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(01/08/01 6:06am)
At 5-0, IU wrestlers have their best team start since 1995-96, but the competition will intensify as conference play approaches.\nFollowing a victory against Missouri, the Hoosiers have dominated their opponents to maintain an undefeated dual meet record. The last time the Hoosiers posted a 5-0 record, the team finished as Big Ten runner-up.\nSaturday in Charleston, Ill., Indiana defeated Eastern Illinois 37-9 and Franklin and Marshall 47-9. In the tri-match, three Hoosiers pinned both of their opponents, including senior Gabe Cook (149 pounds) who improved to 12-2 on the year. Junior Viktor Sveda (184) earned his seventh and eighth pins to move to 14-4. Redshirt freshman Coyte Cooper's two pins make him 8-4 overall with four pins.\nCooper said before the match he was not pleased with his performance this season.\n"I don't think I have wrestled well at all as far as where I know I can be," Cooper said. "It is time I start to settle in."\nIU posted lopsided victories at home in mid-December when the Hoosiers defeated Central Missouri State 38-6 and Marquette 38-10. In the tri-match, IU lost only four matches and five wrestlers posted victories against each of their opponents. \nJunior Brian Smiley (133) said despite lopsided rankings, the Hoosiers don't look past any opponent.\n"I think we are real competitive … we go out and battle everybody," Smiley said. "We don't let up for anybody. It doesn't matter who we are wrestling."\nThe team traveled to Nevada for the Reno Tournament of Champions and finished third as a team. Oklahoma State, ranked second nationally, hammered the competition by defeating second place Arizona State by 72 points. Individually, Sveda recorded two pins on his way to second place to pace the Hoosiers. He was defeated by eighth-ranked Oklahoma State senior Dan Cormier. Cook, and fellow Hoosiers senior Kevin Stanley (165) and sophomore Ty Matthews (197) finished third in their weight classes at the tournament. \n The team later traveled to Evanston, Ill., to compete in the Midlands Championship for the first time in three years. The individual tournament showcases nationally ranked wrestlers as well as amateur wrestlers who have used up their eligibility. \nIU Coach Duane Goldman said he would use the event to help establish a starting lineup for the rest of the season. Only Sveda placed in the top three, finishing third with two wins against seeded opponents after a loss to number one seed Cael Sanderson of Iowa State.\nThroughout winter break, the wrestlers endured as many as three practices a day, including activities such as lifting and running. Pat Cassidy, assistant coach and member of last year's team, said the staff is hoping the intense training will pay off. The coaching staff is pleased with the progress of the team, he said, but recognizes the road ahead is difficult.\n"I don't think we have had any major setbacks; we have cleared some hurdles, but haven't wrestled any big teams yet, dual meet wise," Cassidy said. "Hopefully that will come later in the season."\nThe Hoosiers will get a chance to earn victories against nationally ranked competition this weekend when they travel to Norfolk, Va., for the Virginia Duals. This will be IU's final meet before conference competition. Cassidy said he is optimistic.\n "We have had some individual guys that are wrestling well, but the thing is collectively we are wrestling much better," Cassidy said. "I think the road ahead looks bright, and I think we will do well in Virginia"
(12/11/00 6:50am)
Based on the final score, it's difficult to say whether the IU wrestling team dominated the meet Friday night. But winning seven of ten matches is evidence to make such a claim.\nThe Hoosiers (1-0) defeated the Missouri Tigers (1-3) 22-15 Friday night in the 2000-01 season opener at University Gym. The win marked the Hoosiers' eighth consecutive win over the Tigers. The last six have been season openers. Senior Kevin Stanley's (165 pounds) 6-2 decision over the Tiger's Mark Vollmar clinched the victory for the Hoosiers in the night's last match.\n"I thought we wrestled tough despite a couple of setbacks," Stanley said. "Really, we dominated 70 percent of the dual, so we won big time if you look at it that way."\nThe opening match of the night proved to be a setback for the Hoosiers. Missouri junior John Kopnisky (174), ranked seventh nationally in his class, pinned Hoosier Jack Wade, a freshman, midway through the second period after Wade took Kopnisky down twice in the first. The Hoosiers found themselves with an early six point deficit.