Michigan overcomes early deficit to defeat Indiana, 22-13

The No. 18 Michigan wrestling team faced an early 10-0 deficit in its dual against No. 24 Indiana on Sunday after dropping the first two bouts by technical falls. 

But the Wolverines (5-3 overall, 2-3 Big Ten) found their rhythm and clawed their way back against the Hoosiers (6-3, 2-3), responding with dominant wins in the upper and middle weights, securing a dual victory, 22-13.

At 125 pounds, redshirt junior Wilfried Tanefeu struggled to stop Indiana’s No. 18 Jacob Moran who quickly built a lead, capitalizing on three-point takedowns before finishing the bout with a technical fall in the third period, 17-2. The Hoosiers carried that momentum into the 133-pound bout, where Indiana’s No. 27 Angelo Rini defeated freshman Teddy Flores, 18-3, resulting in another technical fall, extending Michigan’s deficit to 10-0.

However, at 141 pounds, No. 8 sophomore Sergio Lemley flipped the script and put the Wolverines on the board with a strong performance against the Hoosiers’ No. 25 Henry Porter. Following a scoreless first minute, Lemley secured a three-point takedown and took control of the bout. After earning an escape point, he lifted Porter to keep him in bounds and followed up with another takedown, cementing a 7-0 lead at the end of the second period. And with two more takedowns and a stall point in the third period, Lemley asserted his dominance, ultimately winning by major decision, 14-2. 

“It’s good to get the ball rolling, for sure,” Lemley said. “But I can’t really control what the team does. I can just control how hard I go and control my attitude.”

In the 149-pound bout, freshman Cameron Catrabone started strong with a three-point takedown and quickly followed suit with a four-point nearfall to end the first period, 7-1. Although the rest of the bout was quiet, Catrabone controlled the match and finished with an 8-1 decision.

No. 15 graduate Chase Saldate kept the momentum rolling in the 157-pound division. He took charge early and fended off a late comeback attempt from the Hoosiers to secure the 10-5 decision, tying the dual at 10-10.

Following Saldate, 165 pound No. 10 redshirt freshman Beau Mantanona delivered a powerful performance despite a slow start, and secured an 8-5 decision to give the Wolverines their first lead of the dual at 13-10, which No. 29 redshirt senior Joseph Walker quickly followed with an important three-point takedown, leading to a 7-2 decision to make the score 16-10. These performances reflected the Wolverines’ overall improvement.

“We wrestled hard through all positions,” Michigan coach Sean Bormet said. “We’re working on being more consistent, winning ties, and finishing faster, but consistency remains our focus as we move forward.”

Michigan’s upper weights were key to the team’s victory, with No. 2 graduate Jacob Cardenas and No. 9 graduate Josh Heindselman delivering crucial wins. Cardenas kept his undefeated season intact and Heindselman earned a 2-1 decision, securing the dual victory for the Wolverines.

“I think it’s all kind of one match,” Heindselman said. “You’re gonna have tough matches. You gotta take it one match at a time.”

Overcoming a difficult start to the dual, Michigan’s resilience shone through. With key performances from many wrestlers, including Lemley and Catrabone, the Wolverines earned another conference victory, and demonstrated their ability to perform under pressure.

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