Missouri knocks off Iowa to earn National Duals championship
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by Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
Missouri coach Brian Smith led his team to its first National Duals title on Sunday. Darren Miller photo.
IOWA CITY – And then there was one.
The last of the unbeatens is the Missouri Tigers, who sent a loud and resounding statement to the college wrestling world by knocking off Iowa 18-12 to win the National Duals.
The Tigers did it despite competing in front of a huge pro-Iowa crowd of 6,846 fans on Sunday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Second-ranked Missouri finished its dual season 24-0 while handing No. 1 Iowa (17-1) a stunning setback in Iowa City. The Tigers won 6-of-10 matches against the Hawkeyes.
“That was fun, it was a lot of fun,” Missouri coach Brian Smith said. “I told the kids before the match it was going to be a battle with the atmosphere and all that. But I told them to enjoy it and embrace it, and they did.
“We won four of the first five battles and they didn’t let anything faze them. Even the matches we lost, we battled. I couldn’t be more proud of my team. We showed up to wrestle today.”
Missouri captured its first National Duals title with a superb performance in front of a hostile and vocal crowd. The Tigers were second in this event in 2007.
“It’s another thing we’ve won now – we had won everything but the NCAAs and the National Duals,” Smith said. “We’ve won the Midlands and the Southern Scuffle and Big 12s and the MAC. Now we can say we’ve won the National Duals, and now we can move on to the MAC tournament at home and the NCAAs in St. Louis.”
Iowa did not score an offensive point in the first period of any match until the day’s last bout at heavyweight.
“They rode tough on top and they control-tied us to death,” Iowa coach Tom Brands said. “They weren’t rides where they got tricks. They were hard, driving forward-type rides. They came in to beat us and they did.
“This stings. It stings, but you have to keep working. We’re not going to stop working. I don’t believe in good losses. I believe the next step is an evaluation. And you’re evaluating as soon as that final whistle blows and you’re walking up this tunnel.”
NCAA champion and top-ranked J’den Cox of Missouri scored a third-period takedown to rally for a 4-3 win over Iowa’s Nathan Burak at 197 pounds. Cox earned a riding-time point to gain the winning point. That put the Tigers up 18-9 to clinch the dual victory.
“It was definitely a big win,” said Cox, who is just a sophomore. “It was an all-around team effort. This is awesome. We came out and did what we needed to do to beat a really good Iowa team, a really stacked Iowa team. This is amazing to win this.”
The fireworks began when No. 1 Alan Waters pulled out a wild 5-4 overtime win over No. 5 Thomas Gilman of Iowa at 125. Gilman headlocked Waters to his back just before time expired and gained a reversal, but time ran out before he could gain any back points.
Iowa fought right back with No. 6 Cory Clark using a punishing attack to top Zach Synon 7-2 at 133. Clark piled up more than three minutes of riding time in the win.
Sixth-ranked Lavion Mayes of Missouri put on a double-leg takedown clinic en route to a 13-6 win over No. 8 Josh Dziewa of Iowa at 141.
Top-ranked Drake Houdashelt of Missouri rode No. 2 Brandon Sorensen of Iowa the entire second period en route to a 2-1 win at 149.
“I know he’s good on top and bottom,” Houdashelt said. “I had to give everything I had on top and try to ride him out in the second period. And then I had to stay in good position on my feet.
“It was a huge dual, and everyone on our team did what they were supposed to and stepped up. It was exciting.”
The Tigers earned another pivotal win at 157 when Joseph LaVallee downed No. 14 Michael Kelly 6-1.
Iowa came right back when Nick Moore edged Mike England 3-2 at 165. Hawkeye Mike Evans, ranked third, finished his Carver-Hawkeye Arena career with a late takedown to down No. 5 John Eblen 3-1 at 174.
Missouri earned a huge win at 184 when Willie Miklus held off Iowa backup Alex Meyer 6-5. Miklus earned a riding-time point to gain the win. Miklus and Meyer were teammates and training partners at Southeast Polk High School in Iowa.
