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(02/15/02 5:29am)
The Hoosiers travel to Iowa City Sunday in search of their first victory over Iowa in the last 12 meetings. \nIU's last victory at Iowa came in 1967. This will be a homecoming for head coach Duane Goldman, who was an All-American wrestler at Iowa from 1983-86.\nThe No. 2 Hawkeyes (14-3, 4-1) are coming off victories over Penn State and Wisconsin and won five of their last six matches. Their lone Big Ten loss was to No. 1 Minnesota. Goldman knows that it will be a tough place to compete in.\n"It's a good atmosphere for the team to go out in," he said. "It will be like they are at a championship-type event with the crowd."\nSenior Viktor Sveda said the Iowa squad is tough and individual victories will be hard to come by.\n"Every match against them is going to be hard," Sveda said. "I need to go out there and prepare. I need to get out get right away and score right away."\nThe Hoosiers (8-10, 0-6) hope a strong finish at the end of the season will give them momentum as they head toward the Big Ten Championships. Although a team victory will be hard to come by, Goldman is hoping for strong individual performances from his team.\n"The guys can better their seeds for the Big Ten Championship," Goldman said. "I want them to show strong efforts and wrestle hard."\nOne wrestler who is looking to work his way back is senior D.J. Radnovich. He made his first appearance in more than a month against Purdue last weekend. Despite the loss, Radnovich said this weekend would be a big step for him.\n"It's real important to start to come back," he said. "I'm really looking forward to this weekend."\nRadnovich will have a tough match ahead of him as he faces off against the No. 1 heavyweight wrestler in the country, Steve Mocco. Still, he has confidence in himself.\n"When I wrestle a really good opponent, I feel less nervous," Radnovich said. "I know that when I go out there I have nothing to lose. It's all a mind game."\nGoldman knows that for those who are struggling, Iowa will be a tough place to start on the winning track. He also knows that it could turn into a really big win for them. \nSveda said he believes that the weekend can help build individual momentum.\n"I never think about losing," Sveda said. "But if you do lose one, you realize that you can still win a championship"
(02/14/02 6:24am)
Just over one month into his season, sophomore Coyte Cooper went through what no athlete wants to experience. At the Midlands Tournament at the end of December, Cooper strained his knee and partially tore his MCL.\nThe injury kept Cooper out until the start of the Big Ten season. Throughout the recovery process, Cooper managed to keep a clear focus.\n"He was a little bit bummed at first," freshman Jack Barnhisel said. "Then he stayed really positive. He rehabbed like crazy."\nBarnhisel said that Cooper would go into the gym and work out two or three times a day. Even though he was unable to wrestle, he went on team trips and displayed a leadership role.\n"Everything that was negative about the situation, he put a positive spin on it," Barnhisel said.\n Cooper has trained hard and is making a run at the end of this season and at the Big Ten Championship. After starting off slow following his return, Cooper has won his last two matches to push his record to 12-5.\n "I'm still working my way back in to it," Cooper said. " It (his knee) is close to 90 percent. It doesn't stop me from wrestling."\n Cooper started off slow, dropping three of his first five matches back, including all of his matches to Big Ten opponents. Cooper credits his coaches and teammates with helping him keep his focus.\n "The coaches reminded me that I would come back even after losses," Cooper said. " (Senior) Viktor Sveda reminded me that the right time would happen."\n Cooper is now looking to build up momentum for the Big Ten and National Championships in the coming weeks. He has three more matches to do so before the start of the Big Ten Championship.\n "Our goals for Coyte are high," head coach Duane Goldman said. " He could be an All-American. He's in a tough weight class. He's shown this year that he can go through any guy in his class. He needs to grow as a wrestler."\n Barnhisel said Cooper seems to be hitting his stride at the right time. Cooper said he rather wait a while to do that.\n" I'd rather be wrestling my best in a month than right now," Cooper said. "One of the things I've always said is to peak at the right time. I want to peak then."\nIf Cooper keeps improving he can expect good results when he wrestles in the Big Ten and National Championships.\n" It'd be an honor to be a National Champion, but I won't be content," Cooper said. "The only thing I'll be happy with is a Big Ten Championship"
(02/08/02 6:16am)
The women's water polo team heads to California to face San Diego State today before competing in the NoGrip Invitational over the weekend. This is the second time the Hoosiers have competed in the tournament.\nNo. 17 IU takes on No. 9 San Diego State in San Diego today. Team members said they (0-3) enjoy the fact that they will be playing quality teams.\n"It's definitely more fun (to play against highly ranked competition) because there's more adrenaline," senior Kirsten Mayberrys said. "You know you have to come out and do your best."\nJunior Kirstin Stanford agreed that better competition makes for better games.\n"It makes it more fun to play because we want to play to that level," she said.\nIU travels to La Jolla, Calif., Saturday for the NoGrip Invite at the University of California-San Diego. The Hoosiers will battle No. 7 Hawaii in the morning game before taking on No. 12 UCSD in the afternoon.\nThe team faced Hawaii in their first match of the season at the Michigan Invite. IU lost 11-8 but is now more prepared for this match.\n"We are going to try and do the same things," Stanford said. "We just need to finish our shots more and work on our counter attacks. We played well last time but ended up on the wrong end."\nThe Hoosiers will also compete Sunday, when matches will be based on Saturday's performances. Mayberry said she hopes that this second tournament will mean better results for the team.\n"I think we are more focused on winning now," Mayberry said. "Last week was to look at the other teams. We've been practicing more on offense. We'll be ready."\nCoach Barry King hopes his team gets eager when it sees the opponents on its schedule. The Hoosiers battle many of the top-ranked teams every week.\n"They should be excited to play that kind of competition all the time," King said. "That's the type of competition we want to be. To be in the top 10, you have to beat the top 10."\nThe trip to the coast will be a homecoming of sorts for five team members. Freshman Jessica Goldner, juniors Ginger Wang and Kim Steele, and seniors Mayberry and Kate McCollum are all from California. \nBut despite being a homecoming of sorts, the travel can be rough.\n"Travel is always a certain amount of stress," King said. "It's an advantage to other teams. I just want us to play to the level that I know we can"
