The No. 4 Iowa men’s wrestling team will be back in action against Columbia on Friday at 7 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 

This is the Hawkeyes’ first-ever meeting with the Lions, who are 0-2 this season. This will mark Iowa’s second straight dual meet against an Ivy League school, as it defeated Penn, 22-13, at The Palestra on Dec. 1. 

Friday’s dual will be streamed live on Big Ten Plus with former Hawkeyes Alex Marinelli and Kaleb Young on the call. 

At Iowa head coach Tom Brands’ weekly media availability on Wednesday, he revealed that heavyweight Tony Cassisoppi is going through the appeals process with the NCAA over sports gambling violations. 

Cassioppi, a four-time All-American, has not wrestled this season, and it is unknown when the NCAA will decide if he can.  He is a fifth-year athlete and in his last season of eligibility. 

“It’s coming up; it has to, doesn’t it?” Brands said Wednesday about the NCAA’s decision. “Freakin’ May 8 is when I found out. Holy smokes alive.”

Probable lineups 

All rankings are from Intermat. 

125 POUNDS: No. 17 Drake Ayala (IA) vs. No. 27 Nick Babin or Sulayman Bah (CU)

Ayala lost his first match inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season to Oregon State’s Branden Kaylor. 

He will have a chance to make up for his loss in front of the Hawkeye faithful on Friday. Babin is 5-5 while Bah is 2-3. 

133 POUNDS: No. 9 Brody Teske or Cullan Schriever or Jace Rhodes (IA) vs. No. 11 Angelo Rini (CU)

On Wednesday, Brands said he has no idea who’s going to win the spot at 133. Rhodes wrestled the last dual meet against Penn and lost, 5-1. This is Schriever’s first appearance on the probable lineup sheet this season. Teske is 4-2 with a loss via media forfeit and an 8-1 defeat to Iowa State’s Evan Frost.

“I don’t know if I’ll know until I know,” Brands said of the long-term starter at 133. 

141 POUNDS: No. 1 Real Woods (IA) vs. Kai Owen (CU)

Woods defeated Penn’s then-No. 11  CJ Composto, 5-0, last weekend. 

149 POUNDS: No. 9 Victor Voinovich III or Caleb Rathjen (IA) vs. Richard Fedalen (CU)

Voinovich III beat Penn’s Andy Troczynski, 1-0, and is 7-2 this year. Rathjen has not wrestled since the Lindenwood Open on Nov. 18. 

157 POUNDS: No. 2 Jared Franek (IA) vs. Jaden Le or Andy Garr (CU)

Franek holds the best record on the Hawkeyes so far this season at 9-0. His past two wins have come against ranked opponents – Iowa State’s then-No. 18 Cody Chittum and Penn’s then-No. 26 Jude Swisher.

165 POUNDS: No. 7 Michael Caliendo (IA) vs. Kyle Mosher

Caliendo earned Iowa’s only bonus points against Penn with a 14-5 major decision over Lucas Revano.

174 POUNDS: No. 14 Patrick Kennedy or Drake Rhodes (IA) vs. No. 26 Lennox Wolak or Garret Bilgrav (CU)

Kennedy said ahead of the Penn dual that he has been recovering from knee scope surgery and is on a day-to-day timeline. He lost to Penn’s then-No. 10 Nick Incontera by major decision.

Rhodes last wrestled at the Lindenwood Open, where he placed third. 

184 POUNDS: Aiden Riggins (IA) vs. No. 31 Aaron Ayzerov Jr. or Jack McGill (CU)

Riggins wrestled his first collegiate match at 184 pounds against Penn’s then-No. 32 Maximus Hale and was pinned in 1:55. 

197 POUNDS: No. 18 Zach Glazier (IA) vs. No. 27 Jack Wehmeyer or Adam Haselius (CU)

Glazier has sealed two dual meet victories in a row for Iowa against Iowa State and Penn. 

Glazier’s 9-5 decision victory over Penn’s then-No. 26 Martin Cosgrove gave Iowa a six-point lead. Penn could have tied the match with a pin in the heavyweight match, but the Hawkeyes would’ve won anyway because of tiebreaker criteria. 

HEAVYWEIGHT: Bradley Hill (IA) vs. Billy McChesney (CU)

The Hawkeyes didn’t have to worry about a tiebreaker, though, as Hill shut the door on the Quakers with an 8-3 victory over Cole Urbas. 

Hill is in the heavyweight spot in lieu of Cassioppi. The other heavyweight on the roster is Ben Kueter, who also plays for the Iowa football team. Kueter has not wrestled this season. If he does, Brands said it will be after football is over. 

Hill has been a Hawkeye fan his whole life and frequently attended wrestling meets at Carver when he was a young boy. He said it is a dream come true to wear Iowa across his chest. 

Brands described Hill as an “eager, blue-collar” worker. Brands emphasized how important Hill is right now for the team with Cassioppi and Kueter’s absence.

“Every point is hard. It doesn’t have to be like that,” Brands said. “Get on a roll, get ready to go, and make them pay. Be an entertainer – why not?”