15-0! No. 1 Hawkeyes blaze to fast start at Big Tens; Penn State in 2nd
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by Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
Iowa's Matt McDonough pins Michigan State's Brenan Lyon in the first round. Photo by Darren Miller, University of Iowa.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Iowa Hawkeyes made it through the first session of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships with a goose egg in the loss column.
The No. 1 Hawkeyes steamrolled through the first session of the two-day event, compiling a perfect 15-0 record on Saturday at the University of Michigan's Crisler Arena.
All 10 Hawkeyes have advanced to Saturday night's semifinals. Iowa is seeking its third straight Big Ten title and 34th overall.
Iowa has a commanding lead with 93 points. Penn State is a distant second with 59 points and seven in the semifinals. Minnesota is third with 56.5 points, followed by Wisconsin (47.5) and Ohio State (46). Minnesota has six in the semis while Wisconsin and Ohio State have four each.
"We're in a good spot right now, and we need to keep it going," Iowa coach Tom Brands said. "We have 10 matches tonight. We're 15-for-15. The next step is to go 10-for-10, one match at a time."
The fast start was not exactly a surprise since the Hawkeyes were favored in all 15 bouts in the opening session, and Brands said he talked to his team Friday night about starting the tournament 15-0.
"We had some close matches, and there were some points left on the mat," Brands said. "But when you win 15 in a row, you're doing something right. I saw some good things."
The second session is set for 6 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday. The semifinals will begin at approximately 7 p.m. The finals are scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday.
The Big Ten has secured at least 56 qualifiers for the NCAA Championships, set for March 18-20 in Omaha, Neb. An additional 46 overall at-large qualifiers, among all Division I teams, will be named March 10.
Iowa's 93 points are more than it scored in the 2006 Big Tens in the year before Tom Brands took over the Hawkeye program.
Three wrestlers - Indiana's Angel Escobedo (125), Michigan State's Franklin Gomez (133) and Iowa's Brent Metcalf (149) - moved within two wins of becoming three-time league champions. Wisconsin's Andrew Howe (165) and Iowa's Dan Erekson (285) are looking to repeat as Big Ten champions.
Gomez and Metcalf are past NCAA champions. 2008 NCAA champion Mike Pucillo of Ohio State reached the semifinals at 184.
Two-time Big Ten champion and 2006 NCAA champion Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota weighed in, but did not compete because of an injury. He is expected to earn an at-large NCAA selection at 157 pounds.
Schlatter made the U.S. World Team in freestyle wrestling in 2009.
No. 5 seed Ryan Prater of Illinois reportedly did not make weight at 141.
SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS
125 pounds
No. 1 Angel Escobedo (Indiana) vs. No. 4 Brad Pataky (Penn State)
No. 3 Zach Sanders (Minnesota) vs. No. 3 Matt McDonough (Iowa)
133 Pounds
No. 1 Jayson Ness (Minnesota) vs. No. 4 Tyler Graff (Wisconsin)
No. 3 Franklin Gomez (Michigan State) vs. No. 2 Daniel Dennis (Iowa)
141 Pounds
No. 1 Reece Humphrey (Ohio State) vs. No. 4 Adam Lynch (Penn State)
No. 3 Montell Marion (Iowa) vs. No. 2 Mike Thorn (Minnesota)
149 Pounds
No. 1 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) vs. No. 4 Frank Molinaro (Penn State)
No. 3 Kyle Ruschell (Wisconsin) vs. No. 2 Lance Palmer (Ohio State)
157 Pounds
No. 1 Colton Salazar (Purdue) vs. No. 4 Jake Kerr (Iowa)
Anthony Jones (Michigan State) vs. No. 2 Cyler Sanderson (Penn State)
165 Pounds
No. 1 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) vs. No. 4 Dan Vallimont (Penn State)
No. 3 Colt Sponseller (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Ryan Morningstar (Iowa)
174 Pounds
No. 1 Jay Borschel (Iowa) vs. No. 5 Jordan Blanton (Illinois)
No. 3 Scott Glasser (Minnesota) vs. No. 7 Ian Hinton (Michigan State)
184 Pounds
No. 1 John Dergo (Illinois) vs. No. 4 Mike Pucillo (Ohio State)
No. 3 Phil Keddy (Iowa) vs. No. 2 Dave Erwin (Penn State)
197 Pounds
No. 1 Chad Beatty (Iowa) vs. No. 5 Sonny Yohn (Minnesota)
No. 3 Anthony Biondo (Michigan) vs. No. 2 Trevor Brandvold (Wisconsin)
285 Pounds
No. 1 Nathan Everhart (Indiana) vs. No. 4 Ben Berhow (Minnesota)
No. 3 Cameron Wade (Penn State) vs. No. 2 Dan Erekson (Iowa)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Iowa Hawkeyes made it through the first session of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships with a goose egg in the loss column.
