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(02/15/10 5:53am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Angel Escobedo is lucky that his family and friends were not late for Senior Night at University Gym. Donning white shirts with a winged letter “A,” Escobedo’s entourage did not get to see him on the mat for long.The No. 1 senior pinned Michigan’s Sean Boyle just a little more than one minute into the first period, sending the Hoosiers (15-3, 4-3) on their way to a 22-13 victory against Michigan (4-12, 0-5).Escobedo’s 39th pin was the appropriate way for him to finish. The former national champion did not want to mess around when he stepped onto the mat.“I wanted to feed into the crowd and get them on their feet with some type of big move,” Escobedo said. “I wanted to show fans some excitement and leave off on a spectacular note.”Senior Matt Coughlin, who had yet to register a Big Ten win at 149 pounds,was determined to break into the winning column.In typical Coughlin fashion, the senior was able to grind out a 3-2 win against Michigan’s Mark Boyer. His victory broke a 6-6 tie the Hoosiers would not look back on.With senior Trevor Perry still on the shelf with an injured back, No. 2 heavyweight Nate Everhart was the only other senior on display Friday, and he had a 12-4 victory against Ben Apland.Juniors No. 6 Kurt Kinser (157 pounds), No. 12 Paul Young (165 pounds) and Eric Cameron (184 pounds), also notched wins.“Guys fought hard for our seniors tonight,” Escobedo said. “The time flew by and to think that I’m never going to wrestle here again is kind of sad.”PURDUEThe No. 13 Hoosiers got a pin for the win from No. 12 Paul Young at 165 pounds to take down Purdue (10-9, 1-5), 22-17.A rare come-from-behind win was necessary for the Hoosiers to put them in an early 8-0 hole after they dropped the first two matches at 174 and 185 pounds.But an upset win from sophomore Matt Powless at 197 pounds got the Hoosiers right back in it. The No. 15 ranked Powless allowed only an escape point in his 4-1 win against Purdue’s No. 13 Logan Brown. The senior bookend duo of Everhart and Escobedo wrestled back-to-back matches. Just as Everhart has been doing all year, he came through with a clutch pin to give the Hoosiers a 9-8 lead.Escobedo was wrestling one of his first ranked opponents in the Big Ten this season in Purdue’s No. 17 Cashe Quiroga. A series of takedowns and a couple of near pins was all Escobedo needed to for the win, 19-5. But the 13-8 lead would not last long for the Hoosiers.The Hoosiers dropped three out of the next four matches, putting the Hoosiers behind 16-17 with just one match remaining.Luckily for the Hoosiers, Young was determined to give his team a victory against the bitter rivals. The junior delivered the move of the day, pinning his opponent to give the Hoosiers the comeback win.The 22-17 win puts the Hoosiers above .500 in the Big Ten heading into their showdown at Michigan State next Friday. IU has not finished a season above .500 since 1996, including when they finished 12th at the NCAA Championships two years ago.“We’ve wrestled really well this season and I think that coming in, these guys knew that this was going to be a special season for us,” IU coach Duane Goldman said.
(02/12/10 3:46am)
Besides senior night, the IU wrestling team will have its sights set on
taking care of a Michigan team that has yet to register a Big Ten win.
(02/12/10 3:44am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Friday night will be the last time the Hoosier faithful will see Angel Escobedo get the Hoosiers off to an early lead at 125 pounds.It will be the last time they will see Matt Coughlin compete in a grind-it-out match at 149 pounds.It will be the last time fans can get on their feet for a Trevor Perry pin at 175 pounds.And it will be the last time they will get a chance to witness Nate Everhart secure a Hoosier victory at heavyweight.These four starting seniors, as well as Justin Kuhn and Wesley Fike, will be honored on senior night at 7 p.m. Friday when the No. 13 Hoosiers (13-3, 2-3) take on Michigan (4-12, 0-5) at University Gym.Every college coach, especially one with 17 seasons under his belt, deals with senior night on an annual basis. But for IU coach Duane Goldman, this group of seniors is different from any he has had before. Besides combining for 10 trips to the NCAA Championships, this group has brought leadership that will be hard to replace.“They all have been a huge part of this team their entire careers,” Goldman said. “You can never replace an individual and what they bring to the table.”For Escobedo, his successful ride to glory has been a fast one at IU. He was at the highest of highs when he won the 125-pound National Championship his sophomore year, but he has also dealt with his share of setbacks, including a shoulder injury that kept him from regaining his crown. After surgery this past offseason, many questioned whether Escobedo could be the wrestler he was a year ago.But he never doubted he would be atop the 125-pound world again.“After I got my shoulder surgery, I felt that I would get back on top of the podium,” Escobedo said. “I’m not surprised that I’m undefeated right now.”Escobedo’s record might not be a surprise to the wrestling community, but Everhart’s is.At No. 2 and with a 29-0 record, Everhart has reached his potential as a senior heavyweight. He has also faced his share of ups and downs, but he admits he did not expect to be this dominant going into senior night.“I always knew that I had the ability, but I definitely had my doubts,” Everhart said. “If you had asked me last year, I would have never thought that I would be undefeated at this point of the season, but I‘ve put in the work and I think I deserve it.”Everhart and Escobedo are not the only senior rocks of the IU wrestling program. Perry has been a regular at the NCAA Championships every year as a starter for the Hoosiers, and his 31 career pins have established him on the short list for career pins at IU.Perry sat out last week against Minnesota, and his status for senior night is still up in the air. If Perry is healthy, he will look to start a run to punch his fourth-straight ticket to the NCAA Championships.Like the other three senior starters, Coughlin is a regular at the NCAA Championships. After getting his career off to an impressive start, placing seventh at the NCAA championships as a freshman, the Evansville native has failed to repeat that success. After not wrestling in the Big Ten last year because of the emergence of junior Kurt Kinser at 157 pounds, Coughlin moved down to 149 pounds to get back in the starting lineup. At 15-12, he will look to repeat his earlier days and make his third run to the NCAA Championships.The bond these seniors have developed has paid dividends in the Hoosiers’ success this year. A variety of emotions are sure to be going through their minds as they try to give the Hoosiers their first winning record in the Big Ten since 1996.“When you put five years into a program, you become attached to it,” Escobedo said. “We’ve been guys that have gone through thick and thin together.”Everhart is surprised at how fast his four years as an IU wrestler have flown by. “It’s gone by quick, especially when you think of how long a wrestling season is with meets and practices,” Everhart said. “It’s hard to believe that it’s my last match at home.”Goldman said he knows the Hoosiers will be facing some major changes next year when these wrestlers are not in the starting lineup. Getting wins at the bookends every match will be difficult to replace.“This team is going to have a whole new face next year, and it’s going to be strange at first,” Goldman said. “There are some really big shoes to fill.”
