Top-Ranked Hawkeyes To Host #2 Iowa State

Dec. 2, 2008

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THIS WEEK
The top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (8-0) will put their 22-match winning streak on the line when it hosts intra-state rival Iowa State (3-0) Saturday at 7 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes will try to pack the house to recapture the current national dual meet attendance record. The current record of 15,646 was set by Minnesota on Feb. 1, 2002, when the Golden Gophers hosted Iowa at the Target Center in Minneapolis.

Tickets purchased in advance are $13 for adults, $7 for youth and University of Iowa students with a valid ID, and $2 for children ages five and under. Tickets purchased at the meet are $15 for adults, $8 for youth and UI students, and $2 for children ages five and under. The 1,000 general admission seats set aside for UI students has been sold out. UI students may purchase a reserved seat ticket at the youth price at the Iowa Athletic Ticket Office window, which is located on the concourse level of Carver-Hawkeye Arena. To order tickets contact the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com.

Fans are encouraged to wear black as the dual has been designated as a “Black Out” meet. It will also be the sixth event in this season’s Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series. Iowa leads the series, 7-4.

While Carver-Hawkeye holds 15,500 fans for a dual wrestling meet, University of Iowa officials have secured special permission from local authorities to sell standing room only and restricted vision tickets around the top perimeter of the facility in an attempt to break the attendance record. Iowa City was home to the national dual meet attendance record for almost 19 years before Minnesota’s record-breaking crowd in 2002. The Hawkeyes had 15,283 fans when they hosted Iowa State on Feb. 19, 1983. Iowa broke that record on Feb. 22, 1992, when 15,291 fans filled Carver-Hawkeye to watch the Hawkeyes and Cyclones.

ON THE AIR
Radio – Steven Grace and two-time Hawkeye NCAA champion and four-time all-American Mark Ironside will call the action live on AM-800, KXIC. Live audio broadcasts are also available online at www.hawkeyesports.com using the XXL All-Access subscription ($14.95 per month or $119.95 yer year).

Television – The dual will be aired live on Iowa Public Television, while the Big Ten Network will have a same day delayed broadcast at 9:30 p.m. Tim Johnson and Jim Gibbons and former Hawkeye wrestling coach Dan Gable will call the action for IPTV and the BTN. ITPV is in its 33rd year of broadcasting college wrestling.

Internet – Press releases, meet results, audio broadcasts and live video broadcasts from home duals are available online at www.hawkeyesports.com. To access live scoring for home meets, go to the wrestling schedule page, select the event and click on the Live Results link. Results will be updated after each bout during the dual. Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com.

IOWA STATE CYCLONES
Iowa State is ranked second in the most recent USA Today/NWCA/Intermat Top 25 national coaches poll and third in W.I.N. Magazine’s national dual team rankings. The Cyclones are 3-0 with wins over Utah Valley State (39-0), Wisconsin (27-7) and Arizona State (24-11).

Head Coach Cael Sanderson is 32-7 in his third year at Iowa State. The Cyclone alum earned an Olympic gold medal in 2004 and is only the second four-time national champion in NCAA history. He is assisted by his older brother, Cody, and Casey Cunningham.

Eight Cyclones bring undefeated records to Saturday’s dual, and six are returning all-Americans. Juniors Jake Varner (197) is the nation’s top-ranked 197-pounder and a two-time all-American. Juniors Nick Gallick (141) and David Zabriskie (Hwt.) are each ranked second in the nation, while sophomore Jon Reader (165) is ranked third.

THE SERIES
Iowa leads the series, 55-16-2, and has won the last three meetings. The Hawkeyes hold a 28-5-1 advantage in matches wrestled in Iowa City. Iowa’s last win in the series was 20-13 last season in Ames, while Iowa State’s last win was 19-16 in Iowa City in 2005.

HAVEN’T WE MET?
Following are the past series results for potential Iowa-Iowa State matchups:

133 – Joe Slaton (I) is 2-0 vs. Nick Fanthorpe (ISU)
Slaton dec. Fanthorpe, 6-5, at 2007-08 dual
Slaton dec. Fanthorpe, 2-1 TB, at 2008 NCAA’s

149 – Brent Metcalf (I) is 1-0 vs. Mitch Mueller (ISU)
Metcalf maj. dec. Mueller, 14-4, at 2007-08 dual

174 – Jay Borschel (I) is 1-0 vs. Duke Burk (ISU)
Borschel maj. dec. Burk, 10-1, at 2007 Midlands

Hwt. – Dan Erekson (I) is 0-1 vs. David Zabriskie (ISU)
Zabriskie dec. Erekson, 3-1, at 2007 Cyclone Open

PERSONNEL NOTES
? Iowa junior Brent Metcalf (149) and Iowa State sophomore Jon Reader (165) were high school teammates at Davison High School in Davison, MI. Metcalf was a four-time state champion, while Reader won three state titles. Both were part of four state champion teams during their prep careers.