(02/07/02 5:50am)
The wrestling team hasn't been getting the results that it would like as of late, but the wrestlers are not letting that get them down. After two strong performances against top-ranked teams last weekend, the Hoosiers look to build on some of that momentum as they face Illinois and rival Purdue this weekend.\n"I just think guys are getting down," head coach Duane Goldman said. "Things aren't turning out the way they would like, despite the effort. They're starting to realize that all they can do is put their best foot forward. Everyone is up and a little more positive."\nMany of the wrestlers feel the same way as Goldman. \n"Any time you can build, it's a good thing," sophomore Coyte Cooper said. "You need momentum. We were missing the spark earlier on this season. We could use that going down the stretch."\nIU faces No. 15 Purdue Thursday night at Evansville Harrison High School. The Hoosiers (8-8, 0-4 Big Ten) are hoping to make it three straight victories over Purdue. The Boilermakers (12-3, 2-2) return four NCAA qualifiers from last season's team. As in any IU-Purdue match-up, the in-state rivalry factor comes into play.\n"As a team, they're a rival," Cooper said. "As a team effort, it's a lot more important (than other matches). The coaches have been stressing it."\nSenior Viktor Sveda sees the match as an individual effort, not as a rival match against his opponent.\n"There are individuals that I look at more as a rival," Sveda said. "But as a team, they are a rival."\nEven the coaches are big on the rivalry.\n"It's definitely a rivalry," Goldman said. "It's a big deal. We've won six of the last eight. We're going to go down and do our best."\nThe Hoosiers hope to continue to gain speed when they take on No. 13 Illinois at home Sunday. Illinois (9-2, 2-1) has won six straight over the Hoosiers, including a 39-0 defeat last year. The Illini return five NCAA qualifiers, two of which were All-Americans last season.\n"The morale of the team seems to be up," Sveda said. "We need to be more consistent now. We keep improving every time we go out. If we can be consistent in that, we can break out."\nThe coaches and players know that getting the positive results on the scoreboard won't be easy. They also know all they can do is give all they can.\n"Their best efforts are all I can expect from them," Goldman said. "I'm pleased with their attitude and their hard work"
(02/01/02 5:53am)
IU head coach Duane Goldman knows that his team needs to turn things around after starting the Big Ten season 0-2. He has two chances at home this weekend but knows that they will be tough battles.\n"The team we wanted to put on the mat at the beginning of the season has not been able to come to pass," Goldman said. "I'd like to say that we are at our best, but the circumstances won't allow me to do that. Dual meet wise we can't do that."\nInjuries have disrupted the Hoosier lineup. Goldman's starting 10 includes guys at different weight classes and several freshmen. Sophomore Brandon Sission has been filling in at heavyweight. Freshman Pat DeGain is doing a good job in the 197-pound weight class.\n Goldman realizes that injuries are a part of sports. He knows that his team has to work through them.\n "We will face a lot of difficult situations," he said. "We will face that the rest of the Big Ten season."\n The Hoosiers have a chance to turn things around at home Friday night against Ohio State. The No. 3 Buckeyes (16-2, 1-1) are returning nine NCAA-qualifiers from last year's team. Senior Viktor Sveda knows that Ohio State is a good team, and the team will have a big challenge ahead of them.\n"Ohio State is a big gun," Sveda said. "We have to pull out some victories. We have to think about it individually. Each guy has to worry about himself. If each guy does that, we will come together as a team."\nThe team knows that they can't get down on themselves. Sophomore Andrew Wolf said that staying positive is important.\n"The Big Ten conference is by far the toughest in the nation," Wolf said. "We needed some good practices to build some confidence. If we get down on ourselves now, it will be a long season."\nThe Hoosiers will also take on No. 13 Michigan State on Sunday. Michigan State has three returning All-Americans. Sveda thinks that the Spartans (3-5, 0-2) and the Hoosiers match up well, but they have to come out ready to go. Wolf agrees.\n"We're going to have our hands full," Wolf said. "If we come out early, we can jump on them."\nWith all of the injuries, the Hoosiers won't be able to get the dual meet results that they would like. Goldman's focus now is on the individual results instead of the team results.\n"Focusing on the scores will not benefit us now," Goldman said. "Our individuals still have a lot left to accomplish this season in the Big Ten tournament and NCAA Championships. That's where we need to place our focus now"
(01/31/02 5:33am)
At this time last year, freshman Pat DeGain sat on the sidelines, unable to wrestle. Shoulder surgery ended his season prematurely. He knew it would take plenty of hard work to come back.\nHis brother, Joe DeGain, helped the recovery process.\nPat DeGain comes from a family of wrestlers. Both of his older brothers were state champions. Joe went to the University of Michigan. He finished his collegiate career last year with a third-place finish in the Big Ten Championships.\nThis season, with Joe at his side, Pat has made his mark at Indiana and in the Big Ten. He won five consecutive matches so far this season, putting together a 12-5 record (2-0 Big Ten).\n"I tried to get out of his footsteps," Pat DeGain said. "I wanted to create my own. I feel a little bit of pressure (because of his brother), but not to the extent where it affects my performance."\nLast year, DeGain sat out from December until the end of the season. He said the injury forced him to change his style but that the changes are for the best.