Iowa’s lone Big Ten Champion and the 165 No. 1-seed will compete for a spot on the podium on Friday night after losing his quarterfinal match.

Alex Marinelli lost on a late third-period takedown to Mekhi Lewis from Virginia Tech, 3-1.

Marinelli had a chance for a takedown earlier in the third with Lewis’s leg up but was unable to finish the move for points. Lewis came back with the same move against Marinelli for the win.

His chance at the top of the podium might be done, but Marinelli’s mind is focused on the future with a chance to earn All-American honors in his next match.

“He’s a competitor first of all, he loves to compete,” head coach Tom Brands said. “He was talking to himself the right way on the way back, lots of disappointment but he was talking to himself about the future. The future is coming up, it’s right now. This is a big round, it’s for honors, All-American honors. We’ve talked to him a little bit and we’ll talk to him some more, but he’s a veteran now.”

Marinelli made his way through the consolation bracket and earned All-American honors in 2018 after placing sixth at the NCAA Championships, and now is his chance to top that.

Austin DeSanto, Max Murin, Pat Lugo, and Sam Stoll also lost their quarterfinal matches and will be going for All-American honors, where mindset will be key.

“Sports is a metaphor for life, wrestling more than any other sport,” Brands said. “You get your heart ripped out, it’s an individual thing, there’s a lot of pride. You have a chance to come back for individual honors, you’re not going to be where you want to be on the stand, but you still come back and that’s where we’re at. “