Hawkeyes Take On Two Big Ten Foes

Feb. 9, 2010

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The top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes (19-0, 4-0 Big Ten) will host Northwestern (5-10-1, 0-5 Big Ten) Friday at 7 p.m. and will wrestle at #5 Minnesota (11-4, 6-0 Big Ten) Sunday at 6 p.m. Iowa and Minnesota are both undefeated in Big Ten competition, as is #4 Ohio State (14-1, 3-0 Big Ten).

Tickets purchased in advance for the Iowa-Northwestern dual are $10 for adults and $5 for youth, while tickets purchased at the meet are $12 for adults and $6 for youth. UI students and children ages five and younger will be admitted for free. Tickets are available at the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com, where fans can take advantage of a print-at-home option. The dual at Carver-Hawkeye Arena will be streamed live on www.bigtennetwork.com at a cost of $2.99.

The Iowa-Minnesota dual, which will be held at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, will be televised live on the Big Ten Network. Tickets – 15 for adults, $5 for students, youth and seniors and $5 for groups of 15 or more – are available from the University of Minnesota Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-846-7437, 612-624-8080 or www.gophersports.com.

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 and www.hawkeyesports.com. Web audio broadcasts are available using the XXL All-Access subscription ($14.95 per month or $119.95 per year).

Television – The Iowa-Minnesota dual at Minneapolis will be televised live on the Big Ten Network. Announcers Tim Johnson, Jim Gibbons and former Hawkeye Head Coach Dan Gable will call the action.

Internet – The Iowa-Northwestern dual will be streamed live on www.bigtennetwork.com at a cost of $2.99. To access live scoring for the Iowa-Northwestern dual, 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. Press releases, meet results, and audio and video broadcasts are available on the University of Iowa’s website, www.hawkeyesports.com.Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com.

LIVE BLOGGING FROM CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
A member of the UI Sports Information staff will offer interactive content for the Iowa-Northwestern dual live via www.hawkeyesports.com. This feature gives Hawkeye fans the opportunity to voice their opinion by submitting questions and comments, while receiving up-to-the-minute play-by-play, notes and stats. The blog will start at approximately 6:45 p.m. (CT).

IOWA WINNING STREAKS
The Hawkeyes have won 57 straight dual matches, which is a school record. The current streak started with a win over Cornell (32-3) on Jan. 12, 2008, which was the first match after Iowa lost to Oklahoma State (19-14) on Jan. 5.

That 57-match winning streak ranks fourth-best in NCAA wrestling history behind three Oklahoma State streaks. The Cowboys won 76 straight duals from 1937-51, and had two 69-match streaks (1921-32 and 1996-99).

The Hawkeyes have won 39 consecutive duals on the road, which is also a school record. That streak started with a 20-13 win at Iowa State on Dec. 9, 2007.

Iowa has also won its last 23 duals at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. That streak, which ranks fourth-best in school history, started with a 27-13 win over Penn State on Jan. 20, 2008, which was also the first home match after the loss to the Cowboys.

Against Big Ten opponents, the Hawkeyes have won their last 23 duals, including the last 10 at home and 13 on the road. The 23 duals ranks second in school history, while the 10 and 13 both rank fourth. Iowa’s school record for consecutive Big Ten wins is 98 (12/13/1975-1/28/1989), while the records for Big Ten home wins is 63 (1/17/1975-1/3/1998) and road wins is 54 (1/19/1974-1/28/1989).

CONSTRUCTION ZONE
Construction has officially begun on the Carver-Hawkeye Arena Renovation Project, which will result in some changes regarding parking and entrance to the arena for wrestling matches.

The North entrance will no longer be accessible from the outside of the facility. Fans can enter, and purchase tickets, at the West and South entrances. Arena doors will open 90 minutes before the meet. The East entrance will serve as the event pass gate. Fans can still purchase tickets to future events from the North ticket windows, but will only be able to access that location from inside the arena.

Media parking for all meets will be in Lot 40, which is located across Elliott Drive from Carver-Hawkeye Arena, on the building’s southeast side. Throughout the season, fans are encouraged to use free parking near the arena at Lot #33 (East Dental Lot), Lot #43 (located west of Kinnick Stadium and the UI Recreating Buildling), and the Finkbine Commuter lot. Other free parking is available at Hancher Auditorium, the Hawkeye Commuter lot (which is located west of the UI Athletics Hall of Fame, Grant Field, UI Soccer Field and the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex), and the hard surfaced lots at the UI softball and outdoor track complexes. Parking is also available at the regular hourly parking rate in the Clock Tower (#3) and Field House (#4) ramps.

NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS
Northwestern is 5-10-1 (0-5 Big Ten) with wins over St. Cloud State (17-12), Cleveland State (42-6), Air Force (26-15), Brown (23-18) and Southern Ililnois (28-15); losses to Stanford (6-27), Purdue (6-33), Northern Illinois (13-24), Central Michigan (12-28), Missouri (17-23), Oklahoma (3-40), Indiana (9-31), Illinois (6-30), Penn State (10-37) and Ohio State (6-37), and a tie with Eastern Michigan (18-18).

Head Coach Tim Cysewski has a 154-187-8 record in 20 seasons at Northwestern. He was an all-American, at 134 pounds, for Iowa in 1976. At the end of the 2009-10 season, current associate head coach Drew Pariano (Northwestern, 2000) will take over head coaching duties and Cysewski will stay on as Northwestern’s top assistant coach. Also serving on the Wildcat staff as an assistant coach is Matt Storniolo (Oklahoma, 2007).

