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Senior Day Sunday for Indiana Wrestling

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind.– The Indiana wrestling team will honor their senior class and wrestle for the final time in Wilkinson Hall this season on Sunday when they take on SIU-Edwardsville at 1:00 p.m.
 
Sunday February 16
Indiana vs. SIUE
1:00 PM ET | Bloomington, Ind.
 
Wilkinson Hall (1151 E 17th Street)
Free admission
 
Senior Day Ceremony
Be sure to get to Wilkinson Hall early as the senior day ceremony will take place prior to the start of the dual.
 
The Series
The Hoosiers are 29-7 all-time against SIUE and have won the last 26 matches in the series.
 
Rooks + Cronin
Liam Cronin and Graham Rooks have been racking up the wins for the Hoosiers lately. The duo has combined to win 12 of their last 14 matches overall. Over that stretch they have outscored their opponents by a combined 71-36.
 
Rooks Earns Big Ten Wrestler of the Week Again
On January 21, redshirt freshman Graham Rooks was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week. Rooks had taken down ranked opponents in his last two Big Ten matches and is currently ranked No. 14 by InterMat and No. 15 by FloWrestling. This was the second Big Ten weekly honor for Rooks this season.
 
Cronin Comes up Big
Redshirt junior Liam Cronin has won his last six matches, including two against ranked opponents. In the Hoosiers dual against Purdue, Cronin took down No. 5 ranked Devin Schroder. Cronin has since jumped into the top-25 ranking and is ranked as high as 20 in some polls.
 
The Lineups
Indiana
125: #23 Liam Cronin (12-11)
133: Cayden Rooks (19-11)  or Jonathan Moran (5-13)
141: Eddie Bolivar (6-11)
149: #15 Graham Rooks (12-6)
157: Fernando Silva (8-17) or Joey Sanchez (14-10)
165: Davey Tunon (6-14) or Dillon Hoey (4-10)
174: Jacob Covaciu (14-9) or Diego Lemley (0-4)
184: Jacob Hinz (6-18)
197: Nick WIllham (15-17) or Spencer Irick (3-7)
285: Rudy Streck (3-15) or Jake Kleimola (10-13)
 
SIUE
125: Matt Malavsky (1-9)
133: Jacob Blaha (0-11)
141: Saul Ervin (10-14)
149: Tyshawn Williams (10-6)
157: Justin Ruffin (21-6)
165: Chase Diehl (6-16)
174: Kevin Gschwendtner (8-16)
184: Austin Andres (2-11)
197: Aric Bohn (5-12)
285: Colton McKiernan (12-8)

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Hoosiers Close Regular Season at Chattanooga

The Indiana wrestling team will travel to Chattanooga for their final dual match of the season.
 
Friday February 21
Indiana at Chattanooga
7:00 PM ET | Chattanooga, Tenn.  
 
The Series
The Hoosiers are 8-0 all-time against Chattanooga. Last season the Hoosiers shut out Chattanooga 32-0 in Bloomington.
 
Rooks + Cronin
Liam Cronin and Graham Rooks have been racking up the wins for the Hoosiers lately. The duo has combined to win 14 of their last 16 matches overall. Over that stretch they have outscored their opponents by a combined 100-48.
 
Rooks Earns Big Ten Wrestler of the Week Again
On January 21, redshirt freshman Graham Rooks was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week. Rooks had taken down ranked opponents in his last two Big Ten matches and is currently ranked No. 14 by FloWrestling. This was the second Big Ten weekly honor for Rooks this season. Rooks has won seven of his last nine matches.
 
Cronin Comes up Big
Redshirt junior Liam Cronin has won his last seven matches, including two against ranked opponents. In the Hoosiers dual against Purdue, Cronin took down No. 5 ranked Devin Schroder. Cronin has since jumped into the top-25 ranking and is ranked as high as 20 in some polls.
 
Cayden Rooks Wins #20
Against SIUE last week, Cayden Rooks became only the second Big Ten true freshman this season to reach 20 wins. Cayden has been a regular part of the Hoosiers lineup this season and has posted an overall record of 20-11 on the season.
 
The Lineups
Indiana
125: #22 Liam Cronin (13-11)
133: Cayden Rooks (20-11)  or Jonathan Moran (5-13)
141: Eddie Bolivar (7-11)
149: #14 Graham Rooks (13-6)
157: Fernando Silva (8-18) or Joey Sanchez (14-10)
165: Davey Tunon (6-14) or Dillon Hoey (5-10)
174: Jacob Covaciu (14-9) or Diego Lemley (0-5)
184: Jacob Hinz (7-18)
197: Nick WIllham (16-17) or Spencer Irick (3-7)
285: Rudy Streck (3-15) or Jake Kleimola (10-14)
 
 
Success at Midlands Championships
The Hoosiers had three wrestlers earn spots on the podium at the Midlands Championships. Brock Hudkins, despite an injury in the semifinal match finished in sixth-place at 125 pounds. Indiana had two on the podium at 174 with Jacob Covaciu finishing in fifth-place and freshman Donnell Washington finishing in sixth-place.
 
