The time has come — the Big Ten Wrestling Championships are just about here.

Over the past couple of weeks, the Iowa wrestling team has focused on practices, with more individualized workouts for each athlete to prepare the Hawkeyes for the postseason.

Luckily for the team, the tournament will take place in Carver-Hawkeye, so there will be no need to worry about travel or the issues that could arise from it.

Iowa will also head into the tournament with a complete roster; Sam Stoll will fight through an injury in order to stay in the lineup.

No traveling needed.

For the first time in 10 years, the Big Ten Tournament will take place in Iowa City.

“Our fans are nothing but the best. They’re top-notch, and there’s going to be a whole bunch of them,” head coach Tom Brands said. “Being in your home arena means it’s time to put on a bit more of a show.”

An estimated 13,000 Hawkeye fans will pack Carver-Hawkeye for the two-day event.

Brands noted that the event continues the succession toward the 2016 Olympic Trials, which will take place in Iowa City April 9-10.

Two wrestlers will compete at home for the last time this weekend. Seniors Nathan Burak and Edwin Cooper Jr. have one last opportunity to show the home crowd what they can do.

“It’s a great opportunity; I’m super excited about it. We haven’t had it here in a while, so I was kind of hoping we would get it while I was still competing here,” Burak said. “I think the atmosphere is going to be great to wrestle in.”

Stoll sticking it out

After a medical forfeit at the National Duals against No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski, many questions arose on whether redshirt freshman Sam Stoll would be healthy enough to wrestle at the Big Tens.

Hawkeye fans need not worry, though. The No. 7 heavyweight will be ready to go for the tournament.

“He’s doing well, and he’ll be entered in the tournament,” Brands said.

Stoll has gone 20-3 this season. Two of those losses came to Gwiazdowski, and the third occurred in the season-opener in Kinnick, in which Stoll lost to No. 5 Austin Marsden of Oklahoma State.

Rankings hold steady

At the beginning of the season, only six Iowa wrestlers sat atop the rankings. Throughout the season, two more, Cooper and Stoll, worked their way in. All eight have been consistently ranked at the same spot during the second half.

Among the top five of their weight classes are No. 2 Thomas Gilman (125), No. 3 Cory Clark (133), No. 2 Brandon Sorensen (149), No. 4 Nathan Burak (194), and No. 7 Stoll (285).

Cooper (157), Alex Meyer (174), and Sammy Brooks (184) round out the rest of the ranked Hawkeyes, sitting at No. 18, No. 10, and No. 13, respectively.