Iowa, Penn State set to battle before sellout crowd of 15,000-plus fans
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by Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
Olympic gold medalists Tom Brands (left) and Cael Sanderson will lead their teams into the big Iowa-Penn State dual on Sunday. USAW file photos.
The teams have combined to capture the last seven NCAA championships.
And the last seven Big Ten Conference tournament titles.
So expect another great battle when the No. 1 Iowa Hawkeyes tangle with the No. 5 Penn State Nittany Lions this weekend.
Iowa won three straight national titles from 2008-10 before Penn State captured the last four from 2011-14.
“I've always enjoyed competing against Iowa just because they are a great competitor and have a very strong program and have had a ton of success,” Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said. “It's definitely something to look forward to and prepare for.”
The dual is set for 1 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday at Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center. It will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.
“It’s another big test on the road,” Iowa coach Tom Brands said. “Everybody talks about Penn State might be a little bit down here or there, but we’ve got to be ready for them for sure. We have to be ready for a battle, and make a statement and put on a show.”
A sold-out crowd will be on hand as the Nittany Lions will have an opportunity to break their own national attendance record at the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State set an NCAA single-dual attendance record on Dec. 8, 2013 with 15,996 fans against Pittsburgh.
The Hawkeyes already own key Big Ten road wins this season at No. 7 Ohio State and at No. 2 Minnesota, in addition to a road victory over perennial power Oklahoma State.
Iowa has been ranked No. 1 all season while Penn State has remained very strong despite seeing superstars Ed Ruth and David Taylor complete their careers after the impressive four-year title run. The Nittany Lions are also redshirting All-Americans Nico Megaludis and Zain Retherford this season.
The Hawkeyes have a deep and experienced lineup despite the departure of 2014 NCAA champion Tony Ramos and 2013 NCAA champion Derek St. John from last season’s team after they completed their eligibility.
There are a number of intriguing matchups, particularly at 125, 133, 157, 174, 197 and 285 pounds.
The 125 bout will match Junior World bronze medalist Thomas Gilman of Iowa against PSU’s Jordan Conaway. Gilman is ranked fifth nationally and Conaway eighth.
Penn State’s Jimmy Gulibon will battle Iowa’s Cory Clark at 133. Gulibon defeated Clark twice in 2012 in a pair of high school all-star duals. Both wrestlers are ranked as high as No. 3 nationally.
“I need to go out there and be ready to go from start to finish,” Clark said. “I’ve got a good chunk of the season left to improve and get what I want.”
Another key bout could come at 157 with Penn State All-American Dylan Alton facing Iowa’s Mike Kelly. Alton has been in an out of the PSU lineup while battling shoulder injuries the last couple of seasons. Kelly led nearly the entire match before dropping an 11-9 decision to No. 1 Dylan Ness of Minnesota last week.
The matchup at 174 is a battle of senior All-Americans and long-time rivals Mike Evans of Iowa and Matt Brown of Penn State. Evans is unbeaten and ranked second. Brown, a 2013 NCAA runner-up, is ranked third.
Brown beat Evans 6-3 in the fifth-place match at the 2014 NCAA tournament. Evans defeated Brown 3-2 in the 2014 Big Ten semifinals. Brown downed Evans 4-1 in last season’s dual meet.
“We’re wrestling better and getting better every match, and that’s something positive for us,” Brown said. “Every match we’re improving. We need every guy in our lineup to step up and perform for us.”
Two familiar foes will square off at 197 with All-Americans Morgan McIntosh of Penn State and Iowa’s Nathan Burak slated to meet. McIntosh beat Burak 3-1 in the seventh-place bout at the 2014 NCAAs and 3-2 in overtime in the 2014 Big Ten semifinals. Both are listed as high as fourth in the national rankings.
Second-ranked Iowa heavyweight Bobby Telford, a two-time All-American, is scheduled to face either Jimmy Lawson or Jon Gingrich. Both PSU heavyweights are in the top 10 in at least one national ranking.
Telford said he recalled a hostile environment when Iowa wrestled at Penn State two years ago.
“You don’t have any responsibilities when you show up to someone else’s party,” Telford said. “You just go in there, you have fun, trash the place, do what you want, say what you want and get out.”
The Hawkeyes have won five of the last seven meetings, but Penn State won the most recent meeting 24-12 last year in Iowa City.
“I’m pumped, I’m real excited,” said Penn State 141-pounder Kade Moss. “I know we’re going to fill up the arena – we have great fans. It’s going to be loud and a lot of fun. We have nothing to lose. We’re going to go out and wrestle hard.”
Iowa will wrestle at Big Ten newcomer Maryland on Friday before heading to State College for Sunday’s big dual.
