Saturday, February 6
Bloomington, Ind.
2 PM ET
Michigan State University
at
Indiana
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell/MSU Athletic Communications
No. 23 Michigan State Takes On Indiana And No. 7 Nebraska Saturday In Tri-Meet In Bloomington
2/5/2021 3:08:00 PM | Wrestling
Spartan head coach Roger Chandler leads MSU back to his alma mater, where he was a three-time All-American for the Hoosiers.
| No. 23 MICHIGAN STATE (1-2, 1-2 B1G) at Indiana Tri-Meet at Indiana (1-3, 1-3 B1G) and vs. No. 7 Nebraska (2-1, 2-1 B1G) | |
| DATE | Saturday, Feb. 6, 2021 |
| TIMES | Mat 1 Mat 2 12 p.m MSU at IU Extra Matches 2 p.m. IU vs. NEB Extra Matches 4 p.m. MSU vs. NEB Extra Matches |
| LOCATION | Bloomington, Ind. • Wilkinson Hall |
| TICKETS | NO TICKETS |
| STREAMING | Big Ten Network+ {MSU at IU WATCH LIVE | MSU vs. NEB WATCH LIVE} |
| LIVE RESULTS | TrackWrestling {MSU at IU LIVE RESULTS | MSU vs. NEB LIVE RESULTS} |
| MATCH NOTES | Michigan State | Indiana | Nebraska |
| SOCIAL MEDIA |  @wrestlingmsu |  MichiganStateWrestling |  @wrestlingmsu |
No. 23 Michigan State wrestling wraps up its regular-season action away from home this weekend, heading to Bloomington, Ind. on Saturday, Feb. 6 for a tri-meet where the Spartans will take on host Indiana and No. 7 Nebraska. Action from IU's Wilkinson Hall gets underway at 12 p.m. ET with MSU at IU, followed by IU and Nebraska at 2 p.m., before the Spartans and Cornhuskers tangle at 4 p.m. Saturday's event was originally scheduled to include No. 24 Rutgers, but the Scarlet Knights had to withdraw due to COVID-19 issues within the program.
Saturday's action will be streamed on Big Ten Network+.
Saturday's tri-meet is the Spartans' second tri-meet of the season, as they opened the abbreviated 2021 ledger with tri-meet on Jan. 16 with Maryland and then-No. 14 Minnesota. MSU was scheduled to go to then-No. 2 Penn State on Jan. 24, but that was also postponed due to COVID-19 concerns. Last time out, No. 23 Michigan State took on No. 11 Ohio State on Jan. 29 at Columbus, with MSU dropping a 24-9 hard-fought battle.
HEAD COACH HOMECOMING
Michigan State head coach Roger Chandler returns to his alma mater Indiana on Saturday for the second time as MSU's leader. Chandler's first trip leading the Spartans back to IU was for a ducal on Jan. 19, 2018, battling to an 18-15 victory for MSU.
Chandler was a three-time All-American while competing for the Hoosiers, named IU Male Athlete of the Year in 1996-97 and inducted into the Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008. Chandler placed eighth at NCAA Championships in 1995, third in 1996 and second in 1997. Chandler finished his career at Indiana with a 134-25 record and earned a degree in sport management.
Our very own Coach Chandler was a 3⃣-time @ncaawrestling All-American for @IndianaWR, earned his degree in '97 & inducted into IU Athletics HOF in '08!
— Spartan Wrestling (@wrestlingmsu) February 5, 2021
This weekend he leads No. 23 MSU back to his ol' stomping grounds!#FridayFlashback #NCAAWrestling #SpartanStrong pic.twitter.com/V9jlOGZFg3
COACH CHANDLER SAYS
On difference in preparing for multiple matches in a day compared to a standard dual:
"There's no doubt this is not your typical year. We are doing everything to give our kids the opportunity to compete. Even though it's not ideal wrestling multiple Big Ten matches in a day, it is what it is and we will continue to take each challenge head on. The good thing is that it's preparation for the Big Ten Championships when every match each guy wrestles is going to be a championship level match."
On how it feels going to back to his alma mater Indiana, where he was an All-American:
"It's always good to go back and visit part your past. When I was at Indiana, it was a special time in my life where I had lots of great memories of competing back in the day. A lot of who I am today was built of my success and experiences of when I was at Indiana."
