Iowa football player and heavyweight Ben Kueter made his highly anticipated Hawkeye wrestling debut during the third-ranked Iowa men’s wrestling team’s home dual against No. 10 Minnesota on Monday night.
Both Kueter and redshirt freshman Bradley Hill were listed on the pre-dual lineup sheet, but the two-sport athlete got the nod.
“Yeah, it was pretty tough to sit around all day and kind of just waiting for this,” Kueter said. “But it’s just been something you dream of. I’ve been dreaming of it [since] I was a kid. It’s pretty surreal, but I just wanted to make sure I was focused on wrestling and not all the distractions.”
When Kueter ran out of the tunnel, the Hawkeye faithful sprang to their feet and gave the night’s loudest applause.
“When [the crowd] gave [Kueter] that standing [ovation] right when he walked out, I got goosebumps,” Iowa 125-pounder Drake Ayala said.
141-pounder Real Woods added that seeing Kueter get that love is awesome and “well deserved.”
Not only were Iowa fans cheering the heavyweight on, but Kueter also had some of his football teammates in attendance, including running back Max White.
Kueter earned a 5-3 decision win over No. 29 Bennett Tabor but felt like he left some points on the table.
“I think there were a lot of people out in those seats that were happy to see Kueter go out and get the win,” head coach Tom Brands said. “I think everybody was happy about it except Kueter. He didn’t like how he performed, and we’re moving forward, and I like that. Never satisfied.”
Kueter scored a takedown in the first period to gain an early 3-1 lead, but an escape from Tabot and a quiet second from Kueter brought the match to 3-2.
Kueter scored an escape in the third after starting in the bottom position to make it 5-3. Tabor shot a couple of takedowns, eyeing a win, but Kueter defended them. The two scrambled in the closing seconds of the third, and with no wrestler in a dominant position, Kueter drained the clock to earn the victory and put a bow on his Carver debut.
Kueter said he was disappointed because he knew what his opponent liked to do and didn’t stop it. He expects those mistakes to shrink with more practice, adding he’s only been wrestling consistently for around two weeks now that the football season is over and he is still getting into wrestling shape.
“I know my lungs were there. I could’ve kept wrestling,” Kueter said. “Physically, I just need to kind of tire myself out more in practice.”
Kueter added that Tabor stopped him from doing what he wanted to do during the match but said that’s part of the sport, and he’s got to “keep going.”
Kueter said it could be good that he underperformed by his standards because it means he has plenty of things to improve upon. He was glad he got the win but wanted to put on a better show for the fans.
“I know what I need to do. My coaches know what I need to do. I know I’m in the right place to do that,” Kueter said. “Looking forward to it. It’s good to get it out of the way, and [it’s] exciting.”
