueling sport that demands strength, athleticism, fitness, flexibility and mental toughness. For Lee, it starts by chilling out. He calls it "surrendering to the outcome," and if that sounds like something the psychiatrist from the Sopranos might have said, well, chill out.
"When you're ready to get out there," Lee says, "it's not hard to get revved up. Wrestling is an intense sport. It's natural to go super hard, use up all your energy and burn yourself out.
"We train so much and then to go out and wrestle tight is a shame. The key is to stay relaxed. It's a counterintuitive thing, but it works for me."
Conditioning remains a work in progress. Escobedo has modified Lee's training with rigorous biking and other methods in addition to wrestling to limit the physical pounding.
"We're being innovative with the training and resources we're putting around him," Escobedo says. "We'll continue to do different things that you wouldn't do with a normal guy, say a freshman.
"He's been around the block. He knows what it takes. He understands his body. With him, it's a different training method than our other guys."
Lee is all for it.
"For most part, I still wrestle a lot. To get that extra push, we do a lot of bike work. That's new. It's good. You can save the body, but almost push harder.
"I'm still trying to build the tank, but I like where I'm at."
Â
****
Lee had three dominant seasons at Minnesota, earning All-America honors in 2021 while delivering records of 26-7 (as an unattached redshirt), 25-6, 14-6 and 16-2. Injuries derailed him his last year and a half, and he decided to transfer.
IU was a no-brainer.
"When the opportunity came up and he was in the transfer portal," Escobedo says, "it was like, he has to come home. This is the place for him. Being close to family and representing Indiana motivates him."
Escobedo had recruited Lee out of high school and coached him for Team Indiana during Lee's run to a 2018 Junior Fargo National title.
"I've known Angel since high school," Lee says. "I really respect him. I like what he's doing here. He's a smart guy, a thoughtful guy. I trusted him.
"He coached me even after I had committed to Minnesota. He still helped me out in freestyle national tournaments. Those little acts you remember when you come to a decision (to transfer).
"I wanted to wrestle for him. The program was going the right way. It was in my home state. It's exciting to wrestle in front of my family and friends."
Escobedo shares the excitement.
"He was a big-time recruit. He was a big name in Indiana.
"I liked the way he competed, the way he trained, his mentality. He's a hard-nosed guy who wants to be the best."
Even in limited action, that best has Lee with a top-20 national ranking. His first IU match was a 3-2 December victory over Princeton's Rocco Camilaci. He says illness contributed to the close score.
"Our big thing is to keep him healthy," Escobedo says. "Push the pace as much as you can, and score as many points as you can."
"He's going to be tired. He's only had two matches, but we're only in January. We still have February and still have March. Everything is a building block for him to get in better shape and better his skills."
Â
****
Escobedo is building IU into a national power, a necessity in a loaded Big Ten that boasts eight top-21 teams, five in the top-10.
A 3-0 start boosted the Hoosiers into the top-25. Losses to No. 1 Penn State and No. 14 Rutgers (both without Lee) knocked it out of the rankings, but last Sunday's comeback victory over No. 21 Maryland boosts optimism for a strong finish.
"There's a lot of excitement," Lee says. "Everybody trusts and believes in Angel. He goes about things differently. He's a great coach.
"I certainly believe in his program. It will continue to rise."
IU hosts rival Purdue on Saturday night. It also will face Michigan State, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 11 Michigan and Northwestern before ending the regular season against Chattanooga (receiving votes in the coaches' poll) and then the Last Chance Open in Virginia.
"We can go on a couple match winning streak," Escobedo says. "I think we can get four Big Ten wins. That's probably the most we've had in decades. We have a team that can do that."
That's especially true with Lee in the lineup.
"With Brayton, it's a different element," Escobedo says. "With his leadership and the way he competes, everybody else has a lot more confidence."
Lee faces a tough challenge against Purdue on Saturday. Freshman Joey Blaze is ranked No. 16 with a pair of top-5 wins, most recently a pin of No. 3 Peyton Robb of Nebraska.
Blaze is one of five ranked Boilers. The others are No. 1 Matt Ramos at 125, No. 32 Greyson Clark at 141, No. 30 Stoney Buell at 165 and No. 32 Brody Baumann.
IU counters with Lee, No. 23 Dan Fongaro at 141, No. 15 Graham Rooks at 149, No. 22 Tyler Lillard at 165 and No. 10 D.J. Washington at 174. It also has No. 33 Sollars at 197, who leads the nation with 11 pins.
But success requires more than national rankings.
"This team is improving every week," Escobedo says. "I'm excited to see what they can do the rest of the way. The future is bright -- this year, next year and the years after that. We have a great recruiting class and we're building the right foundation to be a great team."
As for Lee, life after college wrestling centers on pursuing world and Olympic titles. Unlike some college standouts, it will not include MMA opportunities.
"I respect MMA, but I'm not too intrigued about getting punched and choked," he says with a smile.
Appreciation, you see, has its limits.
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