Indiana wrestling started the Big Ten conference season in the loss column Sunday afternoon in Columbus, Ohio, losing all ten bouts and conceding a 45-0 win to the 11-0 Ohio State Buckeyes. The Hoosiers’ three-meet win streak could not be extended, as they fall to 5-2 on the season.
Seven of Indiana’s 10 wrestlers were featured in InterMat’s most recent top-33, while Ohio State sported nine.
The first bad omen for Indiana came in the 125-pound bout. Previously undefeated No. 12 graduate student Jacob Moran failed to provide the Hoosiers with an early lead in his matchup with No. 3 redshirt junior Nic Bouzakis. Bouzakis’ first period takedown proved to be all that was necessary, as he cruised to an 11-2 victory over Moran.
The Buckeyes continued to gain momentum, by way of No. 2 redshirt freshman Ben Davino tormenting redshirt sophomore Logan Frazier 18-3, earning a technical fall victory for Ohio State, and extending the lead to 9-0. Davino led 11-2 through one period, and sealed the win with 33 seconds left in the second period.
The 141-pound and 149-pound bouts were more of the same story. In the 141, Ohio State’s No. 1 senior Jesse Mendez toppled Indiana’s redshirt freshman Lucas Peters 17-2 for another technical fall victory. Following this, No. 4 redshirt sophomore Ethan Stiles pinned redshirt sophomore Joey Buttler with five seconds left in the first period, extending the Buckeye lead to 20-0. The Hoosiers earned zero takedowns through the first four bouts.
No. 32 redshirt sophomore Bryce Lowery provided Indiana with its first takedown in the 157-pound bout, throwing No. 2 redshirt sophomore Brandon Cannon down for three points. Cannon led 9-6 through two periods, but would turn on the jets in the final period, thumping Lowery 19-9, tallying another major decision victory, giving Ohio State a 24-0 lead at the halfway point.
The 165-pound bout was scoreless through the first period with Indiana’s No. 20 redshirt junior Tyler Lillard and Ohio State’s E’Than Birden unable to earn any advantage through the first three minutes. Birden took a 2-0 lead into the third period, but Lillard’s single escape in the third resulted in a 2-1 victory for the Buckeyes.
Indiana No. 30 graduate student Derek Gilcher gave another strong effort for Indiana in the 174-pound bout, despite being down 9-3 after the first period against No. 4 graduate student Carson Kharchla. Gilcher put up an additional takedown and an escape, but was unable to climb the mountain, losing to Kharchla by a final score of 11-7.
Ohio State’s second pin of the day came in the 184-pound bout, with No. 6 redshirt junior Dylan Fishback earning his victory by fall against No. 14 redshirt freshman Sam Goin. These additional six points put the Buckeyes up 36-0 with two bouts remaining.
No. 14 redshirt junior Gabe Sollars put up a solid fight for Indiana against No. 13 redshirt sophomore Luke Geog, but inevitably fell by a final of 7-5.
The Buckeyes completed the sweep in the 285-pound bout, as No. 3 redshirt junior Nick Feldman pinned redshirt freshman Caleb Marzolino for the third victory by fall of the afternoon for Ohio State, resulting in the 45-0 final score.
Indiana wrestling will continue its season with another conference matchup with Maryland on Jan. 18 in Wilkinson Hall.
