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GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 14 • 23 BY TRAVIS BAUGH TBaugh@Purdue.edu W restling coach Tony Ersland hopes to solidify his start- ing lineup in the next three weeks at 125 and 149 pounds as Purdue concludes the non-conference portion of its schedule. "We have a tight race for the spot at both of those weight class- es," Ersland said. "We're still evalu- ating. You may see split matches between those guys. I'm not sure yet, that's still a gametime deci- sion. The next couple weeks will be big for those weight classes. We're evaluating to see if someone will separate themselves out and show that they're the guy." Aaron Assad and Luke Welch have seen mixed results at 125 with records of 7-7 and 4-6, respec- tively. The pair is a combined 1-5 in dual meets, with Assad starting the first four and Welch the last two. Two of Purdue's returning starters have been performing extremely well at 149 in Brandon Nelsen (11-2) and Alex Griffin (12- 5). Griffin leads Purdue in wins, technical falls and total points scored while Nelsen has lost just twice this season. Ersland said he'd like to have a set starter in time for the Big Ten season to help with seeding purposes for the conference tour - nament but won't force naming a full-time starter if one isn't ready. "If these guys don't separate themselves, you still may see some rotation until we get it figured out," Ersland said. "Any time you see good competition, you're look- ing for someone to step up and get the job done. If some of those guys do that, they're likely to get the nod. " Purdue will see stiff competi- tion not only at 125 and 149 but across the board this weekend against Chattanooga and North Carolina. Chattanooga is off to a hot start this season with a 3-0 dual meet record, including a 24-13 win over Michigan State. The Mocs haven't competed since Nov. 22 when they finished first at the Navy Classic over a field that included No. 19 Wisconsin and No. 24 Ohio. The dual at Chattanooga will be Purdue's second true road meet of the year. "They have some talent in their lineup and they're wrestling hard," Ersland said. "When you go on the road, you have to have that mindset that you're going to push through whatever comes your way. You never know when you're on the road what adversity you're SEARCHING FOR STARTERS Ersland looks to find 'the guy' at 125, 149 Purdue Brandon Nelsen's two losses are the third fewest on the team among those who have wrestled in at least 10 matches. ... all the services ... all the food ... all the comfort ... all the fun YourWindow_GoldandBlack_August10_electronic.indd 1 8/20/2010 2:26:24 PM