Indiana University Athletics
Indiana Wrestling to Host Chattanooga in Season’s Final Dual
2/22/2024 1:00:00 PM | Wrestling
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. –––– In its final dual of the season, Indiana is set to host Chattanooga for a 7 p.m. match on Friday, Feb. 23 in Wilkinson Hall.
The match will also serve as Senior Night as nine Hoosiers will be recognized for their contributions to the program in their final home dual. The program's seniors who will go through the event's recognition include Nico Bolivar, Clayton Fielden, Dan Fongaro, Brayton Lee, Cayden Rooks, Graham Rooks, Nick South, Michael Spangler and Nick Willham.
A handful of Indiana Wrestlers will also compete in George Mason's Patriot Last Chance Open on the regular season's final day on Sunday, Feb. 25.
ANOTHER MEET UP WITH THE MOCS:
-The annual series against Chattanooga is back again for another season as Indiana hosts them this Friday, Feb. 23.
-The Hoosiers have faced off with the Mocs every season since 2018-19 (except for the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season).
-Indiana leads the all-time series, 9-2, winning last year's dual in the Scenic City, 32-3.
-Prior to this dual, Indiana faced off against many Chattanooga wrestlers at the Southern Scuffle earlier this season on Jan. 1-2. Indiana sixth-year seniors Dan Fongaro and Graham Rooks each won individual titles at that tournament.
-Chattanooga owns a 10-5 record going into this dual with three ranked wrestlers listed in their probable starters: No. 25 Brayden Palmer (125), No. 27 Blake Boarman (133) and No. 33 Isaiah Powe (141).
WEEKEND REWIND:
-In the last weekend of Big Ten duals, the Hoosiers fell short, dropping a home match to No. 7 Michigan, 30-6, on Friday, Feb. 16 and they lost narrowly at Northwestern, 19-18.
-While the team results were not ideal, there were some notable Indiana wins.
-No. 18 Brayton Lee (157) defeated No. 10 Will Lewan of Michigan, by decision 2-1, in the dual for Lee's fifth win on the season and fourth ranked victory.
-Now, No. 20 Tyler Lillard (165) defeated No. 20 Maxx Mayfield in the Northwestern dual by decision, 8-2.
-No. 23 Dan Fongaro and No. 20 DJ Washington each picked up a bonus-point victory against Northwestern with Fongaro winning by tech fall and Washington by major decision.
LAST GO AROUND IN WILKINSON:
-For nine Indiana wrestlers, Friday will be their final time competing in Wilkinson Hall. The festivities and recognition ceremony will begin prior to the dual against Chattanooga.
-The 2024 senior class features a variety of different types of senirors who are on their fourth, fifth or even sixth years of college wrestling, as well as a handful of transfers and guys who have spent their entire collegiate career in Bloomington.
-The nine Indiana seniors being recognized are Brayton Lee, Dan Fongaro, Michael Spangler, Clayton Fielden, Nico Bolivar, Nick South, Nick Willham, Cayden Rooks and Graham Rooks.
-Lee, Fongaro, Spangler and G. Rooks are all sixth-year seniors, while South, Willham and C. Rooks are fifth-years.
-Of the class and to this point in time, there are a combined six NCAA qualifiers and one NCAA alternate spot attained by this group in their college careers.
-Graham Rooks is the only Hoosier remaining from Angel Escobedo's first recruiting class at IU and the only Indiana wrestler to have competed for Escobedo throughout his entire tenure as the Indiana head coach.
HOME STRETCH:
-The end of the regular season is near as Indiana wraps up dual action this weekend.
-After the team's final dual on Friday, a handful of Hoosiers will compete at George Mason's Patriot Last Chance Open on Sunday, Feb. 25.
-Once the calendar flips to March, the postseason will arrive. The Big Ten Championships will be held from March 9-10 in College Park, Md. The 2024 NCAA Championships are from March 21-23 in Kansas City, Mo.
NEW FACES:
-Indiana has nine new wrestlers on the roster for this season.
-Of the newbies, five of them are freshmen while the other four 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, Roman Rogotzke and Aaron Johnson.
-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.
-Johnson joined the Hoosiers at the semester break.
-The Kennesaw, Ga. native and heavyweight wrestled at University of the Cumberlands (NAIA) in Williamsburg, Ky. from 2017-2022.