LOWELL DUO OF SPARTANS FROM THE HOOSIER STATE
• Michigan State has two wrestlers on its roster from the state of Indiana, both hailing from Lowell, Indiana in redshirt-seniors Jake Tucker and Drew Hughes
• Tucker wrestles at 157 and has started all three matches this season, posting a 1-2 record and currently ranked No. 17 in the FloWrestling rankings ... Tucker was a state champion as part of a two-time All-State IHSA 2A honoree at Mt. Carmel High School in Chicago ... he accumulated a 140-24 record during his four-year career.
• Hughes is the Spartans' starter at 174 and is also 1-2 so far and ranked No. 20 in the FloWrestling rankings ... Hughes was a two-time state champion, a state runner-up as part of a four-time all-state selection at Lowell High School ... he helped the Red Devils accumulate a record of 160-4 during his four-year career.
ROAD WARRIORS
• Saturday's multi-team action is the second and third matches away from home for the Spartans out of a possible four scheduled matches on the road, as MSU was scheduled to go to then-No. 2 Penn State on Jan. 24, but that was also postponed due to COVID-19 concerns and No. 24 Rutgers was scheduled to compete this weekend at Indiana, but had to withdraw due to COVID-19 concerns.
• The Spartans return home to host Purdue on Friday, Feb. 12, before wrapping up regular-season action with Michigan on Friday, Feb. 19.
RANKED FOES
• The match-up with No. 7 Nebraska on Saturday is Michigan State's third match against a ranked opponent this season, of a possible five on the season out of the now updated seven matches on the schedule, leaving only the season-opener against Maryland and Saturday's first match vs. Indiana as the only regular-season matches against unranked opponents.
• MSU's took on then-No. 14 Minnesota on Jan. 16 in the second match of day after facing Maryland in the opener. The Spartans opened the season by shutting out Maryland, 42-0, before losing to Minnesota, 28-6. Last Friday, Jan. 29, Michigan State took on No. 11 Ohio State, dropping a 24-9 contest. MSU then takes on No. 19 Purdue on Feb. 12, before No. 2 Michigan in the regular-season finale on Feb. 19.
SPARTAN WRESTLING IN NWCA RANKINGS
• Michigan State remains ranked No. 23 in this week's NWCA Coaches Poll ... MSU was No. 21 in this season's preseason rankings (1/1/21), sliding out of the first week's (1/5/21), but back in the second week's at No. 25 ... it was the first time since 2009 that the Spartans are in the NWCA's regular-season rankings, when MSU was No. 21 in the Nov. 11, 2009 poll ... prior to 2009, the Spartans were ranked in most of the 2007 weekly rankings.
Preseason 1-1 21
Week 1 - 1/5 -- (31)
Week 2 - 1/12 25
Week 3 - 1/19 24
Week 4 - 1/26 23
Week 5 - 2/2 23
RANK 'EM
• Along with the NWCA rankings, MSU is in several different team rankings, as high as No. 13 by Wrestle Stat's Dual Rankings to No. 23 in NWCA Coaches Poll and several spots in between in other polls. {See rankings box on pg. 3 for more info}
• Individually, eight different Spartans are ranked in at least one of the five rankings from Flowrestling (Top 25 individuals in each weight class), Intermat (Top 20 individuals), OnTheMat (Top 33 individuals), Trackwrestling (Top 33 individuals) and Wrestle Stat (Top 33 individuals).
• Redshirt-junior 197-pounder Cameron Caffey is one of the two highest-ranked Spartans, coming in at No. 3 in the OnTheMatrankings, and is in the Top 8 in all five rankings, along with redshirt-junior 125-pounder Rayvon Foley, who is No. 5 in the WrestleStat rankings.
• Caffey and Foley are two of the three Spartans to be ranked in all five polls, joined by 184-pounder Layne Malczewski (R-SO), while 165-pounder Jake Tucker (R-SR) and 174-pounder Drew Hughes (R-SR) are in four of the five.
Cameron Caffey (@camonthelam) stays HIGHLY CAFFEY-NATED, winning his 13th-straight regular-season match, with a battle at 197, winning 3-2 over No. 25 Gavin Hoffman (OSU)!
