Sophomore wins national wrestling title despite dislocated shoulder

Friday morning, the arm connected to the injured shoulder of sophomore Angel Escobedo was flat on the ground, dislocated and flexed to the maximum in reaction to the pain.\nStrangely enough Saturday night, the arm, now clad in a black brace under a crimson singlet, pointed sky high to the St. Louis heavens, celebrating an NCAA championship in the 125-pound weight class.\n“(The shoulder) didn’t affect me at all,” Escobedo said in a statement. “It was hurting throughout the whole tournament, but once you’re in the finals, nothing hurts anymore.”\nEscobedo (34-1) capped off a magical season Saturday by earning a national championship with a 10-3 defeat over rival Jayson Ness of Minnesota. In an ESPN-televised match, the Hoosier earned two points for executing a takedown. After a Ness escape, the bell rang on the first period as Escobedo had a 2-1 lead. Ness picked up another escape point in the second period and knotted up the score at 2-2.\n“(The game plan) went well,” Escobedo said. “It wasn’t like we mapped it out, because you can’t map anything in wrestling. I was looking to score early, and I did.”\nEscobedo had a huge riding time advantage throughout the match and knew he could use that to his favor. Once Ness was warned for stalling in the third, Escobedo picked up an escape point and took an abrupt lead with 1:25 left. Then the Hoosier came alive.\n“Watching throughout the year, I knew he was really offensive,” Escobedo said. “I knew it was going to be a hard, seven-minute match. Whether he’s down two or down five, he’s still going to try getting a big blow or a big move. I had to keep the tempo up.”\nEscobedo took advantage of an aggressive Ness, and the rout was on. A double-leg takedown earned Escobedo another two points. With a 5-2 lead, Escobedo allowed Ness to get up from the down position to make the score 5-3. \n“I was looking for my primary shot – a double-leg,” Escobedo said. “It has worked in the past with him. I knew he was going to be coming after me, trying to get the takedown also. So, I caught him at the right moment and I knew I was going to be able to capitalize.”\nThe icing was put on the cake when Ness attempted to throw down the Hoosier as time was about to expire. Escobedo countered the move by slamming his opponent down and nearly pinning him as the clock struck zero, picking up four late points. During the waning moments, Escobedo was carried by the cheers of 16,154 fans at the sold-out Scottrade Center.\n“(Escobedo) is obviously a great athlete,” IU coach Duane Goldman said. “He has God-given talent that he’s blessed with, but on top of that, he listens to his coaches. He is such a smart wrestler.”\nGoldman admits it’s not difficult to coach wrestlers such as Escobedo.\n“I am basically there to give moral support,” Goldman said in a statement. “When he’s out there, he makes great decisions. He knows what he is capable of doing, he knows what he wants to do and is just a tremendous athlete. He is responsive to everything that is put in front of him – just a tremendous kid.”\nNot to be outdone, senior Brandon Becker finished an outstanding career for the Hoosiers by earning his third All-America honors in five years. Becker was fourth in the 157-pound weight class. The senior nearly finished third, but time expired as he attempted to mount a last-second comeback.\n“It wasn’t my goal to finish fourth,” Becker said in a statement. “I wanted to climb the All-American stand and come here to win a national championship, so it’s kind of bittersweet. However, I am very happy to be a three-time All-American and to get back to the podium this year. I am fortunate and can’t hang my head.”\nGoldman applauded Becker’s efforts.\n“I appreciate his competitive spirit,” Goldman said. “I know he’s always willing to go to war for us.”\nIU finished 12th overall as a team, an impressive finish considering its No. 15 ranking entering the tournament.