Iowa Hits The Road

Feb. 9, 2004

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THIS WEEK
Iowa (9-3, 4-1 in the Big Ten) will take it’s last Big Ten dual meet road trip of the season, facing Wisconsin (16-4, 3-2 Big Ten) Friday at 7 p.m. in the UW Field House and Minnesota (9-6, 3-3 Big Ten) Sunday at 2 p.m. in Williams Arena. The Minnesota dual meet will be the 1,000th in Iowa history.

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 – The Iowa vs. Minnesota meet will be aired live on Fox Sports Net. Clay Matvick and former Gopher wrestler Willy Short will call the action.

WISCONSIN BADGERS
Wisconsin is 16-4, 3-2 in the Big Ten, with wins over Wisconsin-LaCrosse (24-12), Northern Iowa (24-13), Northern Illinois (27-9), Drexel (23-12), Princeton (32-9), Harvard (27-13), Brown (35-9), Utah Valley State (26-15), Cornell (21-14), Lock Haven (28-15), Purdue (26-15, 22-12, 28-6), Rider (27-18), Indiana (26-12) and Minnesota (17-16), and losses to Pennsylvania (19-15), Lehigh (20-15), Penn State (24-15) and Illinois (30-9).

Head Coach Barry Davis is 101-83-6 in 11 seasons at Wisconsin. The 1985 Big Ten Athlete of the Year, Davis was a four-time all-American, four-time Big Ten Champion and three-time NCAA Champion at 118 and 126 pounds for Iowa (1981-85). A two-time Olympian, Davis still holds Hawkeye records for most wins in a season (46) and a career (162). The Badger assistant coaching staff includes former Hawkeye Bart Chelesvig, who was a three-time all-American at 167 and 177 pounds for Iowa (1988-92). Wisconsin is led by senior Ralph DeNisco (174), and sophomores Tom Clum (125) and Ed Gutnik (133) and freshman Tyler Turner (157).

MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS
Minnesota is 9-6, 3-3 in the Big Ten, with wins over Arizona State (20-15), Nebraska (17-16), Portland State (43-4), Cleveland State (35-3), Northern Iowa (24-16), Pennsylvania (22-15), Michigan State (22-16), Illinois (19-16) and Indiana (32-7), and losses to Iowa State (19-18), Michigan (30-6 and 31-4), Oklahoma (37-9), Wisconsin (17-16) and Purdue (18-15).

Head Coach J Robinson is 262-93-3 in 18 seasons at Minnesota. He served as interim head coach at Iowa in 1984, when Dan Gable coached the U.S. Olympic team, after stints as an assistant coach (1976-83) and graduate assistant (1972-76) with the Hawkeyes. The defending Big Ten Champions and 2003 NCAA runners-up are led by returning NCAA Champion Damion Hahn (197) and returning all-American Bobbe Lowe (125).

IT’S ALL RELATIVE(S)
The Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin wrestling teams all have the following brother connections:

* Hawkeyes Luke and Ty Eustice and from Blue Earth, MN.

* Minnesota 165-pounder Casey Flaherty is the older brother of Wisconsin twins Ryan and Kelly Flaherty. Kelly and Casey wrestled two weeks ago in the Minnesota-Wisconsin dual, with Kelly winning a 17-0 technical fall in 4:09. Ryan wrestles at 184 pounds. The trio hails from Big Lake, MN.

* Wisconsin also has the Turner brothers from Spring Valley, WI. Adam, a senior, shares time with Kelly Flaherty at 165, Tony, a sophomore, wrestles at 133 and Tyler, a redshirt freshman, occupies the 157-pound slot.

THE SERIES & LAST MEETING
Wisconsin – Iowa leads the series, 67-7-3, and has won the last 29 meetings, including a 34-3 win in Iowa City last season. The Hawkeyes are 32-4-2 in Madison.

Minnesota – Iowa leads the series, 61-21-1, and has won the last three meetings, all during the 2002-03 season. The Hawkeyes opened the season with a convincing 24-11 win at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, won a 18-18 decision on criteria at the 2003 Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals and an exciting 22-18 victory in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Valentine’s Day. Iowa holds a 29-9-1 advantage in matches at Minneapolis.

