It was the final dual meet inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena for several Iowa wrestlers on Sunday.
Headlined by Brody Teske and Real Woods, the Hawkeyes rebounded from back-to-back losses and defeated Wisconsin, 34-7.
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“This team is full of men who know how to fight through adversity,” Woods said. “Adversity catapults people like us. It doesn’t bring us down.”
Iowa lost the first match of the dual, but Teske got the Hawkeyes on the board with a 19-4 tech fall over Nicolar Rivera. Teske had five takedowns in the match, tying the number of takedowns Iowa had against top-ranked Penn State.
Teske has been in and out of the Hawkeyes’ lineup this year but said he’s always ready to go. The 133-pounder still plans on being the guy in March and climbing the podium.
Woods followed up Teske’s dominant performance with a pin in 4:37 against Felix Lettini, blowing kisses to the crowd as he walked back to the tunnel. It was Woods’ 10th career fall and third at Iowa. The win was a “spiritual” boost for Woods, who was coming off back-to-back losses.
”It might have meant more than people realize because I don’t consider myself a pinner too much,” Woods said. “I tend to get a lot more tech falls, so I kind of made it a point to try and get that pin.”
Both Teske and Woods haven’t spent their entire collegiate careers as Hawkeyes but don’t take for granted the experience that comes with wrestling in “the house Dan Gable built.”
“I’ve talked about this over and over, but the coaches, teammates, fans, and everyone around the community here is amazing,” Woods said of his time at Iowa. “They’ve all shown me nothing but love, and I just hope that they understand how much gratitude I have for them.”
Woods added he’ll never forget the fulfillment he received from performing in front of people who love and support him.
“Wrestling in the state of Iowa, there’s nothing like it,” Teske said. “To wrestle here today and finish off the career here, it’s pretty special.”
Another senior who was recognized was 157-pounder Jared Franek, who ended his time in Carver with an 18-4 victory. It was the second-most points Franek has scored in a dual match this season.
Head coach Tom Brands said he isn’t a big fan of Senior Day because there is still plenty of wrestling left to go, but he didn’t downplay how important it is to recognize the veteran leaders on the team.
Sunday’s Senior Day was particularly unique because of the adversity the Hawkeyes have faced since May 2023 involving the sports gambling probe. Heavyweight Tony Cassioppi and 184-pounder Abe Assad, who were both suspended for sports wagering, were among the seniors recognized. Iowa’s pre-dual notes mentioned Nelson Brands, Cobe Siebrecht, and Zach Glazier would be recognized for Senior Day, but they were not. This may mean they’re not completely ruled out to return next season.
“It’s just really, really unfortunate that that’s the way it went down with those guys,” Brands said. “It shouldn’t have happened, we all know that.”
Iowa only has one dual meet left before the postseason – a marquee matchup with undefeated Oklahoma State on Feb. 25. The Hawkeyes defeated the Cowboys, 28-7, last season and have won seven of the last 10 meetings.
“I think [Oklahoma State] has re-identified themselves in the way they wanted to,” Brands said. “So it’s going to be two pretty powerful historic programs going at it.”