Dec. 9, 2008
THIS WEEK
The top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (9-0) will face #24 Northern Iowa (0-0) Thursday at 7 p.m. in Cedar Falls. The dual will be held at the McLeod Center, and aired live on Iowa Public Television. Tim Johnson, 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.
TSIRTSIS EARNS WRESTLER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Hawkeye senior 141-pounder Alex Tsirtsis has been named wrestler of the week by TheMat.com and the Big Ten Conference. He shared the Big Ten honor with top-ranked 174-pounder Steve Luke of Michigan.
The third-ranked Tsirtsis posted a 4-2 win over second-ranked Nick Gallick to lead No. 1 Iowa to a 20-15 win over No. 2 Iowa State before 15,955 fans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It was the largest dual meet crowd in NCAA history.
Tsirtsis’ win at 141 pounds provided a huge boost as the Hawkeyes won 6 of 10 matches over the Cyclones. Tsirtsis scored a reversal with one second left in the match to pull out the win. He is undefeated at 7-0.
HAWKEYES LOOK TO EXTEND WINNING STREAKS
Iowa has won its last 23 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 dual wins is 31 (1994-97). The 19 straight away duals rank second in school history.
Six Hawkeyes also have their own winning streaks they will try to extend. Junior Brent Metcalf (149) has won his last 41 bouts, while junior Jay Borschel (174) is on an 11-match streak. Senior Charlie Falck (125) and juniors Ryan Morningstar (165) and Phillip Keddy (184) have each won their last nine matches, and senior Alex Tsirtsis (141) has won his last seven.
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. Fans can also listen to the broadcast live on www.hawkeyesports.com using the XXL All-Access subscription ($14.95 per month or $119.95 per year).
Internet – Press releases, meet results, audio broadcasts, and live video broadcasts from home duals are available online at www.hawkeyesports.com.Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com.
NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS
Northern Iowa will open its 2008-09 dual season Thursday against the Hawkeyes. Head Coach Brad Penrith is 70-57-4 in nine seasons with the Panthers. Penrith was an NCAA champion and three-time NCAA finalist, all-American and Big ten champion at Iowa from 1986-88. He is assisted by Northern Iowa alums Randy Pugh and Sean Stender, and Nebraska alum Jose DeAnda.
The Panthers are led by senior all-American Moza Fay, who is 3-0 and ranked #2 in the nation at 165. Northern Iowa returns four other 2008 NCAA qualifiers in sophomore Caleb Flores (125), senior Josh Baldridge (133), junior Tyson Reiner (157) and senior Andrew Anderson (197).
THE SERIES
Iowa leads the series, 40-8-2, and has won the last 32 meetings. The Hawkeyes hold a 19-5-1 advantage in Cedar Falls and are 1-0 at the McLeod Center. Iowa’s last win in the series was 40-3 last season in Iowa City, while Northern Iowa’s last win was 17-15 in Cedar Falls during the 1973-74 season.
LAST MEETING – IOWA 40, NORTHERN IOWA 3
The top-ranked Hawkeyes improved to 7-0 last year with wins over Northern Iowa (40-3) and Cornell College (51-0) in its first home duals of the 2007-08 season. The Hawkeyes went 19-1 on the night, losing the first match on a last-second takedown. Iowa rebounded to score eight pins, six major decisions and two technical falls in the remaining 19 matches.
Iowa recorded its 40th series win over Northern Iowa and its 20th win over the Panthers in Iowa City. Hawkeye senior Mark Perry, ranked second at 165, pinned No. 3 Moza Fay in 48 seconds in the night’s marquee matchup to pick up his 80th career victory. Sophomore Ryan Morningstar scored his 30th career win by pinning Panther Jarion Beets in sudden victory at 157.
