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(04/20/05 6:07am)
Like a lot of students, IU wrestler Max Dean will head to Florida this summer. Thanks to the NCAA, his trip to Disney World will be free.\nDean, a redshirt freshman, was named as the Hoosiers' representative to the 2005 NCAA Leadership Conference, being held May 29 through June 2 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Dean was one of 325 student athletes chosen from more than 1,100 applications. \n"It's a perfect time and a perfect opportunity," Dean said. "I talked to (sophomore) Jed (Zayner) on the soccer team, who went last year. He came back and felt pumped about working with the team. It's just another positive thing for the wrestling program, more icing on the cake."\nAccording to the NCAA's Web site, the conference provides a discussion forum for student athletes to talk about issues facing them on campus. There are also seminars to improve communication, leadership, decision making and problem solving skills, as well as daily exercises and activities -- including a trip to Disney World. \n"Max is really deserving of this honor," said IU wrestling coach Duane Goldman. "He is a model student athlete and a great representative of our wrestling program and Indiana University. \n"Max is a good representative of the team and the University. I want a whole team of leaders and he's good for the guys to see and shoot for." \nDean was one of seven wrestlers who advanced to the NCAA Championships this season for the Hoosiers. The native of West Chester, Ohio, finished the season with a 26-14 record. His fifth-place finish at 165 pounds in the Big Ten Tournament punched his ticket as one of two redshirt freshmen to advance to the finals in St. Louis. In addition, last week he received the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for the IU wrestling team. \nStudents are nominated by University officials who have CHAMPS/Life Skills programs based on their ability and desire to be a leader and their potential to benefit from the experience. They must be in good academic standing and have a year of eligibility remaining. Often, they are members of the student athlete advisory committees on campus. \nDean feels that the conference will help him more than just on the mat. \n"I'll probably be a high school assistant coach on the side (after graduation)," he said. "I know I can never let wrestling go completely out of my life. The program is geared to help the participant side, but it's also going to benefit me when I become a coach."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Andrew Petersen at andpeter@indiana.edu.
(03/21/05 6:00am)
The Hoosiers began the season unheralded and unranked. But they didn't finish it that way.\nWrestling in St. Louis during the weekend, junior Joe Dubuque was crowned the NCAA 125-pound champion, capping one of the greatest seasons in IU history. Dubuque became the first grappler to appear in a title match since Roger Chandler in 1997, and the first to win since Brian Dolph in 1990. As a team, the Hoosiers finished in ninth place with 58.5 points. It was their best finish in 15 years, and only the second top-10 finish for the University since 1953. \nIn addition to Dubuque, senior Pat DeGain rolled through the competition to pick up a third-place finish. The heavyweight's only setback was to Oklahoma State's Steve Mocco, the eventual champion. \nRedshirt freshman Brandon Becker also garnered All-American status by placing fifth. He rebounded from a loss in the first round of the tournament and won his next five, including a defeat of top-seeded and two-time All-American Alex Tirapelle of Illinois. The top eight wrestlers in each weight division are conferred All-American status.\nDubuque was back in fine form after suffering a pair of defeats at the end of the season, going undefeated in St. Louis. His wins included a 3-1 decision over top-seeded Sam Hazewinkel of Oklahoma in the semifinals. In the finals against Kyle Ott, the shaggy-maned Dubuque revenged two previous losses against his nemesis from Illinois by winning a close one, 2-0. Dubuque finished the year 29-3 and added his second consecutive All-American finish to go with the NCAA title on his mantle.\n"It was probably one of the most emotional things I've ever been through," DeGain said of watching his roommate win in the final. "You can't be more proud of someone after watching someone bust their butt for so many years." \nDeGain started the tournament by winning his first three matches. By defeating fifth-seed Greg Wagner of Michigan, whom he had pinned in the Big Ten Championships, DeGain guaranteed himself a spot in the top eight to garner his first All-American honor. The win also meant he would be pitted against Mocco in the semifinals. Before leaving for St. Louis, DeGain had said he would like to wrestle the top heavyweight in the country. \n"He's been the top dog," DeGain said, "and you always want to set your target high."\nMocco came out on top, but DeGain blitzed his final two opponents, including a rematch with Wagner, to pick up third place.\n"He's worked hard for it," said IU coach Duane Goldman. "Deciding to put him up to heavyweight was a big decision. It proved to be the right thing to do, and he was definitely deserving of his finish."\nGoldman was extremely proud of the way his charges conducted themselves and the way they finished their season.\n"They were crowd favorites at their weights because they wrestled hard and represented IU well with their intensity," he said. "They didn't take a backseat to anybody." \n-- Contact Staff Writer Andrew Petersen at andpeter@indiana.edu.
