All-American Alex Marinelli has never been one to shy away from the grandest stages in wrestling. The brighter the lights, the better the 165-pounder seems to get.

Last year’s Big Ten Tournament in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was no exception for Marinelli. He was the only Hawkeye to strike gold at last year’s tournament. In doing so, Marinelli became Iowa’s 200th individual Big Ten Champion.

Now, the man appropriately nicknamed “The Bull” is gunning for his second straight Big Ten title.

“I think [the key to repeating] is just going in there, having fun, trusting my coaches, listening to them,” Marinelli said. “This week is crucial. I’ve got the best teammates, best coaching staff, and when I trust them and wrestle how I wrestle, good things will happen.”

While a second Big Ten Championship is certainly a goal for Marinelli, it is not his broadest aspiration for this weekend’s event.

“This year, we’ve got another chance [to win a Big Ten team title]. Let’s not let it slip out of our hands,” Marinelli said. “Going into this tournament, we have a lot of opportunities. I heard some things about the seeds. I don’t really care about the seeds. The seeds don’t matter as long as we’re on the top of the podium at the end. This is our year. This is it.”

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Head coach Tom Brands is buying into Marinelli’s championship ideology, as well, firmly believing big things lie ahead for his Hawkeyes.

“I think that our best wrestling is ahead of us,” Brands said. “I think that’s always how you operate. There’s a lot of reasons to perform now. I think you’re going to see your opponents’ best foot forward.”

A great deal of adversities stands between the Hawkeyes and the first-place podium, but that isn’t fazing the nation’s No. 1 team.

“When you’re number one, they want to beat the number one,” Marinelli said. “That doesn’t mean we just go out there and expect to win and to blow them all out. We got to respect our opponents. You can expect to win, but in a humble way. You got to go in there, respect your opponents, and expect for the guy to fight you. That target on your back is great.”

Reigning national champion Spencer Lee is embracing the target that is on the Hawkeyes’ backs. Lee will head to New Jersey looking to pair a Big Ten title to his two national victories.

“I want the target on our back every single time,” Lee said. “Each individual has to do their job for the team to win. It’s a team sport, but it’s also an individual sport. If I’ve got the target on my back, I’m doing a good job. I’m doing the right thing. I got to go out and do my job. Every single person on this team, if they do their job, we’re going to be Big Ten champs.”

The Hawkeyes’ confidence and success has largely been a byproduct of their unique team chemistry.

“If all of your brothers are going in the same direction, it’s easier to get to one place,” Marinelli said. “You’ve got an army. You want to have your brothers alongside you. This camaraderie is what you want. People are jealous of the friendship or whatever we got. It’s something that’s rare and helps the team.”

The time for talk is coming to an end, and the Hawkeyes are ready to hit the mat. The 2020 Big Tournament is held March 7-8 in Piscataway, New Jersey.

“Throw records out the window,” Marinelli said. “It’s game time. This is Big Tens. This is what we live for. This is what Iowa wrestling thrives off of and fans love.”