Indiana wins back-to-back games at home

By Leo Paes lpaes@iu.edu

Indiana women’s tennis beat Western Michigan University 4-0 on Feb. 25 and Belmont University 5-2 on Sunday. The Hoosiers improved to 8-3 overall.

On Feb. 25, Hoosiers’ No.

1 doubles sophomore Lara Schneider and graduate student Saby Nihalani shut down Western Michigan 6-0 and No. 3 doubles redshirt juniors Alexandra Staiculescu and Xiaowei “Rose” Hu won 6-3 to give the Hoosiers the doubles point.

Hoosiers No. 2 doubles redshirt junior Mila Mejic and freshman Nicole Teodosescu were up 5-4 but had their match interrupted.

Keeping the momentum, No. 3 singles Staiculescu won 6-1 and 6-1 and No. 5 Teodosescu won 6-3 and 6-2.

Mejic won 6-1 and 7-6 (71) at No. 4 to give Indiana the overall win.

No. 1 Schneider, No. 2 Nihalani and No. 6 graduate student Lauren Lem- onds were all ahead in their matches but were stopped short after Indiana achieved the overall victory. “We played really disciplined tennis. The energy was good. I was pleased with a lot of the performances and we took care of business when we needed to,” head coach Ramiro Azcui said after the match.

On Sunday against Bel- mont, Indiana started behind as No. 2 doubles Mejic and Teodosescu lost 6-1.

At No. 1, Schneider and Nihalani won 6-1 to bring the Hoosiers back, but No. 3 Staiculescu and Hu lost 6-4. “No. 1 doubles got a great win,” Azcui said. “That team was ranked, so for them to be able to do that, I think that’s a great job for them coming in so strong.”

Wrestling

Behind 1-0 overall, Indiana showed up in the singles matches to bring the win home. No. 5 Teodosescu won 6-0 and 6-0, and both No. 4 Mejic and No. 2 Nihalani won their matches 6-4 and 6-1.

Then, Lemonds won 7-5 and 6-2 at No. 6 to give the Hoosiers the win. Schneider won 6-1 and 7-6 (7-2) at No. 1 and No. 3 Staiculescu lost 6-2, 5-7 and 1-0 (10-8) in a super tiebreaker since Indiana had already taken the win.

“We just need to get better, but I like the way we came back in the singles and really played well,” Azcui said.

Ahead of three straight Big Ten confrontations, Azcui said, “This is when you want to start peaking.” Indiana is on a threegame win streak and plays Northwestern at home on March 5.

With both wins this weekend, the Hoosiers improved to 5-1 at home.

Volunteer assistant coach recognized by IHSWCA

By Aidan Pollitt adpollit@iu.edu

Bloomington was the site of a celebration of outstanding achievement in wrestling on Feb. 19, as the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association welcomed the newest members of its hall of fame. Among those honored were CJ Red, a volunteer assistant coach with Indiana Wrestling, and his father, Chad Red Sr.

The news of CJ Red's induction into the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame was especially heartening after the recent health scare he faced. In November 2022, CJ was found to have two brain aneurysms, as revealed by a tweet from head wrestling coach Angel Escobedo. Following the dis- covery, CJ underwent brain surgery and had a speedy recovery. other end of the floor, Iowa continued to splash triples, making six in the second half.

The wrestling community rallied around CJ and his family during this challenging time, sending prayers and support from across the state. The outpouring of love and encouragement to the Red family was a testament to the lives they touched in and around the sport of wrestling.

Red was recognized for his remarkable record in high school, where he compiled a perfect 183-0 record and won four state championships for New Palestine. After high school, he went on to compete for the University of Nebraska, where he had an outstanding career as a three-time All-American and five-time NCAA qualifier from 2016 to 2022.

The elder Red, Chad Red Sr., was also inducted into the hall of fame for his remarkable coaching career, which included stints at New Palestine and Lawrence Central. He led New Palestine wrestling and coached his son CJ during his high school career, which was highlighted by his perfect record and four state championships.

Since high school coaching, Red Sr. started the Red Cobra Wrestling Academy in Avon, Indiana, where his youth wrestlers achieved championship success. Red’s wrestlers have won state championships, national level events and achieved multiple AllAmerican honors. The success of these wrestlers has inspired young athletes around the state and country.

“They just competed,” Woodson said. “They came in here and kicked our ass. It was just that simple.”

As usual, Jackson-Davis remained a bright spot for the Hoosiers. He finished with 26 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and four steals, including a record-setting 1,092nd career rebound.

Jackson-Davis dropped 30 in the first matchup against Iowa on Jan. 5, but he had help from his teammates in the two-point loss. On Feb. 28, Jackson-Davis did it largely alone — only freshman forward Malik Reneau scored 10 points, half of which came with five minutes remaining, when Indiana was already down 20 points. “I’m the coach. I’ve got to get them ready to play,” Woodson said. “That was a bullshit performance tonight.” Indiana still has a path to earning a top-four seed and a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament, but it will need help from the rest of the conference. First, Indiana will need to take care of business on senior night against Michigan at 4:30 p.m. March 5 in Assembly Hall.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Despite the challenges he faced, CJ's commitment to the sport of wrestling remains steadfast. The younger Red, now a volunteer assistant coach for the Hoosiers, has been able to apply his experience and expertise to help mentor and train Hoosier wrestlers. His father, meanwhile, has been a role model and inspiration for countless young athletes over the years.

For both Red and his father, the induction into the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame is a fitting recognition of their contributions to the sport. Their dedication and hard work have left an indelible mark on the wrestling community in Indiana and their legacy will continue to inspire future generations of wrestlers and coaches for years to come.