(03/11/05 6:01am)
Beginning Thursday, fifth-year senior Pat DeGain will step out into the circle, his fiancée and family watching from the stands, and try to outlast the toughest heavyweight competition in the country. Once the NCAA Championships for wrestling are all over, he will become just another student on campus.\n"It's hit me, but not to the point where it's overwhelmingly emotional," DeGain said. "I can't really tell you how I'm going to feel when it's over."\nAs team captain and the unquestioned leader of a large squad of Hoosier wrestlers going to the NCAA tournament at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, DeGain has been the guiding force behind one of the most successful seasons in the 13-year tenure of IU coach Duane Goldman. \nDespite battling a shoulder injury for the latter half of the Big Ten season, he finished the year with a 27-4 overall record, including 5-0 in the conference and a 4-2 record against ranked opponents. He will finish his college career with well over 100 victories, three appearances at NCAAs, and if all goes well next week, a high finish and that prized All-American status. \n"Pat's taken over and understood his influence and his role as team leader," Goldman said. "He's vocal and he's raised the level of the guys on the team by his leadership."\nJoining DeGain at the tournament will be three other Hoosiers with championship experience. Juniors Joe Dubuque, who finished as an All-American last year, and Brady Richardson will be making their second consecutive trip to nationals for IU. Senior Mike Simpson will also be making his second trip, though his first appearance was with Arizona State before transferring east to IU. He is also questionable due to a knee injury he suffered at Big Tens last week. In addition, redshirted freshmen Brandon Becker and Max Dean and sophomore Isaac Knable, the consensus surprise of the Big Ten Tournament, will be making their first NCAA appearances.\nAs DeGain leads the team out for the last time, he thinks that any emotion the squad may be feeling will be left out on the mat. \n"Everyone knows what they're there for," DeGain said. "I remember watching it on TV in sixth grade and saying I want to be there. Well, now it's time to produce."\nWhether he comes out on top or not, Dubuque believes that his friend and roommate will still be remembered fondly.\n"He's had a great career here and done a lot of things Hoosiers haven't done," he said. "I think he's going to be happy with where he finishes."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Andrew Petersen at andpeter@indiana.edu.
(03/04/05 6:15am)
This is the time of year that senior Pat DeGain looks forwards to most. The regular season is finished -- a success by all accounts. He was just the third Hoosier ever to take first at the Midlands Championships, and the 11th to notch 100 career victories. But this Saturday, those accolades will be meaningless when the whistle blows on the opening of the Big Ten Championships in Iowa City. \n"This is my opportunity to step it up and do what I'm capable of," the heavyweight said. "At this point, there is no getting upset."\nRankings are virtually meaningless at this point as the top seven from each weight class move on to the NCAA Championships later in the month in St. Louis. Twice DeGain has wrestled his way through to the tourney, and with his collegiate career winding down, he will have one last shot at achieving All-American status.\nJoining DeGain in the quest to return to the NCAAs will be senior Mike Simpson, who qualified as a sophomore at Arizona State before transferring to IU; junior Joe Dubuque, 6-1 in the Big Ten this season and a third-place finisher at last years tournament; and junior Brady Richardson, who placed fifth at last years tournament and finished 2005 by winning 10 of his last 11.\n"I feel pretty good and I'm ready to go," Richardson said. "It's a freaking hard tournament - almost everybody's ranked, and you're going to be banged up a lot."\nDeGain and Richardson also thought that the freshmen were doing well going into the tournament. When pressed for their picks on who would be the biggest surprise at the Big Tens, both mentioned 157-pounder Brandon Becker. The redshirt-freshman finished the season with 25 wins, including an upset of Iowa's then-No.8 Joe Johnston.\n"Becker has had a good year," DeGain said. "He's had his ups and downs, but I think he's going to have a good tournament and turn some heads."\nWith time winding down on one of the most successful years in team history, IU coaches feel that the team is in good shape. The Hoosiers 16 dual wins were second most in school history, and their four Big Ten victories were the most since the 1995-96 season. In addition, IU became the 19th school in NCAA Division I-A history to 600 dual wins with their 23-13 defeat of Kent State Dec. 21. \nIU coach Duane Goldman said he was ready to see his team go out and get it done.\n"As coaches we've done the best we can to prepare them," Goldman said. "Now it's just about ten individuals trying to do their best."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Andrew Petersen at andpeter@indiana.edu.
(02/21/05 5:15am)
The Hoosiers had plenty of motivation Friday.\nIt was Senior Night, the last chance for Hoosier fans to see Mike Simpson and Pat DeGain wrestle in Bloomington. If that wasn't motivation enough, Purdue was the team staring back across the mat.\nIn the kind of hard-fought duel that has marked this rivalry, IU overcame the upset of junior All-American Joe Dubuque to post an 18-12 victory in front of the largest home crowd of the season. Unfortunately, the Hoosiers weren't able to end the season with a victory, as they lost at Iowa Sunday.\nStarting at 125 pounds, Purdue's Brandon Tucker took the early 2-0 lead by scoring just the second takedown all season against Dubuque. Dubuque rallied to tie it with a reversal. The two traded escapes in the second period before Tucker gained the upper-hand with another escape at 1:11 left in the third, and staved off Dubuque's attacks for the rest of the match, snapping his 17-match win streak. \nStunned, IU rebounded to take a 6-3 lead. Redshirt freshman Brian Dyer tied the score at three with a 4-2 decision, and Simpson finished his home career a winner by defeating Purdue's Ben Sprunger 7-6.\n"I could have wrestled better," Simpson said. "I was a little nervous going into it." \nAfter a loss at 149 pounds, the Hoosiers won the next three matches to go ahead 15-6. Yet the Boilermakers would not go away. They won the next two matches to get within striking distance at 15-12. But DeGain, wrestling for the first time since Jan. 30, would not be denied. His 4-2 victory clinched the match for Indiana, their first in three attempts against Purdue.\nSunday, the Hoosiers traveled to the unfriendly confines of Carver-Hawkeye Arena to take on No. 9 Iowa. Redshirt freshman Justin Curran, wrestling in his first Big Ten match in place of sophomore Josh Buuck, notched a 5-2 win.\n"Curran did a great job," DeGain said. "Being on call, he wrestled phenomenal. It's a mental game, and he had no time to prepare."\nAfter grabbing the nine-point lead, things began to unravel for IU the final matches. The Hoosiers are winless in the series since 1967.\n"Anytime you have an opportunity to win and you don't get it done, it's disappointing," said coach Duane Goldman. \n-- Contact Staff Writer Andrew Petersen at eduandpeter@indiana.edu.