Two-time All-American Bobby Telford of Iowa won his last home dual with a 6-3 win over Devin Mellon at heavyweight.
Iowa starter Sammy Brooks, ranked eighth at 184, did not compete on Sunday after falling to Cornell’s Gabe Dean on Saturday.
“He didn’t weigh in,” Brands said of Brooks. “We wrestled Meyer. We like Meyer. We could have won that match. We like our depth."
Fifth-ranked Cornell defeated No. 11 Lehigh 22-15 in the third-place dual.
NWCA National Duals
Feb. 22, Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa
Championship dual
No. 2 Missouri 18, No. 1 Iowa 12
No. 5 Cornell 22, No. 11 Lehigh 15
125 – Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) won by forfeit. 133 – Mason Beckman (Lehigh) dec. Mark Grey (Cornell), 6-2. 141 – Randy Cruz (Lehigh) dec. Dylan Realbuto (Cornell), 8-6. 149 – Chris Villalonga (Cornell) dec. Drew Longo (Lehigh), 11-2. 157 – Brian Realbuto (Cornell) dec. Mitchell Minotti (Lehigh), 5-3. 165 – Dylan Palacio (Cornell) dec. Marshall Peppelman (Lehigh), 6-4. 174 – Santiago Martinez (Lehigh) dec. George Pickett (Cornell), 2-1. 184 – Gabe Dean (Cornell) dec. Nate Brown (Lehigh), 3-2. 197 – Jace Bennett (Cornell) dec. Elliot Riddick (Lehigh), 4-1. 285 – Doug Vollaro (Lehigh) won by forfeit.
IOWA CITY – And then there was one.
The last of the unbeatens is the Missouri Tigers, who sent a loud and resounding statement to the college wrestling world by knocking off Iowa 18-12 to win the National Duals.
The Tigers did it despite competing in front of a huge pro-Iowa crowd of 6,846 fans on Sunday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Second-ranked Missouri finished its dual season 24-0 while handing No. 1 Iowa (17-1) a stunning setback in Iowa City. The Tigers won 6-of-10 matches against the Hawkeyes.
“That was fun, it was a lot of fun,” Missouri coach Brian Smith said. “I told the kids before the match it was going to be a battle with the atmosphere and all that. But I told them to enjoy it and embrace it, and they did.
“We won four of the first five battles and they didn’t let anything faze them. Even the matches we lost, we battled. I couldn’t be more proud of my team. We showed up to wrestle today.”
Missouri captured its first National Duals title with a superb performance in front of a hostile and vocal crowd. The Tigers were second in this event in 2007.
“It’s another thing we’ve won now – we had won everything but the NCAAs and the National Duals,” Smith said. “We’ve won the Midlands and the Southern Scuffle and Big 12s and the MAC. Now we can say we’ve won the National Duals, and now we can move on to the MAC tournament at home and the NCAAs in St. Louis.”
Iowa did not score an offensive point in the first period of any match until the day’s last bout at heavyweight.
“They rode tough on top and they control-tied us to death,” Iowa coach Tom Brands said. “They weren’t rides where they got tricks. They were hard, driving forward-type rides. They came in to beat us and they did.
“This stings. It stings, but you have to keep working. We’re not going to stop working. I don’t believe in good losses. I believe the next step is an evaluation. And you’re evaluating as soon as that final whistle blows and you’re walking up this tunnel.”
NCAA champion and top-ranked J’den Cox of Missouri scored a third-period takedown to rally for a 4-3 win over Iowa’s Nathan Burak at 197 pounds. Cox earned a riding-time point to gain the winning point. That put the Tigers up 18-9 to clinch the dual victory.
“It was definitely a big win,” said Cox, who is just a sophomore. “It was an all-around team effort. This is awesome. We came out and did what we needed to do to beat a really good Iowa team, a really stacked Iowa team. This is amazing to win this.”