(02/01/10 3:40am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU coach Duane Goldman has repeatedly stressed the need for upset victories in Big Ten play. On Friday night, Goldman got exactly what he was asking for, in dramatic fashion.IU sophomore Matt Powless defeated Illinois’ No. 9 ranked Patrick Bond on a buzzer beater takedown to propel the No. 14 Hoosiers (13-1, 2-1) over No. 24 Illinois (6-5, 1-2) 22-13.The battle at 197 lbs. between Powless and Bond was to decide who would have the lead heading into the heavyweight match.The Hoosiers had an advantage of 15-13 at that point, due to victories from senior Angel Escobedo at 125 lbs., sophomore Matt Ortega at 133 lbs., junior Kurt Kinser at 157 lbs., and junior Paul Young at 165 lbs.Last weekend, Powless suffered an 11-1 loss to Wisconsin’s No. 8 ranked Trevor Brandvold. Powless admits that the loss was tough to swallow.“Losing to (Brandvold) last week brought my confidence way down,” Powless said.But the Newburgh, Ind., native knew he had to get back to work to face another top ten opponent in Bond. Powless showed no lack in confidence throughout the entire match.With the riding time advantage secured and the score at 2-1, the match was virtually a tie late in the third period. Overtime was the furthest thing from Powless’ mind.“I knew that I wanted to attack right then and not send it into overtime,” Powless said.Then Powless delivered the move of his young career, dropping Bond to the mat at the buzzer to get the two point takedown. The dramatic win sent the Hoosier crowd at University Gym into a frenzy.The buzzer beater takedown improved Powless’ record to 23-9 and could move him back into the national rankings. The underclassman knew that he had something to prove and rose to the occasion.“I wanted to show that I can hang with the guys in the Big Ten and that I belong here,” Powless said.But while IU fared well against the Illini, they could not overcome the balanced attack of No. 4 Ohio State (14-1, 4-0) at University Gym on Sunday.The 22-13 defeat marks the first home loss for the Hoosiers in Big Ten play.As usual, the Hoosiers started off the match with a lead because of a 15-5 major win from Escobedo. The lead would not last for long, as the Hoosiers suffered losses at 133 lbs., 141 lbs. and 149 lbs.A comeback win for the hometown Kinser at 157 lbs., got the team and crowd back into the match at the halfway point. Unfortunately for the Hoosiers, they would not bite into the four point deficit for the rest of the day.The marquee match-up of the day was at 165 lbs., between Young and OSU’s Colt Sponseller. Coming into the match, No. 7 Sponseller had taken care of all his opponents not in the top four at 165 lbs. Sunday was no different. Young failed to record a takedown and suffered a 5-1 defeat.While the Hoosiers failed to come back, there were some positives to end the day. Powless recorded a 4-0 shutout to improve his bid to get back in the national rankings. Hoosier heavyweight Nate Everhart continued his undefeated senior year with a 2-0 victory to close out the day. Goldman knows that while it would have been nice to notch the upset win, a loss to a No. 4 team is certainly not a letdown.“It was just a tough match,” Goldman said. “I thought they were patient and when opportunities presented themselves (OSU) went after those opportunities.”
