Honors Keep Piling In For Hawkeye Wrestlers

March 31, 2008

DES MOINES, IA — The accolades keep coming for the NCAA and Big Ten Champion University of Iowa wrestling team. Iowa Governor Chet Culver will proclaim Thursday (April 3rd), “University of Iowa Wrestling Day” in the state of Iowa. The recognition will come in a ceremony at 4 p.m. that day in the Governor’s office at the State Capitol in Des Moines. The entire Hawkeye squad has been invited to participate in the ceremony.

Iowa won its 21st NCAA title – the first for Head Coach Tom Brands and the first for the Hawkeyes since 2000 – and crowned two individual champions and seven all-Americans at the 2008 national tournament in St. Louis two weeks ago. Brands was named National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and Big Ten Coach of the Year this season.

Senior 165-pounder Mark Perry won his second national title at the event, becoming Iowa’s 14th two-time NCAA champion. He also earned his fourth-all-America honor, becoming Iowa’s 17th four-time all-American.

Sophomore 149-pounder Brent Metcalf was Iowa’s other NCAA champion, earning his first all-America honor and ending the season on a 32-match winning streak. Metcalf earned the Dan Hodge trophy last week, which is annually presented to the nation’s top collegiate wrestler. Iowa’s lone Big Ten champion, Metcalf was named Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA and Big Ten Championships, and at the Division I NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. He was also named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year.

The NCAA title capped off a strong season for the Hawkeye wrestling team. The squad won Iowa’s 32nd Big Ten title – the first for Brands – at the conference championships in Minneapolis at the beginning of March. The Hawkeyes won the Big Ten regular season title with a perfect 8-0 conference record, while posting a 21-1 overall dual record. Iowa won its last 14 dual matches.

Click HERE for the Big Ten Network home page.