Purdue Wrestling Update

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The 24th-ranked Purdue wrestling team suffered a hard-fought 22-17 loss to 13th-ranked archrival Indiana University (IU) on Sunday at Lawrence North High School. The Boilermakers won half of the 10 bouts on the afternoon, led by sixth-ranked junior Luke Manuel’s technical fall at 174 pounds. The Boilermakers fall to 10-10 on the season and 1-6 in conference bouts with the loss, despite their best showing of the recent Big Ten schedule. Joining Manuel in the win column were seniors Nick Corpe and Nick Bertucci and juniors Akif Eren and Colton Salazar, who all scored decision victories on the day. Manuel improves to 35-2 on the season, leading NCAA Division I in victories, and continues to assault the Boilermaker record books with his 90th career victory. He also became the third Boilermaker to crack the 200-career takedown mark this season, joining Corpe and junior teammate Logan Brown. Manuel started the match in dominant fashion at 174 pounds, rolling out a 22-7 technical fall over Hoosier junior Nick Avery. The match was stagnant for the first minute, but Manuel opened the scoring with a takedown and quick two-point nearfall for a 4-0 lead. The rest of the match was a takedown clinic for Manuel as he finished the bout with nine two-pointers, including his final score in the closing seconds to earn the extra bonus point with the technical fall. The Boilermakers won the first of the swing bouts at 184 pounds as Corpe edged out IU junior Eric Cameron by decision, 3-2. The match offered very little action through the first six minutes as the two traded escapes, but added nothing else for a 1-1 tie. Things got started in the final minute as the pair mounted offense, but it was Corpe who added the contest’s lone takedown, scoring in the final 30 seconds for the win and an 8-0 Purdue advantage. The Hoosiers got things rolling at 197, opening a three-match win streak with a 4-1 decision for 15th-ranked sophomore Matt Powless over 13th-ranked Brown. Powless put up three points in the second period to gain the advantage and held off Brown in the third for the upset win. Second-ranked Indiana senior Nate Everhart added six team points at heavyweight, needing just 2:27 to stick Purdue freshman Adam Walls, and top-ranked IU senior Angel Escobedo nearly pinned Boilermaker rookie Cashé Quiroga at 125, but Quiroga held off the fall in the closing seconds and forced Escobedo to settle for the major decision, 19-5. After the intermission, Purdue got back into things as Eren topped Indiana sophomore Matt Ortega by decision, 6-2. Eren was on the attack early, nearly catching Ortega in a cradle and taking him to his back in the first 20 seconds, but the Hoosier scrambled away for no score. The second time Ortega was not so lucky as Eren took him straight to his blades for a five-point play, and that was all the scoring Eren would need.The Hoosiers grabbed momentum right back at 141 pounds as freshman Danny Monaco rolled to a 7-1 decision over Purdue sophomore Bill Putman. Monaco earned a takedown in the first period and a reversal to start the second en route to a 4-0 lead, and a series of stalling calls against Putman stretched the lead to 6-0. Monaco cut Putman in the waning seconds to look for the major, but couldn’t come up with the points and settled for three team tallies. Bertucci added another win for the Old Gold and Black at 149 pounds, using an escape and late takedown for a 3-0 win over Indiana senior Matt Coughlin. Coughlin provided little offense, but his shot ended up being his downfall as Bertucci funked through a single-leg attempt by the Hoosier, rolling him through and coming out the back for two. Salazar made it two straight for the Boilermakers and gave them a 17-16 team score lead, edging out sixth-ranked Kurt Kinser in sudden victory, 3-1. After little action through the first seven minutes, Salazar sparked the crowd just into the extra minute, ducking Kinser into a takedown and the win. Indiana’s 12th-ranked junior Paul Young put the match away for the Hoosiers, sticking Purdue senior Jason Martin in 4:34 to seal the team victory. Indiana improves to 15-3 (4-3 Big Ten) with the win and picks up the second straight win in the series and a Crimson and Gold Cup point for the Hoosiers. The Boilermakers close out their dual schedule on Thursday at No. 21 Illinois at 8 p.m. (EST). #24 Purdue 17 - #13 Indiana 22174: #6 Luke Manuel (PU) def. Nick Avery (IU), TF 22-7 (7:00) (5-0)184: Nick Corpe (PU) def. Eric Cameron (IU), D 3-2 (8-0)197: #15 Matt Powless (IU) def. #13 Logan Brown (PU), D 4-1 (8-3)285: #2 Nate Everhart (IU) def. Adam Walls (PU), Fall 2:27 (8-9)125: #1 Angel Escobedo (IU) def. Cashé Quiroga (PU), MD 19-5 (8-13)133: Akif Eren (PU) def. Matt Ortega (IU), D 6-2 (11-13)141: Danny Monaco (IU) def. Bill Putman (PU) D 7-1 (11-16)149: Nick Bertucci (PU) def. Matt Coughlin (IU), D 3-0 (14-16)157: Colton Salazar (PU) def. #6 Kurt Kinser (IU), SV 3-1 (17-16)165: #12 Paul Young (IU) def. Jason Martin (PU), Fall 4:34 (17-22)