Dec. 6, 2008
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The top-ranked Hawkeye wrestling team picked up its 23rd straight dual win Saturday night when they defeated intra-state rival Iowa State, 20-15, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa also set the national collegiate dual meet attendance record as 15,955 fans packed the arena for the meet. The previous record of 15,646 was set Feb. 1, 2002, when Minnesota hosted Iowa at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Iowa improved to 9-0, handing the Cyclones (3-1) their first dual loss of the season.
Iowa scored wins at six weights – including two upsets and one technical fall – and all six winners remain undefeated on the season. The Hawkeyes also scored two points in the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk series with the win. The Hawkeyes lead the fifth annual series, 9-4.
Hawkeye senior Charlie Falck got Iowa out to a 3-0 lead with his 4-2 win over Cyclone sophomore Tyler Clark at 125, but Iowa State fought back with Nick Fanthorpe’s 12-2 major decision over Iowa junior Joe Slaton at 133. Senior Alex Tsirtsis (141) and junior Brent Metcalf (149) put Iowa on a roll with wins at the next two weights. Tsirtsis, who is ranked third in the nation, scored a reversal as time expired to upset second-ranked Nick Gallick, 4-2. Metcalf extended his own winning streak to 41 matches and scored crucial team bonus points with his 26-10 technical fall over Mitch Mueller in 6:14. Iowa State’s Cyler Sanderson scored bonus points of his own with a 22-9 major decision over Hawkeye sophomore Matt Ballweg at 157, making the team score 11-8 going into the intermission.
Hawkeye juniors Ryan Morningstar (165), Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) fired off three straight wins, scoring Iowa’s final team points of the night. Morningstar, who is ranked ninth in the nation, upset #3 Jon Reader, 2-0. Borschel scored a 6-2 win over Duke Burk, while Keddy scored a takedown in the last minute to beat Jerome Ward, 3-2. Falck, Metcalf, Morningstar, Borschel and Keddy all improved to 9-0 on the season, while Tsirtsis is 7-0. Each Hawkeye, except Keddy, handed their Cyclone opponent his first loss of the season. Iowa State won the last two bouts of the night – a 13-3 major decision by top-ranked Jake Varner over Hawkeye sophomore Luke Lofthouse at 197 and a 5-1 decision by David Zabriskie over junior Dan Erekson at heavyweight.
Iowa will head to Cedar Falls Thursday to face Northern Iowa (0-0) at 7 p.m. in at the McLeod Center. The dual will be aired live on Iowa Public Television.
Iowa 20, Iowa State 15
125 – Charlie Falck (I) dec. Tyler Clark (ISU), 4-2
133 – Nick Fanthorpe (ISU) maj. dec. Joe Slaton (I), 12-2
141 – Alex Tsirtsis (I) dec. Nick Gallick (ISU), 4-2
149 – Brent Metcalf (I) tech. fall Mitch Mueller (ISU), 26-10 in 6:14
157 – Cyler Sanderson (ISU) maj. dec. Matt Ballweg (I), 22-9
165 – Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. Jon Reader (ISU), 2-0
174 – Jay Borschel (I) dec. Duke Burk (ISU), 6-2
184 – Phillip Keddy (I) dec. Jerome Ward (ISU), 3-2
197 – Jake Varner (ISU) maj. dec. Luke Lofthouse (I), 13-3
Hwt. – David Zabriskie (ISU) dec. Dan Erekson (I), 5-1