Early Season Success for Indiana
Brock Hudkins (125) and Nick Willham (197) both won titles for the Hoosiers at MSU Open. The Hoosiers have five wrestlers finish in the top-three at the MSU Open. At the Journeyman Classic eight wrestlers finishined in the top-three, with Kyle Luigs, Joey Sanchez and Dillon Hoey each winning first-place in their respective weight classes.
 
Hoosiers Open Wilkinson Hall
Wilkinson Hall was dedicated on January 16, 2019. Wilkinson Hall is a multi-use training and performance center that is the new home venue for the Indiana Wrestling and Volleyball programs. The 3,000-seat venue is used as a competition facility for both Indiana Volleyball and Indiana Wrestling. Wilkinson Hall is named after IU alumnus Jay Wilkinson and his family, who have an incredible history of support for IU Athletics and its student-athletes. Last season, the Hoosiers first year in Wilkinson Hall, they ranked 21st in the country in attendance at 1,286 fans per match. This included a program record 1,962 fans when they hosted No. 1 Penn State.
 
Hoosiers Sign Elite Recruiting Class
IU head coach Angel Escobedo announced the Hoosiers 2020 class, which includes four wrestlers. Jacob Moran, Derek Gilcher, Nico Bolivar and Santos Cantu will be joining the Hoosiers in the 2020 class. Cantu chose Indiana over Ohio State and is a three-time OSAA 6A Champion at 195 lbs. Gilcher chose Indiana over Virginia, Maryland, Michigan State and Wisconsin and is ranked No. 6 nationally and part of a team that is ranked No. 5 nationally. Bolivar is the brother of current Hoosier Eddie Bolivar was the 2018 Illinois Freestyle Champion. Moran is the brother of current Hoosiers Jonathan Moran and was the 2018 Indiana State Champion and is ranked No. 6 on FloWrestling. Moran is spending this year training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado.

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Hoosiers Set for Big Ten Championships

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind.– The Indiana wrestling team will travel to Piscataway, N.J. this week for the Big Ten Wrestling Championships.  
 
March 7-8, 2020
Big Ten Wrestling Championships
Rutgers Athletic Center | Piscataway, N.J.
 
The Schedule
Saturday March 7
Session I: 10:00 AM ET
Session II: 6:30 PM ET
 
Sunday March 8
Session III: 12:00 PM ET
Session IV: 3:30 PM ET
 
Last Year at Big Ten Championships
Last year in Minneapolis the Hoosiers had three athletes reach the podium. The Hoosiers scored 31 points, their most since the 2014 Big Ten Championships. Elijah Oliver had the best finish for the Hoosiers with a fourth-place finish at 125 pounds. Bryce Martin and Jake Kleimola also earned podium spots.
 
Hoosiers Set Attendance Records
In their second season at Wilkinson Hall the Hoosiers set new attendance records. The program averaged 1,630 fans per match, up from 1,286 the season before. Since IU head coach Angel Escobedo took the helm of the program attendance has more than doubled. The Hoosiers rank in the top-25 in the country for attendance.
 
Rooks + Cronin
Liam Cronin and Graham Rooks have been racking up the wins for the Hoosiers lately. The duo has combined to win 15 of their last 18 matches overall. Over that stretch they have outscored their opponents by a combined 117-67.
 
Rooks Earns Big Ten Wrestler of the Week Again
On January 21, redshirt freshman Graham Rooks was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week. Rooks had taken down ranked opponents in his last two Big Ten matches and is currently ranked No. 17 by FloWrestling. This was the second Big Ten weekly honor for Rooks this season. Rooks has won seven of his last nine matches.
 
Cronin Comes up Big
Redshirt junior Liam Cronin has won his last eight matches, including three against ranked opponents. In the Hoosiers dual against Purdue, Cronin took down No. 5 ranked Devin Schroder. Cronin has since jumped into the top-25 ranking and is ranked as high as 20 in some polls.
 
Cayden Rooks Wins #20
Against SIUE, Cayden Rooks became only the second Big Ten true freshman this season to reach 20 wins. Cayden has been a regular part of the Hoosiers lineup this season and has posted an overall record of 21-11 on the season.
 