\n"Regardless of the injury, I had to change my style for college wrestling," DeGain said. "The surgery forced me to change. I had to lower my angles and level changes and not just rush in. I'm better than I was before."\nDeGain had to work his way back from the injury. He spent time with his brother Joe working out over the summer. DeGain credits his success this season to his brother.\n"We worked out all the time," he said. "He has helped me mentally too. He's told me to work hard, play hard. He's helped me out so much."\nAssistant coach Charles Burton said DeGain is making the most of his opportunity. DeGain is filling in for junior Ty Matthews, who is out with an injury. Burton also credits DeGain's work ethic.\n"He's a very hard worker," Burton said. "He battles with all the guys. He's dangerous because he can score from several positions now. He just gets his nose in there and battles."\nFreshman J.P Stanley said DeGain will work out on his own, as well as with the team. Stanley also thinks that DeGain's brother's shadow doesn't overwhelm him.\n"It's not too much pressure for him," Stanley said. "It's that he wants to be better."\nHead coach Duane Goldman said there's a lot that DeGain needs to work on and that he will only get better as his maturity level rises.\n"He doesn't take anything lightly," Goldman said. "He has a good attitude and has stepped it up."\nDeGain has already started to create his own footsteps at IU and move away from his brother. \n"I don't have to live in his shadow, but I want to be better," DeGain said. "My goals are higher than what he accomplished"
(01/25/02 5:45am)
No matter what their size, every wrestler has at least one thing in common. All have to make their respective weight for each meet. Making their weight is sometimes a process that can take a couple of days.\nThe weight classes for collegiate wrestling range from 125 pounds to 197 pounds. Nine different weight classes exist within that range, plus a heavyweight above those. Wrestlers have little room for error, as no wrestler wants to be too far under in their class.\n"You need to be right on your weight," junior Jason Bader said. "You don't want to be under. It puts you at a disadvantage from the start."\nOften, wrestlers have to watch their diet and fluid intake. One meal could mean the difference between making weight and not. At this point in their careers, many find making weight simple. Others still have some trouble.\n"It's hard from the get go," senior Brian Smiley said. "You have to build a base of getting in shape and lowering the weight. I fluctuate about seven pounds after meets. I have to work on getting that down for the next one."\nSmiley wrestles at 133 pounds. He said that generally lower weight guys have the most trouble because they are already fairly lean to begin with and don't have too much weight they can lose.\nAt the beginning of the season, all wrestlers have to take hydration level and body fat tests. This tells that coaches how much weight a wrestler may drop and still be allowed to compete. This protects the wrestlers from losing too much weight.\n"They are pretty disciplined," IU coach Duane Goldman said. "Making weight is part of our sport. They have to watch it everyday."\nSome wrestlers eat whatever they want to, but eat it in moderation. Some eat what they want and cut back on meals as meets get closer as in the case of sophomore Steve Amy. \nAmy said he usually only eats one meal leading up to events and eats nothing the day of weigh-ins until he has weighed in. He quickly rehydrates before he is scheduled to wrestle.\n"As soon as I weigh-in, I hit the Gatorade," Amy said. "Depending on how much time I have, I will take in quite a bit."\nOther wrestlers carefully watch what they eat and make sure not to take in any unnecessary calories.\n"I try to eat only what will give me energy," Bader said. "I'm not one of those guys who will just eat salads. What the hell will salad do for me?"\nWrestlers are constantly lifting weight in order to maintain strength. Many said they feel that mixing strong cardiovascular workouts with weights won't affect them too much.\nFor the wrestling team, making weight has become a natural thing. No one wrestler has the same method. One thing seems to be the same.\n"Fluids are the key," Bader said. "You have to rehydrate after weigh-ins. If you have fluids in you, it really doesn't matter what you eat."\nWeigh-ins will be an important factor this weekend, when the Hoosiers face four big competitors. IU (6-4) opens the Big Ten season Friday against No. 21 Wisconsin. The Badgers (8-5) have dropped five straight to the Hoosiers.\nOnce again the Hoosiers will be without junior Ty Matthews and senior D.J Radnovich. Both are out with injuries. Junior Coyte Cooper will be returning to the mat after several matches off.\n"We're hurting a bit right now," Goldman said. "But we want to win as many dual meets as possible. The bigger aspect is the individual results. This will affect their seedings for the Big Ten tournament."\nSaturday, IU travels to Indianapolis to face Carson-Newman and the University of Indianapolis. The Hoosiers have had much success in the past against these schools with a 11-0 against Indianapolis.\n"We just have to start winning early," freshman J.P. Stanley said. "Winning is addicting. Once one starts, all of us will want to win."\nThe Hoosiers will end their weekend out of state against Penn State Sunday. IU will be searching for its first win over the Nittany Lions (3-6) .\n"(This weekend) will be mentally tough," freshman Pat DeGain said. "We have to make weight three days. It's just a barrier we have to get through"
(01/14/02 6:46am)
