Records, Hoosiers may fall this weekend in seniors' last hurrah

Tomorrow, when the No. 13 Michigan wrestling team faces Indiana at Cliff Keen Arena, will be the final home dual meet for senior All-Americans Bill Lacure, Jeff Catrabone and Airron Richardson.

The three starters - along with Steve Basmajian and Brandon Howe, who was an All-American two seasons ago - will be honored before the match as part of an annual senior night to salute their careers at Michigan.

As for the matches, the Wolverines do not anticipate having any problems with the unranked Hoosiers, but the team is quick to say that no Big Ten dual match comes easily.

"You can never underestimate anyone in the Big Ten," 126-pound Joe Warren said. "There are 11 teams in the Big Ten, and some are weaker than others, but none are easy wins. You always have to be ready."

Although Warren is reluctant to admit it, on paper the Wolverines should be able to handle the Hoosiers. Michigan boasts six ranked starters including Warren, who is No. 15. Indiana does not start any ranked wrestlers.

LOUIS BROWN/Daily Senior Jeff Catrabone said he wants to "put on a show" at tonight's season-ending dual meet with Indiana. If Catrabone can win his match with a fall, he'll move into sixth in the Michigan record books.

"We are a stronger dual-meet team, and we know we can beat Indiana," Michigan coach Dale Bahr said. "We have been working really hard this week, and this is the type of match we think that will let us end our dual meet season with a win."

Indiana's best wrestler, Mike Powell - ranked seventh at 167 - will not compete because of a concussion problem. He has suffered six concussions, and Bahr said he heard Powell's wrestling days are over.

Powell's absence leaves No. 4 Catrabone to likely face unranked Butch Hildebrand. Catrabone has 15 falls on the season and he needs one more to tie Rob Rechsteiner (1983-84) for Michigan's record for falls in a season. Reichsteiner hit his record more than a decade ago in the 1983-84 season.

"I though I was going to have to pin (Powell) for the record," Catrabone joked. "But with someone else in there, well, that changes everything."

Aside from Catrabone's mark, other Wolverines are also flirting with the record book and personal bests. Damion Logan, at 134, is riding a team-best six match win streak and Catrabone, Lacure and Richardson continue to climb on the all-time victory list.

A win for Richardson would be his 126th, and will move him out of a tie for seventh place on Michigan's all-time list.

For other Wolverines, this match offers an opportunity for some of the guys who have been struggling all season to get a win under their belts Bahr hopes the match will help build some confidence heading into Big Tens, which begin March 8.

"It would be nice to get wins at weight classes that we don't always have," Bahr said. "We want to go out there and have everyone wrestle hard. I think all of our guys have an opportunity to leave with a win."

Ryan Balcom, Michigan's starting 190-pounder said he feels confident going against Indiana and preparing for Big Tens.

"This match can really be a big confidence-booster for some of us, and it'd be great to get things rolling heading into Big Tens," Balcom said. "I think we can run the board against them."

If the Wolverines do shut out the Hoosiers, it would be the first blanking of the season, and would be their program's 50th win all-time against Indiana. But Bahr just wants to make sure that Michigan gets the victory.

"We've been working so hard getting ready for Big Tens, that I just hope our legs aren't too tired," he said. "We are at the point of the season where the guys can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and want to just work on Big Tens, but this is a good last test for us, and you always want to end your dual season with a win."

Catrabone said the seniors especially want to end the season, and their careers, with a win.

"I think it's going to be interesting for us," he said. "The five of us have been here for a long time, and every match we've had I knew no matter what happened, we're going to do this again, but this time is the last, and that is major motivation for us. We want to end with a win, and I want to put on a show."

02-19-98