INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 9-ranked University of Indianapolis wrestling team was dominant through in through as they took a pair of dual victories on Friday night. The Hounds first conquered the Wabash Little Giants by a score of 34-16 with their reserve squad combining for seven extra-point victories. The normal Greyhound lineup kept the pedal to the medal just thirty minutes after that, dropping GLVC-foe Drury 38-6 to stay unbeaten in GLVC action.
 
LOCK CELEBRATION
Before the second dual of the evening, the Greyhounds took a moment to honor Tabor Lock, a member of the UIndy wrestling program that sadly lost his life before the season. Aidan Petersen and Jackson Hoover presented Lock's family with a framed singlet as a way to honor Tabor.
 
WABASH DUAL
The Greyhounds started against Wabash in a hole, giving up forfeits at 125 and 133. Brayden Lowery started the dig from the 12-0 deficit, claiming a late first-period fall to make it 12-6 Little Giants. That fall signaled the beginning of the end as the Hounds snagged back-to-back extra point wins with Gavin Garcia's tech fall and an energy filled Luke Robards major. For Robards it was a little more than a normal match, with the fiery 157-pounder scoring revenge on Wabash's Ethan Cooper who bested him in the third-place match at the Wabash College Invite.
 

ROBARDS WRESTLES TO THE LAST SECOND ??

157 | Luke Robards wins by major decision (19-5) over Ethan Cooper of Wabash

Hounds: 15
Little Giants: 12#HoundsWrestling pic.twitter.com/gBSMV2ndaM

— UIndy Wrestling (@UIndyWrestling) January 26, 2024

 
Wabash slowed the Hounds building momentum down to 165 making it 16-15 in the visitors favor. That was the last lead the Little Giants held as the Hounds rolled through at 174, 184 and 197. Cade Campell, continuing to shake off the rust after taking a four-year break from wrestling to be on the UIndy football team, ended the dual with an 11-3 major that had all the thrills and excitement you could ask for at the end of a dual.
 
#9 UINDY 34, WABASH 16
125: Andrew Punzalan (WAB) over (UINDY) (For.)
133: Alejandro Velasco Velasco (WAB) over (UINDY) (For.)
141: Brayden Lowery (UINDY) over Blake McGee (WAB) (Fall 2:32)
149: Gavin Garcia (UINDY) over Ayden Lutes (WAB) (TF 19-3 5:37)
157: Luke Robards (UINDY) over Ethan Cooper (WAB) (MD 18-5)
165: Mawuli Nevis (WAB) over Kaden Lone (UINDY) (MD 12-1)
174: Logan Farnell (UINDY) over Elorm Nevis (WAB) (TF 19-3 4:36)
184: Owen Butler (UINDY) over Sammy Saunders (WAB) (Fall 3:41)
197: Phoenix Rodgers (UINDY) over Hadyn Ball (WAB) (MD 11-2)
285: Cade Campbell (UINDY) over Titus Waters (WAB) (MD 11-3)
 
DRURY DUAL
The Panthers wasted no time jumping on the Hounds, taking the match at 125 via a 6-3 decision. A forfeit, however, at 133 by the visitors put the Hounds up 6-3, a lead that never left the home bench. No. 6-ranked Blake Mulkey made his return to the mat after battling injury and he didn't lose a step forcing an early near-fall and eventually snagging the full fall late in the first period.
 
In one of the tightest matches of the dual season for the Greyhounds, the Panthers just barely clawed one past No. 7 Jackson Hoover at 149. That was the last of the victories for the Panthers as from 157 all the way to 285, the Hounds simply dominated. Dawson Combest at 157 continued his return tour with a masterclass 7-1 victory, with the elder Combest controlling the pace the entire match.
 
Jay Thompson, continuing with the theme of exciting heavyweight matches, was spectacular. Dealing with a slippery opponent, Thompson stayed poised and hammered the final nail for the dual.
 

Dub 2?? - ?

Hounds - 38
Panthers - 6#HoundsWrestling pic.twitter.com/5SpvrMIpyr

— UIndy Wrestling (@UIndyWrestling) January 27, 2024

#9 UINDY 38, DRURY 6
125: Caden Howard (DU) over Nathan Smith (UINDY) (Dec 6-3)
133: Noah Cantu (UINDY) over (DU) (For.)
141: #6 Blake Mulkey (UINDY) over Paul Pollard (DU) (Fall 2:26)
149: Dillon Nichols (DU) over #7 Jackson Hoover (UINDY) (Dec 11-9)
157: Owen Zablocki (UINDY) over Trevor Christian (DU) (Dec 10-4)
165: Dawson Combest (UINDY) over Eric Holt (DU) (Dec 7-1)
174: #5 Trey Sizemore (UINDY) over Ethan Smith (DU) (Fall 2:06)
184: Aidan Petersen (UINDY) over Jeremiah Halter (DU) (MD 10-0)
197: #2 Derek Blubaugh (UINDY) over (DU) (For.)
285: Jay Thompson (UINDY) over Jaxon Glenn (DU) (MD 13-2)
 
HOUND BYTES
Petersen on being able to honor Lock before the match…
"Tabor meant a lot to me, it's really rare to have such a good person come into your life and make such a big movement in your heart. It was really special for me to honor him today."
 
Head Coach Jason Warthan on the dual with Wabash…
"A couple match that we lost on this past weekend at the Wabash Open, we were able to avenge, so that was really good. Those guys have a certain style and they're really good on top and so it was nice to see us getting escapes, getting away on bottom, winning the top bottom battle. I have a lot of respect for that program. Jake, the Wabash Head Coach, is a friend and he's done a great job over there."
 
Warthan on the Drury dual…
"That's a conference opponent, I felt like it was a nice rowdy crowd, there were some really good moments, we fought hard. I'm a proud coach tonight."
 
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds are back at it with multiple duals as they host the Greyhound Open on Feb. 3. The Hounds will square off with Grand Valley State, Kentucky Wesleyan and Glenville State on that Saturday with the first dual set to start at 2 p.m. in the ARC.