Hoosiers face physical match against Gophers

by taylor grayson
tawygray@imail.iu.edu

While the main concern of many students this week is mastering their schedules, the IU wrestling team has something else on its mind: the No. 4 ranked Minnesota Golden
Gophers.

With an aggressive and challenging match ahead, IU Head Coach Duane Goldman has been focused on making sure his wrestlers are prepared for the intense nature of Big Ten wrestling, especially dished out by Minnesota.

This match on Sunday will mark the beginning of a string of Big Ten matches, all leading up to the NCAA championships in March.

Because of the fierce nature of competition in Big Ten wrestling, the IU wrestlers can expect to have a challenging weekend ahead of them, Goldman said.

Though the individual matches will demand a higher level of performance from each wrestler, Goldman is confident his wrestlers have shown improvement and are ready to take on the challenge.

“I think, regardless of how it transpires into wins and losses this weekend, I think that we have made a lot of progress,” Goldman said.

“They have been working hard, their attitudes have been really good and the guys seem to be responding well. It’s just whether or not we are going to match up to their level.”

In addition to having a solid mental attitude, the wrestlers have also been preparing for Sunday’s match in practices, not only addressing the technical aspects of the sport, but also wrestling with a greater sense of urgency to compete with Minnesota.

“We’ve been trying to get our guys to wrestle more physically in preparation for the Big Ten,” Goldman said. “Minnesota, for example, is a very physical team, and, as we get into Big Ten matches each week, they have to be durable and ready to battle.”

With the break before the semester, Goldman was able to push his wrestlers hard in conditioning to prepare them for the physically grueling match this weekend.

Each wrestler was faced with a strenuous session of conditioning and training, in order to work out any soreness accumulated during the break. 

The team had several matches during winter break, though fans can expect to see a slightly different lineup in Sunday’s match.

At the beginning of the week, there was a toss-up for the 149 weight position.

Through observation and overall performance, Goldman has decided to put sophomore Preston Keiffer at the 149 weight class for Sunday.

In preparation for this match, Goldman said he expects his wrestlers to leave it out on the mat and make Minnesota work for every point.

The wrestlers can all expect a challenging match at each weight class, as Minnesota is one of the best teams in the nation, Goldman said.

A few highly anticipated matches will be junior Ryan LeBlanc’s at the 165 weight position and junior Adam Chalfant’s heavyweight match against defending national champion Tony Nelson.

Though these matches will be huge for IU, each wrestler is expected to wrestle his hardest in hopes of taking down the Gophers, Goldman said.