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The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Live updates | Two Iowa men’s wrestlers compete in semifinals of NCAA Championships

Drake Ayala at 125 and Michael Caliendo at 165 pounds are the remaining Hawkeyes in the championship bracket
Iowa+head+coach+Tom+Brands+and+assistant+coach+Ryan+Morningstar+applaud+Iowa+165-pound+Mike+Caliendo+during+the+third+session+of+the+NCAA+men%E2%80%99s+wrestling+championships+at+T-Mobile+Center+in+Kansas+City%2C+Missouri%2C+on+Friday%2C+March+22%2C+2024.
Cody Blissett
Iowa head coach Tom Brands and assistant coach Ryan Morningstar applaud Iowa 165-pound Mike Caliendo during the third session of the NCAA men’s wrestling championships at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, on Friday, March 22, 2024.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Session IV of the NCAA Championships will begin at 7 p.m. at the T-Mobile Center.

Two Hawkeyes are alive in the championship bracket — Drake Ayala at 125 pounds and Michael Caliendo at 165. Iowa has had at least one NCAA finalist since 1990. Four Hawkeyes are alive in the consolation bracket: Brody Teske at 133, Real Woods at 141, Jared Franek at 157, and Patrick Kennedy at 174. All can finish as high as third.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Team standings heading into semifinals

1 Penn State, 86.5 (six advanced to semis)

2 Michigan, 50.5 (four advanced to semis)

3 Arizona State, 44.5 (four advanced to semis)

4 Iowa State, 42.0 (two advanced to semis)

5 Iowa, 41.5 (two advanced to semis)

Semifinal matchups 

125 Pounds: N0. 3 Drake Ayala (UI) vs No. 10 Eric Barnett (WIS)

Period 1: Takedown for Ayala after a review. He leads 3-0.

Period 2: Barnett starts down and scores an escape to make it 3-1.

Period 3: Neutral start; Ayala shoots a takedown but can’t finish. Stall on Ayala makes it 3-2.

Ayala wins it 3-2 and keeps Iowa’s NCAA finalist streak alive.

165 pounds: No. 6 Michael Caliendo (UI) vs No. 2 Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU)

Period 1: Mesenbrink shoots early, but Caliendo holds him off. Takedown for Caliendo to open the scoring at 3-0. Mesenbrink escapes and makes it 3-1. Takedown for Mesenbrink to take a 4-3 lead, Caliendo quickly escapes to tie it at four.

Period 2: Caliendo starts down and escapes for a 5-4 lead, but Mesenbrink takes him down for a 7-5 lead. Caliendo escapes again for a 7-6 score. Another takedown for Mesenbrink makes it 10-6, and a third escape for Caliendo makes it 10-7 after two.

Period 3: Mesenbrink starts down, Caliendo lets him up to make it 11-7. Mesenbrink scores his fourth takedown to make it 14-7. Caliendo escapes 14-8. A fifth Mesenbrink takedown makes it 17-8. Caliendo escapes for the last time and loses 17-9.

Caliendo moves to the consolation bracket and can place as high as third.

Consolation round 5 matchups 

141 Pounds: No. 3 Real Woods (UI) vs No. 26  Vance Vombaur (MINN)

Period 1: Woods takes a 3-0 lead after an early takedown. Woods rides him out for the rest of the period.

Period 2: Vombaur starts down and escapes, making it 3-1.

Period 3: Woods starts down and escapes and quickly follows that up with a takedown for a 7-1 lead. Woods scores a three-point near fall before Vombaur scores an escape to make it 10-2. Woods wins 11-2 with riding time.

157 Pounds: No. 10 Jared Franek (UI) vs No. 3 Meyer Shapiro (COR)

Franek loses, 11-2. He will face Nebraska’s Peyton Robb for seventh place tomorrow.

Consolation Round 4 matchups 

133 Pounds: No. 15 Brody Teske (UI) vs No. 4 Dylan Shawver (RUT)

Period 1: Takedown for Teske to take a 3-0 lead.

Period 2: Teske starts down, and Shawver rides him out.

Period 3: Takedown for Shawver ties it up at three. Two point near fall for Shawver, who wins the match 6-3 after a bonus point for riding time.

141 Pounds: No. 3 Real Woods (UI) vs No. 7 Cael Happel (UNI)

Period 1: Woods scores a takedown, but Happel escapes to make it 3-1.

Period 2: Woods starts down and scores an escape for a 4-1 lead.

Period 3; Happel Starts down and scores an escape to make it 4-2. The two share takedown attempts, but neither wrestler can finish. Woods wins 5-2 with a bonus point for riding time.

157 Pounds: No. 10 Jared Franek (UI) vs No. 5 Ryder Downey (UNI)

Period 1: Franek shoots a takedown but can’t finish it. Scoreless after one.

Period 2: Downey starts down and escapes to take a 1-0 lead. Franek scores a takedown and gains a 3-1 advantage. Downey escapes again, making it 3-2.

Period 3: Franek starts down and immediately escapes for a 4-2 advantage. Franek holds off Downey’s takedown attempts and wins 4-2.

174 Pounds: No. 12 Patrick Kennedy (UI) vs No. 1 Mekhi Lewis (VT)

Period 1: An early takedown for Kennedy gives him a 3-0 lead. Lewis escapes and makes it 3-1.

Period 2: Lewis starts down and escapes within 10 seconds, making it 3-2 for Kennedy.

Period 3: Neutral start. Lewis scores a takedown and takes a 5-3 lead. Kennedy scores an escape and closes the gap to one point. Kennedy shoots a takedown late, but Lewis holds him and wins 5-4.

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About the Contributors
Isaac Elzinga
Isaac Elzinga, Sports Reporter
(he/him/his)
Isaac Elzinga is a junior at the University of Iowa majoring in Journalism and Mass communication. This is his first year working at The Daily Iowan; he also works as a producer for 1600 ESPN a sports radio station in Cedar Rapids.
Cody Blissett
Cody Blissett, Visuals Editor
he/him/his
Cody Blissett is a visual editor at The Daily Iowan. He is a third year student at the University of Iowa studying cinema and screenwriting. This is his first year working for The Daily Iowan.