The No. 2 Iowa men’s wrestling team defeated unranked Cal Baptist, 42-3, in its 2022-23 season-opener Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Junior 133-pounder Brody Teske — a Duncombe, Iowa, product — lived out his childhood dream this weekend when he ran onto the mat for the first time in the Black and Gold.

“Today’s the start of the 14th week of me being here at the University of Iowa, and I’m extremely grateful to be here,” Teske said Sunday. “A lot of question marks got answered, a childhood dream got achieved.”

In his first college match at 133 pounds since 2019, Teske defeated Lancer sophomore Hunter Leake, 6-4. The night before he wrestled Teske, Leake pinned No. 12 Zach Redding of Iowa State. The Lancers still fell to the Cyclones, 39-9, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames on Saturday night.

Teske was an Iowa high school state champion at four different weight classes — 106, 113, 120, and 126. Teske committed to Penn State out of high school. In two seasons with the Nittany Lions, Teske went 11-4.

Teske transferred to Northern Iowa ahead of the 2020-21 season. As a Panther, he became a two-time NCAA Tournament qualifier and a 2021 Big 12 Champion.

“[The transition to 133 pounds] has been fun,” Teske said. “No doubt, you still have to manage it correctly and do things the right way, but compared to going down a weight, it’s not as dramatic, toxic, or taxing on the body.”  

Teske spent the offseason battling with sophomores Cullan Schriever and Jesse Ybarra for a starting spot at 133 pounds. Iowa head coach Tom Brands said the Hawkeyes have started to solidify their lineup at 133 in practice.

Brands added that the wrestle-offs Iowa held last week have played a role in the decisions he has made at 133. Teske defeated true freshman Jace Rhodes via 12-4 major decision during the Hawkeyes’ wrestle-offs.

Schriever and Ybarra did not compete in Iowa’s wrestle-offs this year.

“I think [Teske] has a lot of direction in his mind of where he wants to go, and he doesn’t hesitate and doesn’t waver, and that’s a really good quality,” Brands said. “The bottom line is, you have to get better and knock out a few of those mistakes, but that was a pretty solid win.”

Teske said his win over Leake Sunday wasn’t pretty, as he allowed a reversal by Leake to tie the match up with 26 seconds remaining in the third period. Teske added that he will use his win over Leake as a springboard into the rest of the season.

“Survive and advance,” Teske said. “I just want to continue to grow and become the best version of myself in the practice room and with everything I do in my life. Stay the course.”