Team looks to carry strong start into New Year

With strong showings during winter break, the IU wrestling team looks poised to enter Big Ten play on a high note. \nIU started the break with telling victories against Gardner-Webb (31-6) and Cumberland (50-0) in a dual meet in Bloomington. The Hoosier wrestlers took 18 out of 20 matches, including a perfect 10 for 10 against Cumberland. All-American and eighth-ranked junior Joe Dubuque started off with 19-2 technical fall victory against Gardner-Webb's Jon Neal in the 125 pound category and the route was on. \nTwo days later the Hoosiers traveled to Ohio for a dual meet with Kent State and James Madison. IU improved to 5-0 on the season and gained the 600th dual meet win in school history with their 23-13 defeat of Kent State. \nConfident with the early success, IU rolled into Evanston, Ill. to finish 2004 at the Midlands Championships and captured eighth place in a field of 60.\n"The Midlands is the toughest tournament outside of the NCAAs," said coach Duane Goldman. "We didn't have three starters, but we had a really good finish. We're pleased with our showing."\nSenior heavyweight Pat DeGain led the way by capturing first place, the first time a Hoosier had achieved that since Viktor Sveda in 2001. Enroute to his overall victory, DeGain defeated three higher seeds, including defending Division II National Champion Les Sigman of Nebraska-Omaha, Matt Fields of Iowa and Matt Feast of Pennsylvania.\n"Whenever you're wrestling someone of that caliber you've got some good competition," DeGain said. "This year we've got a good team, the best team we've had since I got here."\nIU also got a boost from senior Mike Simpson in the 141 pound category. After initially losing to Andy Simmons of Michigan State, he fought back to defeat Mike Hurley of Cleveland State and Alex Tsirtsis of Iowa. During his final victory, Simpson received a cut over his eye requiring forty stitches and was forced to forfeit his last match. \nAfter a two-week vacation, the wrestlers will return to action Jan. 14 at the Virginia Duals, and will begin Big Ten play against Northwestern Jan. 21 at University Gym. With eight Big Ten teams ranked in the top 20, IU will face some stiff competition, but that doesn't bother anyone. \n"I think our team right now is starting to get up and we're continually getting better," Simpson said. "I'm pretty excited to be going into the Big Ten, I'm confident we're going to do better than we have in recent years." \n-- Contact staff writer Andrew Petersen at andpeter@indiana.edu.