As the season continues, the difficult matches keep on approaching for the IU wrestling team.
In a season that has seen the Hoosiers go 0-6 in their Big Ten duels, the Hoosiers approach these upcoming match-ups with the hope of their first inter-conference victory.
First up Friday night are the Illini. Led by nationally ranked Isaiah Martinez at No. 2 as well as No. 6 Emery Parker, the Illini are a difficult opponent for the Hoosiers.
However, there will be plenty of opportunities for the Hoosiers to score points against this team. Junior Cole Weaver has a favorable slate this weekend, so look for him to score some big points. Weaver recently moved up to No. 13 in the rankings for his weight, so his success is definitely being noted around the country.
Another wrestler who recently moved up the rankings was sophomore Devin Skatzka who only moved up one spot to No. 18, but a move upwards is still a positive step for the rest of his season.
The rest of the team however needs to improve if they want to be able to compete with the stronger Big Ten teams next year.
On Super Bowl Sunday, the Hoosiers have another big match, this one against rivals Purdue.
Purdue comes into University Gym as the slight favorite over the Hoosiers. However, the Boilermakers have yet to earn themselves their first Big Ten victory of the year as well.
Some of the match-ups to look forward to in this bout include, at the 125 weight, junior Elijah Oliver for the Hoosiers and senior Luke Welch from Purdue. Both wrestlers have had successful seasons so far, with Welch spending part of this season ranked in the top 20. Look for this match to be close, but also very exciting,
Another big duel comes in the 141 weight class, with Weaver going against Purdue’s Nate Limmex. The last time Weaver faced a wrestler of Limmex’s caliber, against No. 24 Sal Profaci from Michigan, he didn’t do so well and ended up with a loss. Hopefully another big duel for Weaver will end this time in a victory.
But the best match-up of the night versus Purdue will almost certainly come from Devin Skatzka and Purdue’s Dylan Lydy. Lydy comes into this match as the No. 9 wrestler in the country.
With Skatzka also being ranked in the top 20, this match-up is one that could go either way for the Hoosiers. If Skatzka brings high effort and energy, then you can expect this duel to be one of the closest of the day.
The Hoosiers have a great chance this weekend to bring home their first two conference victories. While both match-ups are incredibly difficult, IU feels like they have the necessary pieces to make a late season push and send a few of their talented wrestlers off to the NCAA tournament with a positive finish to the season.
Illinois visits University Gym at 7 p.m. Friday and Purdue at 1 p.m. Sunday.
