IU takes the mat Sunday, Nov. 22, at the Keystone Classic in Philadelphia to compete against other top schools in the country.
The Hoosiers have participated in the classic many times and finished in second place in the 2013-14 season.
Last season, IU finished fifth in the classic and brought home four podium finishers, including junior Nate Jackson.
Jackson, outscoring his opponents 58-30 in four matches, brought home first place in the 174-pound weight class.
IU Coach Duane Goldman said he hopes to see Jackson keep moving forward and continue to work on his craft.
Goldman said there are many improvements for Jackson to make to reach his season goals and he hopes to see him continue on that path this weekend.
Luke Blanton will make his first appearance with the team this weekend after missing the Eastern Michigan Open due to an ankle injury.
Goldman said he is excited to see Blanton back on the mat representing the Hoosiers and expects him to continue competing with the best.
“Luke came here as a walk-on," Goldman said. "He’s one of the hardest workers in our room. I know he’ll compete hard, he always does, and we’ll see where the chips fall.”
Goldman said Blanton wrestled unattached at the Michigan State Open last weekend and finished third with only one loss to a nationally ranked wrestler.
Freshman Elijah Oliver finished second in the 125-pound weight class two weeks ago, and Goldman said he hopes to continue to see improvement.
Goldman said Oliver has a great skill set, but he needs to be preparing for the grind of the season after Christmas. Goldman said he believes this weekend is a step in the process of preparing Oliver.
Goldman said Jake Danishek is not in the lineup, but the coaching staff hopes to have him back soon.
All in all, IU will take a young squad to Philadelphia. Of the 13 wrestlers going to Philadelphia, there are only two seniors. Eight wrestlers are underclassman.
Freshman Norman Conley finished third in the 174-pound weight class at the EMU Open. He said he believes in the team heading into the weekend.
Conley said he has confidence in everyone on the team and everyone works hard on a daily basis.
Conley said he believes the work ethic throughout the team will pay off at the Keystone Classic.
“If everyone wrestles to their potential, they can get a lot of wins,” Conley said. “I think we can upset a lot of teams.”
This weekend’s competition will be tougher and a bigger challenge for the Hoosiers, but Goldman said he is anxious to get the weekend started.
“I am anxious to see how these new faces respond to what will be pretty tough competition,” Goldman said. “This is a good tournament. This is the real deal.”
