Dec. 28, 2011

Weekly Notes

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue wrestling team returns from the holiday break to compete in the 49th-annual Midlands Championships, hosted by Northwestern University at Welsh-Ryan Arena this Thursday and Friday. This will be the first team-scored tournament for the Boilermakers this season, who head to Evanson at 6-4 (1-0 Big Ten) in dual competition, including a five-match win streak.

Purdue has participated in the last six Midlands Championships, but did not go as a team in 2010, sending just five wrestlers. The Old Gold and Black had a full team in attendance from 2005 to 2009, with a high placing of seventh in 2008 as the Boilermakers scored 82.5 points on the strength of four placewinners. This year the Boilermakers take 10 wrestlers to the prestigious event, looking to compete against some of the nation's best.

"We haven't had our full lineup yet this season, and we'll still have some guys out this week," said Purdue head coach Scott Hinkel. "That being said, we still aim to be very competitive and all our guys go into the weekend with the goal of standing on top of that podium Friday night."

Thursday marks the return of sophomore 125-pounder Camden Eppert, who's missed the last month due to illness and is anxious to get back out on the mat. His record dropped to 5-6 at the Northeast Duals back in November, but he looks to right the ship and get back on track for a second straight trip to the NCAA Championships.

"We're excited to have Camden back in the lineup," said Hinkel. "He went through a rough time being sick for the last month and not being able to wrestle, but I know he'll both have a solid tournament and get things going for the rest of the season."

Senior Matt Fields, who is 14-5 this season, including five falls, four major decisions and Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors for Nov. 29, will see tournament action at 133 pounds in the absence of sixth-ranked Cashé Quiroga. Fields was extremely impressive in Quiroga's absence in November, posting a 5-2 mark in duals and helping the Boilermakers to wins over American and Northern Illinois. The Boilermakers will also field a pair of entries at 141 pounds in freshmen Brandon Nelsen and Nick Lawrence. Nelsen has won 12 of his last 13 and pinned five of his last seven opponents en route to a 14-4 record, while Lawrence is 5-6 splitting time between 141 and 149 pounds.

The Boilermaker starters at 157 and 174 pounds look to gain some national attention this week as junior Tommy Churchard and freshman Drake Stein are set for their first-ever Midlands Championships. Churchard is 6-7 at 157 pounds, coming off a 2-0 weekend at the SIUE Cougar Duals, while Stein has been a bonus-point machine for the Boilermakers in his rookie campaign, posting a 9-4 record with five pins, a technical fall and a major decision.

Sophomore Braden Atwood and senior Roger Vukobratovich have already garnered some notice at 184 and 285 pounds, respectively, but look to break into the national limelight this week. Both wrestlers are 10-4 on the year as Atwood has four falls and two major decisions, while Vukobratovich has surrendered just four takedowns on the year.

"Midlands is always a great opportunity for our guys," said Hinkel. "With the amount of national attention that the entire tournament gets it's a chance for them to get noticed on the national scene. I think some of our guys will come out of this one with some of the spotlight."

The 2011 edition of the Midlands Championship is as challenging as ever, featuring at least 10 nationally ranked teams and as many as 78 ranked individuals from the latest polls. Top-ranked Iowa highlights the field with their always-imposing lineup, while fellow Big Ten rival Illinois, Oklahoma and Lehigh are other standouts in the tournament. Other solid teams include Maryland, Virginia Tech, Rutgers, Northwestern, Central Michigan and Edinboro. The full extent of the tournament's toughness will be revealed later this week with the pre-seed release scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 28.

Tournament updates will be available throughout Thursday and Friday at the @PurdueWrestling Twitter Page, as well as internet radio coverage from Takedown Wrestling Media and the final will air on tape delay on the Big Ten Network. For more information on the event, including schedules, ticket sales and past results visit the Midlands Championship website.

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