Heinselman To Miss Postseason, Will Be Replaced by Gonzales
3/1/2023 1:36:40 PM | General, Wrestling
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State fifth-year senior 125-pounder Malik Heinselman will not compete in the Big Ten or NCAA Championships due to an injury, head coach Tom Ryan announced today.
Heinselman concludes his stellar career for the Buckeyes with a 94-42 record, including 21 Big Ten victories. He was a four-time NCAA qualifier who had also competed three other times at the Big Ten Championships, finishing as high as fourth in 2021.
This season, Heinselman was 20-4 with five wins by bonus points (two major decisions, one tech fall and two pins). He was 10-2 in duals and was the No. 7 pre-seed for the 2022 Big Ten Championships, which will be held this weekend in Ann Arbor, Mich.
“It’s with a heavy heart that my career as a Buckeye wrestler has been cut short due to injury,” said Heinselman. “Not being able to compete in my final postseason alongside my teammates and coaches is very disappointing. I am grateful, though, for my time as a Buckeye and can’t wait to watch my brothers chase their dreams.”
“It’s a very unfortunate situation and our hearts ache for Malik,” said Ryan. “He’s been such a valued member of our program for many years and although this is not how anyone wanted his career to end, we are grateful for the career that he had and his leadership.”
Replacing Heinselman this weekend at the Big Ten Championships will be Andre Gonzales, a redshirt freshman from Poway, Calif. who is 14-9 this season with six wins via bonus points.
“This opens the door for Andre,” said Ryan. “He’ll step in and seize the opportunity. We’re excited to see what he can do.”
