As part of our coverage in these unprecedented times, UIndyAthletics.com will highlight each of our winter sports by posting detailed season recaps of the 2019-20 men's and women's basketball, men's & women's swimming, indoor track & field and wrestling programs. Today we look back at the season of UIndy Wrestling.

SEASON FLASHBACK
UIndy wrestling headed into the 2020 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships with five National Qualifiers after a fourth place finish at the NCAA Super Regional.

The Greyhound qualifiers featured a pair of seniors in their third trip to the NCAA meet, a pair of redshirt freshman making their first trip and a sophomore Hound who also qualified for the first time.  Ana Abduljelil had qualified as a true freshman at 125 in 2017, and again as a junior at 133 last year before dropping back to 125 and entering the tournament as the four-seed this season. Redshirt senior Brody Conner was the first-ever Greyhound to qualify at 184, doing so in each of the last three seasons. Gleason Mappes qualified for the NCAA meet as a sophomore at 174, after missing a trip as a true freshman by a match a season ago. Both Dawson Combest (157) and Jack Eiteljorge (165) earned their first trips to the NCAA meet in their first years competing as Greyhounds.

With all of the 180 national qualifiers in Sioux Falls, S.D., just 12 hours away from weigh ins, the NCAA made the decision to join with organizations all around the world in canceling all events due to the health concerns around COVID-19, including the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Championships.

"It's tragic it's hard to put words to it," Head Coach Jason Warthan said. "It helps in some ways that other people are going through it as well, it doesn't just impact wrestling. It's such devastating news, but I have to trust in the decision makers that this is the best decision for everybody. Wrestling is about overcoming and making the best of a situation."

SIGNATURE MOMENT
Warthan discussed the Greyhounds' trip to Colorado for the Tracy Borah Duals, as well as their showing at the NCAA Regional in Nicoson Hall as defining moments on the season.  Abduljelil made his debut back down at 125 on the Colorado trip, picking up a win over then-#3 Patrick Allis of Western Colorado in his first match.

"I really felt like at that point we had some momentum and we were going to have guys that can do damage at the national level," Warthan said of the trip.

Key wins would follow at various spots in the Greyhound lineup, including Combest topping then-#9 Nate Smalling of McKendree at the GLVC Duals, solidifying his GLVC Freshman of the Year honors. Mappes picked up some redemption in the form of a dominate semifinal win over then-# 10 Hayden Bronne of Tiffin at Regionals, while Conner fought back after a semifinal loss to earn his spot at Nationals with a huge pin in 1:36 of Zane Lanham of West Liberty. Abduljelil's final match of the season would be another big one, with the senior winning the first title of his career by taking a 3-2 win over #10 Cole Laya in the Regional Championship match.

SENIOR LEGACY
Three Greyhounds, Abduljelil, Conner and Kyle Barkovich, wrestled their final matches in UIndy singlets this season.

"They are all such great teammates and are so different in how they approach everything," Warthan said of the three graduating Greyhound seniors. "They have all helped us so much and made their marks on our culture. These guys are three great individuals and are going to have stories being told about them in our room for years."

Conner was a three-time Second Team All-GLVC honoree, and the programs second Academic All-America honoree in history last season. Abduljelil was a First Team All-GLVC selection a season ago, and a 2020 Regional Champion, while Barkovich earned Honorable Mention All-GLVC honors this year.

LEAVING THEIR MARK
The 2019-20 Greyhound wrestling squad left their mark on the program, with Conner's 92 career wins good for 19^th all-time by a UIndy wrestler. Freshman Chase Wilkerson burst on the scene for UIndy at the beginning of the calendar year, coming out of redshirt to emerge as the Greyhound starter at 133 and amass 14 pins- good for the most ever in a season by a UIndy freshman, and a tie for 7^th-most in a season ever by a Greyhound.

The 23 wins put up by both Combest and Wilkerson are just outside the top 10 for most by a Greyhound freshman, with Eiteljorge's 21 not far behind.

LOOKING AHEAD
Warthan is excited for the future, with the majority of the young Greyhound lineup returning for next season.

"I think we have a lot of momentum going into the coming years," the 10-year Greyhound head man said. "We are losing three very strong and different leaders, but they have all made their mark in some way in having a positive impact on our team and culture. We are in a very good spot going forward both from a leadership aspect and competitively. I think we need to piggyback off of this season and how it went and try to duplicate it and the momentum we had."

The Greyhound starters return at 133, 141, 157, 165, 174, and 197 next year, with a class of 15 hungry freshmen and two impact-making transfers coming into the mix off of redshirt as well next season. UIndy will also bring in a talent-packed freshman class in the fall that features two state champions and another three state finalists.

"I think we are trending upward," Warthan said. "We are going to be so deep in weight classes next year. The challenge is going to be to keep everyone hungry and pushing to be the best they can be."