\n Junior Victor Sveda (184) initiated a string of Hoosier victories with a win in the second match. Sveda, ranked third nationally in his class, overcame an early takedown by Ry Stone on his way to an 8-3 victory. Sophomore Ty Matthews (197) followed for the Hoosiers and scored a crucial escape with two seconds left in the final period to post an 8-7 victory over Dante Stone. Senior Michael Dixon (heavyweight) gave the Hoosiers their third consecutive win in the match and their first team lead, which they would not relinquish. Dixon overpowered Missouri's Chad Hertzog for a 3-2 victory. IU assistant coach Mike Mena said he was impressed with the performance.\n"He has only been practicing ten days because he plays football, and he wrestled pretty well," Mena said. "That kid actually beat him last year, so that was a big task for Michael."\nThe 125-pound weight class offered the night's highest scoring match, and nearly a Hoosier upset victory. IU sophomore Greg Schaefer returned to the mat after last year's redshirt season to face 11th ranked freshman Justin Spates of Missouri. Schaefer made two early take downs in the first period to jump out to a 7-2 lead. Spates countered in the second period to come within one point of Schaefer in the second period, Spates then made an immediate reversal in the third. The match became intense when Schaefer dumped Spates to the mat and IU coaches demanded a pin. The referee disagreed and Spates eventually freed himself.\n"The kid (Spates) was rolling around a lot, but he definitely touched the whole shoulder, I saw it two times, not just one," Mena said.\nSchaefer reversed Spates to grab an 11-10 lead and needed to keep Spates in the down position for the final 14 seconds. Spates escaped and sent the match into a one-minute overtime. Spates dropped Schaefer 15 seconds into overtime for a 13-11 victory.\n"Greg went out to a big lead and then I think he kind of got excited and lost a little bit of shape," Stanley said. "I would guarantee that Greg comes out on top next time, he is just to strong for the kid."\n IU countered by winning the next three matches beginning with junior Brian Smiley (133). Smiley made his return from last year's redshirt season with a 7-5 edging of Missouri's Jesse West. Mena said he was most impressed with Smiley's performance.\n "You could tell that kid was tired, but he didn't show it; he continued to fight," Mena said. "That is the type of competitive spirit we can't teach."\nRedshirt freshman Coyte Cooper (141) and senior Gabe Cook (149) followed with wins. Missouri's Kenny Burleson (157) brought his team within four points when he quickly pinned IU's James Wade with 1:04 remaining in the first period. In the decisive match, Stanley protected the lead and never appeared in danger on his way to a 6-2 victory.\nMissouri scored 12 points on two pins over IU's Wade brothers and three on an overtime victory by highly ranked Spates. \nSmiley said he was satisfied with the team's opening season effort.\n"Overall that was a great first match to open up with, we got some confidence going," Smiley said. "We chased them all around the mat, in those seven matches they weren't even close to us"
(12/08/00 5:15am)
If the past is any indication of the future, IU will have no trouble with Missouri tonight in the opener of the 2001-01 wrestling season.\nThe 7 p.m. home match tonight at the University Gym pins the Hoosiers (0-0) against a 1-2 Tigers team that has fallen to the Hoosiers in each of the seven previous meetings. Five of those Hoosier victories came in season openers. IU has dominated the overall series 10-3.\nAlthough Missouri has been beat up by opponents early in the year, it has confronted two of the nation's strongest teams. The Tigers fell to fifth-ranked Illinois and second-ranked Oklahoma State, which recently upset national powerhouse Iowa in a dual match. The Tigers return 14 lettermen from last year's 11-11 team. IU coach Duane Goldman said he isn't looking past the experienced Tiger squad.\n"Up and down the lineup they are competitive at every weight," Goldman said. "But we are too, and we just need to go out there and compete to the best of our ability and hope for the best."\nLeading the way for the Hoosiers will be junior Victor Sveda (184-pound weight class), and senior Kevin Stanley (157). Amateur Wrestling News recently ranked Sveda No. 3 in his class and Stanley No. 13 in the nation. Sveda said he is looking forward to getting off the practice mat and onto center stage.\n"I feel like once we start competition, I will be clicking and ready to go," Sveda said.\nTop returnees for Missouri are seventh-ranked John Kopinsky (174) and 11th-ranked Justin Spates (125). Kopinsky was an NCAA qualifier last season.