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Jan. 5, 2004
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THIS WEEK
Iowa (5-1) will host top-ranked Oklahoma State (5-1, 1-1 in the Big 12) Sunday at 1 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The 1981-82 Hawkeye wrestling team will be honored at the dual, and recognized at the intermission. Live updates of the results will be available at www.hawkeyesports.com.
ON THE AIR
Radio – Morrie Adams and four-time Iowa all-American Mark Ironside will call the action live on AM-800 KXIC. To listen to the broadcast online, go to the wrestling schedule page on www.hawkeyesports.com.. Click on the match you want to hear using Real One Player software. Broadcasts are available using the College Sports Pass, which can be purchased for $6.95 per month or $44.95 per year, or the College Sports Superpass for $13.95 per month.
Television – Iowa Public Television, in its 28th season of televising college wrestling, will air a same-day, tape-delayed telecast of the dual at 3 p.m. Announcers Tim Johnson, Jim Gibbons and former Iowa Wrestling Coach Dan Gable will call the action.
WELCOME BACK
Iowa welcomes back the 1981-82 Hawkeye wrestling squad for Sunday’s dual. Coached by Dan Gable, the team went 16-0-1, with the lone blemish a 19-19 tie at Oklahoma. The Hawkeyes won the school’s fifth consecutive NCAA title, setting a record team point total of 131 3/4. The team’s eight all-Americans include NCAA title winners Barry Davis (118), Jim Zalesky (158) and Pete Bush (190), as well as Ed Banach (177-2nd), Lennie Zalesky (142-2nd), Lou Banach (Hwt.-3rd), Jeff Kerber (134-6th) and Dave Fitzgerald (167-7th). Iowa also recorded its ninth consecutive Big Ten crown, scoring the largest victory margin in conference history (80 1/2 points). The seven Hawkeyes to win individual titles were Davis, Lennie Zalesky, Scott Trizzino (150), Mike DeAnna (167), Ed Banach, Bush and Lou Banach.
OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS
Oklahoma State is 5-1, 1-1 in the Big 12 conference, with wins over Tennessee-Chattanooga (29-9), Michigan State (29-12), Oklahoma (23-12), Oregon State (38-6) and Oregon (41-0), and a loss to Missouri (21-17). The Cowboys will host Cal Poly and Fresno State Friday night. Head Coach John Smith is currently 199-24-3 in 12 seasons as a collegiate head coach, all at Oklahoma State. The Cowboys return four all-Americans, including defending NCAA Champions Johnny Thompson (133) and Jake Rosholt (184), from last year’s national championship team. Rosholt and junior 174-pounder Chris Pendleton are each ranked No. 1 at their respective weight classes by Amateur Wrestling News, Intermat and W.I.N. Both are undefeated this season.
THE SERIES & LAST MEETING
Oklahoma State leads the series, 19-16-1. The Cowboys have won the last three meetings, including the 24-15 decision last year in Stillwater. The Hawkeyes hold a 9-6 advantage in matches held in Iowa City.
MATCHES TO WATCH
Two of the top match-ups in Sunday’s dual will be Iowa’s Tyler Nixt vs. Oklahoma State’s Chris Pendleton at 174 pounds, and Hawkeye Ty Eustice vs. Cowboy Zack Esposito at 149.
Pendleton is the top-ranked wrestler at 174, while Nixt is ranked fourth in all three polls. Pendleton holds a 3-0 advantage in the series with decisions at the 2001 Central Missouri State Open (8-4), 2002 Kaufman-Brand Open (4-2 in sudden victory) and the 2003 dual meet (5-3). Both wrestlers enter the meet undefeated, with Pendleton at 15-0 and Nixt at 20-0.
This will be the first meeting between Ty Eustice and Esposito. Eustice enters the match with a 13-5 mark, while Esposito is 10-1.
HAVEN’T WE MET?
At 184, Iowa’s Paul Bradley is 0-1 vs. Cowboy Jake Rosholt, losing a 3-1 decision at the 2001 Central Missouri State Open. At 197, Hawkeye Ryan Fulsaas is 0-1 vs. Oklahoma State’s Rusty Blackmon, losing a 6-5 decision at the 2002 Kaufman-Brand Open.