The short-handed IU wrestling team didn't need any more injuries this weekend. Unfortunately, senior heavyweight D.J. Radnovich and junior Ty Matthews were lost for at least six weeks, possibly for the season.\nRadnovich severely sprained his ankle in his first match. Matthews re-injured his shoulder in the second match of the day. Despite the setbacks, the Hoosiers put up three tough matches but were unable to get the results they wanted at the Virginia Duals in Hampton, Va.\nIn their first match Friday, the Hoosiers lost to Pittsburgh 27-12. Junior Greg Schaefer and sophomore Andrew Wolf recorded victories and senior Viktor Sveda recorded a pin.\nIn the consolation match Friday, IU bounced back to beat Ohio 23-15. The Hoosiers had several strong performances from their wrestlers. Schaefer and Sveda both picked up their second wins of the tournament. Senior Brian Smiley, freshman Rocky Mantella, sophomore Steve Amy and Radnovich were also able to pick up victories.\n"Everything is leading up to the end of the season," Schaefer said. "I wrestled decent, but there is a lot of room for improvement."\nSaturday, the Hoosiers took on the North Carolina Tar Heels. Despite winning five of the matches, the Hoosiers (6-4) fell short, 23-21. A late forfeit in the heavyweight match turned out to be the critical point of the match. Mantella, Wolf, Sveda, Schaefer, and freshman Pat DeGain all recorded victories.\n"Most of the guys wrestled very well," IU coach Duane Goldman said. "We won more matches, but we had a lot of health problems."\nFor Sveda, it was his third pin of the tournament. Sveda is now 17-1. With that pin, Sveda became IU's all-time leader in pins with 41, passing Roger Chandler.\n"He's (Sveda) picked it up a notch," Goldman said. "He wrestled extremely well. He was really going after the pins."\nDeGain stepped in after Matthews went down and pinned Austin Wall of UNC. Goldman was pleased with DeGain's performance.\n"You always have to be prepared to wrestle," DeGain said. "I was constantly warming up and just went in whenever coach told me to."\nDespite the losses, Goldman was pleased with the courage that his team displayed despite having many starters on the sideline.\n"We had a lot of gutsy performances," Goldman said. "Even with our handicap, we put up a good fight. We just had too many holes"
(01/11/02 6:10am)
The IU wrestlers will have a tough weekend ahead of them. Not only will the Hoosiers be traveling to Norfolk, Va., for the Virginia Duals this Friday and Saturday, they will be missing three starters and compete short-handed.\nInjuries and academics will make the Hoosiers' chance of improving last year's third place finish more difficult. Coyte Cooper sprained knee ligaments and will not be in action at 141 pounds. He looks to return next week to start the Big Ten season. Alex LaPointe (165-pounds) dislocated his shoulder at the Midlands Classic. His return date is not known yet. Jereme Maye (165) is forced to sit out the rest of the season after not making grades.\nHead coach Duane Goldman realizes his team's weakness lies in its depth. With three of the ten starters on the sideline, Goldman knows the others must step up.\n"We're in a difficult situation," he said. "It's extremely tough and disappointing. When our guys go out there and put on their singlet, there is no less expected of them (if they had a full roster)."\nThe Virginia Duals feature 16 teams and a double-elimination tournament format. The Hoosiers will find out their first opponent Friday afternoon. Seedings for the tournament are based on last year's results. IU is optimistic about a high ranking after its third-place finish last year.\n"We should get a pretty nice seed," said Andrew Wolf, who wrestles at 174. "But you prepare for this like any other tournament. There will be a lot of ranked teams. It will be good to see where we are at before Big Ten's start next week."\nWith the roster changes that will have to be made, the Hoosiers will have look for additional points in many of the others key matches.\n"We know that we have to make up for those open spots," sophomore Steve Amy said. "We need to get some pins and major decisions. We need to come mentally prepared."\nThe wrestlers may also have to take more risks in their matches in order to score more points.\n"If we're winning late in the match, we have to look for the extra takedown instead of riding out for the victory," Wolf said. "The extra points in the match may lead to a major decision and more points for the team."\nGoldman knows this weekend will not be an easy one, but he looks forward to the pressure.\n"The highly-ranked guys need to get the pins and extra points," he said. "There is the extra pressure that comes with that, but pressure is good"
(12/10/01 5:33am)
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Hoosiers (0-1) opened its dual season with a loss to the No. 16 Tigers of Missouri (2-0). The final tally was 21-16.\nThe score was close the entire time, and the match could have gone either way. Head coach Duane Goldman said he believes his team had a chance.\n"We were in a position to win," he said. "They're a pretty decent team, but we felt we should have beaten them."\nOne factor that might have hurt the Hoosiers was when senior Brian Smiley was knocked unconscious. He returned to finish his match but was unable to hold on to the lead he had before the injury.\n"There is no doubt in my mind that Brian could have beaten his guy," Goldman said. "Things were just beyond his control. We could have won if it wasn't for that."\nSophomore Coyte Cooper responded with a victory in the 141-weight class. At 149, 14th-ranked Jeremy Spates of Missouri defeated sophomore Steve Amy 8-5. Freshman Rocky Mantella dropped down a weight class to 157. He recorded his first collegiate pin, which gave IU its first and only lead at 9-7. Amy said that the team lacked focus.\n"We weren't real satisfied with our performances," Amy said. "We weren't ready mentally. It was our fault we didn't come out prepared, not our coaches."\nSophomore Jereme Maye lost 10-9 in the 165-weight class. At 174, sophomore Andrew Wolf was defeated 19-6 by Missouri\'s No. 6 John Kopnisky. At 184, senior Viktor Sveda improved his season mark to 3-1 with a 7-4 victory.\nGoldman said he was happy how some of the new guys on the team handled themselves in the match.\n"We have some new faces, and I was able to see how they handled this match," Goldman said. "I saw how they worked and now we have to work things out."\nIn one of the key bouts of the night, No. 10 Scott Barker of Missouri upset No. 8 junior Ty Matthews 17-4. In the heavyweight bout, senior D.J. Radnovich lost 8-3, ending the Hoosiers chance at a victory.\nIU ended the night on a positive note with a 13-5 victory by junior Greg Schaefer at the 125-weight class.\n"I got off to a good start and was able to stay on the offensive," Schaefer said. "But a loss like this will be hard to swallow. It will be in our heads. It will drive us to work harder in practice and keep us motivated."\nDespite the tough loss, Goldman said he remains optimistic about his team's performance.\n"There are a couple of weights where we need to be more competitive," he said. "We need to be more competitive mentally, not physically. There is not one thing we need to do as a team. It is individual. I know we have to guys on the mat to get the job done."\nThe Hoosiers will be in action again Dec. 17 in a triangular meet against SIU-Edwardsville and Central Missouri.
