Thousands of Iowa wrestling fans gathered inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena last Saturday afternoon for a grudge match between two top-20 teams in the nation — No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 20 Stanford.
After the Hawkeyes lost the first two matches to open up the dual against the Cardinals, Iowa fans were anxiously squirming in their seats.
But the Hawkeyes quickly bounced back with a trifecta of dominant victories, including two master-class showings from No. 4 Kyle Parco and No. 1 Jacori Teemer, both transfers from Arizona State.
Then came North Dakota State transfer Michael Caliendo, who entered his Iowa career fresh off a fourth-place finish in the NCAA championships last season.
If fans were looking for a “no-sweat” victory from Caliendo, then they were greatly mistaken.
Caliendo went down 9-2 after the first period against No. 7 Hunter Garvin, further worrying Hawkeye fans, as a Stanford victory would put it right back in the match.
Garvin jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after recording a takedown in the first 15 seconds of the first period and rolled this momentum throughout the first period.
While the score was projecting a decisive win in favor of Garvin, Caliendo had his opponent at the right spot, knowing he could make his move at any point in the match.
“You could take me down three times — I’m going to take you down four, five, six times,” Caliendo said. “I know that no one can hold me down, so all I’m thinking about is the next scoring opportunity. That’s really all there is to us.”
Caliendo was in dire need of something positive and knew the significance of having a sound second period. After a few minutes of scouting Garvin’s moves, Caliendo recorded a crafty escape with 1:47 left in the second period to generate some momentum.
Then, in the final minute, Caliendo found his scoring opportunity, recording two takedowns on Garvin and bringing the Hawkeye to its feet with his resilience.
“I just got back to my feet and get back on my offense,” Caliendo said. “I was a little sloppy at the beginning. I just made him pay for it, started wearing him down, and got to my offense.”
Caliendo’s second period push brought the score to a tightly contested 10-9 match, with Garvin holding on to a slim lead heading into the final frame.
When asked for his advice when trailing in an intense match after the dual, Caleindo gave a simple answer.
“You just have to be confident in yourself, and I’ve been in a hole like that before,” said Caliendo. “And I’ve bailed my way out of it. There’s just no point in the match where I’m scared.”
This confidence was apparent in the third period, where Caliendo outscored Garvin, 8-2, in the frame, resulting in a 17-12 victory via decision. It also sparked the rest of the Iowa squad, who went on to claim a 32-9 dual triumph.
“I know when that guy breaks, and I know when I’m able to have my way with him,” Caliendo said. “And I think everyone saw after those last takedowns. He’s lying facedown on the mat, and I just took away his will to fight.”
Iowa head coach Tom Brands was pleased with Caliendo’s grit and determination on the mat.
“No matter what your situation is, just don’t let the clock tick down,” Brands said. “You get back in it now. You just put yourself in positions that favor you. And sometimes, if you’re not in a position that favors you, a little bit of hustle can really make it swing your way.”
Fans will be eager to see Caliendo return to the mat as the Hawkeyes get set to take on in-state rival Iowa State on Nov. 23. The dual is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. and will be live-streamed on Big Ten Plus.