(02/18/05 6:04am)
Tonight marks a sad goodbye for seniors Mike Simpson and Pat DeGain as they take the mat at University Gym for the last time.\nThe Hoosiers take on Purdue at 7 p.m. tonight. Sunday will be their final regular season meet as IU travels to Iowa for a showdown with the Hawkeyes.\nBoth have had years marked by missed time -- Simpson missed several weeks with a head injury and the flu, and DeGain has missed the last two weekends of competition with an injured shoulder. Both wrestlers stressed their desires to get one last victory in front of the Hoosier faithful.\n"The way I go out is more important than any dual meet in the last two years," Simpson said. "It's great to beat Purdue anywhere, but at home would be the best."\nDeGain will be stepping back into the circle for the first time since injuring his shoulder in the dual meet against Ohio State. He tried to go last weekend, but wasn't given clearance by the team and was forced to watch from the sidelines. \n"I'm just ready to wrestle," DeGain said, attempting to contain three weeks of pent-up energy. "It's going to be like my second and final debut."\nThe Hoosiers will be trying to rebound from last weekend's shutout loss to Illinois, as well as snap a two-match losing streak to the Boilermakers. Five starters missed the Illinois match to rest and nurse injuries, though coach Duane Goldman expects to have his 10 best wrestlers out this weekend.\n"We got to go with what we've got," Goldman said. "We just need to work to prepare for the Big Ten tournament."\nSunday IU will face No. 9 Iowa, the reigning Big Ten champions and traditionally one of the top wrestling programs in the country. Indiana hasn't beaten the Hawkeyes since they did it twice in 1967, owning a 3-27-3 record in the all-time series.\nThere will be two matches between ranked opponents. Fourth-ranked DeGain will take on eighth-ranked freshman Matt Fields in a battle of heavyweights. No. 16 Simpson will wrestle No. 15 Alex Tsirtsis, which will be a rematch from the Midlands Championships, a contest Simpson won 5-3. Simpson suffered his head injury om that match, forcing him to forfeit in the final round.\nFollowing this weekend the Hoosiers will have two weeks off before they travel back to Iowa City to compete in the Big Ten Championships.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Andrew \nPetersen at andpeter@indiana.edu.
(02/11/05 6:28am)
IU enters a crucial weekend with two matches against the cream of the Big Ten crop beginning Saturday.\nThe Hoosiers will begin against No. 12 Michigan State at the University Gym. The Spartans have dominated the series, owning an overall record of 44-17-3, including the last six in a row. IU hasn't scored a victory against State in Bloomington since 1991.\n"It's the toughest weekend of the year as far as the level of rankings," IU coach Duane Goldman said. "We need to start quicker or battle back harder."\nThe Spartans will bring five ranked wrestlers to town, highlighted by the Simmons brothers. Nick Simmons is a perfect 23-0 at 125 pounds and ranked third, while his brother Andy is 24-2 and ranked third at 141 pounds.\nFortunately for Hoosier fans, IU will be able to counter with two ranked wrestlers of their own at those positions. Senior Mike Simpson, ranked No. 16 at 141 pounds, seems to be regaining his form after missing several matches due to a head injury and illness. Last weekend he came back to score a dramatic 6-5 win with a last-second takedown.\nBut the finest match of the night might be the first. IU All-American Joe Dubuque will take on Nick Simmons in what will most likely be a preview of the Big Ten championships. Dubuque is ranked fifth at 125 pounds and currently is on a 16-match winning streak.\n"It's just another weekend," Dubuque said. "There's a couple of things I'm going to modify, but I'm not going to change my style of wrestling."\nThe Hoosiers will make a short road trip Sunday to Champaign, Ill. to take on the No. 2 Fighting Illini. While the all-time series is a much more even 37-36-1, IU hasn't beaten Illinois since 1996. Once again the top match-up will involve Dubuque, who will wrestle against Kyle Ott, who is ranked as high as third in some polls.\nIU will hopefully get a boost this weekend from the return of senior heavyweight Pat DeGain, who was held out of his final match last weekend with an injured shoulder. While he hasn't been fully cleared by team doctors to wrestle, DeGain sounds like someone who will be on the mat come Saturday.\n"More than likely I'd be sitting," he said. "But I'm desperate to get out there. I miss the battling." \n-- Contact Staff Writer Andrew Petersen at andpeter@indiana.edu.
