Wrestling to compete against No. 20 Wisconsin

A 6-5 start on the season is not where IU Coach Duane Goldman said he wants his wrestling team to be.

Still, Goldman expressed he is pleased with the effort his guys have shown, considering the many setbacks that have affected the Hoosiers.

Going into the Ohio State match last week, the Hoosiers were without five of their 10 starters, as they lost 36-3. While Goldman said effort converted into wins would be ideal, the main concern going into the match against Big Ten rival Wisconsin this Friday is getting healthy.

“We need to get healthy, but there is no window of opportunity to relax,” Goldman said. “We will have to push forward and toughen up.”

Now that the Hoosiers are in the middle of their Big Ten season, there is no room for weakness, as Goldman said. With a similar record of 6-4, the Badgers will pose another threat to the Hoosiers, though not quite to the level of No. 5 Ohio State or No. 3 Minnesota.

In addition to what Goldman called a “strong lineup,” the Badgers will also have the advantage of wrestling at home in front of their fans. Goldman said that will force the Hoosiers to concentrate on their own performance and not let the crowd phase them.
 
Given that the Hoosiers will be without five of their starters again, Goldman said this match against Wisconsin will be a tough one.

“It’s hard to put back-ups in in the Big Ten; you are going to suffer,” Goldman said. “We’re not able to get our number one guys out there and that’s going to create problems for us.”

Goldman has pinned these setbacks on bad luck, and said many of these obstacles have resulted from “flukes.” Whatever is causing this season of ups and downs, Goldman said training has still been on schedule and the guys have been doing well, taking everything into consideration. 

“The guys are trying hard, they are training really well and their attitude is good,” Goldman said. “I think in the long run it will pay off for the guys who stick it out and it will make them stronger for the future.”

The main aspect Goldman has still been stressing in practice is the factor of aggression. To face a team such as Wisconsin, with home gym advantage, will take a drive to win in addition to the technical aspects of training, Goldman said. He said he wants his wrestlers to focus on what they need to do against Wisconsin and be aggressive about doing it. 

The Badgers will enter this match with three ranked individuals, the same amount as the Hoosiers. The match that fans will want to keep an eye on, though, will be at the heavyweight position. Freshman Connor Medbery of Wisconsin, currently ranked eleventh, will take on junior Adam Chalfant, ranked just below him at twelfth.

With these rankings in mind, the Hoosiers are set for another Big Ten battle, putting their training and line up adjustments to the test.