Indiana University Athletics
Thursday, March 21
Kansas City, Mo.
12 PM & 7 PM
Indiana University
vs
NCAA Championships
Indiana Wrestling Sends Six to NCAA Championships
3/20/2024 4:00:00 PM | Wrestling
KANSAS CITY, Mo. –––– Indiana Wrestling will compete in the 2024 NCAA Championships from Thursday, March 21 to Saturday, March 23 at the T-Mobile Center.
The Hoosiers will send six qualifiers to compete at the championships: Cayden Rooks (133), Dan Fongaro (141), Graham Rooks (149), Brayton Lee (157), Tyler Lillard (165) and Nick Willham (285).
B1G REWIND:
-Over the weekend of March 9-10, Indiana competed in the Big Ten Championships hosted by Maryland in the XFINITY Center.
-The Hoosiers had a strong showing at the conference meet, qualifying six wrestlers and landing four on the podium.
-The six qualifiers is the most in a season for the program since 2010. Additionally, the four finishing on the podium was the most at a Big Ten meet for Indiana since 2014.
-The six qualifiers include Cayden Rooks (133), Dan Fongaro (141), Graham Rooks (149), Brayton Lee (157), Tyler Lillard (165) and Nick Willham (285).
-Of the qualifiers, Cayden, Graham and Nick all took seventh place while Lee finished in fifth.
NEXT UP --- NATIONALS:
-The biggest test of the season awaits for Indiana's six national qualifiers: the NCAA Championships.
-The 2024 NCAA Championships are taking place at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.
-This is the first NCAA Championships appearance for Lillard, Fongaro and Willham.
-Lillard qualified in his first season eligible, as a redshirt freshman. Fongaro and Willham each have qualified in their last season of eligibility. Willham last year was the first alternate at 197 lbs.
-This will be Cayden Rooks' second NCAA Championships appearance and his first since 2021.
-In Lee's first and only season as a Hoosier, he has earned his third career NCAA qualification and first since 2021, when he reached All-American status, claiming sixth place.
-For Graham Rooks, this is the sixth-year senior's fourth career NCAA qualification. He is the eighth Indiana wrestler in program history to earn four NCAA bids.
SEEDING SITUATION:
-Last week, Indiana's six qualifiers found out their paths in their respective weight class' brackets.
-Cayden Rooks (133) and Nick Willham (133) each earned the No. 32 seed, putting them in the pigtail match to start the day. Rooks will go up against No. 33 Dyson Dunham (VMI) and Willham will face No. 33 Jordan Greer (Ohio).
-Graham Rooks (149) and Tyler Lillard (165) each were seeded at No. 17. Rooks will match up against No. 16 Kelvin Griffin (Lehigh) and Lillard will go against No. 16 Will Miller (App State).
-Dan Fongaro earned the No. 23 seed, pitting him against No. 10 Tagen Jamison (Oklahoma State). Brayton Lee got Indiana's best seed at No. 11, he will open the tournament against George Mason's DJ McGee.
CHASING GLORY:
-For five of Indiana's six qualifiers, this is their last chance to put themselves in the history books of the NCAA Championships as all of them except Lillard are on their final season of eligibility.
-Indiana is seeking to put its first wrestler on the podium since 2017 when Nate Jackson took eighth at 184 lbs.
-Lee was a two-time All-American while at Minnesota (2020, 2021) and Graham Rooks fell just short of the podium, falling in the Blood Round in last year's NCAAs.
-The Hoosiers are seeking their first NCAA Champion since Angel Escobedo won the 2008 NCAA title at 125 lbs.
The Hoosiers will send six qualifiers to compete at the championships: Cayden Rooks (133), Dan Fongaro (141), Graham Rooks (149), Brayton Lee (157), Tyler Lillard (165) and Nick Willham (285).
B1G REWIND:
-Over the weekend of March 9-10, Indiana competed in the Big Ten Championships hosted by Maryland in the XFINITY Center.
-The Hoosiers had a strong showing at the conference meet, qualifying six wrestlers and landing four on the podium.
-The six qualifiers is the most in a season for the program since 2010. Additionally, the four finishing on the podium was the most at a Big Ten meet for Indiana since 2014.
-The six qualifiers include Cayden Rooks (133), Dan Fongaro (141), Graham Rooks (149), Brayton Lee (157), Tyler Lillard (165) and Nick Willham (285).
-Of the qualifiers, Cayden, Graham and Nick all took seventh place while Lee finished in fifth.
NEXT UP --- NATIONALS:
-The biggest test of the season awaits for Indiana's six national qualifiers: the NCAA Championships.
-The 2024 NCAA Championships are taking place at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.
-This is the first NCAA Championships appearance for Lillard, Fongaro and Willham.
-Lillard qualified in his first season eligible, as a redshirt freshman. Fongaro and Willham each have qualified in their last season of eligibility. Willham last year was the first alternate at 197 lbs.
-This will be Cayden Rooks' second NCAA Championships appearance and his first since 2021.
-In Lee's first and only season as a Hoosier, he has earned his third career NCAA qualification and first since 2021, when he reached All-American status, claiming sixth place.
-For Graham Rooks, this is the sixth-year senior's fourth career NCAA qualification. He is the eighth Indiana wrestler in program history to earn four NCAA bids.
SEEDING SITUATION:
-Last week, Indiana's six qualifiers found out their paths in their respective weight class' brackets.
-Cayden Rooks (133) and Nick Willham (133) each earned the No. 32 seed, putting them in the pigtail match to start the day. Rooks will go up against No. 33 Dyson Dunham (VMI) and Willham will face No. 33 Jordan Greer (Ohio).
-Graham Rooks (149) and Tyler Lillard (165) each were seeded at No. 17. Rooks will match up against No. 16 Kelvin Griffin (Lehigh) and Lillard will go against No. 16 Will Miller (App State).
-Dan Fongaro earned the No. 23 seed, pitting him against No. 10 Tagen Jamison (Oklahoma State). Brayton Lee got Indiana's best seed at No. 11, he will open the tournament against George Mason's DJ McGee.
CHASING GLORY:
-For five of Indiana's six qualifiers, this is their last chance to put themselves in the history books of the NCAA Championships as all of them except Lillard are on their final season of eligibility.
-Indiana is seeking to put its first wrestler on the podium since 2017 when Nate Jackson took eighth at 184 lbs.
-Lee was a two-time All-American while at Minnesota (2020, 2021) and Graham Rooks fell just short of the podium, falling in the Blood Round in last year's NCAAs.
-The Hoosiers are seeking their first NCAA Champion since Angel Escobedo won the 2008 NCAA title at 125 lbs.
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