After finishing last at the Big Ten Championships in Lincoln, Nebraska, Indiana wrestling will send two wrestlers to the 2022 NCAA Wrestling Championships at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. The championships will take place from March 17 to March 19.
No. 24-ranked graduate student Brock Hudkins will represent Indiana in the 133-pound bracket as the No. 13 seed in the tournament. No. 27-ranked junior DJ Washington will wrestle in the 184-pound bracket as the No. 26 seed.
Hudkins qualified for an automatic berth into the National Championships after securing his 13th win of the season at the Big Ten Championships against Wisconsin sophomore Kyle Burwick.
Hudkins finished with an 13-4 individual record this season, and his appearance in the NCAA Championships will be his third, but his first appearance as a Hoosier. In his first-round matchup of the 133-pound bracket, Hudkins will face off against No. 20 sophomore Chance Rich from California State University, Bakersfield.
Washington was selected to compete in the 184-pound bracket, and he finished 13-7 on the season after the Big Ten Championships. His appearance in the tournament will be his second as an NCAA qualifier.
Washington will face the No. 9-nationally ranked and No. 7-seeded Ohio State senior Kaleb Romero. Romero is 1-0 against Indiana, as he defeated Indiana sophomore Drayton Harris via pin at the Indiana-No. 6 Ohio State dual meet on Feb. 13 in Columbus, Ohio.
Session I of the NCAA Championships will begin at noon on March 17 with Session II starting at 7 p.m. later that day. There will be a total of 330 wrestlers competing at the NCAA Championships, with 33 wrestlers in each of the 10 weight classes.
The championships will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPNU.
