Toughness speaks volumes

What more can you say about sophomore Angel Escobedo?\nA 34-1 overall record. Eight pins. Eight major decisions. Ninety-two points picked up for his team versus only three given up.\nThe numbers obviously speak for themselves.\nEnough said.\nBut the poise under pressure for the 125-pound young man from Griffith, Ind., yelled louder than any statistic ever can.\nSaturday night, underneath the bright lights at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, the Hoosier captured his first national championship in front of an ESPN audience and 16,000-plus fans. Escobedo fought hard to the final bell, and at the end of the third period countered a takedown attempt by Minnesota’s Jayson Ness, his biggest rival, with a takedown of his own. Escobedo followed that with a near-fall. With time winding down and the Golden Gopher on the mat, the only thing stopping the Hoosier from pinning his opponent was the clock.\nTime expired and he stood up, basking in the sound of raucous cheering. The official grabbed Escobedo’s wrist, and raised his right arm to the sky.\nAt the same time, Escobedo’s left shoulder was in pain. In the quarterfinals just a day before, his shoulder came out of its socket and forced the young superstar to use up about a minute of injury time while trailing to Northwestern’s Brandon Precin, the No. 8 seed. Down 2-1, Escobedo willed his way to a dramatic escape point in the third period. With riding time being a seven-second advantage, Escobedo blocked many attempts from Precin and came away victorious, 3-2.\nPain is no object for many wrestlers. I regularly attended practices and it seemed like there was a new injury every week. It was never a shock to see someone taped up or bearing a new brace to combat the pain and give it a go on the mat. Having caught word on television that Escobedo had popped his shoulder out in the quarterfinals, unlike many viewers, I didn’t even bat an eye.\nEscobedo’s only loss this season came in Iowa City against Charlie Falck, the third of the triumvirate of Big Ten 125-pound wrestlers who had a shot at the title. Escobedo ended up falling 4-2 to the Hawkeye, but the victor in that match realistically should have been the flu, which had plagued the Hoosier the preceding week. IU coach Duane Goldman admitted Escobedo probably shouldn’t have been wrestling. The fact that he still took the mat speaks volumes to his competitive spirit.\nEscobedo completed a virtually flawless season and helped give the Hoosiers, who struggled much of the season but came along strong at the tail-end, something to cheer about by winning the NCAA Championship.\nIU has now won three of the last four championships at the 125-pound weight class. With Escobedo here for another two seasons, the heaven-sent sophomore gives the Hoosiers the likely chance at a dynasty in that weight class. And with a young team, Goldman and the Hoosiers will be serious contenders in the future.