Dec. 6, 2005
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THIS WEEK
Iowa (2-0) will open its 2005-06 home dual meet schedule when it hosts Northern Iowa (0-1) Thursday night in Iowa City. The dual is set for 7 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
ON THE AIR
Radio – Morrie Adams and four-time Hawkeye all-American Mark Ironside will call this season’s action live on AM-800 KXIC.
NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS
Northern Iowa is 0-1, losing 31-6 to Minnesota last week. Head Coach Brad Penrith has a 48-35 record in his sixth season with the Panthers. Penrith was an NCAA champion and three-time NCAA finalist, all-American and Big Ten champion at Iowa from 1986-88. The Panthers are led by seniors Chris Helgeson (133) and Chris Bitetto (157), junior Nick Baima (165) and sophomores C.J. Ettleson (141) and Alex Dolly (174). Helgeson is 13-6, placing third at the Harold Nichols Open and fourth at the UNI Open. Baima is 9-2, placing second at the Kaufman-Brand and Harold Nichols Opens. Ettelson is 11-4, placing second at UNI Open and fourth at the Harold Nichols Open.
HAVEN’T WE MET?
Here are past results of potential Iowa-Northern Iowa matchups:
141 – Alex Tsirtsis (I) is 2-0 vs. C.J. Ettelson (UNI)
Tsirtsis dec. Ettelson, 3-2, at 2004 Kaufman-Brand Open
Tsirtsis maj. dec. Ettelson, 17-7, at 2004-05 dual
149 – Ty Eustice (I) is 1-0 vs. Justin Swafford (UNI)
Eustice dec. Swafford, 10-4, at 2005 Kaufman-Brand Open
157 – Joe Johnston (I) is 2-0 vs. Chris Bitetto (UNI)
Johnston maj. dec. Bitetto, 14-6, at 2002 UNI Open
Johnston tech. fall Bitetto, 23-6 in 6:31, at 2004-05 dual
165 – Eric Luedke (I) is 0-1 vs. Nick Baima (UNI)
Baima dec. Luedke, 4-3, at 2005 Kaufman-Brand Open
Hwt. – Ryan Fuller (I) is 1-0 vs. Tyler Rhodes (UNI)
Fuller dec. Rhodes, 4-2, at 2005 Kaufman-Brand Open
Hwt. – Matt Fields (I) is 1-0 vs. Tyler Rhodes (UNI)
Fields dec. Rhodes, 3-1 SV-1, at 2005 UNI Open
LAST MEETING
Iowa improved to 2-1 with a 23-13 win over Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls last December 9. The Hawkeyes won six matches, and had five true freshmen compete in the dual. The Panthers fell to 0-2 on the season. Iowa opened the dual with wins from freshman Alex Tsirtsis (141) and juniors Ty Eustice (149) and Joe Johnston (157). Junior Paul Bradley (184) won his 40th career dual with a 16-6 major decision over Alex Dolly. Freshman Matt Fields scored a 10-1 major decision over Michael Shedek at heavyweight. Junior Mario Galanakis closed the dual with his 10-4 win over Patrick Sharp at 133.
Iowa 23, Northern Iowa 13
141 – Alex Tsirtsis (I) maj. dec. C.J. Ettleson (NI), 17-7
149 – Ty Eustice (I) dec. Jeff Harrison (NI), 5-3
157 – Joe Johnston (I) tech. fall C. Bitetto (NI), 23-6 in 6:31
165 – Nick Baima (NI) dec. Oleg Polyatskiy (I), 3-0
174 – Eric Hauan (NI) dec. Luke Lofthouse (I), 6-5
184 – Paul Bradley (I) maj. dec. Alex Dolly (NI), 16-6
197 – Sean Stender (NI) maj. dec. Dane Pape (I), 13-5
Hwt. – Matt Fields (I) maj. dec. M. Shedek (NI), 10-1
125 – Chris Helgeson (NI) dec. Charlie Falck (I), 3-1
133 – Mario Galanakis (I) dec. P. Sharp (UNI), 10-4
THE SERIES
Iowa leads the series, 37-8-2, and has won the last 29 meetings between the two teams. The Hawkeyes hold an 18-3-1 advantage in Iowa City. Iowa’s last win in the series was 23-13 last season in Cedar Falls. Northern Iowa’s last win in the series was 17-15 in Cedar Falls in 1974.
HEAD COACH Jim Zalesky
Jim Zalesky is in his ninth season as head coach at the University of Iowa. He has a school and career record of 118-27 (.814). Named National Coach of the Year in 1998 and 1999, and Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2004, 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 40 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.
LAST WEEK
Iowa improved to 2-0 with a 20-15 win over Iowa State in Ames Friday night. A crowd of 6,682 saw the Hawkeyes record wins in six matches, including two by major decision, to hand Iowa State (3-1) its first dual loss of the season. The win also gave Iowa two points in the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series. Iowa State currently leads the series, 5-2, with wins in women’s soccer and football.