\nJunior Brian Smiley (133) returns to the lineup after red-shirting last season. Smiley won four of seven matches as a sophomore and was the only freshman in 1997 to secure a starting spot. He spent last year as an understudy to Pat Cassidy, now a volunteer assistant coach for the Hoosiers. Despite the year off, Smiley said he is confident about tonight's opener.\n"This is actually the most prepared I've been since I've been in college," Smiley said. "I have been working out hard, and I am ready to go both physically and mentally."\nSophomore Greg Schaefer (125) also returns after red-shirting last season. In the Missouri Open this year, he defeated nationally ranked Ryan Escobar of Illinois on his way to a 3-2 overall record. Schaefer finished 16-9 with three pins two years ago and will battle Spates in tonight's match.\nFreshman Coyte Cooper (141) will make his IU debut tonight. A red-shirt last season, he won the St. Louis open while wrestling unattached. Earlier this season he placed fourth at the Missouri Open, posting a 3-2 record.\nThe Hoosiers wrestled unattached in the Missouri Open nearly three weeks ago. The NCAA only allows a certain number of tournaments and dual meets for each school. The Tigers have been busy in the early going, already participating in three dual competitions. Goldman said his team is generally beat-up following early season matches.\n"We've had some time off from our first tournament," Goldman said. "So hopefully right now everyone is feeling pretty good and we'll be ready to go."\nSmiley said being a Big Ten school benefits the Hoosiers because of the competition the team sees each year and the training it takes to compete in the conference. He said the team is ready to compete.\n"We have had a lot of time off, and I think everyone is coming together as a team," Smiley said. "We are sick of practice, want to get out there and start winning."\nIU begins the season with hopes of improving on last year's 14-8-1 record. Smiley said he is confident the team will open with a victory tonight.\n"There is no reason that we shouldn't be able to shut them out," Smiley said. "They have a couple of good guys, but I think overall we are solid as a team, young and real physical"
(11/01/00 4:22am)
The rowing team concluded its fall season with a strong finish in the last race, but there is no room for relaxation as the team enters the winter training season.\nCrew received second place finishes from the varsity eight team and the varsity four A squad last Sunday at the Head of the Elk Regatta in Elkhart, Ind. The 2.5 mile race held on the St. Joseph River featured teams such as Notre Dame, Miami (Ohio), Purdue, Michigan State and reigning Big Ten champion, Michigan. Officially, the varsity eight finished five seconds behind Purdue in a time of 13:27, while Michigan finished in 13:40. The novice eight A finished third behind Purdue and Michigan.\nThe win against conference rival Michigan was one for the Hoosiers, who are only in their second year of varsity status. Coach Mark Wilson said instead of stacking their boat, Michigan raced multiple even lineups with intentions of placing first and second in the regatta.\n"What Michigan did was similar to what we did the previous week at the Head of the Eagle," Wilson said. "That is a chance you take as a coach, and I don't think they expected our boat to do so well."\nSenior co-captain Joanna McCallister stroked the second varsity eight boat, which did not place in the top 10. Though she said she was disappointed with her boat's performance, she was upbeat about the overall performance of her team.\n"We went out and had a solid row in our race on Saturday," McCallister said. "We felt we could have done better, but we were very happy with the finish of the varsity A boat."\nThis race marks the completion of the fall season, in which IU competed in five regattas in four weeks. In each race, IU placed in the top two in the varsity eight or novice eight, which are the two major events in the fall races. Wilson said he was was delighted with the performance of his young squad.\n"We raced hard and I think it shows a lot of character to compete every week while trying to learn." Wilson said. "The girls really stepped up and did a great job, I couldn't be more pleased."\nSophomore varsity rower Emily Rumschlag said the team did well because everyone works well with each other.\n"We started to feel comfortable and worked together to become a better team," Rumschlag said. "Especially toward the end of the season, we were no longer individuals, we became united as a team."