(01/27/10 4:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When senior Nate Everhart arrived on the IU campus his freshman year, he was far from the physical beast he is today. Weighing below 200 pounds, Everhart was not intimidating many wrestlers with his size. The Tinsley, Ill., native received offers to play baseball at Iowa and Missouri but decided wrestling at a Big Ten school and getting a Big Ten education was the right path. IU coach Duane Goldman knew that he was getting a guy with brains and brawn. “He seemed like a full-package kid,” Goldman said. “We knew that he was going to be a good fit with our team.”Everhart did not have the time most wrestlers do to get used to the flow of Big Ten wrestling. Instead of redshirting his freshman year, Everhart earned his way into the starting lineup at 197 pounds.“It kind of added some fuel to my fire to make sure that I get to that top level of wrestlers,” Everhart said.As a true freshman, Everhart paid his dues in the Big Ten, finishing with a 2-6 record. A 20-17 overall record gave Everhart plenty to build on heading into his sophomore year.The fall of 2007 was different than any other for Everhart. He decided to move up to the heavyweight class, which meant gaining close to 30 pounds. The unorthodox jump to heavyweight meant he was going to have to put on pure muscle.“It’s really a competition to stay that big when you’ve been cutting weight for so long,” assistant coach Pat DeGain said.But Everhart’s first year as a heavyweight started with an unfortunate blow. He suffered a foot injury, forcing him to sit out the entire non-conference schedule. Determined to come back strong with a season of Big Ten play under his belt, Everhart made his debut in the Big Ten opener. But he failed to adjust to the pace of Big Ten wrestling and finished conference play 1-6.Instead of blaming the foot surgery for his record, Everhart knew he still had a chance to salvage his season in the Big Ten Championships, and that’s exactly what he did. Everhart took down three Big Ten foes to take seventh place and punch a ticket to the NCAA Championships.“I felt the desire to prove that I could hang with some of the best guys in the country,” Everhart said.Instead of struggling as a lighter heavyweight, Everhart has put in the time to make himself a rare breed. The No. 2 ranked heavyweight has found a balance of speed, power and finesse that has made him unbeatable this season (26-0, 2-0).So far, Everhart’s senior highlight came at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December. With a slew of ranked opponents, the heavyweight bracket was no cakewalk. But he was determined to prove he could hang with the big boys.“He just looked at me and said, ‘Coach, nobody is going to beat me. I’m gonna win this tournament,’ ” DeGain said.The soft-spoken Everhart delivered on his word, taking down ranked opponents en route to the heavyweight podium. As the Las Vegas Invite and the Southern Scuffle heavyweight champ, Everhart is building up confidence to win the heavyweight title at the NCAA Championships. But he is not about to give his opponents a bulletin-board guarantee.“It would be a letdown for me not to win it all,” Everhart said about his national championship hopes. “I’ve put in the time and the effort and I think I deserve to win it.”Everhart has found the balance to make himself mentally and physically stronger than all that stands in his way. Whether or not Everhart brings home that national championship in March, one thing is certain – he will always look for ways to develop himself.“He knows that there is always more to accomplish,” Goldman said. “He never gets caught in the moment and lets himself be satisfied.”
(01/22/10 5:48am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU wrestling team will not be allowed to ease into the Big Ten season. The No. 11 Hoosiers will open up their season on the Big Ten Network at 8 p.m. today when they travel to No. 19 Wisconsin.The Hoosiers’ undefeated 11-0 record puts them in elite company coming into the Big Ten opener. No. 1 Iowa is the only other Division 1A team to boast an undefeated record at this point in the season. While the Hoosiers have had an unblemished record in dual play this season, IU coach Duane Goldman said he knows the real season starts now. “When we hit this time of the year, the intensity of the team really picks up,” Goldman said.On paper, the Hoosiers are favored to take care of business at Wisconsin. With four nationally ranked wrestlers, the Hoosiers would appear favored for the match. But at the same time, the Badgers are favored to win six of the 10 matches. Five of the Badgers’ six ranked wrestlers are competing in weight classes where the Hoosiers are not ranked.Getting production out of the younger Hoosiers, such as sophomore Matt Powless (197 pounds) and freshman Danny Monaco (141 pounds), could be what makes the difference.“You have to throw the rankings out the window,” Goldman said. “We are going to have to pull some upsets in order to win.”The lone matchup with two ranked opponents is at 165 pounds, where No. 13 Paul Young will take on Wisconsin’s No. 1-ranked Andrew Howe, whose closest call of the season actually came against Young in the Las Vegas Invitational.Young gave Howe everything he could handle but came up short in a 3-2 defeat. The rematch is something Young has been able to put all his time and energy into in the past week.“When you wrestle a single match like this, it gives you a chance to focus specifically on that one guy,” Young said. Both are known for being the aggressor in their matches, recording takedowns early and often. Young refuses to have a “not-to-lose” mindset going up against Howe.“We both wrestle with similar, aggressive styles,” Young said. “I’m just excited to wrestle him.”With the Hoosiers’ Big Ten opener being broadcast, experience on the big stage could play into the Hoosiers’ favor.“It’s something that you learn to adapt to,” Young said about wrestling before a large audience. “But it’s hard not to notice the large crowd and the fact that it’s televised.”If the Hoosiers want to continue to bolster their unblemished record and start the Big Ten season with a victory, they will have to step up to the occasion.“The Big Ten is brutal, but this is what these guys signed up to do,” Goldman said. “They have to be ready.”
