Excitement turned to sadness in a matter of a few days for Graham Rooks.
The Columbus East graduate and Indiana University redshirt freshman qualified for the NCAA Wrestling Tournament last week. But on Thursday, the NCAA announced that it was canceling all winter and spring sports championships over fear of the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
"I feel bad for all the seniors and everybody who it may have been their last shot to compete, especially for (teammate) Liam (Cronin)," Rooks said. "He’s one of the hardest workers, an I feel real bad for him. But I understand why they did it. It’s a tough situation."
The NCAA Championships were scheduled for Thursday through March 21 in Minneapolis. Rooks finished 10th in the Big Ten Tournament at 149 pounds, but because of the quality of depth at that weight, the conference was allotted 10 spots.
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"I was really excited," Rooks said. "It’s something that I’ve been working toward for a long time. It’s not so much about the process as the work you put in. I think it just shows all the hard work I’ve been putting in last year as a redshirt, staying after practice."
Rooks, who won the Hoosiers’ Freshman of the Year award last season, went 15-10 with two major decisions this year. He was ranked No. 14 and beat six other ranked wrestlers.
"He had a phenomenal season," IU coach Angel Escobedo said. "Just his progress and being able to knock off six or seven ranked opponents and cement himself in the rankings, it’s awesome for the state of Indiana, for our program. It shows that there’s a lot of development happening for our program."
Rooks called his dual match win against Purdue his biggest of the season. His most exciting was a come-from-behind win against SIU-Edwardsville.
"The great thing about Graham is, he’s one of the hardest workers in the room," Escobedo said. "There’s no amount of success that I’d be surprised at. I think he had a chance to be All-American. But the bright side is, he’s a freshman, so he’s only going to get better."
Meanwhile, Rooks’ brother Cayden just missed qualifying for the NCAA meet after an overtime loss at 133 pounds in the Big Ten Tournament. But he was one of three true freshman in the Big Ten to post at least 20 wins this season.
"He’s in elite company there," Escobedo said. "He had a phenomenal year. He was really close to making it to nationals. He was one of the best true freshmen in the country."
IU has canceled all team practices, but Graham and Cayden have been able to go to the wrestling facility and work out on their own. They are preparing for freestyle wrestling season and next month’s Junior World Team Trials in Las Vegas.
Graham is hoping to stay at 149 pounds for next season.
"I’m trying to not only just qualify for the NCAA again next year, but I want to be an All-American and a national champion," he said.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Graham Rooks” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Name: Graham Rooks
High school: Columbus East
College: Indiana University
Year: Redshirt freshman
Major: Interior Design
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