The fireworks began when No. 1 Alan Waters pulled out a wild 5-4 overtime win over No. 5 Thomas Gilman of Iowa at 125. Gilman headlocked Waters to his back just before time expired and gained a reversal, but time ran out before he could gain any back points.
Iowa fought right back with No. 6 Cory Clark using a punishing attack to top Zach Synon 7-2 at 133. Clark piled up more than three minutes of riding time in the win.
Sixth-ranked Lavion Mayes of Missouri put on a double-leg takedown clinic en route to a 13-6 win over No. 8 Josh Dziewa of Iowa at 141.
Top-ranked Drake Houdashelt of Missouri rode No. 2 Brandon Sorensen of Iowa the entire second period en route to a 2-1 win at 149.
“I know he’s good on top and bottom,” Houdashelt said. “I had to give everything I had on top and try to ride him out in the second period. And then I had to stay in good position on my feet.
“It was a huge dual, and everyone on our team did what they were supposed to and stepped up. It was exciting.”
The Tigers earned another pivotal win at 157 when Joseph LaVallee downed No. 14 Michael Kelly 6-1.
Iowa came right back when Nick Moore edged Mike England 3-2 at 165. Hawkeye Mike Evans, ranked third, finished his Carver-Hawkeye Arena career with a late takedown to down No. 5 John Eblen 3-1 at 174.
Missouri earned a huge win at 184 when Willie Miklus held off Iowa backup Alex Meyer 6-5. Miklus earned a riding-time point to gain the win. Miklus and Meyer were teammates and training partners at Southeast Polk High School in Iowa.
Two-time All-American Bobby Telford of Iowa won his last home dual with a 6-3 win over Devin Mellon at heavyweight.
Iowa starter Sammy Brooks, ranked eighth at 184, did not compete on Sunday after falling to Cornell’s Gabe Dean on Saturday.
“He didn’t weigh in,” Brands said of Brooks. “We wrestled Meyer. We like Meyer. We could have won that match. We like our depth."
Fifth-ranked Cornell defeated No. 11 Lehigh 22-15 in the third-place dual.
NWCA National Duals
Feb. 22, Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa
Championship dual
No. 2 Missouri 18, No. 1 Iowa 12
125 – Alan Waters (Missouri) dec. Thomas Gilman (Iowa), 5-4 TB1. 133 – Cory Clark (Iowa) dec. Zach Synon (Missouri), 7-2. 141 – Lavion Mayes (Missouri) dec. Josh Dziewa (Iowa), 13-6. 149 – Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) dec. No. 2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa), 2-1. 157 – Joseph LaVallee (Missouri) dec. Michael Kelly (Iowa), 6-1. 165 – Nick Moore (Iowa) dec. Mike England (Missouri), 3-2. 174 – Mike Evans (Iowa) dec. John Eblen (Missouri), 3-1. 184 – Willie Miklus (Missouri) dec. Alex Meyer (Iowa), 6-5. 197 – J’den Cox (Missouri) dec. Nathan Burak (Iowa), 4-3. 285 – Bobby Telford (Iowa) dec. Devin Mellon (Missouri), 6-3.
Third-place dualNo. 5 Cornell 22, No. 11 Lehigh 15
125 – Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) won by forfeit. 133 – Mason Beckman (Lehigh) dec. Mark Grey (Cornell), 6-2. 141 – Randy Cruz (Lehigh) dec. Dylan Realbuto (Cornell), 8-6. 149 – Chris Villalonga (Cornell) dec. Drew Longo (Lehigh), 11-2. 157 – Brian Realbuto (Cornell) dec. Mitchell Minotti (Lehigh), 5-3. 165 – Dylan Palacio (Cornell) dec. Marshall Peppelman (Lehigh), 6-4. 174 – Santiago Martinez (Lehigh) dec. George Pickett (Cornell), 2-1. 184 – Gabe Dean (Cornell) dec. Nate Brown (Lehigh), 3-2. 197 – Jace Bennett (Cornell) dec. Elliot Riddick (Lehigh), 4-1. 285 – Doug Vollaro (Lehigh) won by forfeit.
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