\nThe team now enters the winter training period, which will last until the beginning of the spring season in late March. During this training, the team will spend six days each week on the water leading up to Thanksgiving. As the lake turns cold, the team will move off the water and into the stadium where they will run during the week. The training will also consist of swimming, intensified lifting and personalized lifting programs for the varsity rowers.\nMcCallister has been through winter training before and realizes the importance it carries for the team. She said it is a long season in which the team must focus on getting stronger, faster and encourage each other constantly.\n"Winter training is good because it gets us into great physical condition," McCallister said. "But it is hardcore physical training all of the time."\nThe novice team has been impressive all year posting first place finishes at the Lemon Head and the Chicago Chase, and senior co-captain Katy Ostertag recognizes that the rowing team is full of young talent. She is not only focused on training for the upcoming spring season, but is thinking about the success of the program in the more distant future. As a third-year rower who began when crew had club status, she knows what it takes to win at this level of competition.\n"Some of the girls are needing a wake up call this winter," Ostertag said. "It is the novice who is going to be here next year and they are going to be so important to the program in the future"
(10/27/00 5:52am)
Many coaches will tell their teams to approach each race like it's the most important race of the season. For crew, this weekend's Head of the Elk regatta is the most important race of the season.\nThe 2.5 mile head race in Elkhart, Ind., will feature racing from the all of the Big Ten teams as well as strong non-conference opponents such as Miami (Ohio), Notre Dame and Louisville. \nIU junior co-captain Joanna McCallister said the St. Joseph River course might be a factor in the Hoosiers' performance this weekend.\n"The course has a lot of bends and curves in it," McCallister said, "as opposed to the courses we have been riding this season."\nThis weekend's regatta will be the first chance for the rowing team to square off against Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State, the strongest Big Ten teams. Each team was ranked in the top 15 at the conclusion of last year's spring season. Michigan has been impressive this fall, coming off of their Big Ten championship last spring. Michigan placed fourth overall out of 57 boats and second among collegiate teams in the championship eight race during the weekend at the Head of the Charles in Boston.\nIU is coming off second and third place finishes by the varsity eight teams at the Head of the Eagle last weekend in Indianapolis. Coach Mark Wilson said he was racing a more balanced lineup in hopes of taking first and second. He said he knows this weekend his linup must be as strong as possible.\n"We have not raced the same boat lineup in any race this year," Wilson said. "Other teams will come in with their strongest lineups this weekend, and we have to do the same."\nDue to foggy conditions Wednesday, the team had a difficult time training on the lake. Wilson sent his team on a run, and turned to a different method to motivate them.\n"I sat the team down and gave them a pep talk at the soccer stadium," Wilson said. "I used the men's soccer team as an example of where we want to be down the road."\nSenior co-captain Katy Ostertag said she is excited about the competition the team will face this weekend, and said it will be a good test of how far the team has progressed throughout the season. Her goal is to send a message to other Big Ten schools that the Hoosiers can't be overlooked.\n"I think we could really scare some people this weekend," Ostertag said.\nThe Head of the Elk regatta will be the final race of the fall season before winter training begins. McCallister said it will be the most competitive race as well. She said her experience on the team has helped her realize how important this race is to the program, knowing that focusing too much on what other teams are doing will only hurt IU's performance.\n"The younger rowers didn't understand the importance of this race," McCallister said. "I think we just need to be ourselves and row the best that we can."\nWhile the IU team is in its second year of varsity status, McCallister said that more experienced squads have been building squads at the varsity level for many years. But she is not using that as an excuse not to expect strong results at this weekend's race.\n"Just because other teams have been varsity longer," McCallister said, "doesn't mean they have been working any harder"
(10/26/00 6:14am)