-Johnson was a four-time NAIA qualifier and three-time All-American at Cumberlands.
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 31 wrestlers on the team, there are 14 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, Kentucky and Georgia.
The match will also serve as Senior Night as nine Hoosiers will be recognized for their contributions to the program in their final home dual. The program's seniors who will go through the event's recognition include Nico Bolivar, Clayton Fielden, Dan Fongaro, Brayton Lee, Cayden Rooks, Graham Rooks, Nick South, Michael Spangler and Nick Willham.
A handful of Indiana Wrestlers will also compete in George Mason's Patriot Last Chance Open on the regular season's final day on Sunday, Feb. 25.
ANOTHER MEET UP WITH THE MOCS:
-The annual series against Chattanooga is back again for another season as Indiana hosts them this Friday, Feb. 23.
-The Hoosiers have faced off with the Mocs every season since 2018-19 (except for the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season).
-Indiana leads the all-time series, 9-2, winning last year's dual in the Scenic City, 32-3.
-Prior to this dual, Indiana faced off against many Chattanooga wrestlers at the Southern Scuffle earlier this season on Jan. 1-2. Indiana sixth-year seniors Dan Fongaro and Graham Rooks each won individual titles at that tournament.
-Chattanooga owns a 10-5 record going into this dual with three ranked wrestlers listed in their probable starters: No. 25 Brayden Palmer (125), No. 27 Blake Boarman (133) and No. 33 Isaiah Powe (141).
WEEKEND REWIND:
-In the last weekend of Big Ten duals, the Hoosiers fell short, dropping a home match to No. 7 Michigan, 30-6, on Friday, Feb. 16 and they lost narrowly at Northwestern, 19-18.
-While the team results were not ideal, there were some notable Indiana wins.
-No. 18 Brayton Lee (157) defeated No. 10 Will Lewan of Michigan, by decision 2-1, in the dual for Lee's fifth win on the season and fourth ranked victory.
-Now, No. 20 Tyler Lillard (165) defeated No. 20 Maxx Mayfield in the Northwestern dual by decision, 8-2.
-No. 23 Dan Fongaro and No. 20 DJ Washington each picked up a bonus-point victory against Northwestern with Fongaro winning by tech fall and Washington by major decision.
LAST GO AROUND IN WILKINSON:
-For nine Indiana wrestlers, Friday will be their final time competing in Wilkinson Hall. The festivities and recognition ceremony will begin prior to the dual against Chattanooga.
-The 2024 senior class features a variety of different types of senirors who are on their fourth, fifth or even sixth years of college wrestling, as well as a handful of transfers and guys who have spent their entire collegiate career in Bloomington.
-The nine Indiana seniors being recognized are Brayton Lee, Dan Fongaro, Michael Spangler, Clayton Fielden, Nico Bolivar, Nick South, Nick Willham, Cayden Rooks and Graham Rooks.
-Lee, Fongaro, Spangler and G. Rooks are all sixth-year seniors, while South, Willham and C. Rooks are fifth-years.
-Of the class and to this point in time, there are a combined six NCAA qualifiers and one NCAA alternate spot attained by this group in their college careers.
-Graham Rooks is the only Hoosier remaining from Angel Escobedo's first recruiting class at IU and the only Indiana wrestler to have competed for Escobedo throughout his entire tenure as the Indiana head coach.
HOME STRETCH:
-The end of the regular season is near as Indiana wraps up dual action this weekend.
-After the team's final dual on Friday, a handful of Hoosiers will compete at George Mason's Patriot Last Chance Open on Sunday, Feb. 25.
-Once the calendar flips to March, the postseason will arrive. The Big Ten Championships will be held from March 9-10 in College Park, Md. The 2024 NCAA Championships are from March 21-23 in Kansas City, Mo.
NEW FACES:
-Indiana has nine new wrestlers on the roster for this season.
-Of the newbies, five of them are freshmen while the other four 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, Roman Rogotzke and Aaron Johnson.
-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.
-Johnson joined the Hoosiers at the semester break.
-The Kennesaw, Ga. native and heavyweight wrestled at University of the Cumberlands (NAIA) in Williamsburg, Ky. from 2017-2022.
-Johnson was a four-time NAIA qualifier and three-time All-American at Cumberlands.
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 31 wrestlers on the team, there are 14 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, Kentucky and Georgia.
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