(02/07/05 6:27am)
In a contest that had more back-and-forth lead changes than a game of Pong, Wisconsin finally emerged the victor despite the vocal efforts of the Bloomington crowd.\nSunday's match between IU and Wisconsin was truly a demonstration of how tough the Big Ten wrestling schedule is. Both teams came in ranked in the top twenty in country, despite Wisconsin being winless in their last four. Four of the ten matches featured ranked grapplers on both sides, and there were eleven ranked wrestlers total not including the Hoosiers senior heavyweight Pat DeGain, who sat out with a shoulder injury. \nOnce again IU started out with the upper hand. Junior Joe Dubuque, seemingly unstoppable so far this season with a 16-match win streak and 19-1 record on the season, earned the Hoosiers the early four point lead with a 11-3 major decision over Wisconsin's Colin Cudd.\n"I think we wrestled pretty well," Dubuque said. "If we would have had Pat in there we would have had a better day." \nThe Badgers retook the momentum when their sixth-ranked 133-pounder Tom Clum scored a major decision of this own over Brian Dyer, tying the score at four.\nSenior Mike Simpson, still wrestling with a heavily bandaged head, got the crowd back into the match. The 141-pounder started the contest a bit sluggishly, but rebounded in the third period to tie the match at four. With the crowd on its feet, Simpson got a takedown with three ticks on the clock to get the Hoosiers the first of three last-second wins. \nWith the Hoosiers up three, Wisconsin got a five-point boost from 16th-ranked Craig Henning's 17-0 technical fall of sophomore Isaac Knable.\nAgain IU rallied, this time behind redshirt freshman Brandon Becker. Becker unleashed a three-point near-fall late in the third to upset 10th-ranked Tyler Turner, giving the Hoosiers the lead back.\nAfter a Max Dean loss, junior Brady Richardson made a third-period comeback with five takedowns, the last coming with 30 seconds to go to once again put IU up by one at 13-12. Wisconsin finally snatched the lead for good with a pair of decisions over Rios and Josh Buuck. Down 18-13 and needing a fall, redshirt freshman David Herman breathed some hope back into Hoosier fans. Wrestling in place of DeGain, he put Lee Kramer on his back twice but couldn't get the pin, settling instead for an 8-3 decision and his first career Big Ten dual victory.\n"Pat's our team captain, and when he's not on the mat it makes it hard to win," coach Duane Goldman said. "But Herman really stepped it up in his first Big Ten match." \nWith the loss, the Hoosiers drop to 2-2 in the Big Ten. They will face Michigan State next Saturday in Bloomington. \n-- Contact Staff Writer Andrew Petersen at andpeter@indiana.edu.
(02/04/05 5:37am)
While most of the campus will be plopped in front of the TV watching the Super Bowl, IU's wrestling team will be offering an athletic alternative for Bloomington fans at the University Gym this Sunday.\nDespite being 0-3-1 in the Big Ten, the Badgers come in ranked 13th in the country and feature a lineup with seven ranked wrestlers. \n"They've wrestled Iowa, Michigan State -- a tough, intense schedule," said coach Duane Goldman. "If you go with the polls, we've got our work cut out for us."\nFour of Sunday's matches will be between ranked wrestlers, none of whom have faced each other yet. Perhaps the biggest match-up will be the 141-pound contest between Wisconsin's No. 16 Tyler Laudon and IU's No. 14 Mike Simpson.\nSimpson, a senior from Huntington Beach, Calif., has had an up-and-down year so far. After beginning the season 17-3, he injured his head at the Midlands Championships, requiring 40 stitches to close the wound. He also missed the Hoosiers' Big Ten opener against Northwestern and the Indianapolis Duals while suffering through a bout of the flu. Since the injury, he is 4-3, though the three losses all came against ranked competition. \n"I've had a rough season," Simpson said. "The eye isn't a factor anymore, the flu is gone and I feel like I'm better now than last week. But it's tough to keep your conditioning."\nSimpson's return couldn't have come at a better time for the Hoosiers. The team has been struggling through a rash of sickness and injuries in the last couple of weeks. With the toughest part of its schedule coming up, IU needs as many healthy grapplers as the team can get. Four of the Hoosiers' opponents in February are ranked in the top 20, with three of them coming through Bloomington. \n"I feel pretty good," said junior Brady Richardson, who finished fifth at last year's Big Ten Championship. "I'm excited about having a home match."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Andrew Petersen at andpeter@indiana.edu.