HEAD COACH Jim Zalesky
Jim Zalesky is in his seventh season as head coach at the University of Iowa. He has a school and career record of 100-19 (.840). Named National Coach of the Year in 1998 and 1999, and Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2000, he has led the Hawkeyes to three NCAA (1998-00) and two Big Ten titles (1998, 2000). Zalesky has coached nine NCAA Champions, 19 Big Ten Champions and 32 all-Americans at Iowa. A three-time national champion and one of Iowa’s 15 four-time all-Americans, Zalesky was an assistant coach and head recruiter at Iowa under Dan Gable for seven seasons (1991-97). He was named Assistant Coach of the Year by the N.W.C.A. in 1992 and 1997. Undefeated as a junior and senior, Zalesky ended his career on an 89-match winning streak.
LAST WEEK
Iowa placed fifth with 79.5 points at the 41st annual Midlands Championships in Evanston, IL. Team champion Illinois won with 102.5. Hawkeye seniors Luke Eustice (125) and Tyler Nixt (174) led the team with runner-up finishes. Senior Cliff Moore (141) placed third, sophomore Ty Eustice (149) placed sixth and senior Ryan Fulsaas (197) placed eighth.
IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY
Iowa’s overall dual meet record is 768-194-30 (.789) in 92 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 20 national titles, including nine of the last 13, and 30 Big Ten titles. Iowa’s 46 NCAA Champions have won a total of 71 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 13 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes’ 98 Big Ten Champions have won a total of 179 conference individual titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 24 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa’s 124 all-Americans have earned all-America status 250 times, including 16 four-time, 26 three-time and 30 two-time honorees.
HAWK TALK WITH Jim Zalesky
Hawk Talk with Head Coach Jim Zalesky and host Mark Allen will air Jan. 14 from 6-7 p.m.on KXIC Radio (Iowa City) and WMT Radio (Cedar Rapids). The broadcast is live from LaCasa Mexican Restaurant in Iowa City.
BRANDS NAMED TO OLYMPIC STAFF
University of Iowa Assistant Coach Tom Brands has been selected by USA Wrestling as one of the coaches for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Freestyle Team that will participate in Athens, Greece. Brands joins USA Wrestling National Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson and Zeke Jones on the staff. The selection has been forwarded, for final approval, to the U.S. Olympic Committee. Brands served as the Assistant Coach of the 2003 U.S. Freestyle World Team, which placed second in the World Championships. He was also the Assistant Coach of the 2002 U.S. Freestyle World Team, which did not compete in the World Championships in Iran due to a threat of violence. All three Olympic Coaches were teammates on the only U.S. Men’s Freestyle World Teams to win the World Team title (1993 in Toronto, Canada and 1995 in Atlanta, GA).
OH BROTHER
Brothers Luke and Ty Eustice are the 10th set of brothers to wrestle together in the Hawkeye varsity lineup since the 1950s. The 10 other brother pairs were Don and Tom Huff (1961), Mark and Scott Trizzino (1981), Lenny, Larry and Jim Zalesky (1981-82), Ed and Lou Banach (1981-83), Marty and Lindley Kistler (1984-85), Jim and John Heffernan (1987), Tom and Terry Brands (1989-92), Troy and Terry Steiner (1991-93), and Ryan and Randy Fulsaas (2001).
WE’RE GOIN’ STREAKIN’
Iowa has won its last 10 home duals, dating back to the 20-15 loss to Michigan on Feb. 15, 2002. Iowa’s longest home winning streak is 55 (Jan. 9, 1977-December 18, 1983 against Oklahoma State).
CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been the home for Iowa wrestling since 1983. The Hawkeyes have a record of 137-9 (.938) in the arena, which includes a record 10 victories during the 1986 season. Iowa has recorded 16 undefeated seasons in the arena, with the most recent (8-0) occurring last year. The dual wrestling attendance record for Carver-Hawkeye Arena is 15,291, which was set when Iowa defeated Iowa State on February 22, 1992. The arena seats 15,500 for a dual wrestling meet. The Hawkeyes are scheduled to host the 2005 Big Ten Championships in Carver-Hawkeye.