— Spartan Wrestling (@wrestlingmsu) January 29, 2021
Caffey has now won 15 of his last 16 matches!#SpartanStrong #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/stGz4JZrQB
HIGHLY CAFFEY-NATED
• Despite moving up to 197-pounds this season after wrestling at 184 last year, redshirt-junior Cameron Caffey opened up the 2021 season by picking up right where he left off in 2020, as he has now won 13-straight regular-season matches and 15 of his last 16 matches overall and 17 of last 19 matches.
• Caffey's lone loss in his last 16 matches was to No. 1-seed Aaron Brooks of Penn State in a close 3-2 decision in the 184-pound Big Ten Championship.
• To open up the 2021 season, Caffey went 2-0 in his first matches in his new weight class ... he posted a 14-4 major decision over Kevin Makosy of Maryland and beat Garret Joles of Minnesota in a 12-5 decision during the tri-meet on Jan. 16 ... last time out, he topped No. 25 Gavin Hoffman of Ohio State in a hard-fought 3-2 decision.
ABOUT INDIANA
• The Hoosiers are 1-3 on the season, having recently faced three-straight ranked teams ... IU opened against then-unranked Illinois (currently No. 9), losing, 39-3, on Jan. 10 ... the Hoosiers then lost at then-No. 3 Michigan, 32-6, on Jan. 17 and then-No. 3 Penn State, 24-15, in the first match on Jan. 30, before upsetting No. 24 Northwestern, 18-16, to close out the tri-meet on Jan. 30 on the Wildcats' home mat.
Indiana Tentative Lineup
125 No. 14 Brock Hudkins (SR | 0-2) -OR- Jacob Moran (FR | 4-1)
133 Kyle Luigs (R-JR | 0-3)
141 Cayden Rooks (SO | 1-2)
149 No. 14 Graham Rooks (R-SO | 1-1)
157 Matt Ortiz (SO | 1-2)
165 No. 24 Nick South (SO | 1-3)
174 No. 6 DJ Washington (SO | 3-1)
184 Drayton Harris (FR | 0-4)
197 No. 28 Nick Willham (SO | 2-2)
285 Rudy Streck (JR | 0-2) -OR- Jacob Bullock (SO | 1-2)
ABOUT No. 7 NEBRASKA
• The seventh-ranked Cornhuskers are 4-1 on the season with their lone loss coming at the hands of No. 1 Iowa ... Nebraska knocked off No. 12 Minnesota, 22-14, in the opener on Jan. 8, before falling to the No. 1 Hawkeyes, 31-6, on Jan. 15 ... the Huskers swept a tri-meet with Northwestern and Maryland on Jan. 23, dropping the No. 25 Wildcats, 26-10, before blanking the Terrapins, 36-0 ... last time out, Nebraska edged No. 18 Wisconsin, 21-15, last Sunday, winning on a walk-off fall in sudden victory from heavyweight Christian Lance to cap the Huskers comeback in winning the last two matches.
Nebraska Tentative Lineup
125 No. 6 Liam Cronin (SR | 4-1) -OR- Jeremiah Reno (FR | 0-1)
133 Alex Thomsen (SO | 1-3) -OR- Tucker Sjomeling (JR | 2-2) -OR- Dominick Serrano (FR | 0-0)
141 No. 6 Chad Red Jr. (SR | 5-1) -OR- Jordan Kelber (SO | 1-0)
149 No. 22 Brock Hardy (FR | 2-3) -OR- Jevon Parrish (SO | 2-2) -OR- Ridge Lovett (SO | 2-0)
157 Caleb Licking (SR | 1-4)
165 No. 18 Peyton Robb (SO | 4-2) -OR- Isaiah Alford (R-FR | 0-0)
174 No. 3 Mikey Labriola (JR | 5-0)
184 No. 11 Taylor Venz (SR | 3-2) -OR- Nathan Haas (FR | 1-1) -OR- Brandyn Van Tassell (FR | 1-1)
197 No. 2 Eric Schultz (SR | 5-0)
285 No. 10 Christian Lance (SR | 4-2) -OR- Cale Davidson (JR | 3-0)
UP NEXT
The Spartans return home to host Purdue on Friday, Feb. 12, before wrapping up regular-season action with Michigan on Friday, Feb. 19.
NEW SEASON, NEW RESTRICTIONS DURING THESE UNPRECEDENTED TIMES
• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 season will feature several Michigan State University, Big Ten, local, state and national restrictions and guidelines during these unprecedented times.
