Indiana wrestling kicks off season in North Carolina

Wrestling concluded at McAllister Fieldhouse in Charlestown, North Carolina, where the Hoosiers clinched their first tournament title since they won the Maryville Open last season in November 2022. Head Coach Angel Escobedo’s squad compiled 118.5 team points to snag the title, putting seven wrestlers on the podium. Of those seven placers, the Hoosiers put three individual champions on the top of the podium in their respective weight classes.   

Champions included graduate student Dan Fongaro at 141 lbs, graduate student Graham Rooks at 149 lbs and redshirt freshman Gabe Sollars at 197 lbs. Sollars shined, beginning his redshirt freshman campaign in dominating fashion, winning all his matches by either major decision or by fall.  

More notable moments in Charlestown included the debuts of a couple of transfer students who wrestled for the first time in a Hoosier singlet. Fongaro, a transfer from Columbia University, joined the Hoosiers as a graduate student and won his bracket Sunday. Transfer redshirt sophomore Roman Rogotzke took the mat as a Hoosier for the first time, delivering an impressive third-place performance. Rogotzke spent the last couple seasons with South Dakota State University before transferring to Indiana.  

The last trio of placers included redshirt freshman Tyler Lillard, graduate student Cayden Rooks and senior Nico Bolivar. Lillard finished in second place while Rooks and Bolivar both took third.  

The Hoosiers sent 16 wrestlers to the tournament but noticeably excluded graduate student Brayton Lee at 157 lbs, senior Derek Gilcher at 165 lbs and redshirt senior Donnel Washington at 174 lbs. Indiana will host Rider University at 6 p.m. Friday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.