? Hawkeye redshirt freshman Jordan Johnson (197/Hwt.) and Cyclone sophomore Tyler Clark (125) and redshirt freshman Billy Lewis (174) were prep teammates at Bettendorf High School in 2006-07.

? Iowa State junior Mitch Mueller (149) is an Iowa City native who competed for Iowa City West High School.

? Hawkeyes Matt and Mark Ballweg (157, 141) and Cyclone freshman Eric Thompson (Hwt.) were high school teammates at Waverly-Shell Rock High School in Waverly, IA. The Ballwegs and Thompson each won two state titles. Waverly-Shell Rock won the Class 3A state tournament and dual team titles in 2005 and 2008.

HY-VEE CY-HAWK SERIES
This dual is the sixth event in the the fifth annual Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk series. Iowa leads the series, 7-4, after scoring wins in football, soccer and women’s cross country. Fans can follow the progress of this year’s 12-event series at www.hy-veecyhawkseries.com.

The series awards two points (except football, which is worth three) to the winning school in each head-to-head match-up between the two institutions. Additionally, two points are awarded to an institution if the graduation rate of its student-athletes is greater than the national average as reported each fall by the NCAA.

A commemorative Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series Cup, which stands 31 inches tall and weighs 19 pounds, is displayed on the winning team’s campus for an entire year after a victory. Replica cups are also presented as “traveling trophies” for individual victorious teams in the head-to-head competition.

The University of Iowa captured the inaugural Cy-Hawk Series in 2005 registering a 13-8 margin of victory. Iowa State evened the competition with its own 13-8 triumph in 2006. The Hawkeyes responded with a 13-8 win in 2007. Iowa State captured the fourth competition, 18-9, last season.

LAST MEETING – IOWA 20, IOWA STATE 13
Fourth-ranked Iowa knocked off top-ranked Iowa State, 20-13, Dec. 9 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. A sold-out crowd of 8,988 saw Iowa improve to 5-0 and hand Iowa State (6-1) its first loss of the season.

The Hawkeyes jumped out to a 13-0 lead with wins at the first four weights. Hawkeye junior Charlie Falck scored an 8-4 decision over Cyclone redshirt freshman Mark Kist at 125 to open the dual. Iowa sophomore Joe Slaton handed Iowa State’s Nick Fanthorpe his first loss of the season with a 6-5 win at 133. Sophomore Dan LeClere followed with a 3-1 win over Nick Gallick at 141 to give Iowa a 9-0 advantage, and sophomore Brent Metcalf scored the first bonus points of the dual with a 14-4 major decision over Iowa City native Mitch Mueller at 149. Iowa State put its first team points on the board when sophomore Cyler Sanderson scored a 10-5 decision over sophomore Ryan Morningstar at 157. Sanderson took Morningstar to his back with over one minute remaining in the match, but Morningstar held on to avoid the pin.

Iowa State struck first after the intermission when redshirt freshman Jon Reader scored a 7-3 decision over Iowa redshirt freshman Jake Kerr at 165. Kerr was wrestling for Hawkeye starter Mark Perry, who was serving a one-meet suspension after being disqualified for misconduct during Iowa’s Nov. 24 dual with Old Dominion. Hawkeye sophomore Jay Borschel scored crucial team points with an 18-7 win over Aron Scott at 174.

The Cyclones rallied with wins at 184 and 197 to make the score 17-13. Iowa State sophomore Jake Varner improved his undefeated mark to 6-0 with a 4-1 win over Hawkeye sophomore Phillip Keddy at 184, and senior David Bertolino scored a 16-5 major decision over sophomore Chad Beatty at 197. Hawkeye senior Matt Fields sealed the team win with a 6-3 decision over sophomore David Zabriskie at heavyweight.

Iowa 20, Iowa State 13
125 – Charlie Falck (I) dec. Mark Kist (ISU), 8-4
133 – Joe Slaton (I) dec. Nick Fanthorpe (ISU), 6-5
141 – Dan LeClere (I) dec. Nick Gallick (ISU), 3-1
149 – Brent Metcalf (I) maj. dec. Mitch Mueller (ISU), 14-4
157 – Cyler Sanderson (ISU) dec. Ryan Morningstar (I), 10-5
165 – Jon Reader (ISU) dec. Jake Kerr (I), 7-3
174 – Jay Borschel (I) maj. dec. Aron Scott (ISU), 18-7
184 – Jake Varner (ISU) dec. Phillip Keddy (I), 4-1
197 – David Bertolino (ISU) maj. dec. Chad Beatty (I), 16-5
Hwt. – Matt Fields (I) dec. David Zabriskie (ISU), 6-3

HAWKEYES GO 4-0 AT JOURNEYMEN DUALS
Top-ranked Iowa improved to 8-0 on the 2008-09 season with four wins at the 2008 Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals last Saturday in Troy, NY. Iowa beat Binghamton (48-0), Maryland (34-6), Central Michigan (27-6) and Bloomsburg (39-3) at the 17-team event. Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands picked up his 60th career win against Bloomsburg, and the Hawkeyes extended their dual winning streak to 22 matches.

