Iowa’s Luke Lofthouse has been named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week.
The eighth-ranked 197-pounder closed out his college dual career Sunday in Carver-Hawkeye Arena with a 7-4 victory over Minnesota’s Sonny Yohn, who was ranked No. 4 at the time. The win was a huge boost to the Hawkeyes in their 19-12 win over the Golden Gophers. Iowa only held a 13-12 lead before Lofthouse pulled the upset.
The Avon, Utah, native trailed Yohn, 3-2, at the start of the third period, but Lofthouse scored a quick escape to tie and took down Yohn twice in the final minute to upend the Gopher.
Lofthouse holds a 17-4 record this season, with a 13-2 record in duals and an unbeaten record (7-0) in Big Ten dual competition. The senior is also on a three-match winning streak against ranked opponents and a six-match win streak overall.
The honor is the first of his career; he is only the second Hawkeye to earn the honor this season.
Matt McDonough was the first on Feb. 1 after pins over Northwestern’s then-No. 1 Brandon Precin and Penn State’s Nate Morgan.