The Lineup for Big Ten Championships
Indiana
125: #22 Liam Cronin (14-11)
133: Cayden Rooks (21-11) 
141: Eddie Bolivar (7-12)
149: #17 Graham Rooks (13-7)
157: Fernando Silva (8-19)
165: Diego Lemley (0-6)
184: Jake Hinz (8-18)
197: Nick Willham (16-18)
285: Jake Kleimola (10-14)
 
Success at Midlands Championships
The Hoosiers had three wrestlers earn spots on the podium at the Midlands Championships. Brock Hudkins, despite an injury in the semifinal match finished in sixth-place at 125 pounds. Indiana had two on the podium at 174 with Jacob Covaciu finishing in fifth-place and freshman Donnell Washington finishing in sixth-place.
 
Early Season Success for Indiana
Brock Hudkins (125) and Nick Willham (197) both won titles for the Hoosiers at MSU Open. The Hoosiers have five wrestlers finish in the top-three at the MSU Open. At the Journeyman Classic eight wrestlers finishined in the top-three, with Kyle Luigs, Joey Sanchez and Dillon Hoey each winning first-place in their respective weight classes.
 
Hoosiers Open Wilkinson Hall
Wilkinson Hall was dedicated on January 16, 2019. Wilkinson Hall is a multi-use training and performance center that is the new home venue for the Indiana Wrestling and Volleyball programs. The 3,000-seat venue is used as a competition facility for both Indiana Volleyball and Indiana Wrestling. Wilkinson Hall is named after IU alumnus Jay Wilkinson and his family, who have an incredible history of support for IU Athletics and its student-athletes. Last season, the Hoosiers first year in Wilkinson Hall, they ranked 21st in the country in attendance at 1,286 fans per match. This included a program record 1,962 fans when they hosted No. 1 Penn State.
 
Hoosiers Sign Elite Recruiting Class
IU head coach Angel Escobedo announced the Hoosiers 2020 class, which includes four wrestlers. Jacob Moran, Derek Gilcher, Nico Bolivar and Santos Cantu will be joining the Hoosiers in the 2020 class. Cantu chose Indiana over Ohio State and is a three-time OSAA 6A Champion at 195 lbs. Gilcher chose Indiana over Virginia, Maryland, Michigan State and Wisconsin and is ranked No. 6 nationally and part of a team that is ranked No. 5 nationally. Bolivar is the brother of current Hoosier Eddie Bolivar was the 2018 Illinois Freestyle Champion. Moran is the brother of current Hoosiers Jonathan Moran and was the 2018 Indiana State Champion and is ranked No. 6 on FloWrestling. Moran is spending this year training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado. Cantu recently earned his fourth state championship.
 
Garcia Wins National Collegiate Open  
Asa Garcia in his first season in Bloomington, after winning three high school state championships has posted a record of 20-6. Most recently Garcia took first place at 141 pounds at the National Collegiate Open.

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A Family Tradition: Hoosiers Add Andrew Irick

 

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.– IU head coach Angel Escobedo has announced the signing of Andrew Irick to the Hoosiers 2020 Class.
 
Irick, a native of Fishers, Ind., is a two-time place winner at the IHSAA State Finals and was the 2020 IHSAA State Runner-Up at 285-pounds.
 
Irick tallied a career record of 140-24 at Hamilton Southeastern High School.
 
Irick was a 2019 USAW Folkstyle All-American at 220-pounds and a 2018 USAW Cadet Duals Greco All-American at 195-pounds.
 
In 2019 and 2020 Irick earned IHSAA Academic All-State honors. He was a two-sport athlete at Hamilton Southeastern.
 
Irick will be the third member of this family to wrestle at Indiana as his older brothers Matt and Spencer both wrestled for the Cream and Crimson.
 
"We are excited to welcome Andrew Irick to our 2020 class," IU head coach Angel Escobedo said.  "Andrew had a great senior season, taking second-place at the Indiana High School State Championships. On top of being one of the best heavyweights in the state, Andrew also brings an impressive GPA of 4.27.  He will continue the Irick family legacy - following his older brothers' (Matt and Spencer) footsteps to be the third Irick to wear the IU singlet."

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The National Wrestling Hall of Fame announced their Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award (DSHSEA) winners on Thursday. Winners are named for each state.
 
Indiana incoming freshman Santos Cantu earned the award for the state of Oregon.
 
Cantu was a four-time 6A state champion at Crescent Valley High School in Salem, Ore.
 
Cantu tallied a 142-13 record in high school while maintaining a 3.9 GPA.
 
The DSHSEA was established in 1996 to honor Olympic and World champion Dave Schultz, whose career was cut short when he was murdered in January 1996. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1997 and as a member of the United World Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016.
 
The award recognizes and celebrates the nation's most outstanding high school senior male wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship, and community service.
 
Winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of three criteria: success and standout performances and sportsmanship in wrestling; review of GPA and class rank, academic honors and distinctions; and participation in activities that demonstrate commitment to character and community.
 