(01/19/10 2:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>IU senior wrestler Nate Everhart showed on Saturday why he is on the shortlist of contenders for a heavyweight national championship. With the Hoosiers on the brink of their first loss all season - down 22-18 going into the final match against American University - Everhart would need to record a tech fall or a pin for the win. The No. 2 ranked Everhart stepped up to the challenge. Everhart recorded a tech fall in the third period, capping off the Hoosiers’ come-from-behind, 23-22 win in their closest dual of the season.Coming into Saturday, the Hoosiers had failed to allow double-digit points in a dual, resulting in their perfect 9-0 record. The Hoosiers appeared to be heading in the right direction after No. 1 Angel Escobedo won on a major decision 13-5 at 125 pounds.Little did the Hoosiers know that this was the last time they would have the lead until the final match. The Hoosiers dropped the next four matches to fall to a 17-4 deficit.The last defeat of those four came at the hands of No. 7 Kurt Kinser at 157 pounds. Coming into the day, the premiere matchup was Kinser taking on American’s Sean Fittery, who ranks No. 4 nationally at 157 pounds.The matchup failed to live up to its billing, as Fittery delivered takedown after takedown en route to a surprising 17-1 tech fall. The loss took the air out of the IU crowd at University Gym because, for the first time all season, the Hoosiers were being dominated.However, the quiet mood would not last long. Junior Paul Young, who came into the match ranked No. 13 at 165 pounds, came up big for the Hoosiers. Young recorded a pin against American’s Tanner Shaffer in the first period to get the Hoosiers back in the match. “The most important thing for me was not getting wrapped up in the match before,” Young said. “I was pumped up for sure and I knew it was important to get the team amped up.”With Young’s pin, the Hoosiers rallied to within four points heading into the final match. The final matchup could not have fared any better for IU. With his experience, Everhart understood what he needed to get done.“I knew that I only had a short period to rack up a lot of points,” Everhart said. “It’s definitely an advantage to have that experience.”The tech fall in the third period gave the Hoosiers a nail-biting win that was unconventional for this team. A 44-4 victory against Cleveland State in the latter part of the dual improved the Hoosiers to 11-0 heading into their showdown at No. 21 Wisconsin on Friday.While the Hoosiers came out with two wins Saturday, IU coach Duane Goldman knows close calls will not cut it in Big Ten play. “It was good that we were able to get wins in a bind,” Goldman said. “But the hard part is that we lost the playbill matchups.”
(12/14/09 2:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Saturday afternoon, the wrestling team got exactly the performance it was looking for heading into a two-and-a-half-week break from competition. The Hoosiers took down Eastern Michigan 30-6 and SIU Edwardsville 50-0 at the F.I.T.E. Duals in Oak Lawn, Ill. The 50-0 defeat of SIU Edwardsville marked the second time this year the Hoosiers have recorded a shutout. They also tallied one against Wabash with a 45-0 defeat on Nov. 17.“We knew that we were going to have some pretty tough matches against Eastern,” IU coach Duane Goldman said. “To come back from Vegas and wrestle the way we did was good for us.”Only two Hoosiers suffered losses on Saturday, improving their record to 8-0 on the year. The No. 13 Hoosiers have been fortunate enough to have very few injuries this year, but one of those hurt this year was junior Kurt Kinser (157 pounds). Kinser has been plagued with a knee injury that has sidelined him for the last few matches but was able to respond well on Saturday, shutting out Eastern Michigan’s Aaron Sulzer 6-0. The No. 9-ranked Kinser continued his dominance in his second match of the day, where he pinned SIUE’s Nick Jones in 3:36.Goldman stressed the importance of getting Kinser back and healthy for the rest of the season.“Kurt is one of the leaders of this team,” Goldman said. “It’s nice to get that type of individual back in the lineup because he brings a sense of security and confidence to this team.”No. 6 heavyweight Nate Everhart improved his undefeated record to 16-0. Everhart continued his senior campaign with a 12-3 defeat of EMU’s David Wade and a 20-5 technical fall of SIUE’s David Devine.Currently, Everhart’s 16-0 record has made him the top-ranked heavyweight in the Big Ten.Everhart said his start to the season has improved his outlook on the mat.“I definitely have more confidence in my wrestling,” Everhart said. “I’ve been physically getting after it and pushing my intensity.”With Everhart and the rest of the 8-0 Hoosiers wrestling quality matches, the 17-day layoff is not coming at the best time for this squad. While the Hoosiers are now faced with their longest competition break of the season, Goldman will make sure that his team keeps its focus. Goldman admitted that although his team has an unblemished record, there are still many aspects in which he feels they need to get better.“We’re going to take this time and improve on things that we’re doing well and continue to move forward in all phases,” Goldman said.