In the sport of rowing, the boat can only move as fast as the weakest person allows it to go. Leading by example, Katy Ostertag, captain of the rowing team, has made sure the weakest person is as strong as possible.\nWith Ostertag as captain, the second-year team has made consistent strides in each of the four races this fall. The varsity eight has won two of the first four races with Ostertag in the bow position. She has also been part of the victorious varsity four, mixed four and mixed two boats. She was named to the all-Big Ten team at the end of last season.\nOstertag, 22, began her rowing career three years ago as a junior, rowing one year for the club team before it attained varsity status. She had not heard about the sport until she saw her first crew on the Wabash River.\nFollowing encouragement from her father and a member of the IU men's team, she climbed in a boat her junior year.\n"The first time I was in a boat I decided I loved it," Ostertag said.\nThe Portage, Ind., native was a four-year letter winner as a swimmer and ran track at Portage High School. Ostertag was captain of the swimming team her senior year and won the team's Mental Attitude Award. Her positive attitude has surfaced in her collegiate career.\nThe rowing team voted her co-captain at the beginning of the 2000 fall season, and she has taken on the responsibility with enthusiasm. \nOstertag said fitness has become a way of life for her, and she prefers to lead by example when training.\n"I expect the girls to do what I do, and there is nothing I won't do,"Ostertag said. "If my coach told me to lay down in traffic I would. If it will make me faster, I will do it."\nEmily Rumschlag, a sophomore on the varsity eight team, said Ostertag is a positive role model for the team.\n"She always pushes herself very hard, even when it isn't mandatory and the coaches don't demand it," Rumschlag said. "She will help us push ourselves to become bigger and stronger each day."\nOstertag has shown her strength and versatility as a rower throughout the year. She has concentrated on the varsity eight sweep races but has found success with the varsity four as well. She has won medals with the men in the mixed four and finished first in the mixed two race with her coach Mark Wilson last weekend.\n"Katy is one of those athletes that trains 100 percent, 100 percent of the time," Wilson said. "It was an honor to row with her."\nOstertag said she is excited about her team's chances to place well this weekend in the Head of the Elk Regatta and the spring sprint races. \nWith crew being a young sport at IU, her expectations are realistic. Ostertag said she would really like the team to turn some heads among the stronger rowing teams who might not know about IU rowing. She said she wants the team to improve by two or three spots in the Big Ten this spring, and to make a much stronger finish than 1999's last-place finish in the conference. \n"Each week I want our technique to be there," Ostertag said. "I want our power to be there, and I want us to work together as a team."\nFor Ostertag, rowing has become a part of life. She said she can't remember what college life was like before IU rowing. She said rowing and training are only a part of being a captain, and she prides herself on trying to know the names of the rowers on both varsity and novice teams.\n"I think a leader is someone who can talk to everybody," she said. "I want to be a motivator and someone they can come to."\nOstertag admits she sometimes wishes she would have taken up crew earlier in her collegiate career, but she said she is happy with the improvements she has made as a rower and believes everything happens for a reason. \nShe fell in love with the sport when she first hit the water and admits rowing might even have taken swimming's place in her heart.\n"Eight girls together, with a coxswain steering this huge boat," Ostertag said. "And the power behind that, it is amazing to me"
(10/20/00 6:06am)
It's 8 a.m. What have you done today?\nThe crew team has been training in the water of Lake Lemon for two hours. To some it might seem crazy, but to the team it is routine. Whichever the case, it's the reason for the success of the women rowers.\nThe athletes stepped off the team bus at 5:30 a.m. Thursday. Although they could faintly see their shoes in the the darkness, they could certainly hear the whispers of Lake Lemon nearby. \nEach of the nine girls carried their boat from the storage garage down the 60-foot wooden dock, where the boat was placed in the water, and practice began.\nOn campus, students were sleeping. The early risers would not awake for another hour, many of whom complain about 8 a.m. classes. \nIs this type of training insane? Junior coxswain Mary Hubbard said she doesn't think so.