With IU wrestling still looking for its first Big Ten win of the season, the Hoosiers have a double dose of conference action this weekend with a road match at Northwestern and a home battle with No. 5 Nebraska.
With the matchup against a top team like Nebraska looming Sunday, 184-pound senior Nate Jackson and IU are making sure they do not overlook Northwestern on Friday. Jackson is ranked No. 6 in the NCAA in his weight class and will face No. 3 184-pound TJ Dudley from Nebraska on Sunday, but first, he will face off against No. 20 Mitch Silga of Northwestern on Friday for the second time this season.
“We have Northwestern first,” Jackson said. “I have a rematch against a guy I beat earlier this year. He’s a ranked wrestler, and I think it will be a little disrespectful to overlook him. My mentality is to train for Northwestern and worry about Dudley after that.”
At the Midlands Tournament in late December, Jackson beat Silga and lost to Dudley.
With rematches IU Coach Duane Goldman said there are not a lot of changes in preparation or mindset.
“Not really a different approach, but I think, like everybody, we have to make adjustments on our end because they are making adjustments on their end too,” Goldman said. “We know, for the most part, what they are going to try to do and they know what we are going to try to do. It’s a matter of feeling good, being prepared and execution.”
Feeling good and executing is what Jackson and fellow 149-pound senior Chris Perez will try to do Friday and Sunday in an effort to move to 3-0 and 4-0 in Big Ten competition, respectively.
Perez said he is approaching every match the same way because he knows if he goes out and wrestles to his ability, he can come away victorious every time.
As a graduate transfer Perez said he feels like he just moved in to the IU program, but he said that does not take away from his realization that the end of his wrestling career is near.
“As far as wrestling goes I feel like I have been doing this for forever,” Perez said. “It definitely feels like I am coming down my own victory lap I guess. I feel like it has gone fast, but at the same time I feel like I have been doing it forever. It definitely feels like a senior year.”
On Friday the two senior leaders hope to lead their team to victory against the Wildcats. Jackson said he feels confident about the team’s chances as the Hoosiers prepare for a busy weekend.
“I think we have a great opportunity,” Jackson said of the chance for important wins. “A lot of big matches for individuals, opportunities for guys to get in the RPI and solidify a spot at nationals. Every week is a big week, but this is a really big week for us. I think we will get it done.”
