Indiana Wrestling Set for Season-Opener Against Illinois
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The season for Indiana wrestling was cut short last year right before the Big Ten Championships in March of 2020.
It has been a long offseason filled with uncertainty on when the Hoosiers will compete again, but the wait is now over.
This Sunday at Wilkinson Hall, Indiana will host Illinois to begin its 2021 season.
"I can feel the different vibe and energy I'm getting from the guys," head coach Angel Escobedo said. "It's a release, like it's finally here. Their moods changed. They're just happier. It's been cool to see just because they've been faced with so much adversity."
It's going to be a conference-only regular season for wrestling this year. The Big Ten is arguably the best conference for wrestling, and Escobedo has been trying to make Indiana competitive again.
The Hoosiers haven't defeated Illinois in over 13 years, so there is plenty of motivation in the locker room heading into the season-opener.
"Crazy stuff has happened in 2020, and we want to make great things happen in 2021," Escobedo said.
This upcoming season is going to present a lot of challenges and opportunities for Indiana.
Per the Big Ten rule, teams need to be below a 5% positivity rate for COVID-19 to be able to compete. That means if just two members on Indiana's roster test positive, Indiana would have to pause all team-related activities.
"We have to be really diligent and strict to make sure we're doing everything right," Escobedo said.
The team gets tested six days a week, so Escobedo feels protected in the "bubble" the team has created.
But this season will also provide a lot of opportunities. Typically in wrestling, freshmen are redshirted their first year, but with all athletes given an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19, Escobedo wants to give more guys chances to compete.
In this shortened season, Escobedo plans to switch up his lineup every weekend.
"For us this is all about growth," Escobedo said. "Guys are going to get a lot of experience that they've never had. For them to have that extra year to gain, why not use it?"
With everyone having a chance to compete on the mat this season, senior Brock Hudkins has noticed a motivated mentality throughout the roster.
He said the seniors are usually pushing the young guys, but in practice, Hudkins said everyone is equally focused to getting better.
"We've changed a lot of our mindset from the inside," Hudkins said. "We have a team of at least 15 to 20 guys who can be leaders on this team."
With the Big Ten as deep and difficult as it is, it's not going to be easy, but the Hoosiers know that each match will be an opportunity to go out and prove something.
That starts this Sunday, when the long, taxing offseason can be put to rest, and Indiana can focus on trying to turn its program around.
"It's really just focusing on a big match every week," Hudkins said. "This is a blessing. It's the fact that we can even compete. A lot of guys are excited."
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- FULL WRESTLING SCHEDULE: To keep track of Indiana wrestling's full schedule this season, CLICK HERE