MADISON, Wis. – The No. 4 Wisconsin wrestling team is gearing up for a Sunday showdown against the No. 17 Michigan Wolverines. The dual on Sunday begins at 3 p.m. in the UW Field House and will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network. The Badgers will also honor alumni at the dual with a pre-match ceremony.
1. BOUNCE BACK: After losing to No. 2 Penn State and Michigan State at home last weekend, the Wisconsin wrestlers are eager to get back out onto the mat on Sunday to prove themselves. They have an opportunity with No. 17 Michigan coming to town and bringing with them five ranked wrestlers.Key match-ups include No. 5
Trent Hillger taking on Michigan's No. 2 Mason Parris at heavyweight, Wisconsin's No. 11
Johnny Sebastian facing off against No. 21 Jelani Embree at 184 pounds, and No. 12
Cole Martin vs. No. 11 Kanen Storr of Michigan at 149 pounds.
2. MODEL CITIZEN: Garrett Model shined in his return to the Badgers starting lineup last weekend against Penn State. Going up against Bo Pipher at 157 pounds, Model was dominant and scored the 13-4 major decision over the Nittany Lion. On Sunday, Model battled against No. 24 Jake Tucker but lost the 12-8 decision.
3. MIDLANDS REMATCH: No. 12
Cole Martin is looking for revenge on Sunday in a battle that has a lot on the line for him. He is slated to face against No. 11 Kanen Storr. This ranked bout will be key to the team score but Martin is also looking for revenge on the Wolverine who ended his 2019 Midlands Championship tournament. Storr took the 6-3 decision at the end of December in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
4. STARTING OFF HOT: When starting at 125 and 133 pounds, the Badgers have found the perfect 1-2 punch.
Eric Barnett and No. 1
Seth Gross are explosive at the start of the Badgers lineup. Both Badgers are undefeated at home and know how to get the crowd on their feet right away thanks to Barnett's two pins. Barnett is 4-0 in the UW Field House while Gross is 5-0 at home this season.
5. HOSTILE HEAVYWEIGHTS: The match that all fans should be tuned into is a heavyweight throwdown. Wisconsin's No. 5
Trent Hillger will go against Michigan's No. 2 Mason Parris. The two have faced off once before, with Parris winning the 9-6 decision at the 2018 Midlands Championships.