As a team, Iowa went 35-5 in the four duals. Senior Charlie Falck (125) and juniors Brent Metcalf (149), Ryan Morningstar (165), Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) each went 4-0 on the day. Senior Alex Tsirtsis (141) and junior Dan Erekson (Hwt.) were also undefeated at 3-0, while juniors Joe Slaton (133), Dan LeClere (141) and Luke Lofthouse (197) each went 1-0.

Falck and Tsirtsis picked up their 75th collegiate career victories – Falck with his 10-2 major decision over Maryland’s Brendan Byrne and Tsirtsis with his 3-2 win over Central Michigan’s Eric Kruger. Metcalf extended his own winning streak to 40 collegiate matches on one technical fall, one pin and two decisions. Keddy and Borschel each picked up milestone career wins against Bloomsburg, with Keddy scoring his 50th with a 1:22 pin of Jesse Hassemen and Borschel recording his 40th with a 9-2 decision over Nathan Graham.

HAWKEYE WRESTLING TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for Iowa’s home duals are on sale at the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com.

When Iowa hosts Iowa State, tickets purchased in advance are $13 for adults, $7 for youth and University of Iowa students with a valid ID, and $2 for children ages five and under. Tickets purchased at the meet are $15 for adults, $8 for youth and University of Iowa students with a valid ID, and $2 for children ages five and under.

The 1,000 general admission seats reserved for University of Iowa students has been sold out. UI students may purchase a reserved seat ticket at the youth price at the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office window, which is located on the concourse level of Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Against Wisconsin, Illinois, Bucknell and Purdue, tickets purchased in advance are $10 for adults and $5 for youth. Tickets purchased at the meet are $12 for adults, $6 for youth. University of Iowa students and children ages five and under will be admitted free.

Against Minnesota, tickets purchased in advance are $13 for adults, $7 for youth and $2 for children ages five and under. Tickets purchased at the meet are $15 for adults, $8 for youth and $2 for children ages five and under. Due to the possibility of a sellout crowd, the first 1,000 general admission University of Iowa students will be admitted free of charge after they log-in to their student account at www.hawkeyesports.com to reserve a seat and download a free paper ticket. After that allotment is sold out, students may purchase reserved seats at the youth price.

CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been the home of Iowa wrestling since 1983. The Hawkeyes are 163-18 (.90) 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.

HAWKEYES LOOK TO EXTEND DUAL WINNING STREAK
Iowa has won its last 22 duals, and its last 19 duals away from Iowa City. The school record for overall consecutive dual wins is 42 (1994-97), and for consecutive away duals wins is 31 (1994-97). The 19 straight away duals ranks second in school history.

H. A. W. K. CLUB PARTIES
After 15 years at the First Avenue Club, the post-meet H.A.W.K. club parties will have a new location for the 2008-09 season. All parties will be held on the second floor of Kinnick Stadium’s Brechler Pressbox. Using the Gate D entrance, take one of the elevators to the second floor, take a left out of the elevator and another left at the hallway. The party dates are as follows: Dec. 6 (Iowa State), Jan. 23 (Wisconsin), Jan. 30 (Bucknell) and Feb. 15 (Minnesota).

CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE
The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Tom Brands, Terry Brands, Doug Schwab, Mike Zadick and Jared Frayer earned a total of one Olympic gold medal, one Olympic bronze medal, six NCAA titles, 11 conference titles and 15 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 487-83-2 (.858).

OH BROTHER
The two sets of brothers on the 2008-09 Hawkeye wrestling roster are junior Dan LeClere and redshirt freshman Nick LeClere from Coggon, IA, and sophomore Matt Ballweg and freshman Mark Ballweg from Waverly, IA.

There have been 10 sets of brothers to wrestle together in the Hawkeye lineup since the 1950s. They are Don and Tom Huff (1961), Mark and Scott Trizzino (1981), Lenny, Larry and Jim Zalesky (1981-82), Ed and Lou Banach (1981-83), Marty and Lindley Kistler (1984-85), Jim and John Heffernan (1987), Tom and Terry Brands (1989-92), Troy and Terry Steiner (1991-93), Ryan and Randy Fulsaas (2001) and Luke and Ty Eustice (2003-04).

There have also been five sets of twins to wrestle at Iowa. They are Ed and Lou Banach, Tom and Terry Brands, Ben and Brett Stedman, Troy and Terry Steiner and Randy and Ryan Fulsaas.

NEXT UP
Iowa will face Northern Iowa (0-0) Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. in Cedar Falls. The dual will be held at the McLeod Center, and will be aired live on Iowa Public Television. Tim Johnson and Jim Gibbons and former Hawkeye wrestling coach Dan Gable will call the action for IPTV.

Tickets ($10) are available at the McLeod Ticket Office at 319-273-4849, 877-216-3663 or www.unitix.uni.edu.

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