Iowa hammered Michigan State, 49-6, in Carver-Hawkeye on Jan. 5 for head coach Tom Brands’ 200th dual win. Fittingly, the match included six Hawkeye pins, two major decisions, and a tech fall.
Spencer Lee, Iowa’s stud true freshman at 125, knows how to attract a crowd; 8,486 fans poured into Carver, many of whom came to watch the mega-recruit freshman break out of his redshirt. Lee also knows how to excite a crowd. In his Carver début, Lee pinned Michigan State’s Rayon Foley in 46 seconds, and the crowd erupted. That fall led to many more for the night.
“It’s kind of a dream since I was little to run out into Carver-Hawkeye Arena,” Lee said. “I was a little nervous, but it was excitement as well. I’m just glad I got that one under my belt, and I’m happy to move on.”
At 133 pounds, Paul Glynn forced Iowa’s second fall of the night in as many matches over Matt Santos. After going down 4-0 to Santos, Glynn climbed back to 8-4 and married Santos’ back to the mat in the third for the pin.
Carter Happel made his Carver début at 141 against No. 18 Javier Gasca. Happel scored first with a takedown, but Gasca followed with an escape and a takedown of his own to go up 4-3. Gasca stuck Happel in the second period for a fall in 4:04. Iowa’s lead was cut to 12-6 after three bouts.
No. 2 Brandon Sorensen (149) kept the pins rolling with a fall over Michigan State’s Jwan Britton in 3:45. Fellow No. 2 Michael Kemerer (157) cornered a pin of his own, this time against Spartan Jake Tucker in 4:21 with a cradle to take Iowa into the intermission leading 24-6.
In his Carver début, redshirt freshman Alex Marinelli forced a tech fall over Michigan State’s Austin Hiles at 165 pounds. Marinelli drove the score to 29-6 with a 4-point near-fall in the final seconds.
“We’re expected to do great things,” Marinelli said. “When I don’t pin my guy, I get frustrated … I wanted to pin him, and it’s good for the fans, but I got the tech fall.”
Joey Gunther earned a major decision over Michigan State’s Logan Ritchie at 174. Gunther piled up four takedowns in the third period for seven total. Mitch Bowman (184) followed with a major decision of his own in the form of a 9-0 win over Shwan Shadaia.
After entering the third period tied 2-2, Cash Wilcke (197) earned an immediate escape point after starting down, then followed with a takedown and stuck Michigan State’s Nick May for a fall in 5:54.
Junior Sam Stoll ended a night that was full of pins with, surprise, a pin. The heavyweight took Spartan Matt Lloyd to his back and forced a first-period fall, making the team score to 49-6.
“The first thing that’s on my mind after Stoll gets the fall is that we got a real good team coming to town in a week,” Brands said. “And we got to be ready for that.”
Iowa will face Oklahoma State on Jan. 14 in Carver at 3 p.m.