The Hawkeyes jumped out to a 10-0 lead on wins by juniors Ryan Fuller (Hwt.) and Lucas Magnani (125) and true freshman Daniel Dennis (133). Iowa State got on the board with Nate Gallick’s 4-1 win over sophomore Alex Tsirtsis at 141. Iowa senior Ty Eustice took Iowa into the intermission with a 6-3 win over Jason Knipp at 149. Eustice picked up his 90th career victory, and improved to 7-0 on the season. The Cyclones picked up two wins after the intermission, with Trent Paulson’s 8-3 decision over senior Joe Johnston at 157 and Travis Paulson’s 8-4 win over senior Cole Pape at 165. Hawkeye sophomore Mark Perry gave Iowa a boost with a 13-3 major decision at 174, and senior Paul Bradley sealed the Iowa win with an 8-5 victory over Kurt Backes at 184. Both wrestlers improve to 2-0 on the season, and Bradley is now 5-1 in his career against Backes. Cyclone true freshman Joe Curran won the last match of the night, pinning Iowa senior Adam Fellers in 6:14 at 197.
On Sunday, junior Eric Luedke won the 165-pound title at the UNI Open. Luedke, who defeated Hawkeye junior Joe Uker, 7-2, in the finals, was one of Iowa’s seven placewinners and 20 competitors at the annual tournament in Cedar Falls. Luedke transferred from Colby College in Colby, KS, and is in his first season with the Hawkeyes. Northern Iowa officials estimated over 350 wrestlers competed in the one-day tournament in the UNI Dome. Also placing for Iowa were junior Alex Grunder (149-5th), sophomore Matt Fields (Hwt.-2nd), and true freshmen Ryan Morningstar (157-6th), Chad Beatty (174-3rd) and Phillip Keddy (184-5th). Fields scored a major decision and three decisions, including one in sudden victory, before losing a 9-3 match in the finals to Les Sigmon, who was competing unattached. Morningstar, of Lisbon, IA, advanced to the quarterfinals before losing the last three matches of the day by medical forfeit. Beatty, from Wilton, IA, won six straight matches in the consolation bracket, including a 4:28 pin of Northern Iowa’s Curt Zinnel in the finals, to place third.
IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY
Iowa’s overall dual meet record is 786-202-30 (.787) in 94 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 20 national titles, including nine of the last 15, 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 127 all-Americans have earned all-America status 258 times, including 16 four-time, 27 three-time and 29 two-time honorees.
CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been the home for Iowa wrestling since 1983. The Hawkeyes have a record of 146-12 (.924) 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 in 2002-03. The dual wrestling attendance record for Carver-Hawkeye Arena is 15,291, set when Iowa defeated Iowa State on February 22, 1992. The arena seats 15,500 for a dual wrestling meet.
PACK THE PLACE – BREAK THE RECORD
The Hawkeyes will try to regain the dual meet national attendance record when they host defending NCAA champion and top-ranked Oklahoma State on January 7. Match time is set for 7:30 p.m. The current national attendance record of 15,646 was set February 1, 2002, when Iowa wrestled at Minnesota.
IOWA TICKET INFORMATION
Season tickets and single meet tickets for Iowa’s seven home duals are on sale at the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-424-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. University of Iowa students will be admitted free of charge for all duals except Oklahoma State.
Season Tickets – $56 – General Public; $49 – University Faculty & Staff
Single-Match Tickets (Advance Purchase)* – $8 – Adults; $4 – Youth
Single-Match Tickets (Gate Purchase)* – $10 – Adults; $5 – Youth
Group Rates* – $4 – Per person with a group of 15 or more
* Iowa vs. Oklahoma State tickets are $10 each. The group rate for the Iowa vs. Oklahoma State dual is $5 per person.
CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE
The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Jim Zalesky, Troy Steiner, Tim Hartung, Luke Eustice and Mike Zadick earned a total of six NCAA titles, 10 Big Ten titles and 15 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 596-90-1 (.881), including four undefeated seasons.
NEXT COMPETITION
Iowa will compete at the 43rd annual Midlands Championships December 29-30 in Evanston, IL. All matches will be held in Welsh-Ryan Arena on the Northwestern University campus. All-session passes are $48 for reserved seats, $36 for adult bleacher seating and $30 for student bleacher seating. Tickets can be purchased from the Northwestern Athletic Ticket Office at (847) 491-2287. Session start times and individual session ticket prices are as follows:
Session – Time – Day – Tickets (R/AB/SB)
Session I – 9:30 a.m. – Thursday – NA/$8/$6
Session II – 7 p.m. – Thursday – $11/$9/$7
Session III – Noon – Friday – $13/$10/$8
Session IV – 7 p.m. – Friday – $15/$12/$9