(12/07/01 6:14am)
The No.18 Hoosiers head to the University of Missouri Friday night to take on the No. 16 Tigers. It will be the first dual meet of the season for IU, while Missouri defeated No.14 Illinois in its first dual meet. \nThe Hoosiers experienced success against Missouri in the past, winning the last eight matches. But the Tigers are having an up year and the contest should be a battle.\n\"Every match that they\'re ranked ahead of us is a big match," head coach Duane Goldman said. "They\'ve already won a dual, and this is our first one."\nGoldman will be able to assess his team's strengths and weaknesses for the first time.\n"I know our potential," Goldman said. "However, we have four or five new guys on varsity and new to Indiana that I haven't seen in competition. I'm anxious to see where we're at. I also want to see quality performances out of our returnees."\nThe dual match format has each competitor wrestle once. This differs form the tournament set-up, like the Missouri Open which IU participated in two weeks ago, where each person wrestles several people. This allows the wrestlers to pay more attention to a single opponent.\n"I've been preparing mentally for a week," junior Ty Matthews said. "I watch more tape. I also wrestled (the Missouri opponent) before so I know the things that he will try to do against me. I try to concentrate on what I can do to counter him."\nJunior Greg Schaefer also said that competing against one opponent allows you to put your whole focus on just one guy.\nBoth Matthews and Schaefer are ranked individually in the top 20 along with sophomores Coyte Cooper and Steve Amy. and senior Viktor Sveda. Matthews said rankings don't matter until the end of the season. Schaefer agrees.\n"You let your wrestling take care of your ranking," Schaefer said. "Rankings don't mean anything right now. Hopefully, I will be at the top at the end of the season."\nHeading into a hostile Missouri arena, Goldman is looking forward to the experience for his team.\n"There will be an antagonistic crowd and a ref that will be against us," Goldman said. "It will be good for the new guys in to be put into that situation. Those are the fun places to compete and win"
(12/05/01 6:06am)
Senior Viktor Sveda came to IU with one goal in mind: to win a National Championship in wrestling. Last season he placed second in the Big Ten. He placed third at the National Championship. This year, he is striving for more.\n"Last year, Viktor was on the wrong side of the bracket," assistant coach Charles Burton said. "His semi-final match was the national championship match."\nSveda has set his goals as as high as possible. His coaches said they believe that he can get there.\n"As far as setting goals, you strive for the highest," Sveda said. "My goal is to be National Champion."\nBecoming a champion is not easy work. Sveda puts in a lot of time during practice. Senior Brian Smiley entered the IU wrestling program the same year Sveda did. He has see him in practice for the last five years, and said knows how hard Sveda works.\n"He seems to carry the guys around his weight class," Smiley said. "But those guys all have strong work ethics too. They all feed off of each other in practice."\nBurton said Sveda is already at the top of his game. The early season rankings have placed Sveda at the top of his weight class. Sveda doesn't really concern himself with the rankings, though.\n"It doesn't mean all too much," he said. "I'm glad people think of me, but until the end of the season, it doesn't matter."\nAlthough Sveda has the potential to become a great wrestler, Burton said Sveda still has some things to work on. Sveda and Burton work a lot on technique. Sveda said these workouts really help him. \nBurton said Sveda needs to continue to work hard.\n"He needs to be more consistent on his finishes," Burton said. "He needs to not rely on his finesse so much and work on being more powerful."\nBeing ranked high also puts a target on your head. Sveda feels that there are some people out there that are a big challenge.\n"There is the kid from Minnesota that always gives me a battle," Sveda said. "I don't see him as a threat, but he has beaten me in the past. I don't see that happening this year though."\nDespite his high rankings and success, Sveda has kept a low profile. Smiley said Sveda is a modest guy.\n"He keeps it cool," Smiley said. "He doesn't talk about it much. He just goes out and does it."\nBurton feels that Sveda could go as high as he wants to. There isn't much stopping his determination.\n"He should be the National Champion, plain and simple," Burton said.
