After a crushing win over Wisconsin in Madison on Sunday, the No. 2 Iowa men’s wrestling team walks into its toughest test of the season thus far in No. 9 Illinois.
Now an undefeated 7-0, the Hawkeyes are just hanging onto the second spot in the team rankings behind Penn State. Their 379 points lead No. 3 Oklahoma State’s 373, making every match and every point crucial as Big Ten play continues.
But Iowa looked its strongest yet this season as it stormed Wisconsin, 45-0, inside the Wisconsin Field House in Madison on Sunday. There, the heavier weights shined, headlined by No. 5 184-pounder Gabe Arnold pinning Dylan Russo in just over a minute and No. 1 197-pounder Stephen Buchanan doing the same with Niccolo Colucci in 40 seconds.
“I’ve been wanting [a pin] all season, so I got one, so [it’s a] big deal,” Arnold said. “I just like to put up points. If a pin is there, I’ll take it. If not, then I’ll resort to my bread and butter — putting it on guys, finding the tags, finding ways to win matches.”
And before Arnold, Iowa’s No. 2 165-pounder Michael Caliendo tossed Gavin Model around into a 21-6 technical fall. Then No. 5 174-pounder Patrick Kennedy dominated Luke Condon like each of his opponents this season in a 19-4 technical fall too.
But more importantly, the win gave head coach Tom Brands some fresh insight into what a consistent lineup could be as his lighter weights have switched up starters frequently.
For example, Joey Cruz — now ranked 28th at 125 pounds — upset No. 18 Nicolar Rivera, 8-2. At 141 pounds, Jace Rhodes stepped in to best Brock Bobzien in a 6-3 decision.
“If I win or lose today, it wouldn’t change what’s going to happen tomorrow,” Rhodes said. “We’ve still got to go in, and we’ve still got to get better.”
Upset alert
In a quick turnaround, the Hawkeyes now have their toughest test yet in No. 9 Illinois at 6.p.m. on Friday inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Iowa won the last 12 meetings between the two schools. And the last time they met as top-10 teams was Jan. 31, 2021, in which No. 1 Iowa won, 36-6, in Iowa City with one of its strongest lineups ever.
This time around, the Illini bring a huge test for the foundation of this team with ranked matchup after ranked matchup.
The highlight of the night will come early, No. 2 Lucas Byrd an undefeated 11-0 gunning for No. 3 Drake Ayala at 133 pounds.
And while No. 21 Ryder Block is back in the probable lineup at 141 pounds, he’s still listed alongside Rhodes and Cullan Schriever. After the trip to Wisconsin, don’t be surprised if Rhodes still gets the nod — especially if the Hawkeyes lead after two matches.
“It’s good to get a Big Ten win,” Rhodes said. “Obviously, I haven’t been in a situation like that before, but it’s still the same thing. There’s a lot to work on, lots to get better at, and keep moving forward.”
No. 3 149-pounder Kyle Parco will see Illinois’ No. 15 Kannon Webster. And Iowa’s Miguel Estrada will see No. 22 Jason Kraisser at 157 pounds, the former in place of the still-injured No. 1 Jacori Teemer.
While Caliendo should make good work of No. 15 Braeden Scoles at 165 pounds, Kennedy will see his biggest test yet this season in No. 19 Danny Braunagel. Likewise, Arnold at 184 pounds is set for No. 13 Edmond Ruther — although he’s still listed beside freshman Angelo Ferrari who could get the nod.
“If I can get quick pins like that for the rest of the year, that’d be awesome,” Arnold said. “That’s the type of wrestling I want to do. Heck, I want to be off the mat in 10 seconds … If possible, that’s what I want to do every single time.”
The Illini will bring another ranked wrestler in No. 13 Zac Braunagel for Buchanan at 197 pounds, but the sleeper match of the night comes at 285 pounds right after. Illinois’ No. 11 Luke Luffman will see Iowa’s No. 13 Ben Kueter — who hasn’t been too dominant lately, so this is his chance to prove himself in a big ranked opportunity.
Evidently, although the Hawkeyes are mostly favored, there’s a lot of room for upsets, meaning each weight class will need to dial in and execute to survive to 8-0.
“We’ve just got to get a little bit more seasoned — and the thing that we’ve been talking about: we’ve got to get matches,” Brands said after the Wisconsin dual. “We’re getting matches, and then we’ve got to improve. We’ve got to work hard in that practice room. We’ve got Illinois coming to town in five days, so that’s where we’re at.”