Top 20 Athletes

Top 20 Editor’s Note: With the official 2008-09 season on the horizon, we at the IDS got to thinking, “Who should fans watch for next year?” Our writers came up with a list of the top 20 returning Hoosiers for the fall and spring, and over the next month, we will reveal who we think makes the cut.

No. 1- Angel Escobedo, junior, Wrestling
Like most Escobedo matches, this one wasn't much of a contest.
For a man small in stature, he wrestles much bigger on the mat. Escobedo won his first 24 matches of the year in 2007-08. Oddly enough, the only thing that could beat him was the flu (Escobedo's lone loss came while he was ill against Iowa's Charlie Falck). Even an injured shoulder in the NCAA's couldn't stop him.
Escobedo won the NCAA National Championship in the 125-pound weight class and finished the season with a 34-1 record, accumulating eight pins and eight major decisions. Escobedo also won the triple crown in his sport, capturing titles in the Midlands Championships and the Big Ten.
With all of those accolades, Escobedo earns the distinction of IU's top returning athlete.



No. 2 - Kate Zubkova, sophomore, Women's swimming
Fellow member of IU's women's swimming and diving team Zubkova edges out Loukas based upon one qualification: her sport is more physically grueling. Not to dismiss the toughness of a diver, we think it's more difficult on a body to tough out a heat in the 100-meter backstroke. Zubkova also heads to Beijing with something else Loukas doens't have - Olympic experience. The 19-year old Zubkova represented her native Ukraine in 2004's Athens Olympiad when she was 16 years old. Plus, the Olympics is in her blood. Her father and mother both competed at separate Olympiads in the sport.

No. 3 - Christina Loukas, senior, Women's diving
Strangely enough, we've decided to include an athlete who didn't even compete for IU in the 2007-2008 season. Why you might ask? Well, by redshirting last year to train for the Olympics, Christina Loukas puts herself on a whole different level. The Riverwoods, Ill., native will be headline the group of divers in Beijing this summer and has a legitimate shot at taking home a gold medal in her sport. Loukas won the 2006-2007 NCAA Championship her junior year. Oddly enough, again, that title would pale in comparison to what might happen in a few weeks in China for Loukas.

No. 4 - Jorge Campillo, senior, Men's Golf
With Tiger Woods out this summer, it has been difficult to follow any golfers in particular. Lucky for the IDS and IU, Jorge Campillo is on our side. The native of Caceres, Spain has had an incredible summer and continues to get better. Campillo finished in second place at the 2008 NCAA Championships at Purdue's Kampen Golf Course. Campillo recently competed in both the British Amateur and the Palmer Cup, which is similar to the Ryder Cup but for amateur athletes. It's only a matter of time before we see Campillo's name on the leader board next to some of the the sport's greats.


No. 5 - Brad Ring, senior midfielder, Men's Soccer
One of IU's athletics gems, fans pack Bill Armstrong Stadium regularly as it hosts one of the best Men's Soccer programs in the country. As the captain of the team, Ring is the embodiment of what college soccer is all about: experience, consistency and leadership. The Hoosiers benefit from everything Ring brings to the squad. Last season, Ring led IU in scoring and was named second team All-American. Next season, IU will need Ring more than ever if they want to advance deep in to the NCAA tournament. In their second round loss against Bradley last year, Ring was injured in the 27th minute.

No. 6 - Ray Fisher, junior wide receiver, Football

Teammate Bryan Payton’s, who runs a blog called Inside IU Football, called Ray Fisher “Probably the most electrifying offensive player on the team.” He also said Fisher displays “tremendous quickness and great ball skills.” Fisher was second on the team in receiving this year, behind only James Hardy. Fisher finished the season with 52 catches for 482 years and four touchdowns. In addition Fisher, who has clocked in the 4.2 range for the 40-yard dash had a long catch of 60 yards. With the key loss of James Hardy, who is on the Buffalo Bills, Fisher will be called upon to step up for the team. The Hoosiers receiving unit will also have their number one player back and throwing to them as Kellen Lewis was recently reinstated for the upcoming season. For the Hoosiers to reach 13 again Fisher is going to be a key part to the equation.

