Dec. 6, 2004
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THIS WEEK
Iowa (1-1) will face Northern Iowa (0-1) Thursday in the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. Match time is 7 p.m. Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for youth, and are available at the UNI Ticket Office at 877/216-3663 or www.unipanthers.com.
ON THE AIR
Radio – Morrie Adams and four-time Hawkeye 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. Broadcasts using Real One Player softward are available using the College Sports Pass, which can be purchased for $6.95 per month or $49.95 per year.
Television – Iowa Public Television, in its 29th season of televising college wrestling, will air a tape-delayed telecast of the dual with Northern Iowa at 9 p.m. Announcers will be Tim Johnson, Jim Gibbons and former Iowa Wrestling Coach Dan Gable.
HEAD COACH Jim Zalesky
Jim Zalesky is in his eighth season as head coach at the University of Iowa. He has a school and career record of 107-23 (.823). Named National Coach of the Year in 1998 and 1999, and Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2000, he has led the Hawkeyes to three NCAA (1998-00) and three Big Ten titles (1998, 2000, 2004). Zalesky has coached 10 NCAA Champions, 20 Big Ten Champions and 36 all-Americans at Iowa. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in June 2004, the University of Iowa Letterman’s Club Hall of Fame and the Iowa High School Athletic Association Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2002, and the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1994.
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.
NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS
Northern Iowa is 0-1 on the season with a 20-14 loss to Wisconsin in November. The Panthers also crowned five champions at the Harold Nichols Open and one winner that UNI Open. Head Coach Brad Penrith has a 40-29 record in his fifth season with the Panthers. Penrith was a NCAA Champion and three-time NCAA finalist, all-American and Big Ten champion at Iowa from 1986-88. The Panthers are led by seniors and returning all-Americans Eric Hauan (174) and Sean Stender (197). Hauan is 13-1 this season, while Stender is 12-3.
THE SERIES
Iowa leads the series with Northern Iowa, 36-8-2. The Hawkeyes have won the last 28 meetings between the two teams, and hold a 17-5-1 advantage in Cedar Falls.
HAVEN’T WE MET?
Following are the career results of potential Iowa-Northern Iowa matchups:
133 – Gabe Ruhkala (I) is 1-0 vs. Patrick Sharp (UNI)
Ruhkala dec. Sharp, 6-5 at 2004 Kaufman Brand Open
149 – Ty Eustice (I) is 1-0 vs. Jeff Harrison (UNI)
Eustice dec. Harrision, 3-1 at 2003 Iowa vs. Northern Iowa dual
165 – Mark Perry (I) is 1-0 vs. Nick Baima (UNI)
Perry dec. Baima, 10-4 at 2004 Kaufman-Brand Open
Hwt. – Ryan Fuller (I) is 0-1 vs. Michael Shedek (UNI)
Shedek dec. Fuller, 4-2 sv at 2004 Iowa vs. Northern Iowa dual
LAST MEETING
Hawkeye Head Coach Jim Zalesky picked up his 100th career coaching victory when Iowa defeated Northern Iowa, 27-10, on December 11, 2003, in Iowa City.
Highlights for the Hawkeyes were wins by senior Cliff Moore at 141, junior Joe Johnston at 157, senior Tyler Nixt at 174 and Paul Bradley at 184. Moore started the dual with a 15-4 major decision over second-ranked Dylan Long, at 141 pounds. Moore scored all six takedowns in the match. Johnston scored nine takedowns, including five in the third period, to defeat Nick Baima, 19-9. Nixt recorded with his fifth straight career win over Eric Hauan, scoring a 6-3 decision. Hawkeye sophomore Paul Bradley fought through injury to beat Eric Pedretti, 12-4. The match was halted several times due to Bradley bleeding and he received stitiches matside during one of the injury timeouts.
Iowa 27, Northern Iowa 10
141 Cliff Moore (I) maj. dec. Dylan Long (UNI), 15-4
149 Ty Eustice (I) dec. Jon Garvin (UNI), 5-2
157 Joe Johnston (I) maj. dec. Nick Baima (UNI), 19-9
165 Hesston Johnson (UNI) dec. Cole Pape (I), 7-3
174 Tyler Nixt (I) dec. Eric Hauan (UNI), 6-3
184 Paul Bradley (I) maj. dec. Eric Pedretti (UNI), 12-4
197 Ryan Fulsaas (I) won by forfeit
Hwt. Michael Shedeck (UNI) dec. Ryan Fuller (I), 4-2 sv
125 Luke Eustice (I) dec. C. Helgeson (UNI), 10-5
133 Patrick Garcia (UNI) maj. dec. Trent Goodale (I), 14-3
LAST WEEK
The Hawkeyes lost a hard-fought match to intra-state rival Iowa State, 19-16, Sunday night in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The win marked Iowa State’s first in the arena, which was built in 1983. Iowa fell to 1-1 with the loss, while Iowa State improved to 7-0. The Cyclones gained ground in the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series, but Iowa maintains a 7-4 lead in the contest.