DSHSEA regional winners will be announced on May 21 and the national winner will be announced on May 28.
 

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Hoosiers getting some notice in the individual rankings.  And to demonstrate just how tough the B1G is as a league 11 schools are ranked in the top 25; 5 of which are in the top 5.

https://www.idsnews.com/article/2020/07/iu-wrestlers-marked-in-preseason-rankings

https://news.theopenmat.com/college-rankings/ncaa-di-college-wrestling-early-preseason-rankings-individual-team-july-6th-2020/78413

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@IndianaWR:  Thrilled to add graduate transfer Garrett Hoffman to the Indiana Wrestling family.

IU head coach Angel Escobedo has announced the addition of graduate transfer Garrett Hoffman.
 
Hoffman, a native of Cogan Station, Pa., comes to Indiana after four years at Bucknell. At Bucknell he majored in Managing for Sustainability with a minor in Philosophy. Hoffman graduated Cum Laude with a 3.56 GPA.  Hoffman started off his collegiate career strong, as he qualified for the NCAA Championships at 184 pounds.
 
"We're excited to add Garrett Hoffman to our program," IU head coach Angel Escobedo said.  "An NCAA qualifier as a true freshman, Garrett brings experience and leadership to the program. Garrett will wrestle 197lb this season and is ready to put in the work needed to end his career as an All-American."
 
He earned the Bucknell Freshman of the Year Award after posting a record of 18-16 in his first collegiate season.  Prior to Bucknell, Hoffman tallied a 167-19 record at Montoursville Area High School. He was a three-time state medalist, including a finalist as a senior in 2016.
 
At Indiana Hoffman will be attending the Kelley School of Business in an executive degree program for business management.
 
"I saw how passionate the coaches were about the program and their vision for the future of IU wrestling," Hoffman said. "It showed me that they truly cared about their athletes as more than just athletes and have a great defined plan for success. They are building something special at IU and that's something I want to be a part of and hopefully help pave the way for their future success."

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Indiana Wrestling Mourns The Loss of All-American Oliver G. Cellini

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind.– Col. (Ret.) Oliver G. Cellini was an All-American wrestler and an All-American hero.
 
Cellini was a two-time All-American and was a member of the 1932 Indiana Wrestling National Championship Team. In 1939 Cellini was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps that would later become the U.S. Air Force.
 
Cellini passed away on September 12, 2020. He was 107 years old.
 
"We send our condolences to the Cellini family," IU head coach Angel Escobedo said. "Oliver will be remembered for serving his country and the great success he had in the Indiana wrestling program. Oliver stands for the same things I emphasize in our program and he will never be forgotten."
 
During his time in Bloomington, the Hoosier wrestling team went 24-1 (11-0 Big Ten), and won the only NCAA Championship for the Hoosier wrestling program in 1932. Cellini finished second in his weight class, which qualified him to compete in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany.
 
While at Indiana University, Cellini was a member of the ROTC program. After he graduated, he spent 13 months serving in active duty with the Army before entering flight school.
 
He flew 60 different types of fighter jets over his 32-year career with the military. During that time, he soared thousands of feet in the air over three continents and two wars.
 
Cellini took part in both World War II and the Korean War. During WWII he helped train Chinese gunnery pilots, which earned him a visit and medal from the leader of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-Shek. He also earned other accomplishments such as the Legion of Merit and The Distinguished Flying Cross for his immaculate abilities in an airplane.
 
Indiana University Wrestling Accomplishments
  • Ollie Cellini graduate of Indiana University from 1931-1935
  • 4-year member of IU wrestling from 1931-1935
  • Member of the 1931-32 NCAA Wrestling Champions
  • 3x letterman on the IU Wrestling Team
  • 2x NCAA All-American Wrestler (1933, 1934)
  • 2nd place in NCAA tournament 1934, 3rd place finish in 1933 @ 126lbs
Military Accomplishments
  • 1939 commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps (later to become the U.S. Air Force)
  • Earned his wings as Pursuit Pilot
  • Flight instructor to Chinese Nationalist pilots who were preparing to repel the Japanese invasion of their homeland.
  • Piloted P-47's over the Himalayas to attack and destroy Japanese bases in China
  • Flew countless missions in theater of operations and was promoted to full Colonel by the and of WWII.
  • 1950, Col.Cellini was a Wing Commander in the 51st Fighter Wing flying the Lockheed F-80, the first American Fighter Jet to engage in combat in Korea.
  • Flew of 80 combat missions in Korea.
  • 1968 retired after 32 years of active military service.
  • Awards - 4x Legion of Merit, 4x Distinguished Flying Cross, 5x Air Medal
  • Medal for Valor - award by then President Chaing-Kai for his service to Nationalist China for his service in WWII.

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