(12/11/09 5:04am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When Angel Escobedo was a redshirt freshman, he watched Joe Dubuque win the second of his back-to-back National Championships at 125 pounds. Dubuque might not have realized it, but he was setting the bar for Escobedo’s future with IU wrestling.Dubuque had led by example and fueled Escobedo to leave a legacy similar to his own, ending at the top of the podium. Although he physically dominated opponents, Dubuque’s mental approach left a lasting impression on Escobedo.“I learned from him that you have to have that confidence that no matter what happens, you always have to believe you’re the best,” Escobedo said. “It was definitely hard to follow in a national champion’s footsteps, but it’s what made me work even harder.”Just four years earlier, Escobedo was watching Dubuque win national championships. Now the man that paved the way will coach Escobedo in his pursuit of a second national championship. So far, Dubuque’s advice has paid dividends for Escobedo. As the reigning Big Ten Wrestler of the Week, Escobedo has knocked down all in his path this season. An undefeated 12-0 start and a No. 2 national ranking make Escobedo one of the early favorites to win it all in March at the NCAA Championships in Omaha, Neb.“Both of them have handled it really well and I believe it has to do with that winning attitude that both of them have,” said IU coach Duane Goldman. “Joe wants Angel to win and Angel knows that Joe can help him do that.”While some star athletes do not respond well to coaching, Escobedo has thrived on having Dubuque there for each step of the way this season.“He knows what it takes to be on top and stay on top,” Escobedo said. “I just try to pick his brain every day.”After Dubuque graduated from IU, he spent three years as an assistant coach at Hofstra. Dubuque had an opportunity to be around the sport that set him apart from the rest, but he wanted a chance to come back to where it all began. That’s when Goldman came calling to offer Dubuque a job on the IU coaching staff.“Getting the opportunity to come back to my alma mater to coach with (Goldman and assistant Pat DeGain) and getting back in the Big Ten to coach was huge for me,” Dubuque said. “I was in the right place at the right time.”Dubuque’s winning attitude is likely what has driven his coaching style. But Dubuque admits that there are some adjustments between being on the mat and working from the sidelines.“When I first started coaching, I would let the first match affect the next one if it didn’t go well,” Dubuque said. “I learned that a coach needs to be composed because when you lose your composure, the wrestler sees that and they get rattled.”IU’s No. 13 national ranking shows the Hoosiers have responded well to the entire coaching staff this season. Dubuque said coaching wrestlers like Escobedo has made his first season at IU a lot easier.“It doesn’t take much to help Angel accomplish his goals,” Dubuque said. “I just try to keep him on track and focused.” Dubuque and the rest of the Hoosiers know how long of a season IU is in for. While a national championship is the ultimate goal, the only thing they can focus on right now is the F.I.T.E. Duals at 11 a.m. on Saturday in Oak Lawn, Ill. The Hoosiers will take on Eastern Michigan and SIU-Edwardsville in one of their final tune-ups for the Big Ten season. With Dubuque and Escobedo working together, IU will attempt to bring nightmares to the rest of the Big Ten. Four years ago, Escobedo was the redshirt freshman trying to dissect everything he could from his predecessor, Dubuque. While Escobedo has proven himself nationally during Dubuque’s absence from IU, he is still determined to learn everything he can from his new assistant coach. A national title is the only way both of them imagine Escobedo’s career ending at IU.“He has that confidence that he can win and dominate every match,” Dubuque said of Escobedo. “My main goal is to get Angel on top of that podium in March.”
(12/07/09 4:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In the city of bright lights, IU wrestlers Angel Escobedo and Nate Everhart put on a show Friday and Saturday. Escobedo and Everhart both took home titles at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, adding another notch to their career belts and leading IU to a sixth-place finish.Escobedo was named the tournament’s “Most Outstanding Wrestler” after knocking off Arizona State’s Anthony Robles in a 4-2 decision to win the 125-pound title. No. 2 Escobedo worked his way through the 125-pound class, finishing 6-0 in the tournament. “Angel was able to dominate his opponents, and there was no question that he was the best guy in his bracket,” IU coach Duane Goldman said. “He looked as good as I’ve ever seen him.”Coming in as the top seed at 125 pounds, Escobedo posted at least 13 points in all four of his Friday matches. The senior wasted little time in his first match Saturday. In the semifinals, Escobedo pinned Cornell’s Frank Perrelli in 5:22 before the championship match against Robles.Robles came into the championship match against Escobedo as the No. 2 seed in the tournament and ranked No. 3 nationally. A win for Robles would have not only meant defeating the No. 1 seed in Escobedo to win the title, but it would have likely moved Robles ahead of Escobedo in the national rankings. But the former national champion did not allow Robles to end his dream of an undefeated senior season.“I just tried to wrestle my match instead of wrestling his, because guys that wrestle his match usually end up losing,” Escobedo said.The 4-2 win against Robles in the championship proved that Escobedo was at full strength after being hampered with injury for part of last season.“It was a big stepping stone for me,” Escobedo said. “There was a lot of people doubting me because of my shoulder, but I feel like I am back to the same form of sophomore year.” While Escobedo was the favorite to take home the title at 125 pounds, senior Nate Everhart won upsets on the way to his heavyweight title on Saturday. He came in as the No. 4 seed and is ranked No. 10 in the nation. On Friday, the senior outscored his opponents by a combined score of 30-5. While he was favored in all three matches, Everhart knew he still had to prove himself going into the semifinals on Saturday.In the beginning of the season, Goldman had talked about wanting to see Everhart perform well against higher competition. On Saturday, Everhart did exactly that.A 4-3 defeat of No. 4 Mitch Monteiro, a wrestler from Cal State-Bakersfield, in the semifinals gave Everhart a chance at the heavyweight title. As the top seed in the tournament, Monteiro was the toughest opponent Everhart had seen all year.The finals pitted Everhart against No. 2 seed Tucker Lane from Nebraska. Everhart squeaked out a 3-2 win against the nation’s No. 7 wrestler to give him a battle-tested heavyweight title.“Not only was winning the tournament impressive, but he had a really tough bracket,” Goldman said of Everhart’s two upsets. “He put himself in the running to place as an All-American.”The performances of Escobedo and Everhart propelled the Hoosiers to their sixth-place finish, with 12 of the top 25 teams in the country partaking in the tournament. “I’m really pleased with how we wrestled in this tournament, but it’s December,” Goldman said. “We need to be wrestling at our best in March.”