While each team won five matches, the difference maker was Grant Nakamura’s 6:37 pin over Iowa’s Lucas Magnani at 125 pounds. Iowa State jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Nick Passolano’s 12-8 decision over Luke Lofthouse at 174, but Hawkeye junior Paul Bradley scored a takedown with 28 seconds left in the match to defeat Kurt Backes, 7-6, and tie the team score at 3-3. Cyclone Trevor Smith fought back with a 9-1 major decision over Dane Pape at 197, but Hawkeye freshman Matt Fields answered with a 4-2 win over Scott Coleman at heavyweight. Nakamura’s pin made the team score 13-6 in favor of the Cyclones heading into the intermission. Hawkeye junior Mario Galanakis scored a 6-3 win over Jesse Sundell at 133 to make the team score 13-9. Hawkeye freshman Alex Tsirtsis put up a good fight against top-ranked Nate Gallick at 141, taking the match to the first tiebreak period, but he could not escape and lost a 2-1 decision. Hawkeye junior Ty Eustice pulled the team within striking distance with his 15-6 major decision over Aron Scott at 149, improving to 6-1 on the season. Down 5-0 in the second period to Cyclone Trent Paulson at 157, Hawkeye junior Joe Johnston scored four takedowns in the last 2:37, but came up short with a 10-8 loss, and Iowa State jumped to a 19-13 lead. Hawkeye redshirt freshman Mark Perry scored a 5-2 win over Travis Paulson to end the dual at 165, but his three team points was not enough for an Iowa win.
Iowa State 19, Iowa 16
174 Nick Passolano (ISU) dec. Luke Lofthouse (I), 12-8
184 Paul Bradley (I) dec. Kurt Backes (ISU), 7-6
197 Trevor Smith (ISU) maj. dec. Dane Pape (I), 9-1
Hwt. Matt Fields (I) dec. Scott Coleman (ISU), 4-2
125 Grant Nakamura (ISU) pinned Lucas Magnani (I), 6:37
133 Mario Galanakis (I) dec. Jesse Sundell (ISU), 6-3
141 Nate Gallick (ISU) dec. Alex Tsirtsis (I), 2-1 tb
149 Ty Eustice (I) maj. dec. Aron Scott (ISU), 15-6
157 Trent Paulson (ISU) dec. Joe Johnston (I), 10-8
165 Mark Perry (I) dec. Travis Paulson (ISU), 5-2
HAWKEYES COMPETE AT UNI OPEN
Seven Hawkeyes competed at the UNI Open last weekend at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. Iowa 125-pounders Charlie Falck and Matt Morkel were the two Hawkeye placewinners. Falck, a true freshman, placed third, and Morkel, a junior, placed fifth.
IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY
Iowa’s overall dual meet record is 775-198-30 (.788) in 93 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 20 national titles, including nine of the last 14, and 31 Big Ten titles. Iowa’s 47 NCAA Champions have won a total of 73 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 13 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes’ 99 Big Ten Champions have won a total of 180 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 254 times, including 16 four-time, 27 three-time and 28 two-time honorees.
HAWK TALK WITH Jim Zalesky
KXIC Radio (AM-800) will air nine Hawk Talk with Jim Zalesky radio shows this season. The show will be live from LaCasa Mexican Restaurant in Iowa City from 6-7 p.m. The next scheduled show date is Tuesday, December 7.
CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE
The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Jim Zalesky, Troy Steiner, Tim Hartung, Cliff Moore and Mike Zadick earned a total of seven NCAA titles, 12 Big Ten titles and 17 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 619-88-1 (.875), including four undefeated seasons.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 75th NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will be held March 17-19 at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, MO. This will be the first time in tournament history that the meet will be held in the same venue back-to-back years. All-session tickets are $100 and are available at 877/722-1604 or www.stlsports.org/wrestling.