The No. 3 Iowa men’s wrestling team will compete in Session I of the 2022 NCAA Division I Championships on Thursday at 11 a.m. The Hawkeyes enter the event fresh off a third-place finish in the Big Ten Championships.

Four Iowa wrestlers medically forfeited out of the conference championships. True freshman Drake Ayala pulled out of a seventh place match and senior 174-pounder Michael Kemerer withdrew from a semifinal matchup with Penn State’s Carter Starocci. Hawkeye senior 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman and junior heavyweight Tony Cassioppi pulled out of league finals bouts with knee ailments.

Kemerer and Ayala have sported braces on their left shoulders since January. Kemerer missed the first two months of the season with what he called an “upper body injury.” He made his 2022 debut in an Iowa-Minnesota dual at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 12.

Ayala suffered what media pundits and fans have estimated is a shoulder labrum malady. He missed three regular season duals with the injury.

Eierman and Cassioppi had no known injuries prior to the start of the 2022 Big Ten Championships.

All four Hawkeyes that medically forfeited at the conference tournament are expected to compete at Little Caesars Arena today.

Session I of the 2022 NCAA Championships will air live on ESPNU with Session II to follow on ESPN at 6 p.m.

Follow the live blog below for  updates throughout Session I:

125 POUNDS: No. 20 Fabian Gutierrez (CHAT) vs. No. 13 Drake Ayala (IA)

Ayala was upset by Gutierrez in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Championships, 12-9, Thursday afternoon. Ayala drops to wrestlebacks, where he’d need to win five matches to get on the podium.

Ayala is one of five Big Ten 125-pounders to lose in the first round of the tournament.

133 POUNDS: No. 5 Austin DeSanto (IA) vs. No. 28 Sidney Flores

DeSanto earned the Hawkeyes’ first bonus points of the NCAA Championships, beating Flores via 19-3 technical fall. DeSanto recorded three takedowns and 12 points via near fall.

141 POUNDS: No. 2 Jaydin Eierman (IA) vs. No. 32 Wilfredo Gil (F&M)

Eierman beat Gil via 11-4 decision. “The Riddler” actually trailed 2-0 during the first period, surrendering a takedown just one minute into the match.

149 POUNDS: No. 8 Max Murin (IA) vs. No. 25 Corbyn Munson (CMU)

Murin beat Munson via fall in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Championships. Murin recorded the pin four minutes and 49 seconds into the match. He’s the second Hawkeye to earn bonus points.

157 POUNDS: No. 9 Kaleb Young (IA) vs. No. 24 Doug Zapf (PENN)

Young downed Zapf via 3-2 decision. He scored the lone takedown of the match in the second period.

165 POUNDS: No. 3 Alex Marinelli (IA) vs. No. 30 Evan Barczak (DREX) 

Marinelli defeated Barczak via 7-2 decision. “The Bull” scored two takedowns on the match. Barczak’s lone points came on two escapes.

174 POUNDS: No. 5 Michael Kemerer (IA) vs. No. 28 Benjamin Pasiuk (ARMY)

Kemerer defeated Pasiuk via 4-0 decision. Kemerer scored a takedown in the first period and an escape in the second. A bonus point for riding time was added to Kemerer’s total at the end of the match.

184 POUNDS: No. 18 Abe Assad (IA) vs. No. 15 Hunter Bolen (VT)

Bolen beat Assad via 6-3 decision. Assad tied the match, 3-3, with just over a minute remaining. Had he rode Bolen out, Assad would’ve won, 4-3, after a point for riding time. Instead, Bolen escaped to take a late 4-3 lead.

Bolen secured a takedown to extend his lead to 6-3 moments before the match’s final whistle was blown.

197 POUNDS: No. 6 Jacob Warner (IA) vs. No. 27 Alan Clothier (UNCO)

Warner shut Clothier out, winning via 8-0 major decision. He is the third Hawkeye to earn bonus points today. Warner accumulated over four minutes of riding time on the bout.

HEAVYWEIGHT: No. 3 Tony Cassioppi (IA) vs. No. 3 Josh Heindselman (OU)

Cassioppi downed Heindselman via 4-0 decision. On his way to victory, Cassioppi suffered a cut near one of his eyes. The laceration required a stop in the action. Medical staff wrapped bandaging around Cassioppi’s eye before action resumed.

As Cassioppi walked off the mat, the Hawkeyes sat in second place in the team standings with 12.5 points. They trail the Nittany Lions’ 15.5 points.

This is a developing story. Check back throughout the day for updates.