No. 7 - Josh Phegley, junior catcher, Baseball

Although he played behind the plate for the season as the team’s catcher when he stepped up to the plate he made his presence known. Phegley posted one of the best seasons in IU school history in his sophomore season at IU. He was named a second team All-American by both the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and Collegiate Baseball News. Additionally he was a unanimous first team All-Big Ten Selection. Phegley’s final number included the top batting average in the Big Ten and second nationally at .438. Phegley was the only Big Ten athlete to hit over .400 on the year. He also had the fourth most RBI’s in school history with 80. Next year Phegley will return to the Hoosiers poised to lead the team as a force in the Big Ten.

No. 8 - Greg Middleton, junior defensive end, Football

At six-feet-three, 275 pounds, this Indianapolis native is easily the biggest player on this list. Conveniently enough for the defensive line, Middleton's size matches his play. Greg has already been put on four watch lists: the Rotary Lombardi Award Preliminary Watch (down linemen and those defensive players who line up within five yards of the football), Lott Trophy Watch List (Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year) and two for the best defensive player in college football, the Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List and Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List.
Last season, Middleton was awarded All-America distinction from the Associated Press, The Sporting News, CBSSports.com, SI.com, Rivals.com and CollegeFootballNews.com in 2007 and with another year under his belt he anchor the line even more. Can somebody say 'Heisman' in 2009?

No. 9 - Kristin Arnold, junior forward, Women's Soccer
IU went to their first ever Round of 16 in the NCAA tournament in 2007 and much of the thanks has to go to Arnold, who scored 10 goals in her sophomore campaign. Arnold earned many accolades last year, including being named a finalist for the Umbro/Soccer News Net Player of the Year. Arnold also lead the Big Ten in goals during the conference season and picked up 2nd team All-Conference honors. Next year, IU is poised for another long run into the NCAA tournament and if Arnold has another productive year a national semifinal appearance won't be out of the question. It's scary to see what number's she'll put up by the end of her career at
IU.

No. 10 - Phillip Eilers, sophomore, Men's Tennis

As seniors Dara McLoughlin and Thomas Richter leave the men's tennis team, two spots at the top are vacant. This is where Eilers comes in. Along with fellow sophomore Lachlan Ferguson, the Germany native will be expected to fill the void. Last season, Eilers finished with an overall record of 21-18, including a 3-1 record slotted as the No. 1 singles player. As a doubles tandem, Eilers and Ferguson had a 6-5 record, including going 2-0 against nationally ranked competition. Next season, IU returns six players, five of whom will be underclassmen. Like many other of the s chool's athletic programs, IU's men's tennis team expects to excel next season with a good crop of young talent returning. Eilers should assume the No. 1 singles position and lead the Hoosiers past the NCAA regionals, where their season ended last year.

No.11 - Kellen Lewis, senior quarterback, Football

Electrifying.
That's the best way to describe a guy who led IU Football to its first Bowl appearance since the Clinton adminisitration. The junior ran for over 1,000 yards, leading a 7-5 IU team. Lewis (obviously) took care of business in the passing department, too, with over 3,000 yards in 2007. So why, do you ask, is Lewis so low on this list? There have been off-season mumblings about him sitting out some games early on in the 2008 campaign. Nonetheless, Lewis is still possibly the most dynamic athlete on this list.


No. 12 - Jamie Braun, junior guard, Women's Basketball

The Jack-of-all-trades for IU's much improved women's basketball team, Braun has two more years left as a Hoosier and is on pace for a prolific career. Last season as a sophomore, Braun led IU in both points(14.5) and assists(3.5) and finished second in rebounding (6.1).

The Wisconsin native will return with fellow Top-20 lister Whitney Thomas, forward Amber Jackson and guard Kim Roberson as upperclassmen all averaging double-figures. Braun is a budding star on an experienced team.

No. 13 - Austin Starr, senior kicker, Football

Starr's toe electrified Hoosier nation when he kicked a game winning 49-yard field goal against Purdue to win the Old Oaken Bucket, sending IU to its first bowl game in 14 years.

The senior has a laundry list of accomplishments which include a Lou Groza Award finalist for Kicker of the Year and an Academic All-American.

Starr falls a little on this list because, well, he's a kicker.

