What happened, what’s next: Midlands Championships Session 1
Iowa finds itself with a wrestler alive in every weight class but 174 pounds after the first session at Midlands.
Iowa’s Pat Lugo wrestles Lehigh’s Jimmy Hoffman during a wrestling dual-meet between Iowa and Lehigh at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018. Lugo, who is ranked tenth at 149, defeated Hoffman 12-3, as the Hawkeyes defeated the Mountain Hawks, 28-14.
December 29, 2018
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. – The Iowa wrestling team sent 22 wrestlers to Midlands this year, including three defending champions. Alex Marinelli, Cash Wilcke, and Sam Stoll are looking to defend their titles, and after the first session, they are on track to do so.
Twelve Hawkeyes have wrestled their ways into the quarterfinals, with at least one or more wrestler still alive at every weight besides 174.
125-pounder Spencer Lee tallied a pin over Ohio State’s Malik Heinselman and a 17-0 technical fall over Northern Illinois’ Bryce West.
Paul Glynn and Austin DeSanto are representing Iowa at 133. DeSanto pinned his matchup in the second round in 2:16 while defeating his third-round opponent, 22-4.
Iowa also has two wrestlers still in the champions bracket at 141. Vince Turk registered 2 major decisions and Max Murin finished his first session with a pin in 2:56 and a decision.
Pat Lugo was the only Hawkeye in the 149-pound bracket and finds himself a spot in the Round of 8 after a fall in 4:23, a technical fall, and a win on an injury default. Lugo is leading the team score, tallying 8.5 points.
157-pounder Kaleb Young racked up 2 tech falls and a pin in his first three matches of the tournament, scoring 8 team points.
Defending champion Marinelli pinned Army West Point’s Cael McCormick in 6:33 and won his third-round match by major decision (12-2).
Similarly, Wilcke pinned his first opponent in the third period. Wilcke tallied 2 wins by decision in the second and third rounds.
Jacob Warner beat Buffalo’s Sam Schuler, 13-3, and Illinois’ Matt Wroblewski, 6-1.
Iowa’s Sam Stoll and Tony Cassioppi are still competing in the championship bracket, although Cassioppi is competing unattached. Both tallied a pin and a decision in their two matches.
Five wrestlers – Keegan Shaw (157), Jeren Glosser (157), Mitch Bowman (174), Connor Corbin (197), and Aaron Costello (285) – are still in the running to earn a third-place finish.
The tournament continues at 7 p.m. with two rounds of consolation matches and the Round of 8.