Hawkeyes Hit the Road

Jan. 20, 2004

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THIS WEEK
Iowa (6-2, 1-0 in the Big Ten) will face Michigan (10-2, 0-0 Big Ten) Friday at 6:30 p.m. (CT) in Cliff Keen Arena in Ann Arbor, MI. The Hawkeyes will then face Purdue (14-2, 0-0 Big Ten) Sunday at 2 p.m. (CT) in the Mishawaka High School Gymnasium in Mishawaka, IN.

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.

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
Michigan is 10-2 with wins over Central Michigan (27-16), Eastern Michigan (29-16), Pennsylvania (28-16), Harvard (43-6), Oklahoma (21-16), Cal State Fullerton (31-15), West Virginia (29-16), Minnesota (30-7), Hofstra (31-10) and Penn State (21-17), and losses to Lehigh (18-12) and Oklahoma State (20-13). The Wolverines placed third at the Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals last weekend. Senior 133-pounder Foley Dowd was named Most Valuable Division I Wrestler of the tournament. Head Coach Joe McFarland is 66-17-2 in five years at Michigan and 90-34-2 in eight years as a collegiate head coach. The Wolverines are led by Dowd, who is undefeated at 9-0, and defending NCAA Champion Ryan Bertin (157) who is 14-2.

PURDUE BOILERMAKERS
Purdue is 14-2 with wins over Ohio (22-10), Findlay (24-9), Edinboro (18-16), Wabash (32-6), Indianapolis (39-9), Navy (24-14), Princeton (42-0), Cal State Fullerton (38-9), Brown (30-6), Wyoming (19-16), Old Dominion (37-7), The Citadel (25-13), Arizona State (20-20 on criteria) and Eastern Illinois (37-0), and two losses to Wisconsin (26-15 and 22-12). The Boilermakers will face Northwestern Friday night in Evanston, IL. Head Coach Jesse Reyes is 148-86-3 in 12 seasons as a collegiate head coach, all at Purdue. The Boilermakers are led by senior all-American Ryan Lange (23-1) at 174.

THE SERIES & LAST MEETING
Michigan – Iowa leads the series, 23-22-1, but Michigan holds a 12-10 advantage in Ann Arbor. The Hawkeyes won the last meeting between the two teams (29-11) in the second round of the 2003 Cliff Keen/NWCA National Dual Tournament in Columbus, OH.

Purdue – Iowa leads the series, 31-4-3, and has won the last 19 meetings. The Hawkeyes hold a 13-3-1 advantage in West Lafayette, IN, but the two teams have not met in Mishawaka. Iowa won the last meeting between the two teams (33-7) last season in Iowa City.

HAVEN’T WE MET?
Michigan – At 149 pounds, Iowa sophomore Ty Eustice is 1-0 vs. Wolverine sophomore Ryan Churella, winning a 3-2 decision in sudden victory at the 2003 Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals. At 157, Hawkeye sophomore Joe Johnston is 0-2 vs. Michigan junior Ryan Bertin, losing a 13-10 decision at the 2003 Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals and a 15-7 major decision at the 2003 Big Ten Championships. At 174, Iowa senior Tyler Nixt is 1-0 vs. Wolverine sophomore R.J. Boudro, winning a 6-3 decision at the 2003 Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals.

Purdue – At 149 pounds, Iowa sophomore Ty Eustice is 2-0 vs. Boilermaker senior Dan Jankowski, winning an 8-6 decision at the 2003 Iowa-Purdue dual and held on for a 1-1 decision in the tiebreak period in the first round of the 2003 Big Ten Championships. At 174, Hawkeye senior Tyler Nixt is 2-1 vs. Purdue senior Ryan Lange, winning a 3-2 decision at the 2001 dual and a 2-1 decision in the tiebreak period at the 2003 dual, and losing a 4-3 decision in the 2003 Big Ten Championship finals.

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 101-20 (.835). 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 opened the Big Ten dual meet season with a win over Northwestern 39-4 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes won nine of 10 matches in front of 4,456 fans, with five of those earning team bonus points. Iowa improved to 6-2 overall and 1-0 in the conference, while Northwestern fell to 8-2, 0-1 in the Big Ten.

Hawkeye sophomores Joe Johnston (157) and Ty Eustice (149) provided some spark to the night by starting and ending the dual with second period pins. Johnston recorded at 3:42 fall over Mike Kimberlin, while Eustice stuck Josh Ballard in 4:49. Hawkeye sophomore Paul Bradley scored three three-point nearfalls to blank Joseph Gulotta, 16-0 in 6:13 at 184. Iowa seniors Tyler Nixt (174) and Luke Eustice (125) also recorded team bonus points in their matches. Nixt scored a 10-2 major decision over Andrew Curran, while Eustice received an injury default from John Velez in 4:31 to stay undefeated in dual competition at 5-0. Hawkeyes Ryan Fulsaas (197), Ryan Fuller (Hwt.), Trent Goodale (133) and Cliff Moore (141) also recorded decisions.

IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY
Iowa’s overall dual meet record is 769-195-30 (.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.

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).