Wrestlers open season at Michigan State tournament

The IU wrestling team opens its season Saturday at the Michigan State Open, and IU coach Duane Goldman said he believes his squad is ready.

“It’s time to wrestle,” Goldman said. “We’ve practiced long enough. At this point, it doesn’t matter if we’re good or bad (in practice). I’m sure some of them are just sick of practicing.”

Unlike in dual meets, every wrestler can compete Saturday, and no team scores are kept. No wrestler is out with an injury as of now, Goldman said, but several may miss the event as a precautionary measure to prevent minor injuries from worsening.

“There’s no irreparable injuries,” Goldman said. “A few guys are beat up. They’re up in the air. (With) nagging injuries, we don’t want to send them out there if they’re going to get worse.”

By having multiple wrestlers competing at each weight, head-to-head matches between teammates are possible. Such situations, as well as wrestlers’ overall performances Saturday, will help determine the lineup for upcoming matches against Wabash, Columbia and The Citadel.

“It’s a kickoff tournament to see where we’re at,” Goldman said. “We’re probably anticipating a few head-to-head matchups as well. It gives us a chance to see the dynamic within our team.”

Despite having yet to see the wrestlers in real competition, Goldman is confident about his team entering the year.

“They’re a good group,” Goldman said. “They work hard. They’ve done everything we’ve asked of them so far.”

Still, Goldman added, some things cannot be known until the season kicks off this weekend.

“We really just need to see where we’re at and how these guys react to real competition and try to make out what our team might look like this year,” Goldman said. “That will create and answer a lot of questions for us.”