Cream Rises to Top Crimson, 30-16

[TomM]

Cream Rises to Top Crimson, 30-16
Six Hoosiers earn bonus point wins in preseason scrimmage

October 26, 2017

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana's wrestling team celebrated the start of the 2017-18 season with an intersquad scrimmage, dubbed the Cream & Crimson Dual, on Thursday evening at University Gymnasium. The Hoosiers' Cream team won eight of the 11 bouts on the slate for a 30-16 victory.

The Hoosiers' coaching staff evenly separated the teams with a blend of returning starters, prospects looking for a breakthrough into this year's lineup, and newcomers who have proven their mettle in their short time with the team. Six wrestlers picked up bonus points in their wins, with Cole Weaver and Jake Kleimola earning wins by fall.

The evening began at 133 lbs. with Brandon James and Michael De La Peña, but the bout order bounced around the weights from there. James emerged victorious with a 7-3 decision to spark a 7-0 run for the Cream team.

The pair of IU heavyweights, Fletcher Miller and Zach Horwitz, followed with the second bout of the night. Miller showed his offseason progress with a 16-5 technical fall, the first of two five-point wins for the Hoosiers.

The first fall of the night came in the third bout at 141 lbs. between Weaver and newcomer A.J. Raya. Weaver stuck his counterpart in 72 seconds to give Crimson their first points, pulling the match to 7-6.

Cream pulled away when they refused to yield points for the next five matches. Davey Tunon began that run in his 149 lbs. match with Austin Holmes, winning a 2-0 decision between two freshmen anxious to begin their first varsity seasons.

Junior and returning NCAA qualifier Jake Danishek capped his preseason on a high note with a 19-3 technical fall over promising newcomer Dillon Hoey, extending Cream's lead to 15-6. Garrett Pepple pushed the differential once more with an 8-3 decision victory over Kyle Luigs in the evening's second 133 lbs. match.

Next came a bout between two lengthy 197 lbs. grapplers, Jake Kleimola and Mike Maguire, to start the closing stretch of the dual meet. Kleimola secured Cream's only win by fall over Maguire, clearing the way for a thrilling match at 125 lbs.

Indiana's lightweight duo, Elijah Oliver and Liam Cronin, have been drilling together for the last season and exchanged starts throughout the 2016-17 campaign. Their competitive nature poured into the U-Gym during their preseason bout, leading to a 1-1 tie after two periods. Oliver emerged with the 3-1 win on a takedown in the final seconds.

Bryce Martin became the second Crimson grappler to put points on the board with a win by technical fall over Logan Herrera, 24-9. Devin Skatzka, ranked as high as No. 15 in the national preseason polls, followed with an 18-0 takedown against Gabe Koontz that included a quartet of four-point tilts.

The final match of the evening provided some of the biggest thrills when Norman Conley and Jake Hinz squared off at 184 lbs. The pair battled back and forth throughout last season at 197 lbs., but both guys are enjoying their ability to execute at the lower weight. That set up an exciting final period, when Hinz escaped early to cut Conley's lead to 3-2. The two grappled for position, hoping to score a decisive takedown and win the spot for at least a week. Hinz fired a shot with time winding down to zero, and had Conley in the air, but time expired before Hinz could secure his position.

Up Next: Indiana (0-0) at the 2017 Clarion Open
Sunday, Nov. 5 • All Day • Clarion, Pa. • University Rec Center
Watch: Live on FloWrestling • Bracket on FloArena

The Hoosiers are anxious to step on the mats at the 2017 Clarion Open and officially begin their season next weekend. Indiana's travel party for the first open tournament weekend will be determined in the coming days, and fans can follow all the action on FloWrestling.org and FloArena. Once the list of attending teams becomes clear, IUHoosiers will break down the potential matchups for Indiana's wrestlers.

Follow Indiana Wrestling on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

#GoIU
--
Nick Reith
Media Relations Assistant
Indiana University Athletics
Primary Contact: Field Hockey,
Wrestling, Water Polo
C: 317-371-6079
Email: nbreith@indiana.edu