(11/16/01 4:43am)
The wrestling team opens its season Sunday in Columbia, Mo., for the Missouri Open. More than 20 teams and 400 individuals were involved in the meet last year. Many of the individuals in this year's open are ranked nationally.\nAfter weeks of practice, the Hoosiers said they are ready to start competition against opponents other than their own teammates.\n"We've been practicing for a long time," head coach Duane Goldman said. "We're itching for the competition."\nThe early matches of the year offer opportunities to work out the kinks. It also helps the wrestlers see where they stand with the rest of the competition, members said.\n"It's a good gauge to see where we're at," junior transfer DJ Radnovich said. "There will be a lot of Big Ten teams there. It will help us see how things are going."\nMany of the Hoosiers said they also use these matches to help them with their training and development of moves and shots.\n"I try to work on my technique," junior Ty Matthews said. "It's good to wrestle other people. You can gauge your conditioning. You can see that you have to work harder in practice. You can always be in better shape."\nSophomore Alex LaPointe said he likes to outwork his opponents and find his shots.\n"I try to work on technique," LaPointe said. "I like to push them and out-condition them."\nBecause of the large number of competitors, the opposition will be tough. This will be a motivating factor for some of the Hoosiers, they said.\n"I have a lot of big names in my weight class," Radnovich said. "I have to not worry about whom I'm going against. I have to put a blank face on my opponents and go out and work hard."\nThe Hoosiers are heading to Missouri in hopes of gaining respect. They are currently ranked 20th in the USAToday NWCA Division I poll. \nMatthews disagrees with the rankings.\n"Everybody wants to win every time we enter a tournament," Matthews said. "I think we're ranked a little low, and I think we'll turn some eyes."\nGoldman said he hopes for more than just success at the meet. He also wants to see attitude from his wrestlers on the mat.\n"I want to have some success on the mat and also come out healthy," Goldman said. "I also want to see them have an attitude, a mind set and a presence on the mat. I don't want to see them take a back seat to anyone"
(11/12/01 6:16am)
For an intrasquad scrimmage, the IU wrestling team took their opponents very seriously. One wrestler was even sent to the emergency room for stitches. \nThe Hoosiers opened their season Saturday with an intrasquad scrimmage between the two best wrestlers in each weight class. Although they were wrestling teammates, the guys didn't hold much back.\n"We wrestle the same guys every day," senior Viktor Sveda said. "Today you had a little more on the line."\nSveda is a two-time All-American. He defeated freshman Andy Rios 10-4 in the 184-pound class. Other returning wrestlers also fared well on Saturday. All-American junior Greg Schaefer won a closely contested 125-pound bout 7-3 over freshman Joe Dubuque. \n"It's a good way to get your feet wet," Schaefer said. "It's more mental though. You go through the steps like you would in a real meet."\nThere were two semifinal matches in the 174-pound class with freshman Brady Richardson defeating freshman Jack Barnhisel 10-7 in the first. In the other semifinal, sophomore Andrew Wolf pinned freshman Mike DeBartolo in 2:32. Wolf would later defeat Richardson 11-0 in the final match.\nNCAA-qualifier sophomore Coyte Cooper recorded a technical fall, 24-7, over freshman Steve Warther.\n"This meet gives you the taste of competition," Cooper said. "It makes you be sure you are near weight."\nAt 133, freshman Cameron Sakon defeated freshman J.P. Stanley 4-3. Sophomore Steve Amy outlasted junior Jason Bader 7-2 at 149.\nIt was in the 157-pound match where freshman Rocky Mantella would have to quit his match against sophomore Alex LaPointe due to a gash above his eye. Sophomore Jereme Maye, a transfer student from Neosho Junior College, pinned freshman Chad Watson at 165. Redshirt freshman Pat DeGain defeated sophomore Brandon Sisson 5-1 in the 197 bout.\nOverall, head coach Duane Goldman was pleased with what he saw. He liked the change in atmosphere from the wrestling room to a real mat.\n"It was an icebreaker," Goldman said. "It was good to have the ref making calls and the crowd to be here. I was really impressed with a lot of the freshmen. It was nice to see what they can do."\nAlthough the match was against fellow teammates, both the wrestlers and the coaching staff said they were pleased with the event. They open their season next weekend at the Missouri Open.\n"We got our first feel of competition," Sveda said. "The first matches are just for working some kinks out. Today was sort of like a dual meet. It's the environment. It simulates a match more than practice"
(11/09/01 5:33am)
Saturday, the women's cross country team will compete in the biggest meet of the season at the Great Lakes Regional meet in Terre Haute. This meet determines the qualifiers for the National Championship.\nThe Hoosiers will compete against strong competition with three of the 33 teams ranked nationally. They will also run against four Big Ten schools that defeated the Hoosiers at the Big Ten Championship.\nTuesday, the IU runners had a workout at the Regional course. They will practice on the course one last time before the race Friday. They said they hope that knowing the course a little bit will help them. \n"It's nice to have run on the course," sophomore Becky Obrecht said. "We're a little more familiar with it now. It's pretty straightforward."\nCoach Judy Bogenschutz said she also likes the idea of seeing the course beforehand.\n"They just try to get an idea, to get a mental picture of the course," she said. "It gives them a sense of what is coming up. They are a little more confident."\nLast season, the Regional meet was a break-out meet for many IU runners. Bogenschutz said she hopes this will give some confidence to her runners.\n"They need to know that anything can happen in any race," she said. "All I can do is tell them where they're at physically. We have to go into the race thinking this could be the race."