Power-packed field ready for battle at National Duals
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by Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
Iowa sophomore Sammy Brooks is ranked eighth nationally at 184 pounds. Darren Miller photo.
IOWA CITY – The NCAA Championships are still a month away, but fans will be treated to another showcase of the nation’s best college wrestling teams this weekend.
The top five ranked teams in the nation will all be in the same venue for what promises to be an exciting NWCA National Duals on Saturday and Sunday at Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The loaded field includes No. 1 Iowa, No. 2 Missouri, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Minnesota and No. 5 Cornell, in addition to No. 11 Lehigh, No. 12 Illinois and Tennessee-Chattanooga.
The quarterfinals are set for noon Central Time on Saturday with the semifinals at 3 p.m. The finals are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Sunday. The semis and finals will be televised live on the Big Ten Network. Tickets are still available for the event.
“It’s the postseason now,” Iowa coach Tom Brands told reporters on Wednesday. “We’re getting ready for big matches against high-powered teams, back-to-back-to back. We just have to be ready to go. Peaking is a mindset, and our guys have to be ready.”
The best quarterfinal matchup will pair perennial powers Minnesota and Cornell. The Golden Gophers downed Cornell 24-15 in the 2014 National Duals finals. Minnesota has won the last three National Duals titles and has captured eight overall. Cornell won this event in 2011.
Minnesota is led by top-ranked seniors Chris Dardanes (133) and Dylan Ness (157). Ness is a two-time NCAA runner-up. Ness is scheduled to face No. 4 Brian Realbuto of Cornell. The Gophers also feature highly ranked seniors Nick Dardanes (141), Logan Storley (174) and Scott Schiller (197) in their powerful lineup.
Cornell is led by top-ranked Gabe Dean (184) and third-ranked Nahshon Garrett (125). Dean was third at the 2014 NCAA tournament as a freshman and was a 2014 Junior World bronze medalist in freestyle. Garrett was second at the 2014 NCAAs.
The Hawkeyes will face Chattanooga in the quarterfinals. Missouri will battle Illinois and Ohio State will face Lehigh. Iowa (15-0) and Missouri (21-0) are both unbeaten this season.
Iowa is led by returning All-Americans Cory Clark (133), Mike Evans (174), Nathan Burak (197) and Bobby Telford (heavyweight) along with Junior World medalist Thomas Gilman (125) and past Junior World Teamer Sammy Brooks (184).
“This is the last time we will be on the mat at Carver-Hawkeye,” said Evans, a senior. “We have some big matches coming up and this is an opportunity for us to flex our muscles.”
Eight Hawkeyes are ranked in the nation’s top 10 with the other two ranked in the top 15 in the country.
Iowa has captured six National Duals titles, most recently winning three in a row from 2008-10.
“The work’s done – we just need to sharpen our tools,” said the fifth-ranked Gilman, who has only lost one match all season. “That’s what this time of year is about.”
Minnesota coach J Robinson and Ohio State coach Tom Ryan have played a big role in trying to make the National Duals an important event. Robinson is a long-time advocate of this event.
The National Duals was moved to Iowa City this year to try and attract large crowds. The event will go head-to-head with the Iowa high school state tournament on Saturday.
“I’m a big fan of the National Duals,” Cornell coach Rob Koll said. “I don’t care if they wrestle them in Fargo, North Dakota, or in Tallahassee. I’m going to be there supporting it. And I’m really excited to have Iowa back in it this year, and we have the top five ranked teams in the country. You couldn’t ask for a better scenario, and obviously, you can’t ask for a better place to have it.”
There is the potential for a number of rematches in duals from the regular season.
Iowa could meet Big Ten rival Minnesota again in the semifinals. The Hawkeyes beat the Gophers 23-12 in a battle of the nation’s top two ranked teams at the time on Jan. 30 in Minneapolis. Iowa also could see Big Ten foe Ohio State in the finals. The Hawkeyes edged the Buckeyes 18-14 on Jan. 4 in Columbus, Ohio.
The expected Missouri-Ohio State semifinal would be a rematch from the regular season. The Tigers won 20-19 on Dec. 14 in Columbus.
That matchup could produce a much-anticipated battle at 197 pounds between 2014 NCAA champion J’den Cox of Missouri and freshman phenom Kyle Snyder of Ohio State. Cox is ranked No. 1 nationally. Snyder, a 2013 Junior World champion, is ranked No. 3.
