The Hoosiers have entered the national rankings for the first time this season after beating Minnesota, Eastern Michigan and Manchester last weekend.
The FloWrestling polls have the Hoosiers at 19, while the InterMat poll has IU at 20.
The team hopes to carry this momentum into Reno, Nevada, where the Hoosiers will complete in the Reno Tournament of Champions against some of the best teams in the country Sunday.
“It’s one match at a time because you never know where the chips are going to fall,” IU Coach Duane Goldman said. “I want our guys spending a lot of time focusing on themselves, making sure they’re wrestling hard and making sure they’re wrestling their match. Do the things they can do.”
Sophomore Luke Blanton entered the national ranking for the first time of his career after defeating two nationally ranked wrestlers last weekend. Blanton is currently ranked No. 20 in the 149-pound class, on top of being named Big Ten wrestler of the week.
Teammate Nate Jackson, currently 11th in the national rankings of the 174-pound weight class, knows what it’s like to receive national recognition, and he was excited to see Blanton be rewarded for his hard work.
“I was really excited for Luke because he deserved it,” Jackson said. “He had an awesome week, Big Ten wrestler of the week, and I’ve never done that. That’s an incredible achievement and it couldn't happen to a better guy. He works so hard, he pushes me.”
Goldman said it's great to see Blanton in the rankings, but he should not be satisfied. Goldman said Blanton has yet to reach any of his goals and he needs to stay focused on getting closer to achieving those. He believes being ranked will not affect Blanton because he never gets too high or too low.
Everyone on the team is still learning, and that is not an exception for Blanton who has room to keep perfecting his wrestling craft as the team approaches the heart of the season.
Jackson said the potential Blanton has is through the roof and he thinks continuous growth from now until the NCAAs will have Blanton staying on the national scene.
Heading into Reno, the team hopes to continue learning and improving, while continuing to prepare for the rest of the Big Ten season.
Goldman said this weekend is a great opportunity for the guys to get a leg up on the Big Ten competition they will see later in the season.
Jackson and the entire team are excited about the start they have had on the season, but they know they can’t relax if the success if going to continue.
“We’re not just trying to just have a good season, we’re trying to create a culture here,” Jackson said. “We’re just trying to grow.”