• There will be no fans in the stands, however, a limited number of family members of the student-athletes will be allowed.
• Due to the NCAA granting a blanket waiver for 2020-21, all wrestlers will be eligible to compete in varsity action this season without losing the ability to redshirt.
• The Big Ten Conference will be competing in conference-only matches, with each team competing in nine matches on either six or seven dates, with the Big Ten Championships slated for March 6-7 at University Park, Pa., hosted by Penn State and the NCAA Championships, scheduled for March 18-20 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo.
• Extra Matches: Due to only wrestling within the conference, the Big Ten will permit schools to hold extra matches on competition dates ... Though they will not count towards dual scoring, they will count towards an individual's varsity record for purposes of seeding for the conference and national tournament.
MOVIN' ON UP
Four of the Spartans NCAA Qualifiers from a year ago have moved up a weight class:
• Jake Tucker • R-SR: From 157 to 165
• Drew Hughes • R-SR: From 165 to 174
• Layne Malszewski • R-SO: From 174 to 184
• Cameron Caffey • R-JR: From 184 to 197
TUNE IN
The Big Ten Conference and Big Ten Network announced on Jan. 8 that the Michigan State vs. Michigan match from Jenison Field House in East Lansing will be nationally televised on BTN ... match start time will be announced at a later date.
MSU'S RETURNING NCAA QUALIFIERS
• The Spartans have five returning NCAA Qualifiers, featuring four from 2020, before the Championships were cancelled, plus one from 2019 in redshirt-junior Rayvon Foley, who redshirted the 2019-20 season.
• Rayvon Foley • R-JR • 125: Redshirted 2019-20 ... NCAA All-American at 125 in 2019 Championships, finishing seventh.
• Jake Tucker • R-SR • 165: 27-9 in 2019-20 at 157 ... sixth at B1G Championships.
• Drew Hughes • R-SR • 174: 18-11 in 2019-20 at 165 ... MSU's 1st three-time NCAA Qualifier since '15 ... seventh at B1G Championships.
• Cameron Caffey • R-JR • 197: 27-7 in 2019-20 at 184 ... B1G Runner-Up ... 2020 NWCA All-American ... 2020 NWCA Scholar All-American ... Won gold medal at 87 kg at the 2020 U23 Greco-Roman Championships.
• Layne Malszewski • R-SO • 184: 25-13 in 2019-20 at 174 ... seventh at B1G Championships.
SPARTAN WRESTLING PREVALENT IN PRESEASON PROGNOSTICATIONS
• Michigan State wrestling will open the 2021 season in the top 20 of four different polls and have several wrestlers ranked in their respective weight classes, as of Dec. 29, 2020.
• In the team rankings, MSU is ranked as high as No. 13 in Wrestle Stat's team tournament rankings to No. 19 in Intermat's team dual rankings. Along with being No. 13 Wrestle Stat's team tournament rankings, the Spartans are No. 14 in Wrestle Stat's team tournament rankings. The Green & White is also No. 15 in Trackwrestling's team rankings and tied for No. 17 in FloWrestling's rankings, along with No. 16 in Intermat's team tournament rankings and No. 19 in their team dual rankings.
• Individually, a total of eight different Spartans are ranked in at least one of the four rankings from Flowrestling (Top 25 individuals in each weight class), Intermat (Top 20 individuals), Trackwrestling (Top 33 individuals) and Wrestle Stat (Top 33 individuals).
• MSU's highest-ranked wrestler is 125-pounder Rayvon Foley, as the redshirt-junior is No. 2 in all four rankings. Foley redshirted last season after a recovering from an injury, but was an NCAA All-American at 125 pounds in 2019 following a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships, ending with a 36-6 overall record.
• At 133 pounds, redshirt-freshman Jordan Hamdan is ranked No. 23 by Wrestle Stat and No. 25 in the Trackwrestling rankings. While redshirting last season, Hamden competed only in open tournaments, leading all freshmen with 18 wins on way to 18-5 mark.
• Redshirt-freshman Peyton Omania returns to action at 149 pounds and is No. 31 in the Trackwrestling rankings. Omania took an Olympic redshirt last season to train for the originally scheduled 2020 Olympics. He secured a bronze medal at the US Junior World Greco-Roman Championships at 67kg in Tallinn, Estonia in August, 2019, and captured the gold medal at 67 kg in the U23 Greco-Roman championship at the USA Wrestling Greco-Roman National Championships in Omaha, Nebraska this past November.