With a weekend sweep, Iowa will clinch at least a share of the Big Ten Conference regular-season title for the seventh time in eight seasons.
IOWA-PENN STATE LINEUPS
#1 IOWA HAWKEYES (11-0, 6-0 BIG TEN)
Wt. Rank Name Yr. Hometown/High School Record
125 5/5/5 Thomas Gilman So. Council Bluffs, Iowa/Omaha Skutt Catholic 20-1
133 3/4/7 Cory Clark So. Pleasant Hill, Iowa/SE Polk 16-3
141 6/8/10 Josh Dziewa Sr. Yardley, Pa./Council Rock 18-5
149 2/3/2 Brandon Sorensen Fr. Cedar Falls, Iowa/Denver 25-2
157 14/12/8 Michael Kelly Sr. Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls 17-4
165 7/10/9 Nick Moore Sr. Iowa City, Iowa/West 15-4
174 2/2/2 Mike Evans Sr. Enola, Pa./Blair Academy 19-0
184 8/8/7 Sammy Brooks So. Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest 19-2
197 6/4/4 Nathan Burak Jr. Colorado Springs, Colo./Coronado 13-1
285 2/4/4 Bobby Telford Sr. Hockessin, Del./St. Mark’s 19-1
#5 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (10-2, 6-2 BIG TEN)
Wt. Rank Name Yr. Hometown/High School Record
125 8/11/8 Jordan Conaway Jr. Abbottstown, Pa./New Oxford 19-3
133 7/9/3 Jimmy Gulibon So. Latrobe, Pa./Derry Area 17-4
141 Kade Moss Fr. South Jordan, Utah/Bingham 17-11
149 18/12/11 Zack Beitz So. Mifflintown, Pa./Juniata 13-6
157 8/8/7 Dylan Alton Sr. Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain 8-3
157 Cody Law Fr. Windber, Pa./Forest Hills 13-7
165 Garett Hammond Fr. Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg 19-8
174 3/3/3 Matt Brown Sr. West Valley City, Utah/Cyprus 19-2
184 17/--/16 Matt McCutcheon Fr. Apollo, Pa./Kiski Area 20-9
197 4/6/6 Morgan McIntosh Jr. Santa Ana, Calif./Calvary Chapel 20-2
285 6/7/-- Jimmy Lawson Sr. Toms River, N.J./Manchester Township 11-0
285 --/--/7 Jon Gingrich Sr. Wingate, Pa./Bald Eagle Area 13-2
The teams have combined to capture the last seven NCAA championships.
And the last seven Big Ten Conference tournament titles.
So expect another great battle when the No. 1 Iowa Hawkeyes tangle with the No. 5 Penn State Nittany Lions this weekend.
Iowa won three straight national titles from 2008-10 before Penn State captured the last four from 2011-14.
“I've always enjoyed competing against Iowa just because they are a great competitor and have a very strong program and have had a ton of success,” Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said. “It's definitely something to look forward to and prepare for.”
The dual is set for 1 p.m. Eastern Time on Sunday at Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center. It will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.
“It’s another big test on the road,” Iowa coach Tom Brands said. “Everybody talks about Penn State might be a little bit down here or there, but we’ve got to be ready for them for sure. We have to be ready for a battle, and make a statement and put on a show.”
A sold-out crowd will be on hand as the Nittany Lions will have an opportunity to break their own national attendance record at the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State set an NCAA single-dual attendance record on Dec. 8, 2013 with 15,996 fans against Pittsburgh.
The Hawkeyes already own key Big Ten road wins this season at No. 7 Ohio State and at No. 2 Minnesota, in addition to a road victory over perennial power Oklahoma State.
Iowa has been ranked No. 1 all season while Penn State has remained very strong despite seeing superstars Ed Ruth and David Taylor complete their careers after the impressive four-year title run. The Nittany Lions are also redshirting All-Americans Nico Megaludis and Zain Retherford this season.
The Hawkeyes have a deep and experienced lineup despite the departure of 2014 NCAA champion Tony Ramos and 2013 NCAA champion Derek St. John from last season’s team after they completed their eligibility.
There are a number of intriguing matchups, particularly at 125, 133, 157, 174, 197 and 285 pounds.
The 125 bout will match Junior World bronze medalist Thomas Gilman of Iowa against PSU’s Jordan Conaway. Gilman is ranked fifth nationally and Conaway eighth.
Penn State’s Jimmy Gulibon will battle Iowa’s Cory Clark at 133. Gulibon defeated Clark twice in 2012 in a pair of high school all-star duals. Both wrestlers are ranked as high as No. 3 nationally.
“I need to go out there and be ready to go from start to finish,” Clark said. “I’ve got a good chunk of the season left to improve and get what I want.”