Cox and Snyder didn’t meet back in December as Missouri moved Cox up to heavyweight to help the Tigers win the dual.
Ohio State is led by three-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber (141). Stieber is seeking to become just the fourth four-time NCAA champion. The Tigers have three No. 1-ranked wrestlers in Cox, Alan Waters (125) and Drake Houdashelt (149).
Both teams are seeking their first National Duals title. Missouri was second at the 2007 National Duals, falling to Minnesota in the finals.
“NCAAs and the National Duals are the only two tournaments we haven’t won since I came here,” Missouri coach Brian Smith said last month. “We’ve been third at NCAAs and second at the National Duals. We feel like we have the type of team that can win those events. Our guys have performed at a high level all year.”
Illinois will look to knock off Missouri in the opening round with a lineup led by California natives Jesse Delgado (125) and Isaiah Martinez (157). Delgado, a senior, is a two-time NCAA champion. Martinez, a talented freshman, is ranked second in the country.
“It’s good for the sport,” Illinois coach Jim Heffernan said of having the event in Iowa City. “The one thing you’re going to get there — the one thing you always get at Iowa — are the crowds and people excited about wrestling. Those are two very good things.”
The eight National Duals participants each won National Duals Regional matchups this past weekend to advance to the finals in Iowa City.
Over the past 26 years, the National Duals team championship trophy has only been hoisted by six programs – Oklahoma State (8 titles), Minnesota (8), Iowa (6), Penn State (2), Cornell (1) and Iowa State (1).
“Duals are important because duals are fan-friendly,” Brands said. “Duals are entertaining. The live television meets are the ones that draw the most interest. Duals are captivating and that’s what builds the sport.”
NWCA National Duals
Feb. 21-22, Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa
Schedule
Saturday, Feb. 21
Noon – Quarterfinals
3 p.m. – Semifinals
Sunday, Feb. 22
11:30 a.m. – Championship, third-place duals
Quarterfinal matchups
No. 1 Iowa vs. Tennessee-Chattanooga
No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Cornell
No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Lehigh
No. 2 Missouri vs. No. 12 Illinois
IOWA CITY – The NCAA Championships are still a month away, but fans will be treated to another showcase of the nation’s best college wrestling teams this weekend.
The top five ranked teams in the nation will all be in the same venue for what promises to be an exciting NWCA National Duals on Saturday and Sunday at Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The loaded field includes No. 1 Iowa, No. 2 Missouri, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Minnesota and No. 5 Cornell, in addition to No. 11 Lehigh, No. 12 Illinois and Tennessee-Chattanooga.
The quarterfinals are set for noon Central Time on Saturday with the semifinals at 3 p.m. The finals are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Sunday. The semis and finals will be televised live on the Big Ten Network. Tickets are still available for the event.
“It’s the postseason now,” Iowa coach Tom Brands told reporters on Wednesday. “We’re getting ready for big matches against high-powered teams, back-to-back-to back. We just have to be ready to go. Peaking is a mindset, and our guys have to be ready.”
The best quarterfinal matchup will pair perennial powers Minnesota and Cornell. The Golden Gophers downed Cornell 24-15 in the 2014 National Duals finals. Minnesota has won the last three National Duals titles and has captured eight overall. Cornell won this event in 2011.
Minnesota is led by top-ranked seniors Chris Dardanes (133) and Dylan Ness (157). Ness is a two-time NCAA runner-up. Ness is scheduled to face No. 4 Brian Realbuto of Cornell. The Gophers also feature highly ranked seniors Nick Dardanes (141), Logan Storley (174) and Scott Schiller (197) in their powerful lineup.
Cornell is led by top-ranked Gabe Dean (184) and third-ranked Nahshon Garrett (125). Dean was third at the 2014 NCAA tournament as a freshman and was a 2014 Junior World bronze medalist in freestyle. Garrett was second at the 2014 NCAAs.
The Hawkeyes will face Chattanooga in the quarterfinals. Missouri will battle Illinois and Ohio State will face Lehigh. Iowa (15-0) and Missouri (21-0) are both unbeaten this season.
