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PISCATAWAY, New Jersey — The University of Iowa wrestling team won six of the final seven bouts to rally past No. 16 Rutgers on Friday night in front of a record 6,754 fans at the Rutgers Athletic Center.
The Hawkeyes fell behind 12-0 after losses at 125, 133, and 141, but strung together four straight wins to grab the lead and move on to their 23rd straight Big Ten road win.
“We’re going to be in the funny farm if we have to keep digging ourselves out of holes,” said UI head coach Tom Brands, who rolled out a new lineup that saw fresh faces at 133 and 141.
“We know we have good guys at every weight. The thing that is going to make these guys part of this team is, are you going to perform. It’s not even about winning. It’s about wrestling the entire match. Nothing in life works if you wrestle only part of it.”
All-Americans Brandon Sorensen and Michael Kemerer chipped into the lead with a decision at 149, and a technical fall at 157. Kemerer piled up six first-period takedowns en route to a 24-8 technical fall.
“I like to go out and score,” Kemerer said. “That’s what fun out there. Going out there and scoring points. It sparked the team too, helped us out.”
Iowa pulled within a point in the team race when redshirt freshman Alex Marinelli worked for an overtime win in his Hawkeye debut. Marinelli fell behind 2-0 to U23 World champion Richie Lewis, but answered with a takedown in the second period and ended the match on a single-leg takedown with 21 seconds left in the first sudden-victory period.
“It didn’t go quite like I planned,” Marinelli said. “I have to get to my attack and extend the leg. He was being a little defensive and I tried to push the pace a little bit, but I’m excited to be on this mat.”
The next three matches saw three lead changes. Iowa grabbed its first lead with a 5-4 decision from Joey Gunther at 174. Rutgers won a 4-0 decision at 184, and Cash Wilcke set up a winner-take-all heavyweight bout with a commanding 8-3 win at 197.
The Hawkeyes led 17-15 when Sam Stoll did as he tends to do. Stoll turned a first-period takedown into a first-period fall, flattening Razohnn Gross in 2:40 to clinch the win. It was Stoll’s fifth pin in six matches this season.
UP NEXT
Iowa returns to the mat Sunday at Maryland. The dual begins at 12 p.m. (CT) at the Xfinity Center.
NOTABLES
- Iowa has won 23 straight conference road duals.
- Iowa is 4-0 all-time against Rutgers
- Paul Glynn and Carter Happel made their Big Ten debuts.
- Alex Marinelli made his Hawkeye and collegiate debut
- Eighteen of Sam Stoll’s 35 career wins have ended in fall.
- Records: Iowa (6-0, 2-0), Rutgers (3-2, 1-1).
- Attendance was 6,754 (RAC record)
#7 IOWA 23, #16 RUTGERS 15
125 — #2 Nick Suriano (R) tech. fall Justin Stickley (I), 23-5; 0-5
133 – #13 Scott DelVecchio (R) major dec. Paul Glynn (I), 12-4; 0-9
141 — #17 Michael Van Brill (R) dec. Carter Happel (I), 3-2; 0-12
149 — #2 Brandon Sorensen (I) dec. #14 Eleazar DeLuca (R), 4-1; 3-12
157 — #3 Michael Kemerer (I) tech. fall Brett Donner (R), 24-8; 8-12
165 — #13 Alex Marinelli (I) dec. #9 Richie Lewis (R), 6-4 SV1; 11-12
174 — Joey Gunther (I) dec. #19 Jordan Pagano (R), 5-4; 14-12
184 — #9 Nicholas Gravina (R) dec. Mitch Bowman (I), 4-0; 14-15
197 — #8 Cash Wilcke (I) dec. Kevin Mulligan (R), 8-3; 17-15
285 — #6 Sam Stoll (I) pinned Razohnn Gross (R), 2:40; 23-15
