Hawkeyes Clinch NCAA Team Title

March 22, 2008

Photo Gallery | Interview with Jay Borschel | Interview with Matt Fields

ST. LOUIS, MO — The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team clinched its 21st national team title and its first since 2000 Saturday morning at the 2008 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, MO. The Hawkeyes lead the team field with 109.5 points. It is a tight race for second place as second through fifth place is only separated by three points. Nebraska is in second with 74 points, but has no finalists competing Saturday night. Iowa State is in third with 72 points and one finalist, while Ohio State and Penn State are tied for fourth with 71. Ohio State has three finalists and Penn State has two.

Four of Iowa’s seven all-Americans competed in Saturday morning’s consolation round. Sophomore Jay Borschel (174) placed third, while senior Matt Fields (Hwt.) placed fifth, and junior Charlie Falck (125) and sophomore Phillip Keddy (184) placed sixth. It is the first time that the Hawkeyes have crowned seven all-Americans since 2001.

Borschel was the lone Hawkeye to win both his consolation matches to place third at 174 and earn his first all-America honor. The tournament’s fourth seed, Borschel pinned #11 Steve Anceravage in 6:30 in the consolation semifinal and then upset third-seeded Brandon Browne of Nebraska, 6-4, in the third-place match. Borschel ends the season at 32-5. Fields lost his first bout of the day – a 3-2 decision to third-seeded Ed Prendergast of Navy – before picking up his 95th career win in the placing match. He scored a takedown in the second sudden victory period to defeat seventh-seeded David Zabriskie of Iowa State, 4-2, to place fifth. Fields, who was seeded fourth at the tournament, ends his Hawkeye career with a 95-38 mark. He went 32-8 in his senior campaign, picking up his first all-America honor.

Falck placed sixth at 125, losing both of his consolation bouts. He lost a 7-5 decision to Penn State’s Mark McKnight in the consolation semifinals and an 8-2 decision to fourth-seeded Tanner Gardner in the fifth-place match. Falck, who was seeded fifth at the tournament, ends the season at 31-7. Iowa’s 33rd two-time all-American, Falck has a career record of 69-28.

Keddy also placed sixth, losing a 6-4 decision in sudden victory to sixth-seeded Raymond Jordan of Missouri in the 184-pound placing match. He also lost a 7-4 bout to fourth-seeded Christian Sinnott of Michigan in the consolation semifinal. Keddy, who was the tournament’s seventh seed, ends the season with a 28-11 record and his first all-America honor. His career record is 42-28.

Hawkeye senior Mark Perry (165) will look to defend his 165-pound NCAA title and sophomores Joe Slaton (133) and Brent Metcalf (149) will go after their first national titles Saturday night. The finals are set to start at 7:30 p.m. (CT) at the Scottrade Center and will air live on ESPN.

NCAA TEAM STANDINGS – TOP 10 TEAMS AFTER SESSION FIVE
Place Team Points – Finalists
1. Iowa 109.5 – 3
2. Nebraska 74 – 0
3. Iowa State 72 – 1
4. Ohio State 71 – 3
Penn State 71 – 2
6. Central Michigan 69 – 1
Michigan 69 – 2
8. Oklahoma State 66 – 1
9. Cornell 63 – 1
10. Minnesota 61.5 – 1

IOWA’S NCAA SATURDAY CONSOLATION MATCH-UPS
125 – Mark McKnight (Penn State) dec. #5 Charlie Falck (Iowa), 7-5
125 – #4 Tanner Gardner (Stanford) dec. #5 Charlie Falck (Iowa), 8-2
174 – #4 Jay Borschel (Iowa) pinned #11 Steve Anceravage (Cornell), 6:30
174 – #4 Jay Borschel (Iowa) dec. #3 Brandon Browne (Nebraska), 6-4
184 – #4 Christian Sinnott (Central Michigan) dec. #7 Phillip Keddy (Iowa), 7-4
184 – #6 Raymond Jordan (Missouri) dec. #7 Phillip Keddy (Iowa), 6-4 SV
Hwt – #3 Ed Prendergast (Navy) dec. #4 Matt Fields (Iowa), 3-2
Hwt – #4 Matt Fields (Iowa) dec. #7 David Zabriskie (Iowa State), 4-2 SV-2

Complete NCAA Bout-By-Bout Results in PDF Format

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