Iowa is led by returning All-Americans Cory Clark (133), Mike Evans (174), Nathan Burak (197) and Bobby Telford (heavyweight) along with Junior World medalist Thomas Gilman (125) and past Junior World Teamer Sammy Brooks (184).
“This is the last time we will be on the mat at Carver-Hawkeye,” said Evans, a senior. “We have some big matches coming up and this is an opportunity for us to flex our muscles.”
Eight Hawkeyes are ranked in the nation’s top 10 with the other two ranked in the top 15 in the country.
Iowa has captured six National Duals titles, most recently winning three in a row from 2008-10.
“The work’s done – we just need to sharpen our tools,” said the fifth-ranked Gilman, who has only lost one match all season. “That’s what this time of year is about.”
Minnesota coach J Robinson and Ohio State coach Tom Ryan have played a big role in trying to make the National Duals an important event. Robinson is a long-time advocate of this event.
The National Duals was moved to Iowa City this year to try and attract large crowds. The event will go head-to-head with the Iowa high school state tournament on Saturday.
“I’m a big fan of the National Duals,” Cornell coach Rob Koll said. “I don’t care if they wrestle them in Fargo, North Dakota, or in Tallahassee. I’m going to be there supporting it. And I’m really excited to have Iowa back in it this year, and we have the top five ranked teams in the country. You couldn’t ask for a better scenario, and obviously, you can’t ask for a better place to have it.”
There is the potential for a number of rematches in duals from the regular season.
Iowa could meet Big Ten rival Minnesota again in the semifinals. The Hawkeyes beat the Gophers 23-12 in a battle of the nation’s top two ranked teams at the time on Jan. 30 in Minneapolis. Iowa also could see Big Ten foe Ohio State in the finals. The Hawkeyes edged the Buckeyes 18-14 on Jan. 4 in Columbus, Ohio.
The expected Missouri-Ohio State semifinal would be a rematch from the regular season. The Tigers won 20-19 on Dec. 14 in Columbus.
That matchup could produce a much-anticipated battle at 197 pounds between 2014 NCAA champion J’den Cox of Missouri and freshman phenom Kyle Snyder of Ohio State. Cox is ranked No. 1 nationally. Snyder, a 2013 Junior World champion, is ranked No. 3.
Cox and Snyder didn’t meet back in December as Missouri moved Cox up to heavyweight to help the Tigers win the dual.
Ohio State is led by three-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber (141). Stieber is seeking to become just the fourth four-time NCAA champion. The Tigers have three No. 1-ranked wrestlers in Cox, Alan Waters (125) and Drake Houdashelt (149).
Both teams are seeking their first National Duals title. Missouri was second at the 2007 National Duals, falling to Minnesota in the finals.
“NCAAs and the National Duals are the only two tournaments we haven’t won since I came here,” Missouri coach Brian Smith said last month. “We’ve been third at NCAAs and second at the National Duals. We feel like we have the type of team that can win those events. Our guys have performed at a high level all year.”
Illinois will look to knock off Missouri in the opening round with a lineup led by California natives Jesse Delgado (125) and Isaiah Martinez (157). Delgado, a senior, is a two-time NCAA champion. Martinez, a talented freshman, is ranked second in the country.
“It’s good for the sport,” Illinois coach Jim Heffernan said of having the event in Iowa City. “The one thing you’re going to get there — the one thing you always get at Iowa — are the crowds and people excited about wrestling. Those are two very good things.”
The eight National Duals participants each won National Duals Regional matchups this past weekend to advance to the finals in Iowa City.
Over the past 26 years, the National Duals team championship trophy has only been hoisted by six programs – Oklahoma State (8 titles), Minnesota (8), Iowa (6), Penn State (2), Cornell (1) and Iowa State (1).
“Duals are important because duals are fan-friendly,” Brands said. “Duals are entertaining. The live television meets are the ones that draw the most interest. Duals are captivating and that’s what builds the sport.”
NWCA National Duals
Feb. 21-22, Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa
Schedule
Saturday, Feb. 21
Noon – Quarterfinals
3 p.m. – Semifinals
Sunday, Feb. 22
11:30 a.m. – Championship, third-place duals
Quarterfinal matchups
No. 1 Iowa vs. Tennessee-Chattanooga
No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Cornell
No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Lehigh
No. 2 Missouri vs. No. 12 Illinois
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