\n"This is a normal life," Hubbard said. "I just do a hell of a lot more than everybody else."\nAt 6 a.m., the women started their workout. Twelve yards away from the team in the coaches' boat, faces are not recognizable. Vision is limited and the water is cold, but the team began their training with coach Mark Wilson's beginning command of, "Ten strokes per stroke set." The team understands this demand and begins its strokes toward the orange morning skyline.\nIt's Thursday and students will gather in masses at houses and bars to celebrate Homecoming week or the fact that another week of tests was survived. But the crew team has practice well before the sun lights the lake. \nBut the athletes said they don't feel they miss out on these type of experiences. \nSophomore Emily Coblentz said she doesn't miss a thing.\n"I feel that rowing is a unique college experience," Coblentz said. "And it is the only way I would want to experience college."\nThe training flows on and the sky gives way to light. A mist arises from the rower's skin as the sweat mixes with the cold breeze. Wilson demands performance through a megaphone covered in IU athletic stickers. It is only 7:30 a.m. but for the girls, the morning session is drawing to a close. Wilson demands one more "piece" lasting 15 minutes for the two boats. The women do not complain, they push harder.\nAs Hubbard explained, a strong performance affects more than just that practice.\n"It is a great start to my day, having a great piece sets the tone for the rest of the day," Hubbard said. \nStrength training three days per week follows the early morning practice. Team members also mount their boats in the afternoon for a second round of practice on the lake, often in choppy water conditions.\nDedication and practices like these have boosted the rowing team to successful finishes in each of its three fall regattas. The varsity and novice eight boats have been impressive all year. \nIn the team's first race of the season in Chicago, each team placed first in their races. That was followed by an impressive showing in Rockford, Ill. where the novice team placed second among a field of 28 boats. \nIn last weekend's race at Lake Lemon, the varsity eight and novice eight each won their races in front of the home crowd. IU will be trying to continue the winning trend this weekend at the Head of the Eagle in Indianapolis.\nSenior Beth Lund said despite the difficult training, the changing of the seasons keeps the team fresh.\n"We do get run down, but then we switch into winter season," Lund said. "Spring season comes along and we are run down by the end, but then we switch into summer."\nIt's 8 a.m. What have you done today?
(10/13/00 5:09am)
Team chemistry, rigorous training and two successful races starting the season culminate this Saturday when the crew team plays host to the Lemon Head Regatta at Lake Lemon.\nIn only its second year of varsity status, crew has posted strong results in the first two races of the year. Senior co-captain Katy Ostertag said she is very upbeat about her team's current performance.\n"I am quite pleased with how well we have done so far this year," Ostertag said.\nAnd she might have every right to be. Oct. 7, IU's varsity eight rowed to a first place finish at the Inaugural Chicago Chase, the second varsity eight finished third. The team added to its accomplishments the following day at the Head of the Rock race in Rockford, Ill., by winning both the varsity four and the novice four races.\nJunior co-captain Joanna McCallister said she believes the team's chemistry has been vital to its early success.\n"We don't have any problems because everyone works together," McCallister said. "We all have fun, which is so important to us."\nCoach Mark Wilson said individual performances are rarely noted in rowing. He said there really couldn't be a "Michael Jordan of rowing," because the individual statistics are not emphasized.\n"It is the boat and the team of people that make things happen," Wilson said. "The boat can only go as fast as the eight people make it go."\nThe team will get a chance to row this weekend in front of a home crowd in the third annual Lemon Head Regatta. The race will showcase Lake Lemon, an improved facility that Wilson has deemed one of the great places to row in the Midwest. The regatta will offer racing from teams such as Louisville, Cincinnati and Marquette and could set the tone for the rest of the fall season.\n"Our main goal is to improve at each level of the competition," Wilson said. "And to improve at each race throughout the season"