Hoosiers finish 6th in Las Vegas

Top competition was on display as IU competed in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The field boasted 49 teams, and IU coach Duane Goldman said this tournament was among the top two regular season events in the nation. The Hoosiers, who are currently ranked No. 17 according to RevWrestling.com, went up against some of these top teams and finished sixth with 89.5 points. \nIU presented a load of youthful talent, with six freshmen and one sophomore competing in the tournament. Big Ten Co-Wrestler of the Week Angel Escobedo was among the successful Hoosiers at the tourney. He was near the top of the field the whole way through, beginning with a 3-0 record on day one. Escobedo continued his winning streak on the second day, making an appearance in the 125-pound championship match against the No. 9 wrestler in the nation, University of Nebraska's Paul Donahoe. In a hard-fought match, Escobedo fell to Donahoe 2-1. \nEscobedo said his title as the Co-Wrestler of the Week helped him in competition at the invitational but also put a bit of a bull's-eye on his back. \n"I definitely felt that my title was helping me to gain confidence and respect out there," Escobedo said. "I also felt that guys gave me their best shot, but I like the grit of a hard-fought match." \nAnother notable finish among the young members of the Hoosier team came from Nick Walpole, 141 pounds, who, after being brought out of redshirt status to compete in the invitational, lost in an 8-0 decision to No. 7-ranked Dominick Moyer from Nebraska. Other strong showings came from Nathan Everhart, 194 pounds, who lost to the eventual winner of the tournament, No. 4-ranked Max Askren from the University of Missouri, in a 5-4 decision. Maurice Gunn, who filled in for Dave Herman in the heavyweight class, was 2-2 on the day after a 6-3 loss to The Citadel's John Buck. Freshman Trevor Perry was injured in his first match and didn't return to competition. \nTwo-time All-American junior Brandon Becker said he was pleased with the performance of his younger team members.\nCoach Goldman also said he was impressed by the young members of his squad, saying the competition would serve them well. \n"This was a great experience that will show our young guys the level they need to compete at," Goldman said. "It opened their eyes to the fact that they can compete on a national level." \nA number of veteran Hoosiers have been consistent in the season's early competition. Becker paced the veterans of the squad with a runner-up performance, losing in the 157-pound championship to No.2-ranked Brian Stith of Arizona State University in a 2-1 decision. Marc Bennett wasn't far behind, though he received his first taste of defeat in his first match after a 10-0 start to the season. Bennett battled back, improving to 17-2 on the season, but lost a match to enter the fifth-place championship. He defeated Raymond Jordan of Missouri in a 4-3 decision to take fifth in the 184-pound class. Matt Coughlin and Max Dean also competed well, taking third and sixth, respectively.\nThe early season success of the Hoosiers has some of their coaches and players looking toward the future with confidence. "I am really excited about this team," Dean said. "We have some young talent, but we can compete with the best in the nation"