The No. 1 Hawkeyes steamrolled through the first session of the two-day event, compiling a perfect 15-0 record on Saturday at the University of Michigan's Crisler Arena.
All 10 Hawkeyes have advanced to Saturday night's semifinals. Iowa is seeking its third straight Big Ten title and 34th overall.
Iowa has a commanding lead with 93 points. Penn State is a distant second with 59 points and seven in the semifinals. Minnesota is third with 56.5 points, followed by Wisconsin (47.5) and Ohio State (46). Minnesota has six in the semis while Wisconsin and Ohio State have four each.
"We're in a good spot right now, and we need to keep it going," Iowa coach Tom Brands said. "We have 10 matches tonight. We're 15-for-15. The next step is to go 10-for-10, one match at a time."
The fast start was not exactly a surprise since the Hawkeyes were favored in all 15 bouts in the opening session, and Brands said he talked to his team Friday night about starting the tournament 15-0.
"We had some close matches, and there were some points left on the mat," Brands said. "But when you win 15 in a row, you're doing something right. I saw some good things."
The second session is set for 6 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday. The semifinals will begin at approximately 7 p.m. The finals are scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday.
The Big Ten has secured at least 56 qualifiers for the NCAA Championships, set for March 18-20 in Omaha, Neb. An additional 46 overall at-large qualifiers, among all Division I teams, will be named March 10.
Iowa's 93 points are more than it scored in the 2006 Big Tens in the year before Tom Brands took over the Hawkeye program.
Three wrestlers - Indiana's Angel Escobedo (125), Michigan State's Franklin Gomez (133) and Iowa's Brent Metcalf (149) - moved within two wins of becoming three-time league champions. Wisconsin's Andrew Howe (165) and Iowa's Dan Erekson (285) are looking to repeat as Big Ten champions.
Gomez and Metcalf are past NCAA champions. 2008 NCAA champion Mike Pucillo of Ohio State reached the semifinals at 184.
Two-time Big Ten champion and 2006 NCAA champion Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota weighed in, but did not compete because of an injury. He is expected to earn an at-large NCAA selection at 157 pounds.
Schlatter made the U.S. World Team in freestyle wrestling in 2009.
No. 5 seed Ryan Prater of Illinois reportedly did not make weight at 141.
SEMIFINAL MATCHUPS
125 pounds
No. 1 Angel Escobedo (Indiana) vs. No. 4 Brad Pataky (Penn State)
No. 3 Zach Sanders (Minnesota) vs. No. 3 Matt McDonough (Iowa)
133 Pounds
No. 1 Jayson Ness (Minnesota) vs. No. 4 Tyler Graff (Wisconsin)
No. 3 Franklin Gomez (Michigan State) vs. No. 2 Daniel Dennis (Iowa)
141 Pounds
No. 1 Reece Humphrey (Ohio State) vs. No. 4 Adam Lynch (Penn State)
No. 3 Montell Marion (Iowa) vs. No. 2 Mike Thorn (Minnesota)
149 Pounds
No. 1 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) vs. No. 4 Frank Molinaro (Penn State)
No. 3 Kyle Ruschell (Wisconsin) vs. No. 2 Lance Palmer (Ohio State)
157 Pounds
No. 1 Colton Salazar (Purdue) vs. No. 4 Jake Kerr (Iowa)
Anthony Jones (Michigan State) vs. No. 2 Cyler Sanderson (Penn State)
165 Pounds
No. 1 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) vs. No. 4 Dan Vallimont (Penn State)
No. 3 Colt Sponseller (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Ryan Morningstar (Iowa)
174 Pounds
No. 1 Jay Borschel (Iowa) vs. No. 5 Jordan Blanton (Illinois)
No. 3 Scott Glasser (Minnesota) vs. No. 7 Ian Hinton (Michigan State)
184 Pounds
No. 1 John Dergo (Illinois) vs. No. 4 Mike Pucillo (Ohio State)
No. 3 Phil Keddy (Iowa) vs. No. 2 Dave Erwin (Penn State)
197 Pounds
No. 1 Chad Beatty (Iowa) vs. No. 5 Sonny Yohn (Minnesota)
No. 3 Anthony Biondo (Michigan) vs. No. 2 Trevor Brandvold (Wisconsin)
285 Pounds
No. 1 Nathan Everhart (Indiana) vs. No. 4 Ben Berhow (Minnesota)
No. 3 Cameron Wade (Penn State) vs. No. 2 Dan Erekson (Iowa)
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