Michigan bounces back with a win against Indiana

Coming off a tough loss on Friday against No. 2 Iowa, graduate 125-pounder Jack Medley, No. 1 fifth year heavyweight Mason Parris and redshirt senior 157-pounder Will Lewan led a chain of success for a necessary win leading into the postseason. 

And their performances led No. 9 Michigan (10-4 overall, 5-3 Big Ten) to a win at home against No. 22 Indiana (7-5, 3-5), in an impressive finish to their Big Ten schedule, 23-18. 

The Wolverines produced a slow start with redshirt senior 174-pounder Max Maylor getting pinned early in the first period. Following Maylor was a bout of a win from both No. 8 graduate 184-pounder Matt Finesilver and redshirt sophomore 197-pounder Brendin Yatooma taking a late loss in the third period 2-5. 

Going into the fourth bout, the energy was not just wanted, but needed for Michigan to end with a win. Wrestling in this clutch position was Parris. He had a quick start to the match, scoring a takedown within the first 30 seconds of the first period. He extended his undefeated season to a record of 23-0 with a major decision win of 17-4. While wrestling is an individual sport, Parris understands how valuable the team environment is. 

“I love all the guys on my team, they’re all my brothers,” Parris said. “I want them to win just as much as I want myself to win.”

With Parris’ win fresh on the team’s mind, Medley planned his comeback from his bout against the Hawkeyes last Friday. He took a hard loss, falling 11-2, but came back to Ann Arbor and won 23-11. After the first period, Medley led 2-0, but in the second period went on an offensive streak creating a sizable gap of 9-4. His bout put Michigan in the front for the first time all day, leading 11-9 going into the sixth bout.

“It was great to see Jack Medley really let his offense shine tonight,” Michigan coach Sean Bormet said. “He scored multiple times with leg attacks and front headlock attacks. I think it was a great boost for him and definitely a great boost for the team going into intermission.”

The momentum from Medley’s bout did indeed create a boost for the Wolverines with two back-to-back wins following him. Redshirt sophomore 133-pounder Dylan Ragsuin took an early first period fall, but still won the bout with a pin. Redshirt junior 141-pounder Pat Nolan earned the second win in the last minute of the third period. The arena and the entire Michigan sideline rallied behind him in the last 30 seconds of his bout to pull a 4-3 win. 

The push to cement the win for the Wolverines came from Lewan. Going scoreless through the first period, he was in a 1-1 tie leading into the matchup for sudden victory. Staying at 1-1, the bout went into a tiebreaker that involved a challenge from both teams and two reviews on takedown calls. After the eventful callings, Lewan won the bout in a reversal within the last five seconds, creating a chain reaction of cheers from both the bench and Cliff Keen Arena. 

Winning this dual puts Michigan into better standing heading into the highly competitive Big Ten tournament. The majority of the teams in the Big Ten are currently ranked in the top 25, and the Wolverines have struggled this year against top competitors such as Penn State and Iowa. With the postseason getting closer, graduate student Medley is choosing to embrace his final moments on the team rather than focusing on the pressure ahead. 

“It’s a mindset of soaking in every moment I have left wrestling in a Michigan singlet,” Medley said. “I love this university and I love representing Michigan. I’m looking forward to having some really good preparation for these last few weeks.”