CLEVELAND — There was a big difference in Iowa’s performance at the Big Ten Championships and its performance in Session 1 at the NCAA Wrestling Championships on March 15.
At the Big Tens in East Lansing, Michigan, the Hawkeyes struggled to get much going and fell victim to upsets along the journey to a fourth-place finish.
But on the morning of March 15, Iowa grapplers went a combined 9-1 to give the Hawkeyes the lead in the team standings with 18.5 points.
“Make it go your way, and it’s a lot of fun,” Iowa head coach Tom Brands said. “That’s what we want to do. Keep it rolling, and do what we do best: wrestle our matches.”
Here’s what happened and what’s next:
125: Spencer Lee had himself quite a début at the NCAAs. The true freshman used four 4-point near-falls to beat Alonzo Allen of Chattanooga by tech fall in 1:40. Lee will take on Purdue’s Luke Welch in his next match.
141: Vince Turk got the tournament off to a good start for the Hawkeyes with a 12-2 major decision over Lock Haven’s Kyle Shoop in the 141-pound pigtail. Turk got out of the gates fast with a takedown fewer than 15 seconds in. He had some drama after that, though, in his second match (first round). After trailing Indiana’s Cole Weaver, 3-0, toward the end of the third period, Turk used a takedown and a near-fall in the final 10 seconds to get the win in a crazy come-from-behind victory. He now has to battle top-seed Bryce Meredith of Wyoming.
149: Brandon Sorensen took care of business in the opening match of his final NCAA Championships. The Cedar Falls native scored more points than usual in an 11-6 decision over Navy’s Jared Prince. Sorensen has Ronald Perry of Lock Haven on the docket tonight.
157: After settling for sixth place at the Big Ten Championships because of a medical forfeit, Michael Kemerer made quick work of Cal State-Bakersfield’s Coleman Hammond, sticking him in 1:38. Kemerer will faced Paul Fox of Stanford next.
165: Alex Marinelli bounced back after a disappointing Big Ten Championships with a third-period pin for the victory over Purdue’s Jacob Morrissey. Marinelli had a big lead before the pin, posting 4 takedowns. He will take on Nicholas Wanzek of Minnesota Thursday night.
174: Joey Gunther was the first Hawkeye to drop to the consolation bracket following a 13-2 loss to 13-seed Jacobe Smith of Oklahoma State. In their previous dual, though, it was just a 3-1 loss for Gunther. Gunther will face Harvard’s Josef Johnson in the wrestle-backs.
184: Mitch Bowman came out with an impressive performance, beating 15-seed Canten Marriott of Missouri with a 10-2 major decision. He will face Ohio State’s second-seeded Myles Martin in the second round.
197: Cash Wilcke battled to the end of his first match and was rewarded with a victory. After getting taken down, Wilcke escaped and scored a takedown of his own to keep his name in the winner’s bracket. He will wrestle Virginia Tech’s Jared Haught next.
285: Sam Stoll picked up where he left off at Big Tens by pinning Antonio Pelusi of Franklin & Marshall late in the first period. The win pushes him to the next round, where he will face Maryland’s No. 12 seed Youssif Hemida.
Updated Team Standings
- Iowa — 18.5
- Ohio State — 17
- Penn State — 16
- North Carolina State — 12
- Michigan — 11
- Oklahoma State — 9
- Rutgers — 8.5
- Arizona State — 8
- Cornell — 8
- Lehigh — 8