58 // VARSITY February 27, 2014
INSIDE
WRESTLING
Badgers ready to host
Big Ten Championships
Conference event at Kohl Center March 8-9
BY ANNA POULTER-HENDRICKSON @BADGERWRESTLING
M
arch. It is the month
that college wrestlers
have been focusing
on all season. March for the
Badgers has an added air of
excitement to it as they will
prepare to host the 100th edi-
tion of the Big Ten Wrestling
Championships.
The event will feature many
of the nation's top wrestlers
and top teams all at the Kohl
Center. Fans will get a taste
of what the NCAA champion-
ships (March 20-22) will be
like.
Those in attendance will get
the opportunity to witness the
nation's top three teams in ac-
tion. Minnesota, Penn State
and Iowa top the polls, with
No. 7 Michigan, No. 8 Nebras-
ka, No. 11 Ohio State, No. 15
Wisconsin, No. 21 Northwest-
ern and No. 22 Illinois rounding out the
top 25.
"If people can't make it to NCAAs, they
should make it to the Big Tens," UW head
coach Barry Davis said. "It's going to be
like a mini NCAA tournament."
Last year's top three Big Ten finishers
at 133 lbs., Logan Stieber (OSU), Tony Ra-
mos (IOWA) and UW's Tyler Graff, ended
the NCAA championships in the same or-
der: Stieber (first), Ramos (second) and
Graff (third).
Sunday's finals have the potential to
be a preview of the NCAA title match. A
must-see event.
JORDAN SWEEPS WEEKLY HONORS
● Freshman Isaac Jordan gave fans a
glimpse of the potential of the Big Ten
Championships last weekend when
he upset the nation's No. 1 and No. 2
ranked wrestlers over the course of
three days.
On Friday, Jordan defeated Nebras-
ka's James Green, 3-1, in the second
sudden victory period. Then, on Sun-
day, he topped Iowa's Derek St. John
3-1 in regulation.
Jordan was named USA Wrestling's
Athlete of the Week and picked up
his first Big Ten Wrestler of the Week
honor for his accomplishment. Jor-
dan's upsets also played out in the
rankings, as he jumped from No. 7 to
No. 2, while Green fell to No. 3 and St.
John 4.
SCHEDULE (12-6, 5-3)
COMING UP
March 8-9 Big Ten Championships
Kohl Center All-Day
March 20-22 NCAA Championships
Oklahoma City, Okla.