(02/01/05 5:33am)
It's almost match time, and junior Joe Dubuque is pacing around like a caged tiger awaiting a meal.\nBack and forth he strides, rolling his head from side to side. Suddenly the horn sounds, and like a factory worker punching the clock, Dubuque squats and slaps the mat. He becomes a nervous blur of energy, constantly in motion as he shakes hands with the referee and his opponent.\nLess than three minutes later, Dubuque rises triumphantly from the mat, pumping his fists as the crowd roars its approval. He jogs off the mat to change his clothes and cheers the rest of the team on, his night's work complete.\n"I feel that we want to start at 125," redshirt freshman Max Dean said after the match, referring to Dubuque's 125-pound weight class. "It definitely got our morale up because we started winning right off the bat and set the tone." \nDubuque doesn't look like a wrestler, particularly if your only exposure to wrestling involves cage matches and storylines. He has competed his whole career at 125 pounds, the lightest weight class in college wrestling. Yet if it weren't for that lack of size he would probably be playing a different sport right now. "Football has always been my love," he said. "I just wrestled to fill in the time between football and baseball season."\nDubuque started wrestling as a sixth-grader in New Jersey after his older brother took up the sport. By the time he was a freshman, he was good enough to place at the state high school championships. \n"It dawned on me that I could be a multiple state champ," he said. "I started doing the extra stuff."\nBy the time he had graduated high school, Dubuque was the two-time defending state champion, the senior national champion and was sporting a glittering 134-7 career record. He was recruited by several schools and almost committed to North Carolina. When that fell through, he made a last-second venture to Bloomington. By the end of the trip, he was a Hoosier. \nIU fans couldn't be happier. As a junior this year Dubuque is 16-1 and ranked fifth in the country at 125 pounds. For his career, he is an outstanding 73-15. He is also the only All-American on the team, thanks to his eighth-place finish at the NCAA tournament last year.\n"Being an All-American is just awesome," he said. "There's a lot more fan recognition, a lot of guys know my name now. People are starting to follow the team."\nAt a basketball-crazy school like Indiana, that recognition is no small feat. On the rare weekend that the wrestlers have a home match, they often find themselves competing against their basketball brethren for fans. The team has accepted this, but that doesn't mean that their work ethic changes. \n"Wrestling is a five-month total commitment," Dubuque said. "If you half-ass it, you're not going to win anything."\n"An average day for me starts at 5:30 (a.m.). We work out at 6 for an hour and a half, then eat, go to class, then we have a 20-minute drill session, then more class, practice for a couple hours until 5 or 5:30, eat and then another workout, five to six times a week.\n"It's like the sign says," as he pointed to a slogan painted on the wall of the practice room in large letters. "'Unless you have prepared yourself and deserve to emerge victorious, do not expect to win or be disappointed when you lose,'" Dubuque said.\nAs IU enters the Big Ten schedule and tries to navigate through the toughest conference in the country, Dubuque will become a larger factor, not only as the team's spark plug but also as a leader to a squad that starts several freshmen.\n"It's not so much the fact that he's an All-American," coach Duane said. "He's an important part of our team because he's a winner and a competitor. He puts forth a great effort in preparation to win." \n-- Contact Staff Writer Andrew Petersen at andpeter@indiana.edu.
(01/28/05 7:08am)
University Park is the next stop for the IU road show, where the grapplers will look to avenge a 37-4 drubbing last January in Bloomington.\nThe Hoosiers, at 12-1 is off to their best start since the 1995-96 season, have never won in six meetings against Penn State.\nCoach Duane Goldman will get an opportunity to reverse that trend Friday. He will have a full lineup to work with for the first time in weeks. Two starters were held out last week because of a bout with the flu.\n"Mike Simpson's over his sickness," Goldman said. "Pat (DeGain)'s doing better -- there's no injuries in particular this week. We have no excuses not to do well."\nThe Hoosiers will need all of their seniors if they hope to escape this weekend unscathed. After the Friday night contest with the Nittany Lions, the team will stop in Columbus Sunday to wrestle Ohio State and Virginia. The Buckeyes have also had an easy time with the Hoosiers in recent years, winning eight straight and leading the all-time series 44-35-2. IU and Virginia have only met twice, with Indiana coming out victorious both times. They haven't met since 1992.\n"I think we have a great opportunity to come away with two Big Ten wins," said junior Joe Dubuque. "We just have to keep doing what we've been doing." \nGoldman also praised his starting freshmen, who are still adapting to the longer college wrestling season.\n"(Brandon) Becker and (Max) Dean have really stepped up," he said. "A lot of time the season starts to feel long. It's a trial by fire, you just got to get used to it."\nBoth will face ranked competition this weekend. Becker, No. 15 in the country, will wrestle Penn State's No. 17 sophomore Nate Galloway, who leads the team in wins with 23. Dean will be wrestling Virginia's lone ranked wrestler, No. 17 senior Will Durkee.\n"There are a lot of areas to improve on as a whole and individually," Dean recently said. "But there's not a hole in our lineup." \n-- Contact Staff Writer Andrew Peterson at andpeter@indiana.edu.
