If you ask the wrestlers on the Iowa team, they will most likely tell you that Brandon Sorensen does everything the correct way.

But now they’ll have to move on without him; Sorensen’s All-American career as a Hawkeye is officially over.

The senior from Cedar Falls placed fifth at the NCAA Championships after beating Missouri’s Grant Leeth, 4-0, for his finale.

“Brandon Sorensen, invaluable to our program,” Iowa head coach Tom Brands said. “Great representation of what we’re about. I’ve talked about it a lot this year because he’s a senior — zero drama, zero maintenance the entire time. He was raised right, handles himself right … Awesome, awesome partner in our program.”

Sorensen was a staple for Iowa at 149 pounds, a guy who almost always seemed to get the job done, no matter how close the match was.

Although he never won a national title, he placed fourth, second, third, and fifth at the NCAAs, making him a four-time All-American. He also placed second at the Big Ten Championships three times and third once. He was the epitome of consistency.

“It was big coming back for me, mentally moving forward, but that’s not really how I wanted to end my career,” Sorensen said. “I wanted better, but I can’t change history now.

“I feel like I accomplished something. It’s not just nothing. It means something. That’s what I got to hang my hat on.”

The lone senior in Iowa’s lineup, Sorensen served as a leader to a younger squad.

While the Hawkeyes are in good hands for the future with the likes of Spencer Lee, Michael Kemerer, and Alex Marinelli, Sorensen was someone underclassmen could look at to become a better wrestler and person.

“He’s real on top of everything, he’s real organized,” said Kemerer, Iowa’s 157-pounder. “It’s just so business-like, his approach. He does everything the right way. If I’m trying to make a decision, I’ll always ask him, because I’m pretty confident in his decision-making.”

Things will certainly be different for the Hawkeyes without Sorensen in the lineup next year, but they have a filler in place: Edinboro transfer Pat Lugo.

Lugo held a 7-2 record this year while competing unattached, placing fourth at Midlands, in which he recorded two pins.

Lugo also handed Sorensen a rare loss in 2017 when the two programs met up, coming out victorious with a 7-5 decision in sudden-victory.

While Iowa has a bright future with its young guns, Sorensen is still unsure about his future, saying that staying in the Iowa wrestling room is an option, but he has not given it much thought.

Whether he is around next season or not, it will be hard to move on from having Sorensen in the lineup. But his time as a Hawkeye is something he will always remember.

“It’s a team, it’s another family,” Sorensen said. “It developed me a lot over these five years into a better person, a better man.”