Another key bout could come at 157 with Penn State All-American Dylan Alton facing Iowa’s Mike Kelly. Alton has been in an out of the PSU lineup while battling shoulder injuries the last couple of seasons. Kelly led nearly the entire match before dropping an 11-9 decision to No. 1 Dylan Ness of Minnesota last week.
The matchup at 174 is a battle of senior All-Americans and long-time rivals Mike Evans of Iowa and Matt Brown of Penn State. Evans is unbeaten and ranked second. Brown, a 2013 NCAA runner-up, is ranked third.
Brown beat Evans 6-3 in the fifth-place match at the 2014 NCAA tournament. Evans defeated Brown 3-2 in the 2014 Big Ten semifinals. Brown downed Evans 4-1 in last season’s dual meet.
“We’re wrestling better and getting better every match, and that’s something positive for us,” Brown said. “Every match we’re improving. We need every guy in our lineup to step up and perform for us.”
Two familiar foes will square off at 197 with All-Americans Morgan McIntosh of Penn State and Iowa’s Nathan Burak slated to meet. McIntosh beat Burak 3-1 in the seventh-place bout at the 2014 NCAAs and 3-2 in overtime in the 2014 Big Ten semifinals. Both are listed as high as fourth in the national rankings.
Second-ranked Iowa heavyweight Bobby Telford, a two-time All-American, is scheduled to face either Jimmy Lawson or Jon Gingrich. Both PSU heavyweights are in the top 10 in at least one national ranking.
Telford said he recalled a hostile environment when Iowa wrestled at Penn State two years ago.
“You don’t have any responsibilities when you show up to someone else’s party,” Telford said. “You just go in there, you have fun, trash the place, do what you want, say what you want and get out.”
The Hawkeyes have won five of the last seven meetings, but Penn State won the most recent meeting 24-12 last year in Iowa City.
“I’m pumped, I’m real excited,” said Penn State 141-pounder Kade Moss. “I know we’re going to fill up the arena – we have great fans. It’s going to be loud and a lot of fun. We have nothing to lose. We’re going to go out and wrestle hard.”
Iowa will wrestle at Big Ten newcomer Maryland on Friday before heading to State College for Sunday’s big dual.
With a weekend sweep, Iowa will clinch at least a share of the Big Ten Conference regular-season title for the seventh time in eight seasons.
IOWA-PENN STATE LINEUPS
#1 IOWA HAWKEYES (11-0, 6-0 BIG TEN)
Wt. Rank Name Yr. Hometown/High School Record
125 5/5/5 Thomas Gilman So. Council Bluffs, Iowa/Omaha Skutt Catholic 20-1
133 3/4/7 Cory Clark So. Pleasant Hill, Iowa/SE Polk 16-3
141 6/8/10 Josh Dziewa Sr. Yardley, Pa./Council Rock 18-5
149 2/3/2 Brandon Sorensen Fr. Cedar Falls, Iowa/Denver 25-2
157 14/12/8 Michael Kelly Sr. Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls 17-4
165 7/10/9 Nick Moore Sr. Iowa City, Iowa/West 15-4
174 2/2/2 Mike Evans Sr. Enola, Pa./Blair Academy 19-0
184 8/8/7 Sammy Brooks So. Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest 19-2
197 6/4/4 Nathan Burak Jr. Colorado Springs, Colo./Coronado 13-1
285 2/4/4 Bobby Telford Sr. Hockessin, Del./St. Mark’s 19-1
#5 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (10-2, 6-2 BIG TEN)
Wt. Rank Name Yr. Hometown/High School Record
125 8/11/8 Jordan Conaway Jr. Abbottstown, Pa./New Oxford 19-3
133 7/9/3 Jimmy Gulibon So. Latrobe, Pa./Derry Area 17-4
141 Kade Moss Fr. South Jordan, Utah/Bingham 17-11
149 18/12/11 Zack Beitz So. Mifflintown, Pa./Juniata 13-6
157 8/8/7 Dylan Alton Sr. Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain 8-3
157 Cody Law Fr. Windber, Pa./Forest Hills 13-7
165 Garett Hammond Fr. Chambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg 19-8
174 3/3/3 Matt Brown Sr. West Valley City, Utah/Cyprus 19-2
184 17/--/16 Matt McCutcheon Fr. Apollo, Pa./Kiski Area 20-9
197 4/6/6 Morgan McIntosh Jr. Santa Ana, Calif./Calvary Chapel 20-2
285 6/7/-- Jimmy Lawson Sr. Toms River, N.J./Manchester Township 11-0
285 --/--/7 Jon Gingrich Sr. Wingate, Pa./Bald Eagle Area 13-2
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