Alex Marinelli isn’t usually the only Iowa men’s wrestler I trust to win in big moments. But he is this year.

It’s not that I think other Hawkeyes don’t have what it takes to be clutch in big moments. Rather, Iowa is just too banged up to win when it matters.

Four of the Hawkeyes’ 10 wrestlers that competed in 2022 Big Ten Championships dropped out of the event with injuries.

Senior 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman and junior heavyweight Tony Cassioppi both medically forfeited Big Ten Championship Finals matches.

Senior 174-pounder Michael Kemerer bowed out of the tournament in the semifinals after suffering an injury against Ohio State’s Ethan Smith in the quarterfinals. True freshman 125-pounder Drake Ayala forfeited his seventh-place match against Rutgers’ Devin Shawver.

Kemerer and Ayala have both sported braces on their left shoulders this season. “KemDawg” has done so since he made his season debut on Jan. 7. Ayala has worn his support apparatus since Feb. 20. He missed three of the Hawkeyes’ regular season duals with an injury.

In multiple duals this season, Eierman appeared to be dislodging and relocating one of his fingers. Though, that isn’t likely the result of a long-term injury or the reason he didn’t wrestle Penn State’s Nick Lee in the conference finals. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reported that Eiereman was dealing with knee issues when he forfeited to Lee.

The injury Cassioppi suffers from is unclear. Regardless, the Hawkeyes don’t have a lot of healthy bodies right now. Even senior 133-pounder Austin DeSanto had his hand taped up for his Big Ten Championship Finals match against Roman Bravo-Young.

I think Marinelli is the healthiest guy available to the Hawkeyes right now. I know he’s famously struggled at the NCAA Championships. But I think this year’s NCAA Tournament could be Marinelli’s to win.

With his Big Ten Championship Finals win over Michigan’s Cameron Amine, Marinelli became just the 17th four-time conference champion in Big Ten history. It’s hard to deny the momentum a win like that builds.

Not all bad luck lasts forever, and I think Marinelli’s NCAA Championship curse ends this year.