\nObrecht was one of those runners who had a break out meet last year. She hadn't run in the previous three races but helped the Hoosiers to a fourth place finish by placing fifth for the team. She said she hopes the team will use that as an inspiration. \n"All of us girls are really motivated to prove to our ourselves that we can do it," Obrecht said.\nFreshman Mindy Peterson said the significance of the race is enough motivation.\n"I don't want to save anything," Peterson said. "This is the race I've been training for since this summer and racing for all season. I want to run up with the people I should run with."\nBogenschutz said the team is physically ready to race. Mentally, they need to prepare better.\n"We just didn't have people thinking positively at the Big Ten meet," she said. "Individually they need to focus themselves and run so that they can place as high as they can."\nObrecht said the team needs to run next to each other, in a pack near the front like they do in practice. Peterson said the team should be bold.\n"If we go out and take a risk, we should be able to run our best race"
(11/08/01 5:31am)
Different runners specialize in different distances and events. But Coach Judy Bogenschutz said she is seeking a balance on her cross country team. \n"First thing I tell all of them in the fall is that they are 5K and 6K runners," Bogenschutz said. "They have to say that they're running this distance today and they have to run it well."\nSophomore Audrey Giesler is one of the middle distance runners. She also said she tries to separate the two seasons. \n"I have to have the mentality that I'm a cross country runner now and not worry about track." Giesler said.\nBogenschutz said the runners are running the same distance now, but they are all different. Sophomore Becky Obrecht said Bogenschtz does a good job of varying workouts.\n"She knows we are all different," Obrecht said. "She divides us up by distances for training."\nFreshman Mindy Peterson said the different workouts make practices more interesting.\n"I doubt if we've done the same workout twice this year," she said. "Some people work on speed."\n Bogenschutz said she trains the runners individually. Some of the runners will run more miles in a week while others work more on their speed. She also tapers off mileage when she thinks a runner needs it.\n "Becky (Obrecht) showed signs of overtraining before the Pre-NCAA meet," Bogenschutz said. "We backed her off a little and she responded well."\nThe hardest challenge might be for those runnners who run the mile or less during the track season. Bogenschutz said that there is a big difference between 5K and the mile.\n"Mentally it's harder to run more," Bogenschutz said. "You can train them and physically get them ready, but mentally they need to cross that barrier."\nSophomore Lauren Weddell said mentally, you have to prepare for the longer hurt.\n"You know what you're going to experience before the race," Weddell said. "You just have to go out and run through it."\nOne negative that Bogenschtz said she sometimes sees from the middle distance runners is that they conserve too much energy during races, and then they pass many people at the end. They often have energy left at the end. \nThe varying workouts that Bogenschutz uses help the runners in all aspects of their running. Peterson said she sees the positive aspects of the varied workouts.\n"My distance helps me with my speed and my speed helps me with my distance running"
(10/29/01 5:45am)
Savoy, Ill. -- Head coach Judy Bogenschutz couldn't come up with the words to describe her disappointment. Her team had just placed ninth in the Big Ten Championship, their worst finish since her first year as coach at IU.\nThe Hoosiers totaled 173 points to finish 20 points out of a 7seventh-place tie. Michigan State won the meet, going away with a total of 35 points.\nThe Hoosiers were led by freshman Mindy Peterson and sophomore Becky Obrecht. This was the first Big Ten Championship for both runners. Peterson finished first for the Hoosiers and 16th overall in a time of 17:55.2. Trailing her was Obrecht who finished 18th overall in a time of 17:57.2.\n"I didn't feel like this was my first Big Ten because I have run against these girls earlier in this year," Obrecht said.\nFinishing the scoring for IU in 42nd place was junior Amanda Bell, sophomore Audrey Giesler finished 47th, and sophomore Lauren Weddell placed 50th. \nBogenschutz said she was hoping for more from the runners after Peterson and Obrecht.\n"After the first two, the rest need to be more competitive," Bogenschutz said. "They ran well for a while, then fell off. You can't do that at this level."\nBut Bogenschutz said she was happy with Peterson and Obrecht's races. Peterson said she ran fairly well.\n"I think Becky and I ran smart races," Peterson said. "We wanted to be in the top 15. Neither of us ran bad races, yet we could have run better. But we're not disappointed."\nThe Hoosiers have two weeks to prepare for the Regional meet. Peterson said the team is prepared physically but they need to prepare mentally.\n"We're in shape," Peterson said. "We have the potential. Physically, we're there. Becky and I have a lot of faith in the other runners. We know that they can turn it around."\nBogenschutz said she's not going to change much in terms of training heading into Regionals. She just hopes that the team will step up.\n"Mindy and Becky will be fine at Regionals," she said. "We need three others to step up. We can't go out and place in the 40s and 50s and expect to be competitive."\nObrecht said the Hoosiers need to run well at the right time.\n"It's just going to come down to the race," Obrecht said. "We need to mentally get ourselves into the race, really focus and not doubt ourselves"
(10/26/01 6:00am)
