By Pete Ruden
The Iowa wrestling team is no longer undefeated.
Top-ranked Oklahoma State took down the No. 3 Hawkeyes in Stillwater on Sunday, 24-11.
Iowa lost three matches by 1 point. If those matches had gone the other way, the country would likely be looking at a new No. 1, but instead, the Cowboys will keep their place atop the college wrestling rankings.
“This sport is wild. It’s a brawl. That’s what you love about it,” Iowa head coach Tom Brands said in a release. “It’s about close matches in close situations, and you have to make them go your way. In order to make a close situation go your way, it’s not because it’s this close that’s all the effort you have to give, you have to give a tremendous effort. We didn’t do that.”
Senior Thomas Gilman did what he does best and got the dual off to a good start for the Hawkeyes. The No. 1 ranked 125-pounder in the country defeated No. 11 Nick Piccininni, 12-4, for a major decision to give Iowa a 4-0 team lead.
After Gilman’s win, things started going awry for the Hawkeyes. Senior Cory Clark was one second of riding time away from forcing overtime in the 133-pound match. Clark started the third period down, 6-3, and rallied to tie it at 6-6. In the end, No. 5 Kaid Brock escaped Clark’s grasp for the winning point.
There was some controversy on whether Clark’s riding time started on time, but nothing was changed.
Senior Topher Carton had a tall task on his hands, preparing for the defending national champion at 141 pounds in Oklahoma State’s Dean Heil. Carton wrestled the country’s No. 1 tough but ended up falling, 8-5.
The match at 149 pounds was one of the most intense matches of the night — it took two sudden-victory periods to determine a winner. No. 3 Anthony Collica of Oklahoma State ended up getting the best of No. 2 Brandon Sorensen, 4-3.
On the bright side for the Hawkeyes, redshirt freshman 157-pounder Michael Kemerer continued his tear, picking up a decision over No. 6 Joe Smith, 4-3. Kemerer has had a number of impressive wins this season, and his season record is 19-0.
“With the schedule we wrestle, I know I have to be ready no matter who I’m wrestling,” Kemerer said in a release. “For me, it’s about thinking about myself and doing the things I do well. It doesn’t matter who is out there.”
After Skylar St. John got pinned and No. 13 Alex Meyer lost a 5-2 decision to Kyle Crutchmer, senior Sammy Brooks had one of the most impressive performances of the night. He took on a familiar foe in No. 5 Nolan Boyd and, after going scoreless in the first period, picked up a major decision with a 13-3 victory.
“I’ll give him some kudos. Boyd’s a guy I enjoy wrestling because I know he is going to go out and wrestle hard,” Brooks said in a release. “Coming in, it was about getting myself ready, knowing that I’m going to be in it for seven minutes. When I’m feeling good, I like where I’m at.”
It was all over after 197-pounder Cash Wilcke lost by a 6-0 decision and No. 6 Sam Stoll lost at heavyweight against No. 9 Austin Schafer, 5-4.
Iowa has another big dual on Friday; No. 2 Penn State rolls into Carver-Hawkeye in what is sure to be an intense battle.
“Our guys are going to go forward with this,” Brands said. “Five days from now, we have Penn State coming in, and regardless if we win this dual, we’re in the same boat, except you won the dual meet. We have to get ready to go.”
