STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The top-ranked Hawkeye wrestling team hasn’t competed since Feb. 7 because of a COVID-19-related team shutdown. But no rust was apparent Saturday morning.

Iowa went 8-2 in the quarterfinals and 11-2 overall in Session 1 of the 2021 Big Ten Wrestling Championships.

Eight Iowa wrestlers won their quarterfinal matchup and will compete in the semifinals during the second session Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. CT, which will air on the Big Ten Network. Max Murin (two-seed at 141 pounds) and Nelson Brands (nine-seed at 184 pounds) will compete in the wrestleback bracket after losing in the quarterfinals.

“We have more wrestling to do,” Iowa head coach Tom Brands said. “That’s the first thing on my mind. We are looking forward to tonight. I have eight matches on my mind, and two more are on the other side. We had guys who got ready to go and tonight we need 10 to get ready. There is so much more wrestling to do.”

Two Hawkeyes won by pin in the quarterfinals: 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman and 174-pounder Michael Kemerer. Spencer Lee won by 19-4 technical fall in his quarterfinal match, but gave up his first points this season. Tony Cassioppi won via 9-1 major decision, and Austin DeSanto, Kaleb Young, Alex Marinelli, and Jacob Warner won by decision.

Full match-by-match recap: Recap from State College: Session 1 of the 2021 Big Ten Wrestling Championships

Video: Watch: Hawkeyes tally four pins in first session of Big Ten Wrestling Championships

Team standings

1.           IOWA                  75.5

2.           Nebraska            63

3.           Michigan            49

4.           Penn State         45

5.           Minnesota          35

6.           Ohio State          33

7.           Michigan State  25

8.           Northwestern   24

9.           Purdue                23.5

              Rutgers               23.5

11.         Illinois                 17.5

12.         Wisconsin          11.5

13.         Indiana               7.5

14.         Maryland            2.0

What’s next

Eight Hawkeyes will compete in Saturday night’s semifinals, the most of any school. Here are the matchups:

125 — Lee vs. No. 5 Rayvon Foley (Michigan State)

133 — DeSanto vs. No. 3 Lucas Byrd (Illinois)

141 — Eierman vs. No. 4 Chad Red (Nebraska)

157 — Young vs. No. 3 Brayton Lee (Minnesota)

165 — Marinelli vs. No. 4 Cameron Amine (Michigan)

174 — Kemerer vs. No. 4 Logan Massa (Michigan)

197 — Warner vs. No. 2 Myles Amine (Michigan)

285 — Cassioppi vs. No. 2 Mason Parris (Michigan)

Murin and Brands will compete in the wrestleback bracket in the hunt for third place at their respective weight classes.