(12/04/09 3:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU wrestling team will face its first national test Friday in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Forty-four teams from across the country will compete at the Invitational. The Hoosiers are No. 12 in the nation and will wrestle within a field made up of nearly half of the country’s top-25 teams. IU is 6-0 and comes in with the reigning Big Ten Wrestler of the Week, junior Paul Young, who wrestles at 165 pounds.“He had a really great weekend and he’s had a great year so far,” IU coach Duane Goldman said of Young’s 5-0 showing at the Hoosier Duals. “He really deserved it.”Ranked No. 13 in the 165- pound weight class, Young is looking to ride his undefeated record into this weekend.“This is a great opportunity for me to move up and continue my success,” Young said. “I’m excited for the opportunity to wrestle some of the top wrestlers.”One of those opponents Young alluded to is Wisconsin’s Andrew Howe, who was able to get the best of Young last year. Howe is currently ranked No. 3 in the 165-pound weight class and will present Young with his first major match of the year. A win would put Young on an even shorter list of elite wrestlers.While Young’s results show that he is on top of his game right now, he admits that he has not changed up his style much at all.“I actually think I wrestled the same (on Nov. 28) as I have been all year,” Young said.The junior has focused on being the aggressor every time he steps onto the mat. Pinning three opponents at the Hoosier Duals showed that Young is not wasting any time.“I’ve been concentrating on getting forward pressure and staying on the offensive,” Young said.This is a style that Young and the rest of the Hoosiers will need to continue to have success against the nation’s best.“This weekend is a good opportunity for our guys to get some quality wins,” Goldman said. “It’s an important weekend for us.”
(11/30/09 4:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers were able to defend their No. 11 national ranking on Saturday, going 5-0 in the Hoosier Duals at University Gym.Leading the way for unbeaten IU was senior Angel Escobedo (125 lbs.), Paul Young (165 lbs.), Eric Cameron (184 lbs.) and heavyweight Nate Everhart. The four upperclassmen all posted 5-0 records en route to the Hoosiers’ 5-0 performance.On Saturday, the Hoosiers recorded winning performances from a variety of weight classes, holding all five opponents to single-digit point totals. A reason for that is the effort they were able to get out of guys like Young, Cameron and Everhart.“They were all staying aggressive and trying to dominate,” Goldman said.IU defeated Cumberlands 44-6, drubbed Northern Illinois 27-9 and defeated Chattanooga 30-9. They also won 43-3 versus Liberty and posted a 37-6 victory against San Diego State. Although IU was successful, Goldman said it could have improved.“We had a lot of good matches throughout the day,” he said. “We still had some close matches that would have been nice to win.”Escobedo was on the attack all day, recording three pins for the Hoosiers. The former National Champion did not even wrestle in the third period until his last match of the day, where he won a 9-4 decision against San Diego State’s Aaron Pickrel. A No. 2 ranking at 125 lbs. will be motivation for all opponents heading into a match with Escobedo. Having a day with five wins is something Escobedo will have to continue to do to keep the Hoosiers in the national picture.Young was also able to record three pins after coming into the day with a No. 13 ranking at 165 lbs. Everhart is nationally ranked No. 11, Kurt Kinser (157 lbs.) is ranked No. 12 and Trevor Perry (174 lbs.) is ranked No. 17. Goldman said IU’s few struggles on Saturday were with mental errors rather than the physical aspects of the matches.“Most of it is between the ears and their attitudes on the mat,” Goldman said.Maintaining intensity is an area Goldman stressed as the key to closing out matches.“We need to work on our aggressiveness in situations where we can put guys away and build a lead instead of waiting for things to happen,” Goldman said.The undefeated showing at the Hoosier Duals improves their record to 6-0 for the season heading into the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational this Friday.Escobedo said he is sure plenty of teams will look to defeat IU there.“That No. 11 ranking puts a target on us, and teams are going to want to take us down,” Escobedo said. “It’s not every day that teams get the chance to take down a ranked opponent.”
(11/18/09 4:55am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU wrestling team posted a 45-0 victory at Wabash College on Tuesday. The Hoosiers didn’t lose a single match, getting dominant performances from every weight class.While all the wrestlers were favored to win, a positive sign came from All-American Angel Escobedo at 125 pounds. After undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, the senior sat out the MSU Open as a precaution.“After undergoing serious surgery, it was really good for guys on this team to see him back in the lineup,” IU coach Duane Goldman said. “There were a lot of questions of, ‘Was he going to wrestle?’ And, ‘If so, how was he going to?’ And he responded really well.”Escobedo silenced any doubts that his shoulder problems were going to plague the start of his senior year. He pinned Josh Boyer in a mere 53 seconds.“I was very confident with my shoulder being 100 percent,” Escobedo said. “It was a big confidence booster to be dominant so quickly.”Escobedo’s has shown that he is capable of responding in big situations in the past. Wrestling a non-conference school in an early-season dual match does not usually bring feelings of uncertainty before the match, but Tuesday night was different than anything Escobedo had experienced at IU.“I still get nervous every time before a match,” he said. “But this time, I was a little more nervous because I didn’t know how my shoulder would respond.” Escobedo was not the only one to record a pin in their first dual meet. Junior Kurt Kinser at 157 pounds and sophomore Matt Ortega at 133 pounds also pinned their opponents en route to the Hoosier victory.“Guys were trying new techniques and really working on diversifying themselves,” Escobedo said.Getting a big lead early is something that allowed the team to shake things up a bit down the stretch.Being meaner and tougher on the mat is something Goldman stressed to his team after the MSU Open on Sunday. A 45-0 showing for the Hoosiers showed that they were exactly that Tuesday night.“We had a lot of guys that were trying some different moves,” Goldman said. “It was good to see guys open up and be aggressive.”