(01/24/05 6:15am)
Despite a squad weakened by the flu, the IU wrestling team came out the winners Friday, dropping Northwestern 22-14 in Bloomington.\nWith senior Mike Simpson out and several other wrestlers under the weather, the undefeated team wasn't at its best.\n"(We've) all kind of got the bug right now," said coach Duane Goldman. "A pretty good number of us are under the weather, including me."\nBut IU got a big lift when junior All-American Joe Dubuque opened with a pin for the quick 6-0 lead.\nRedshirt-freshman Brian Dyer followed with a 6-5 victory before senior Cameron Sakon, wrestling in place of Simpson, fell 10-1 to 16th-ranked Ryan Lang. \nThe Hoosiers then reeled off three more wins to go up 19-4, highlighted by redshirt-freshman Isaac Knable's take down in overtime for the come-from-behind win. But Northwestern countered with a three-win streak of their own. Juniors Brady Richardson and Andy Rios suffered tough losses, and sophomore Josh Buuck lost a 15-4 major decision to cut IU's lead to 19-14.\nSenior Pat DeGain was doubtful of his performance at the meet due to the flu, but came out to clinch the victory with a 5-2 decision over Scott Johnson in the final. \nSaturday morning, the Hoosiers traveled north to take part in the Indianapolis Duals with Indianapolis, McKendree College and Missouri Baptist. With a short turnaround and a sick team, Goldman rested several of his starters. \nStill, IU scored at least 45 points against all three opponents and won 28 out of 30 total matches, dropping one by forfeit, to up the team's record to 12-1.\nFive different grapplers recorded pins, including two each by Knable and Richardson and senior Justin King's first career pin. Six Hoosiers finished the day 3-0. \nIU will have a week to rest before traveling to Penn State to continue Big Ten play.\n"The win over Northwestern was great," said redshirt-freshman Max Dean said. "But we've got bigger and better fish to fry."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Andrew Petersen at andpeter@indiana.edu.
(01/21/05 6:05am)
The IU wrestling team finally has a chance to perform before a home crowd at University Gym on Friday. The Hoosiers will take on Northwestern to open the Big Ten season. This will be the second home match of the season for the Hoosiers, who took on Gardner Webb and Cumberland Dec. 19 in Bloomington. But this will be the first with a crowd since most students weren't in town for their home opener. And the team could not have been more excited.\n"We're going to win," said redshirt freshman Max Dean. "I know they're good and I respect them, but I just don't see us losing at home."\nIU will certainly have their hands full against a Northwestern team ranked ahead of them in some polls. The young Wildcats, featuring four freshmen and three sophomores, are led by Jake Herbert, a up-and-coming freshman who is a perfect 16-0 on the season wrestling at 174 pounds. \nIU will try to rebound from last weekend's loss to Nebraska in the finals of the Virginia Duals. They hope that the tough schedule early on will help them against what is by far the most dominant conference in college wrestling. Nine teams are currently ranked in the top twenty.\n"We feel pretty confident," said junior Andy Rios. "We've wrestled a tougher schedule than last year and we're ready. We've already forgotten about the loss."\nOn Saturday, the Hoosiers will travel up Interstate 37 to take part in the Indianapolis Duals with Division II Indianapolis and NAIA schools Missouri Baptist and McKendree College.\nThe Greyhounds are 0-3, but feature top-ranked Mitch Napier at 157 pounds and No. 4 Shane Perkey at 133. Missouri Baptist is 1-9 and McKendree is 0-1.\nWith such a short turnaround, coach Duane Goldman will try to rest some of his starters. "We'll probably have a few new faces," Goldman said. "Most of our starters will wrestle, but we want to get some guys experienced."\nDean said the team would be ready.\n"You don't wrestle your best, you open a door," he said. "And I don't want to open any doors."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Andrew Petersen at andpeter@indiana.edu.
(01/18/05 4:24pm)
Senior heavyweight Pat DeGain became the 11th wrestler in IU history to notch 100 wins as the Hoosiers rolled to a runner-up finish at the Virginia Duals over the weekend.\n"I thought we had a great tournament," head coach Duane Goldman said. "We beat the third seed to get to the semis and went up against Nebraska, a top-four or -five team. It's the first time IU's ever made it to the finals at Virginia."\nThe sixth-seeded Hoosiers started the tournament with a 32-4 walloping of Lock Haven Friday. DeGain led the way with a pin, and junior Brady Richardson scored a 10-0 major decision in his return to action from injuries that kept him out for a month.\nIU followed that victory with a 26-10 win over Edinboro to move into the semifinals against Tennessee-Chattanooga Saturday. Featuring four wrestlers ranked in the latest W.I.N. polls, the Mocs were up to the challenge. Junior All-American Joe Dubuque gave IU a 10-6 decision over 19th-ranked Matt Pitts, but the scoring went back and forth until IU took three of the last four contests to put the match away. Richardson scored a pin, and after a loss by junior Andy Rios, sophomore Josh Buuck and DeGain closed out the scoring with back-to-back victories. \nDeGain, IU's senior heavyweight, needed just 29 seconds to pin the Mocs' Wes Taylor to reach his victory milestone. The pin was the fastest of the season for DeGain. \n"I feel good," DeGain said. "Not a lot of people get to do something like that. It was great to have the team there with me."\nWith the win, the Hoosiers advanced to the finals against the fifth-ranked and tournament No. 1 seed Nebraska, which scored a decisive 25-9 victory and dropped IU to their first loss of the season. Dubuque won by disqualification, and Richardson took a 6-2 decision to total the scoring.\n"We're not disappointed with our finish, just disappointed with the finals," Richardson said. "It was probably my worst match of the tournament."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Andrew Petersen at andpeter@indiana.edu.