HAVEN’T WE MET?
Wisconsin – At 125 pounds, Hawkeye senior Luke Eustice is 1-0 vs. Wisconsin’ sophomore Tom Clum, winning a 10-4 decision in the 2003 dual. At 197, Iowa senior Ryan Fulsaas is 2-0 vs. Badger sophomore Lee Kraemer, winning a 12-4 major decision at the 2003 dual and a 9-3 decision in the first round of the 2003 Big Ten Championships.

Minnesota – At 125, Luke Eustice is 4-0 vs. Minnesota junior Bobbe Lowe, winning a 13-3 major decision and scoring a 4:22 pin in the 2003 dual meets, winning a 10-5 decision at the 2003 Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals and winning a 3-1 decision at the 2003 Big Ten Championships. At 197, Fulsaas is 1-2 vs. Minnesota senior Damion Hahn, losing a 5-3 decision at the 2003 National Duals, winning a 3-2 decision at the 2003 dual and losing a 3-1 decision in the 2003 Kaufman-Brand Open finals. At heavyweight, Iowa redshirt freshman Ryan Fuller is 0-2 vs. Minnesota redshirt freshman Cole Konrad, losing a 2-1 decision in sudden victory in the 2002 Kaufman-Brand Open finals and getting pinned in 3:58 at the 2003 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 103-22 (.824). 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.

HAWK TALK WITH Jim Zalesky
Hawk Talk with Head Coach Jim Zalesky and host Mark Allen will air Feb. 17 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.

LAST MEET
Iowa recorded Big Ten wins at home over Penn State (23-11) and Michigan State (31-6). The Hawkeyes went 16-4 in the two duals, scoring team bonus points in six matches. Hawkeye seniors Luke Eustice (125), Cliff Moore (141), Tyler Nixt (174) and Ryan Fulsaas (197) all went 2-0 on the weekend, as did sophomores Ty Eustice (149) and Joe Johnston (157), and redshirt freshman Mark Mueller (165).

Luke Eustice also defeated Michigan freshman Mark Moos, 9-8, in the first match of the 38th annual NWCA All-Star Dual in Cedar Falls Feb. 2. Eustice, who is now 2-0 against Moos after winning a 13-3 major decision in Ann Arbor on Jan. 23, improves to 19-1 overall and 18-1 in collegiate competition.

IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY
Iowa’s overall dual meet record is 772-196-30 (.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).

CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE
The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Jim Zalesky, Tom Brands, Royce Alger and Bill Zadick all wrestled at the University of Iowa. They earned a total of nine NCAA titles, 10 Big Ten titles and 13 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 508-39-6 (.919), including four undefeated seasons.

WRESTLING LUNCHEON SET
The Johnson County I-Club will host a Wrestling Luncheon featuring University of Iowa Wrestling Coach Jim Zalesky on Friday, February 20. The luncheon will be held at the First Avenue Club, 1550 South 1st Avenue, Iowa City beginning at 11:45 a.m. Reservations are required. Tickets are $10 and must be purchased by this Friday (Feb. 13). Tickets will not be available at the door. To make a reservation, contact Judy Leonard in the UI Wrestling office at 335-9405.

WILLIAMS TO STEP DOWN
Olympic hopeful Joe Williams has decided to resign his position on the University of Iowa wrestling staff in order to concentrate his efforts toward winning an Olympic Gold Medal at this year’s games in Athens, Greece. Williams was in his third season as a Hawkeye assistant after serving one year as the team’s strength and conditioning coach.

“I feel like I have the chance to do something special in Athens and I want to make sure that I do everything I can to realize my dream of winning a gold medal” said Williams.

“Joe has indicated his desire to focus his energies on preparation for the Olympics,” said Iowa Athletic Director Bob Bowlsby. Therefore, we have accepted his resignation, effective immediately. We wish Joe well in his quest for an Olympic gold medal.”

Williams is a four-time United States National Freestyle champion and four-time World Team member. He was a three-time national champion, wrestling at the University of Iowa, and is part of a group of 16 Hawkeyes to earn all-America honors four times. He had a collegiate career record of 129-9. He was named the NCAA’s Outstanding Wrestler as a senior at the 1998 tournament.