Iowa 40, Northern Iowa 3
197 – Andrew Anderson (UNI) dec. Rick Loera (I), 6-4
Hwt. – Matt Fields (I) maj. dec. Dustin Bauman (UNI), 17-6
125 – Charlie Falck (I) pinned Caleb Flores (UNI), 1:10
133 – Joe Slaton (I) maj. dec. Trent Washington (UNI), 15-7
141 – Dan LeClere (I) dec. C.J. Ettelson (UNI), 8-2
149 – Brent Metcalf (I) tech. fall Charlie Ettelson (UNI), 22-7 in 5:32
157 – Ryan Morningstar (I) pinned Jarion Beets (UNI), 7:59
165 – Mark Perry (I) pinned Moza Fay (UNI), 0:48
174 – Jay Borschel (I) dec. Alex Dolly (UNI), 10-7
184 – Phillip Keddy (I) dec. Andy O’Loughlin (UNI), 10-4
HAVEN’T WE MET?
Following are the past series results for potential Iowa-Northern Iowa matchups:
125 – Charlie Falck (I) is 1-0 vs. Caleb Flores (UNI)
Falck pinned Flores in 6:46 at 2007 Midlands
149 – Brent Metcalf (I) is 1-0 vs. Charlie Ettelson (UNI)
Metcalf tech. fall Ettelson, 22-7 in 5:32, at 2007-08 dual
165 – Ryan Morningstar (I) is 1-0 vs. Moza Fay (UNI)
Fay won by med. forfeit over Morningstar at 2005 UNI Open
Morningstar dec. Fay, 5-3 SV-1, at 2006-07 dual
PERSONNEL NOTES
? Iowa junior Joe Slaton (133) and Northern Iowa sophomore Jarion Beets (174) and redshirt freshman Cruse Arhus (125) all attended Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School.
? Iowa sophomore Colby Covington (165) and Northern Iowa junior Terrance Young (125) were teammates at Iowa Central Community College. Covington won the 2007 165-pound NJCAA title, while Young won the 125-pound national title in 2008.
HAWKEYES BEAT IOWA STATE, SET ATTENDANCE RECORD
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. 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. The Hawkeyes now lead the fifth annual series, 11-4.
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 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
IOWA CROWNS THREE CHAMPS AT NORTHERN IOWA OPEN
Hawkeye junior Dan LeClere (141), redshirt freshman J.J. Krutsinger (125) and true freshman Grant Gambrall (184) each won titles at the Northern Iowa Open Sunday in Cedar Falls. Of the 18 Iowa wrestlers, 10 placed at the tournament.
LeClere posted one technical fall, one major decision and three decisions on his way to the title. He defeated Northern Iowa’s Alec Hoffman in the finals, 3-2. Krutsinger scored two decisions and won by medical forfeit over Northern Iowa’s Caleb Flores in the finals. Gambrall posted two decisions en route to his title, beating Missouri’s Brent Haynes (6-3) in the finals.
The Hawkeyes also had three placewinners at 133, two at 165 and one each at 174 and 197. Redshirt freshman Montell Marion (2nd) and true freshmen Nate Moore (3rd) and Matt McDonough (5th) placed at 133, while junior Michael Fahrer (4th) and sophomore Aaron Janssen (5th) placed at 165. Sophomore Jake Kerr placed second at 174 and junior Rick Loera finished sixth at 197.
HAWKEYE WRESTLING TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for Iowa’s five remaining home duals are on sale at the UI Athletic Ticket Office at 800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com.
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.
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).
UP NEXT
Iowa will vy for its 20th Midlands Championships Dec. 29-30 in Evanston, IL. Iowa, the defending team champion, has won the most team titles (19) in the 45 years of the meet. All matches will be held at Welsh-Ryan Arena on the Northwestern University campus. Ticket prices vary and can be purchased from the Northwestern University Athletic Ticket Office at (847) 491-2287 or www.nusports.com. Session times are as follows: Session I – Dec. 29 at 9:30 a.m., Session II – Dec. 29 at 7 p.m., Session III – Dec. 30 at Noon, Session IV – Dec. 30 at 7 p.m.
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