(11/17/09 5:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>After a successful start to the season at the Michigan State Open on Sunday, the Hoosiers will get a chance to ride their momentum as they travel to Crawfordsville, Ind., to take on Wabash College.While the Hoosiers have gained more national attention than Wabash, the Matmen are coming off a 4-1 start. IU coach Duane Goldman said he has been around wrestling too long to take a small-school opponent lightly.“They always wrestle hard, and we know that they have some good individuals,” Goldman said.An intriguing matchup will pit IU senior Nate Everhart and Wabash’s Rob Arnett against each other in the heavyweight division. Everhart comes in after winning the heavyweight title, posting an undefeated 4-0 performance at the MSU Open. Arnett is off to a 5-0 start to his senior campaign.“As (Everhart) continues to wrestle good guys, he needs to be able to separate himself,” Goldman said. Although the Hoosiers were able to take home three titles Sunday, Goldman knows that his team has things to correct for Wabash.“We need to work on a couple technical aspects, but we really just need to get meaner and tougher,” Goldman said.
(10/28/09 3:12pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The IU wrestling team squared off against each other in their intrasquad meet at Bloomington North High School on Tuesday. While all starting spots were up for grabs, the two most competitive battles were in the 141- and at 157-pound weight classes.The Hoosiers have the most depth at 157 pounds with senior Matt Coughlin and junior Kurt Kinser. Kinser had got his career off at IU with a bang, qualifying for the NCAA tournament as a freshman and sophomore. But last year Kinser was able to overtake Coughlin at 157 pounds and dominate all year. Kinser was also able to qualify for the NCAA tournament after he placed sixth in the Big Tens.“Coughlin and I both believe that we are at our best at that weight class,” Kinser said.Kinser was not ready to give the spot back to Coughlin on Tuesday night, winning 7-1. The match was at a 0-0 stalemate until Kinser took over late in the second period and did not look back. Wrestling against a teammate had a different feel for Kinser.“I always get more nervous wrestling against my teammates than anybody else,” Kinser said. “(Coughlin) is a really great wrestler and I don’t feel like I had any advantage over him.”While Kinser won the job at 157, it is not the end of the road for Coughlin. He is expected to move down a weight class and start at 149 for the Hoosiers.Another storyline coming into Tuesday was the duel between freshmen Danny Monaco and Nick Viterisi at 141 pounds. A low-scoring grind resulted in Monaco pulling out a 3-2 victory. Monaco will look to build off a solid redshirt year where he finished 13-4.Rounding out the rest of the starters for the Hoosiers are senior Angel Escobedo at 125 pounds, sophomore Matt Ortega at 133 pounds, junior Paul Young at 165 pounds, senior Trevor Perry at 174 pounds, and senior Nate Everhart at the heavyweight class.Next on the list for the Hoosiers is the Michigan State Open which will officially kick off the season on Nov. 15.
(10/27/09 4:30am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior Angel Escobedo has nothing to prove today, but, as the season approaches, he will have to demonstrate that he is the best the nation has to offer once again.The IU wrestling team will be kicking off its season at 7 p.m. today with its annual intrasquad scrimmage at Bloomington High School North.Coach Duane Goldman comes into his 18th year as IU’s wrestling coach with an array of talent returning after a 24th place finish at the NCAA Tournament. Most notably returning for the Hoosiers is Escobedo, a former NCAA National Champion.The 125-pound Escobedo is coming into his fifth year in the program after redshirting his freshman year and is hungrier than ever to regain the title of National Champion.“It’s a very important year for me,” Escobedo said. “I’ve been putting in four years of hard work and I’ve been trying to represent IU as best as possible.”This off-season was different than any other for Escobedo, who dealt with shoulder problems last season. Off-season surgery allowed Escobedo to return to full strength and embark on leading the squad back to the upper echelon of the Big Ten.“I spent my off-season working on just excelling my wrestling skills, whether it was lifting or going over techniques,” Escobedo said.Goldman said he believes that the senior is above everyone in the nation at the 125-pound weight class despite placing fifth at the NCAA Championships last year.“He’s already proven that he’s the best in the country,” Goldman said. “Any time you win a national title, it’s about skill, luck and health, and it all comes to a head.”Hoosier vs. HoosierAnother story that has been brewing in the off-season is who will lead the Hoosiers at 157 pounds. Junior Kurt Kinser was dominant all last year for the Hoosiers, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament. There is also senior Matt Coughlin, who made two straight trips to the NCAA Championships as a freshman and sophomore.“It’s going to be a big wrestle off, and it will be determined by open competition,” Goldman said.Whoever does not win the job will drop down to wrestle at 149 for the Hoosiers.The battle at 141 will be in full swing today with three young Hoosiers fighting for the spot. True freshman Max Ortega, redshirt freshmen Danny Monaco and Nick Viterisi will all look to impress Goldman to win the job that is up for grabs.While the Hoosiers did not fare as well as they hoped in the Big Ten last season (2-5-1), Goldman does not believe that this reflects the type of team that he has.“We really don’t like to gauge in our performance on how we do in the Big Ten,” Goldman said. “The main thing for us is getting guys through to Nationals.”The experienced group has confidence that they have what it takes to become one of the elite programs in the country. With the Hoosiers returning seven former NCAA Qualifiers, it is hard to argue with that fact.“We want to move up into the top three teams in the Big Ten and win a trophy at Nationals,” Escobedo said. “I don’t see why not this season.”