• In the 157-pound rankings, redshirt-junior Nathan Atienza checks in at No. 21 by Wrestle Stat and No. 31 by Trackwrestling. Atienza went 10-8 last season, competing at 149 and 157 pounds for the Spartans in open tournaments, including three wins by fall on the way to claiming a first-place finish at the Edinboro Open.
• At 165, redshirt-senior Jake Tucker is ranked No. 14 by both Wrestle Stat and Intermat, as well as No. 16 by Trackwrestling and No. 19 by Flowrestling. Tucker was a 2020 NCAA Qualifier at 157 pounds, posting a 27-9 record sharing the team-lead in victories, including two wins over top 25 opponents, while finishing sixth at the Big Ten Championships.
• Fellow redshirt-senior Drew Hughes is in all four rankings at 174, including No. 13 by Trackwrestling, No. 15 by Intermat, No. 17 by Flowrestling and No. 18 by Wrestle Stat. Hughes also was a 2020 NCAA Qualifier at 165 pounds, becoming the first Spartan wrestler to become a three-time NCAA Qualifier since John Rizqallah in 2015. Hughes finished with an 18-11 record, ending sixth at the Big Ten Championships.
• At 184, redshirt-sophomore Layne Malczewski is ranked No. 14 by Trackwrestling, No. 17 by Wrestle Stat and No. 22 by Flowrestling. Also a 2020 NCAA Qualifier, Malczewski finished third on the team with 25 wins, ending with a 25-13 ledger, finishing seventh at the Big Ten Championships at 174 pounds.
• Rounding out the eight Spartans in the preseason rankings is redshirt-junior Cameron Caffey, who is MSU's second-highest ranked individual, collecting four top 10 rankings. Caffey will enter the 2021 season ranked No. 3 by Wrestle Stat, along with No. 6 by Trackwrestling, No. 7 by Intermat and No. 8 by Flowrestling. Caffey was a 2020 NCAA Qualifier, as well as 2020 Big Ten finalist at 184 pounds, on the way to finishing with a 27-7 record, sharing the team-lead for wins, finishing as an NWCA All-American. Caffey, who also topped the Spartans in dual wins with 16, finishing with a 16-2 dual mark, also led MSU with nine falls as well as topping the team with 67 dual points.
MSU WRESTLING SHINES AT USA WRESTLING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Michigan State wrestlers collected nine All-American accolades, including two national champions, at the USA Wrestling Greco-Roman National Championships over the weekend of Nov. 14-15 in Omaha, Nebraska.
• Cameron Caffey won the 87 kg U23 Greco-Roman championship, while Peyton Omania captured the 67 kg U23 Greco-Roman championship. Caffey won on a 10-2 technical fall over Guy Patron of Dubuque Wrestling Club, rallying from an early 2-0 deficit by reeling off 10 unanswered points. This is the second national title for Caffey, who won the UWW Junior Nationals in 2019 and competed in the 2019 UWW Junior Worlds.
• Omania won his title bout by forfeit over Benjamin Peak of Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club. Omania collected his second-straight U23 National crown, and won a bronze medal at the 2019 Junior Worlds in Greco-Roman.
• Other Spartans earning All-American honors in the U23 division were Matt Santos finishing seventh at 60 kg and Jackson Renicker placing fourth at 63 kg. In the UWW Junior division, Andrew Chambal was fourth at 55 kg and Jordan Hamdan was fifth at 60 kg.
• In freestyle in the U23 division, Caffey was third at 86 kg, while Rayvon Foley was fifth at 57 kg. In the UWW Junior division, Layne Malczewski was fourth at 86 kg.
• Caffey and Omania qualified for the 2021 Senior World Team Trials.
Greco-Roman
U23:
60kg - Matt Santos - 7th
63kg - Jackson Renicker - 4th
67kg - Peyton Omania - Champion
87kg - Cameron Caffey - Champion
UWW Junior:
55kg - Andrew Chambal - 4th
60kg - Jordan Hamdan - 5th
Freestyle
U23:
57kg - Rayvon Foley - 5th
86kg - Cameron Caffey - 3rd
UWW Junior:
86kg - Layne Malczewski - 4th
Players Mentioned
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