The women's cross country team has some big plans for the end of the season. The first goal might be met this Sunday at the Big Ten Championships in Savoy, Ill.\nLast year, the Hoosiers finished in 7th place, just 35 points out of 4th. This year's race looks to be equally as competitive with four teams ranked in the top 10 in the Great Lakes Regional.\n"It will be very close," sophomore Becky Obrecht said. "Seven teams will be near the top."\nIU will have one advantage over several other teams this weekend: they have already raced on this course earlier in the year. The runners see this as a definite help.\n"We know the course, and we know that it is going to go out at a really fast pace," junior Amanda Bell said.\nObrecht said the team's past experience will help them out.\n"It gives us a lot of confidence going into the race," she said. "We can take advantage of a course like that, because it is so fast."\nThe Hoosiers have not raced in two weeks but have used the off time to prepare. The team has cut back on their mileage. Freshman Mindy Peterson is confident that will help.\n"I think we're pretty prepared," she said. "We're really rested and ready to race."\nObrecht said the tapering of mileage will help.\n"We've been training really hard the last couple of months, but we haven't run that much mileage this week," she said. "We are fresh for this meet."\nThis race is important to IU, and not just because it is the Big Ten Championship. They are looking to go out and knock-off some people to help their chances at going to nationals.\n"This weekend is definitely vital because we need to beat teams that are ranked in other regionals," Bell said.\nIU is hoping to place three people in the top 15 and the other two runners in the top 25. They feel this will help them break into the top three.\n"We need to be third or better," Bell said. "We really can't set our sights any lower than that."\nThe Hoosiers hope that this race will help give them the momentum heading into the post-season races. Regionals will take place Nov. 10. If the team runs well there, they will have the opportunity to run at the NCAA Championship Nov. 20.\n "It's a big race," Peterson said. "It's important for our confidence and it's the Big Ten Championship." \n Obrecht also hopes that this weekend will spark the Hoosiers.\n "Hopefully we'll gain some momentum," she said. "If we have a break out race, it will give us the confidence going into regionals"
(10/16/01 5:32am)
The women's cross country team made strides Saturday toward its goal of a birth at the National Championship. The team placed 23rd out of 34 teams in the Women's 6K Purple Division race at the Pre-NCAA Meet in Greenville, S.C.\nThe Hoosiers tallied 557 points, just five points behind the Air Force Academy, and finished four points ahead of La Salle University. Georgetown University won the race by upsetting the No. 1 ranked team, Colorado.\nCoach Judy Bogenschutz said the team could have ran and scored much better.\n"In terms of our fitness level, we should have placed somewhere between 10th and 14th. We're not committing once the race starts. I'm not sure if that has to do with our confidence or not," she said.\nLeading the way for Indiana for the second straight race was sophomore Becky Obrecht. She placed 67th in a time of 22:37. Obrecht said that her workouts have helped her out.\n"I guess I just have faith in my training. I'm just doing what I know I can do," Obrecht said.\nBogenschutz said she is happy with Obrecht's performances so far.\n"She's just going out there and running as hard as she can. It's working for her," she said.\nJunior Amanda Bell took another step in her return Saturday. Bell finished second for the Hoosiers and 88th overall in a time of 22:56, just beating her best time of the year. Each week Bell has gotten closer to the top of Hoosier finishers.\nFreshman Mindy Peterson continued her strong running by placing third for Indiana. Rounding out the top five for the Hoosiers were sophomores Audrey Giesler and Lauren Weddell.\n"I don't think that many of us have had our best races yet. I'm not that much better than everyone else. I've just run different races," Peterson said.\nThe Hoosiers now have a two week lay-off in which to prepare for the Big 10 meet in Savoy, Ill. Bogenschutz said she thinks her team has been too tired heading into races because of their heavy training during the week.\n"We're going to back off a little. We're going to work more on speed work," she said.\nObrecht said she feels the team is getting closer to accomplishing their goal.\n"We haven't shown our ability level yet. We haven't put it all together. We need to stay focused and continue doing what we've been doing every day," she said.
(10/09/01 4:54am)
The Hoosiers went to South Bend Friday in hopes of turning things around. They took a step in the right direction by placing eighth among the 17 teams in the event. IU was within 30 points of fourth place. \nJust ahead of the Hoosiers was Loyola-Chicago, Butler University and Miami (Ohio), while the Hoosiers were almost 100 points ahead of the rest of the field. Notre Dame won the race with a total of 58 points.\nSophomore Becky Obrecht placed 17th with a time of 18:05. Freshman Mindy Peterson was right behind her in 18th place with a time 18:11. Junior Amanda Bell ran her best race of the year and finished 28th.\n"I definitely think I'm getting back into it," Bell said. "My endurance is getting up there. I was closer to the leaders. I ran with a lot of confidence in the race. I ran the way the team needs me to run. It felt awesome."\nCoach Judy Bogenschutz was happy with the improvement.\n"We got out a little better and were more competitive," Bogenschutz said. "However, I think the struggle for the group has been real strong leadership. I've had to be more determined with this group. When I push them, I want them to push back. Cross-country isn't easy. Still, I think we are on the verge of having good performances from some people."\nObrecht has been leading the team the past couple of races, but she thinks she has room to improve.\n"I wasn't satisfied with the result," Obrecht said. "I could have been in the top 10. I got myself in the race early, but then I settled in. Hopefully by Big Ten I'll be stronger."\nThe Hoosiers are hoping to turn it on as the season progresses. Last season, the team ran well at the end of the year. Bogenschutz said last year's finish provides a sense of optimism. Obrecht said there is plenty of time to get better.\n"We're still making improvements," Obrecht said. "But we're definitely not where we want to be yet. The Big Ten meet is in three weeks so we have lots of time. We just need to keep working in practice everyday."\nBell hopes her team will take something away from her race.\n"I hope that the team can see that it is possible to turn it around quickly," Bell said. "I've done it in the last couple of races, and I think we all can too"