No. 14 - Stephanie Chin, sophomore pole vaulter, Women's Track and Field

Sophomore pole vaulter Stephanie Chin did not have to travel far to come to IU. The Bloomington native captured a runner-up finish at the Indiana State meet in her senior year at Bloomington High School South. In her first season for the Hoosiers Chin re-wrote the record books in dominant fashion. At the Meyo Invite in South Bend, Chin set the indoor school record when she vaulted 4.12 meters, (13.51 ft.). During the outdoor season she set the record at 4.25 meters, (13.94 ft.). Going into next season Chin will build on her experience in NCAA Championship meets, and will look to gain the All-American honors she missed out on last year.

No. 15 - Alba Berdala, senior, Women's Tennis

A 21-18 record might not indicate dominance, but don't let the numbers fool you: Berdala is an incredible player. Going up against the best player from other teams everday shows the grit IU's No.1 singles player has. Berdala will lead a team that gained loads of experience last year. Last season, there was one senior and four talented freshmen on the roster. In 2008-09, Lin Loring's team will have three seniors. Look for Berdala to shine in her final campaign at IU.


No. 16 - Aaron Opell, junior, Men's Swimming

As the olympic trials near, IU is once again will likely be well represented the on the U.S. team. Opell is one of many Hoosiers participating in the 2008 Beijing swimming Olympic trials. Opell officially made the cut for the trials earlier this summer at the Toyota Grand Prix, where he clocked in a time in the 100-breaststroke of 1:03.91. His time was one-tenth of a second faster than 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps and two-tenths of a second slower than the world record.



No. 17 - Whitney Thomas, senior forward, Women's Basketball

When coach Felisha Legette-Jack was appointed to lead a women’s basketball team with a record of 17-13 (9-7), she couldn’t have planned to have one of the most powerful players in the Big Ten waiting in the wings. Thomas, a Bloomington High School North graduate, started all 33 games for IU last season leading the team in blocks and rebounds per game. Thomas patrolled the paint last season for a team that is coming into their own since Coach Jack took over. Thomas’s points and rebounds averages have increased every year since she came to IU. Along with forward/center Amber Jackson, IU boasts one of the top inside duos in the Big Ten. It’s only a matter of time until the Hoosiers break through to the NCAA tournament. With another season under her belt, Thomas might be the force to make 2008-09 that season.

No. 18 — Matt Bashore, junior pitcher, Baseball

On a young, upstart Hoosier baseball team, being a stand-out pitcher means you can really bring the heat. Three times this past season this scintillating southpaw won Big Ten Pitcher of the week while leading the conference in strike outs and finishing fourth in ERA. In doing so, Bashore became the first Hoosier pitcher since 1996 to be named first team all-conference. With only four seniors on last year’s roster, IU will look to improve on a third place finish in the 2008 conference tournament. And with Matt Bashore on our side, don’t be too surprised if we see the cream and crimson suiting up in Omaha during the next couple years for the College World Series.


No. 19 — Nick Williams, freshman guard, Men’s Basketball

We like Williams a little more than the other guards new IU coach Tom Crean will bring in next year. Williams won Alabama’s High School Player of the Year award last season by averaging 21 points per game while also earning him All-State honors. Williams was released from his letter of intent at Marquette University, Crean’s former school, and chose to follow his coach to Bloomington. Crean said in a press release that Williams “is a winner who is tough and physical, and ... boasts a work ethic that has helped him improve his game in a variety of ways each year.” With a major vote of confidence from his coach, expect Williams to be the most familiar of the 11 new faces of Hoosier basketball next season.

No. 20. — Nathan Everhart, Junior, Wrestling

This heavyweight would likely be higher on this list, but he wrestled while rehabilitating his foot from surgery after dropping a weight on it last off-season. Everhart sat out the entire non-conference 2007-08 season and returned to the line-up for IU’s Big Ten Opener against Wisconsin. Although Everhart had an overall season record of 5-10, he was still able to earn an NCAA Championship bid by finishing seventh at the Big Ten Championships. This was a tall task considering the Big Ten was by far the most dominant conference in the country, having nine of the top-18 teams in the pre-NCAA tournament polls, according to www.intermatwrestle.com. Next season, four premiere Big Ten heavyweight wrestlers will be gone and a healthy Everhart will have a chance to exert his dominance on the mat. If his toughness is any measure, we might be seeing something special in 2008-09.