(01/14/05 1:54pm)
Four highly ranked teams will be among the competition for IU this weekend as the wrestling team travels to Hampton, Virginia. \nThe 5-0 Hoosiers will hit the road to take part in the Virginia Duals for the first time since 2001.\nThe team will wrestle in the American College Division that features four out of fifteen teams ranked among the top-25 in the latest W.I.N. magazine poll. Joining the No. 19 Hoosiers are No. 6 Nebraska, No. 12 Missouri, No. 23 Cal State-Bakersfield and No. 25 Edinboro University. Despite so many strong teams, IU coach Duane Goldman doesn't seem too worried.\n"It's a tough tournament and a really good tournament," Goldman said. "We'll see a few teams we wouldn't normally see, some ranked ahead of us and some other quality teams, but I have faith in our guys."\nSophomore Josh Buuck echoed his coach's sentiment.\n"We definitely can beat anyone," he said "We're out to win."\nGoldman's confidence stems from the Hoosiers being a well-rested and relatively injury-free squad as they enter the tournament. Mike Simpson, who received a head full of stitches to go with his fourth-place finish at the Midlands Championships two weeks ago, should be able to go despite missing a lot of practice time. The Virginia Duals will also feature the return of IU's junior All-American Joe Dubuque.\n"I feel good," Dubuque said. "The team is prepared and we had a good week of practice. There'll be a couple of kids that I've wrestled before, and I feel confident I can wrestle with anyone."\nThe Virginia Duals will begin at 8 a.m. Friday, with the finals held at 7 p.m. Saturday. Results will be posted online at www.virginiaduals.org.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Andy \nPetersen at andpeter@indiana.edu.
(01/07/05 5:46am)
With strong showings during winter break, the IU wrestling team looks poised to enter Big Ten play on a high note. \nIU started the break with telling victories against Gardner-Webb (31-6) and Cumberland (50-0) in a dual meet in Bloomington. The Hoosier wrestlers took 18 out of 20 matches, including a perfect 10 for 10 against Cumberland. All-American and eighth-ranked junior Joe Dubuque started off with 19-2 technical fall victory against Gardner-Webb's Jon Neal in the 125 pound category and the route was on. \nTwo days later the Hoosiers traveled to Ohio for a dual meet with Kent State and James Madison. IU improved to 5-0 on the season and gained the 600th dual meet win in school history with their 23-13 defeat of Kent State. \nConfident with the early success, IU rolled into Evanston, Ill. to finish 2004 at the Midlands Championships and captured eighth place in a field of 60.\n"The Midlands is the toughest tournament outside of the NCAAs," said coach Duane Goldman. "We didn't have three starters, but we had a really good finish. We're pleased with our showing."\nSenior heavyweight Pat DeGain led the way by capturing first place, the first time a Hoosier had achieved that since Viktor Sveda in 2001. Enroute to his overall victory, DeGain defeated three higher seeds, including defending Division II National Champion Les Sigman of Nebraska-Omaha, Matt Fields of Iowa and Matt Feast of Pennsylvania.\n"Whenever you're wrestling someone of that caliber you've got some good competition," DeGain said. "This year we've got a good team, the best team we've had since I got here."\nIU also got a boost from senior Mike Simpson in the 141 pound category. After initially losing to Andy Simmons of Michigan State, he fought back to defeat Mike Hurley of Cleveland State and Alex Tsirtsis of Iowa. During his final victory, Simpson received a cut over his eye requiring forty stitches and was forced to forfeit his last match. \nAfter a two-week vacation, the wrestlers will return to action Jan. 14 at the Virginia Duals, and will begin Big Ten play against Northwestern Jan. 21 at University Gym. With eight Big Ten teams ranked in the top 20, IU will face some stiff competition, but that doesn't bother anyone. \n"I think our team right now is starting to get up and we're continually getting better," Simpson said. "I'm pretty excited to be going into the Big Ten, I'm confident we're going to do better than we have in recent years." \n-- Contact staff writer Andrew Petersen at andpeter@indiana.edu.
(11/03/04 4:23am)
When thinking of Bloomington, there are several things that come to mind -- basketball, cornfields ... and sailing?\nThat's right. Lake Lemon -- with not one, but two different sailing clubs -- is a hot spot for the sport. \nNot only does IU have its sailing facilities located on the lake at Beechwood Heights, but the Bloomington Yacht Club has also been located there since it was founded in 1958.\nThe club was originally located at Beechwood Heights, near the current location of the IU Yacht Club.\nIn 1969 it was relocated to an old lake cabin, replete with an outhouse. After a tree landed on the roof 10 years ago, the clubhouse was rebuilt. It now has indoor bathrooms, showers and a large deck.\nJennifer Hubbard, who has been sailing with the club since she moved from England 35 years ago, said the Bloomington Yacht Club is made up of 32 families who come from as far away as Indianapolis, Bloomfield, Ind., and Columbus, Ind. \nFrom the opening of the sailing season in April until its end in October, club members participate in weekly races, hoping to earn the overall trophy at the end-of-the-year banquet. \nAccording to the yacht club's Web site, the club is as much about socializing as sailing. Members frequently gather for potlucks. The Sailing Sallies, the club's women's group, meets monthly. And there is always lemonade and refreshments after the races.\nNever been on a sailboat? That doesn't matter.\n"We're always pleased to get new people," Hubbard said. "We let everybody and anybody in." \nThe club doesn't rent boats, but there are opportunities to work as a crew member for somebody who does own a boat. \n"Crewing is the best way to learn how to sail," Hubbard said. "You can learn from someone with experience."\nMike Crane, a member for 10 years, enjoys the social aspect as much as the sailing aspect.\n"Racing is a lot different than sailing," he said. "Balance, trimming a sheet -- it takes a lifetime to finesse it. We have a great day, even when we lose."\nFor more information about the Bloomington Yacht Club, log on to www.bloomingtonyachtclub.org.\n-- Contact staff writer Andrew \nPetersen at andpeter@indiana.edu
