IU sophomore DJ Washington was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week Tuesday after going 2-0 last weekend, defeating No. 5 redshirt freshman Carter Starocci from Penn State and pinning redshirt freshman Troy Fisher from Northwestern with 18 seconds left in the match.
The extra points from Washington’s pin would be the difference for IU in its first win of the season against Northwestern. Washington was down 5-7 in the third period before he was able to take down Fisher, and winning by pin rather than decision gave the Hoosiers the points they needed for the 18-16 win.
Washington also helped IU secure its most points against No. 3 Penn State in 12 years. Washington got off to a hot start against the top-five ranked Starocci, scoring a takedown and 4 near-fall points 40 seconds into the match. Up 10-1 after the first period, Washington was able to stymie Starocci’s comeback attempt and win 10-9.
This is Washington’s first Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honor of his career. He is the first Hoosier to win the award since redshirt sophomore Graham Rooks won it Jan. 21, 2020.
