Redshirt freshman Akif Eren looks to take over the 125-pound duties this year, with several first-years to push him. Throwing their names into the mix will be Matt Fields, George Petrov and Bill Putman. Fields was the 2007 Indiana State Champion, while Putman was an Illinois state qualifier and Petrov was named his team MVP as a senior.
133 pounds
Senior captain Sean Schmaltz headlines the 133-pound class after a 14-18 campaign in 2006-07. Schmaltz saw several successes last year including a fourth-place showing at the Reno Tournament of Champions and his first collegiate Big Ten win. Redshirt freshman Matt Hemry will push Schmaltz all year and look to gain some experience of his own.
141 pounds
With the 141-pound class vacated by graduating senior Jason Cook and sophomore Nick Bertucci, sophomore Matt Redmond and freshman Kevin Lipp will enter a heated battle for the starting job. Redmond posted a stellar season at 149 pounds last year, including a sixth-place finish at the Midlands Championships, while Lipp was a two-time Ohio state high school champion with over 150 wins to his credit.
149 pounds
The 149-pound class is loaded with talent as junior captains Jake Patacsil and Mark Powell vie for the starting job. Patacsil has earned a preseason No. 9 ranking after a breakout sophomore campaign, placing in three tournaments, winning the Reno Tournament of Champions, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament and shattering the Purdue single-season record with an astounding 190 back points. Powell was no slouch, racking up a 17-5 record before concluding his season with injuries. Redshirt freshman Jordan Nettuno adds even more depth as he plans to push the pair.
157 pounds
The Boilermakers' deepest weight class, the 157-pound group includes a pair of NCAA qualifiers, three former starters and the 2006 Midwest Open champion. Junior Jake Murphy hopes to defend his starting job and preseason No. 18 ranking as he posted a 3-4 Big Ten Dual record, placed seventh at the Big Ten Tournament last year and earned his first trip to the NCAA Tournament. Standing in his way is former starter and national qualifier Colton Salazar, who returns to the Boilers after a two-year hiatus on his mission, and sophomore Nick Bertucci, who jumps up to 157 pounds after starting for most of last season at 141 pounds. Bolstering the ranks are junior Nick Spohn, who took home the Midwest Open crown last year, sophomore Sam Patacsil and redshirt freshman Kevin Clem.
165 pounds
Sophomore Justin Fraga brings a lot of promise to the Boilers' 165-pound class after finishing among the team leaders in most categories last year and entering this season ranked 17th in the country. He won 27 matches, including five in conference play, en route to a fourth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships and a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Fraga led the Boilers with 82 takedowns in his rookie campaign and notched the sixth-highest single-season reversal total in school history. Challenging him for mat time will be redshirt freshman Luke Manuel, who was the 2006 California State runner-up and a high school-All-American.
174 pounds
Junior Nick Corpe looks to bounce back from an injury in 2006-07 to climb the 174-pound rankings this winter. In just 19 matches last season, he posted a 13-6 record with 38 takedowns. Corpe placed third in the season-opening Eastern Michigan Open last year, and notched a perfect 3-0 mark at the inaugural ACC/Big Ten Clash. With a healthy 2007-08 campaign ahead, Corpe has his sights set on a high level of performance at the Big Ten and NCAA Championships.
184 pounds Sophomore David Pisarcik holds the Boilermakers' 184-pound hopes after a solid freshman campaign at 197 and 285 pounds. He posted a 50-1 record as a senior at Mars High School, with his only loss coming in the Pennsylvania state championship match, and then filled in as the Purdue heavyweight for the second half of last year.
197 pounds
Redshirt freshman Logan Brown is ready to unleash himself on the collegiate wrestling scene this winter after sitting out his first year at Purdue. Brown was the 2006 Ohio state high school champion and received National Top-12 honors after his final year at Covington High School. He now looks to continue that success representing the Old Gold and Black.
285 pounds
Sophomore Chris Kasten enters the 2007-08 season with a preseason No. 18 ranking after a 16-6 campaign last year. Kasten placed fifth at the Eastern Michigan Open, and was one match shy of reaching the podium at the Midlands Championships. Pushing him on a daily basis will be redshirt freshman Roger Vukabratovich, who has made great strides in his inaugural year in the Purdue program.
Schedule
The Boilermakers hope to return to the Top-25 ranks in the 2007-08 year, but will have a daunting schedule in their path. The year opens with yet another trip to the Eastern Michigan open, followed with a return to the second-annual ACC/Big Ten Clash. After a one-year hiatus, Purdue returns to the Las Vegas desert for the annual Cliff Keen Invitational to face some of the nation's top competition. The Boilermakers also return to the Wendy's Duals at Ashland University in Ohio, while dual matches against Mount St. Josephs, Rider University, Drexel University and the Air Force Academy round out their non-conference schedule.
The Big Ten schedule is as tough as ever, with nine of the top-15 preseason ranked programs in the nation in the conference. Defending NCAA Champions Minnesota headline the list of Purdue opponents with a No. 1 ranking, followed by third-ranked Michigan, No. 4 Ohio State, No. 7 Northwestern, 12th-ranked Penn State, No. 13 Indiana and No. 14 Illinois. The Boilermakers have the pleasure of hosting the Buckeyes, Hoosiers, Gophers and Wildcats within the conference slate, but will have to travel to Ann Arbor, East Lansing, State College and Champaign.
The Big Ten will gather for its annual tournament March 8-9, in Minneapolis, with the season culminating at the NCAA Championships two weeks later in St. Louis, Mo.
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