(09/29/04 5:33am)
With winter just a few short months away, it's time to get out those boots, wax up those skis (or boards) and start praying for snow. \nMost people don't make the connection between skiing and Indiana, after all, this is a state that has a maximum height of just over 1,200 feet. But while there are no mountains resembling the Rockies, that doesn't mean there are no opportunities to hit the slopes in this state -- or out of state. \nAnd that's where the IU Ski and Snowboard Club comes in. The club, which currently has about 50 members, is expected to expand to about 100 by the time winter rolls around. It's a network of like-minded powder hounds. \nDon't have a car? No problem, club Co-President Matt Bort said members travel to nearby Paoli Peaks (about an hour away by car) nearly every weekend. Never strapped on a board or a pair of skis in your life? That's OK, too.\n"We work with Paoli Peaks, and they offer a lot of lessons," Co-President Alejandro Miranda said. "We're more than happy to help beginners start. We like getting beginners -- it's nice to spread the sport and help each other out."\nMembership dues cost $10 to enter the Ski and Snowboard Club. But it's more than just a membership. It provides a lot of discounts from Paoli, including an opportunity to buy one ticket and get one free and discounts on rentals and season passes. Members also get 10 percent discounts at J.L. Waters, an outdoor equipment store. \nBut the planned trips may be the best part of joining the club.\nThe first is a trip to Copper Mountain in Colorado over winter vacation, and the second, which has not be planned yet, will be during spring break. \n"I suggest anyone who ever wants to ski should go because it will be the best ski trip," club member and sophomore Dave Simpson said.\nThe Copper Mountain trip gives members the chance to travel to one of the premiere ski resorts in North America for about $400, which includes four days of skiing, lodging, events and the cost of travel. \nAnd because there are people attending from six Big Ten schools, as well as schools from all over the country, there's a good chance to meet someone to match anyone's skill level -- whether on the slopes or at one of the many parties that take place. \nMiranda said the Ski and Snowboard Club is hoping to know by mid-October how many people will be taking the trip, so if anyone is interested in attending the trip or in joining the club, they should send an e-mail to snowski@indiana.edu or visit www.indiana.edu/~snowski/home.htm. \nFrom beginners to the bunny hill to double black diamond fans, this club is open to all.\n"There's such a wide variety of skill levels that you're bound to find somebody at your same skill level to go out and improve," Miranda said,. "and also to observe better skiers, to perfect."\n-- Contact staff writer Andrew Petersen at andpeter@indiana.edu.
(09/21/04 4:59am)
With the recent start of both the collegiate and the NFL seasons, the time has come for the annual ritual that goes together with football like peanuts go with beer. Like birds in springtime, students everywhere are flocking to their game consoles to play "Madden 2005."\nHow popular is the "Madden" series among college students? In the first week it was available, 1.3 million copies of the game were sold. Brent Coyle, the IU campus representative for EA Sports, said that according to the maker of "Madden," 70 percent of those games were purchased by adults between the ages of 18 and 24 and were almost exclusively male.\nSo what does all of this mean? It means if there is a guy who's too old to play with Ninja Turtles and too young to run for the presidency, there's a good chance he's recently contributed to John Madden's retirement fund. \nAt 5:30 p.m. every Monday at Scotty's Brewhouse, 302 N. Walnut St., "Madden Monday" begins. The first 32 people to show up play in a single-elimination tournament with the opportunity to play for the grand prize -- a Sony PlayStation 2 and a copy of every EA game -- in a Dec. 6 tournament. "Madden Monday" is sponsored by EA. \nJohn Yeadon, a senior majoring in sports marketing and management and an EA intern, said he thinks the reason so many college students like "Madden" is because of its competitiveness. \n"My friends and I bet each other on who has to run to the store," Yeadon said.\nCoyle, who is also a senior majoring in sports marketing and management, echoed those thoughts.\n"Madden is more popular because the NFL is more accessible," he said. "It lets guys live their dreams."\nAnd gamble. \nMost students entering the tournament one night had stories of gambling on games. Most of the wagers were between $5 and $20. \nSome students, like Joaquin Velez, a student at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis, skip classes to play the game.\n"Oh yeah, I skip class all the time," he said. "In fact, I skipped all three of my classes today to get some practice games in before this tournament."\nJason Bell, a student at Ivy Tech in Indianapolis, said he even thinks of it as his second job.\n"I play 40 hours a week," Bell said. "On a good week, I can make between $600 and $1,000. The most I ever lost on one game was $2,000."\nThe tournaments are just for fun, however, as the winner left with just a copy of the game. All of the winners will be entered into the championship tournament Dec. 6.\nBut not everyone plays "Madden" to help pay their tuition. \n"'Madden' (is) just fun to play with friends," said Andre Martin, a student at Ivy Tech in Bloomington. "It's just for bragging rights."\n-- Contact staff writer Andrew Petersen at andpeter@indiana.edu.