Going into Friday’s dual match against Big Ten foe Maryland, the wrestling team had already won a Big Ten dual, matching the total number of Big Ten dual wins over the last five seasons combined.
On Friday, the Hoosiers eclipsed that number. The team worked its way to a second Big Ten win of the season, defeating the Terrapins 26-13.
"It was a hard-fought victory," IU Coach Duane Goldman said."There were a lot of matches that stretched into overtime, or came right down to the end, but we knew it would be like that going in. We expected a dogfight, and we were in one."
The Hoosiers won seven of the ten matches, including one pin and a tech fall victory.
Junior Nate Jackson came away with the tech fall victory, defeating Maryland senior Josh Snook 23-8.
Jackson recently defeated Penn State's No.1-ranked Bo Nickal, earning him the Big Ten wrestler of the week award.
True freshman Elijah Oliver got back to his winning ways, securing a pin over Maryland freshman Mike Beck.
Oliver lost a tough match to the No. 4 wrestler against Penn State on Jan. 10, a match the freshman said made him realize the amount he still has to learn.
“That loss made me realize a lot of things," Oliver said. "I'm still learning, and still progressing, and I know what it will take to bring it to a guy like that next time around."
Both sophomore Luke Blanton and freshman Cole Weaver were down late in their respective matches, but each came away victorious.
Blanton found himself down 4-1 heading into the final three-minute period, only to tie the match with about 50 seconds remaining.
In the tiebreaker period, Blanton outscored his opponent 5-0, ultimately taking the match 9-4.
Goldman said he had confidence in Blanton to win that match going into the day, and that Blanton showed courage and competitiveness in his come-from-behind victory.
Weaver trailed by two points halfway through the third period. In that last ninety-second span, he outscored Maryland freshman Alfred Bannister 7-0, leading to a convincing victory.
While wrestling is often thought of as an individual sport, IU's chemistry as a team has led to some of the Hoosiers' success this season.
Goldman said they compete for more than personal gain — they also wrestle for their teammates. He added that everyone believes in one another and that the team mentality has been rewarding throughout the season.
The Hoosiers will look to add another Big Ten win to their resume next weekend when they travel to East Lansing to take on Michigan State. The Spartans are currently 0-4 in conference play, but Goldman said that the Hoosiers cannot look past their record.
"They have a lot of great individual talent on that team," Goldman said. "They have tough competitors, and we can't overlook them. We have to look at what's right in front of us and be ready to go."