(05/04/09 3:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Hoosiers (10-37, 4-14) split the weekend’s doubleheader at Penn State (19-25, 7-11).Capitalizing on Penn State errors in the first game led the Hoosiers to a 4-3 victory. Of the Hoosiers’ four runs, three of them were unearned.Junior outfielder Jennifer Glueckert went 2-for-4, driving in three runs. Glueckert responded well after IU coach Michelle Gardner inserted her into the No. 3 spot in the lineup.The Hoosiers got three runs in the third, which was just enough to hold off a late Penn State run.Sophomore pitcher Sara Olson delivered another complete game, allowing three runs and striking out three. The win improves Olson’s record to 7-13.The second game was a pitcher’s duel that seemed like it would have a low-scoring result. Instead of the Hoosiers getting a chance to even the score at 2-2 in the seventh, Penn State would increase its lead. Penn State’s offense exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to end the game, 9-1.Penn State’s 15 hits in the game all came off of senior pitcher Ashley Hobbs. Hobbs was the Hoosiers’ main source of offense, recording her first career two-hit day.Next weekend, the Hoosiers will travel to Purdue to finish off the year.
(05/01/09 3:57am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Coming off a doubleheader loss at Michigan on Wednesday, the Hoosiers will try to rebound at Penn State this weekend.With the season winding down, the Hoosiers are not in the running for a Big Ten title, nor to finish in the top half of the Big Ten. While players have stayed positive throughout the year, they are still aware of their situation.“We don’t want to be the last team in the Big Ten,” said freshman outfielder Heather Nelson.Fortunately for the Hoosiers, Penn State is in a similar situation. They have struggled to find consistency throughout the year and suffered from an injury to sophomore pitcher Jackie Hill.Hill has been the only successful starting pitcher for Penn State, with a record of 13-9 and a 1.10 ERA.While Hill has been consistent while healthy, she might seem like a step down to Hoosier hitters after facing Michigan’s Nikki Nemitz and Jordan Taylor.“We still have to look at each team as tough,” Nelson said, noting Michigan and Penn State.The Hoosiers have been able to compete in close games with almost every team in the Big Ten, but have still failed to get a win against a conference team with a better record. This weekend might be the best opportunity for the Hoosiers to change that trend.
(04/29/09 4:24am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Wednesday night will show whether or not the Hoosiers are a different team since Michigan no-hit the team back in February.On paper, Wednesday night’s doubleheader at Michigan (34-9, 10-2) is about as lopsided as it can get for the Hoosiers (9-34, 3-11). Michigan comes into the contest as winner of its past 14 games and with a No. 9 ranking.The only conference losses Michigan has suffered this season came when it played Northwestern. Both games shared a one-run difference in scoring. Shutting out four of their last six opponents, Michigan pitchers are on top of their game right now, which could spell trouble for a banged-up Hoosier team. Junior Nikki Nemitz and sophomore Jordan Taylor have been giving opposing hitters fits all year.Nemitz recently notched her 20th win of the season and boasts a 0.74 ERA. Nemitz could have an even higher win total, but Taylor’s dominance has proven she is worthy of getting starts as well.Keeping Michigan’s offense in check will be the key factor in both games. This season, the Hoosiers are 2-28 when they allow more than three runs in a game.With that being said, teams do not win games on paper. Michigan might have the Hoosiers in every hitting and pitching category, but there are some things in the Hoosiers’ favor.Michigan can very easily look past the Hoosiers with critical Big Ten games against Iowa and Ohio State next on the schedule. The Hoosiers also seem ready to play with a nothing-to-lose mentality, which means coach Michelle Gardner will not be afraid to take some risks against the Big Ten foe.Another aspect that plays into the Hoosiers’ favor is their experience against Top 10 teams. The Hoosiers have played seven teams so far this year ranked in the top 25, including Michigan. Gardner has repeatedly stressed the importance of playing elite teams to get ready for the best of the Big Ten.
(04/27/09 3:47am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>This weekend, Iowa was a force that could not be stopped. The Hawkeyes took down the Hoosiers on Saturday and Sunday, 12-0 and 12-1, both in five innings.“I think that Iowa was very, very hot this weekend,” IU coach Michelle Gardner said. “They hit everything that we threw at them.”The Hawkeyes were up 1-0 until they busted the game open with an 11-run fifth inning.In the second game, the Hawkeyes wasted little time getting the offense rolling, leading the Hoosiers 8-0 after three innings. Iowa senior Colleen McGlaughlin gave the Hawkeyes a 12-1 win in five innings.“There’s a difference between giving up and getting beat,” Gardner said. “We just got beat today.”Gardner said while the scoreboard shows a blowout, there was nothing that they could have done to stop Iowa. “There are six kids on (Iowa) that could be Big Ten Player of the Week this week,” Gardner said.While Iowa put up runs on both days, Gardner said it was not from a lack of effort by the Hoosiers.“We have played respectable against top-25 teams all year, and we’ve lost, but not because we weren’t playing,” Gardner said. “We have played tough competition all year, and we haven’t been embarrassed once.”