IU faces 1st test at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Friday

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.”