Hoosiers heading to second straight tournament in Michigan

LAST TIME:
The team competed in the Eastern Michigan Open. Four wrestlers placed in the Open Division with four true freshmen who placed in the Freshman/Sophomore Division. All-American senior Matt Powless placed first at 197 pounds, senior Matt Ortega (141 pounds) placed third and sophomore Ryan LeBlanc (174 pounds) placed fifth.

THE SET-UP:
The Hoosiers will compete this Saturday at the Michigan State Open in East Lansing, Mich.

THE CONTEXT:
This Saturday the lineup will be slightly altered as the team goes into the Michigan State Open.

Powless will most likely sit out.

“He’s a fifth-year senior,” IU Coach Duane Goldman said. “He’s an All-American. He doesn’t need a ton of matches every week, especially this time of year.”

Ortega and LeBlanc will attend the tournament as they fully adjust to their new weight classes. Each has moved up a weight this season.

Also, the lineup this weekend will be incomplete due to some injuries within the team.
Last year, nine IU wrestlers placed at the tournament with Powless finishing first at 197 pounds, Ortega finishing second at 133 pounds and redshirt freshman Taylor Walsh finishing third at 157 pounds in the Freshman/Sophomore Division while wrestling unattached.

QUOTE OF NOTE:
“I feel good,” Ortega said. “We just got our first tournament in, and it shook a little of the cobwebs out. Hopefully we’ll do well this weekend.”

NOTABLE NUMBER:
2:00. The amount of time it took Ortega to pin Arizona State’s Nathan Hoffer last weekend in his third-place match.