The Wildcats are led by 149-pound junior Andrew Nadhir, who is ranked 14th in the nation by Intermat and 17th by Amateur Wrestling News with an 19-6 record. In the pair’s only meeting, Hawkeye senior Brent Metcalf pinned Nadhir in 4:28 at last season’s dual. The Wildcats are without the services of returning NCAA qualifiers Brandon Precin (125) and Keith Sulzer (149). Precin is redshirting the season, while Sulzer is out due to injury.

Iowa leads the series, 65-7-1, and hold a 28-3 edge at Iowa City. The Hawkeyes have won the last five meetings, including last year’s season-ending 34-13 win at Evanston that ensured Iowa’s 12th undefeated season in school history. Northwestern’s last win in the series was a 22-19 upset, at Evanston, in 2005.

MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS
Minnesota is ranked fifth in the most recent NWCA/USA Today Division I Coaches Poll. The Golden Gophers are 11-4 (6-0 Big Ten) with wins over Cal State Bakersfield (31-9), Nebraska (28-14), Northern Colorado (41-3), Missouri (25-14), Central Michigan (25-9), Michigan State (18-16), Michigan (30-6), Wisconsin (20-18), Purdue (30-9), Illinois (27-13) and Indiana (28-13); and losses to Oklahoma State (8-21), Iowa State (16-19), Iowa (12-28) and Ohio State (12-26). Minnesota has won its last six duals.

Head Coach J Robinson is 358-122-3 in 24 years at Minnesota. Robinson served as interim head coach at Iowa in 1984, when then-Head Coach Dan Gable coached the U.S. Olympic team. He was also an assistant coach (1976-83) and graduate assistant (1972-76) at Iowa. Robinson is assisted by Minnesota alums Joe Russell( 1992), Brandon Eggum (2000) and Luke Becker (2003).

The Golden Gophers are led by seniors Jayson Ness (133) and Dustin Schlatter (157), juniors Mike Thorn (141) and Scott Glasser (174), and sophomore Zach Sanders (125). Ness is ranked first in the nation with a 21-0 record, while Schlatter is ranked second by AWN and Intermat and fourth by WIN at 12-1. Both wrestlers missed most of the month of January due to injury and just recently returned to the Minnesota lineup. Thorn is ranked third by AWN, sixth by Intermat and seventh by WIN with a 20-4 record, while Sanders is ranked fifth by WIN and sixth by AWN and Intermat at 20-3. Glasser is ranked seventh by AWN and WIN, eighth by Intermat with a 27-4 record, and has won 17 of his last 18 matches. His last loss was an 11-3 major decision to Hawkeye senior Jay Borschel at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in January.

Iowa holds a 66-24-1 lead in the series, going 30-11-1 at Minneapolis. The Hawkeyes have won the last four meetings, including a 28-12 decision Jan. 10 at the NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals semifinals in Cedar Falls. Minnesota’s last win in the series was a 29-13 victory at Iowa City.

LAST MEETING – IOWA 34, NORTHWESTERN 13
Iowa posted a 34-13 victory at Northwestern to end the 2009-10 season undefeated at 24-0. The Hawkeyes also clinched the 2009 Big Ten regular season title with a perfect 8-0 mark. The Hawkeyes have posted 12 undefeated and untied seasons, and the 2009 season produced the most victories ever.

Iowa went 7-3 at Northwestern, scoring bonus points in six matches. Juniors Brent Metcalf (149), Chad Beatty (197) and Dan Erekson (Hwt.) pinned their Wildcat opponents, junior Jay Borschel (174) scored a match-termination technical fall, and juniors Daniel Dennis (133) and Ryan Morningstar (165) posted major decisions. Iowa’s three losses were to higher ranked Wildcat opponents. At 125, #4 Brandon Precin caught fifth-ranked Hawkeye senior Charlie Falck in a scramble situation, recording the pin in 4:19. At 157, #14 Jason Welch scored an 11-3 major decision over unranked Hawkeye sophomore Matt Ballweg. At 184, third-ranked Phillip Keddy gave top-ranked and undefeated Jake Herbert a run for his money, but lost, 3-2.

Iowa 34, Northwestern 13
125 – Brandon Precin (N) pinned Charlie Falck (I), 4:19
133 – Daniel Dennis (I) maj. dec. Bobby Joyce (N), 14-4
141 – Alex Tsirtsis (I) dec. Keith Sulzer (N), 5-1
149 – Brent Metcalf (I) pinned Andrew Nadhir (N), 4:28
157 – Jason Welch (N) maj. dec. Matt Ballweg (I), 11-3
165 – Ryan Morningstar (I) maj. dec. Dominic Marella (N), 12-3
174 – Jay Borschel (I) tech. fall Robert Kellogg (N), 21-4 in 6:11
184 – Jake Herbert (N) dec. Phillip Keddy (I), 3-2
197 – Chad Beatty (I) pinned Aaron Jones (N), 1:55
Hwt. – Dan Erekson (I) pinned Paul Rands (N), 0:57

LAST MEETING – IOWA 28, MINNESOTA 12
Iowa won its 50th straight dual Jan. 10 when it defeated #6 Minnesota, 28-12, in the 2010 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals championship semifinals at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, IA. The top-ranked Hawkeyes improved to 12-0 with the win, while Minnesota fell to 5-3.

Iowa started off with a 6-0 lead on identical 6-4 decisions by redshirt freshmen Matt McDonough (125) and Nate Moore (133). McDonough, who is ranked fourth in the nation, trailed #6 Zach Sanders of Minnesota 3-1 in the second period, but scored a second-period takedown, a reversal to start the third period and riding time insured the win. Moore was tied 3-3 with Minnesota redshirt freshman Thane Antczak after the first period, but scored an escape and takedown in the second period to secure the win.

Minnesota tied the score at 6-6 at 141 with #6 Mike Thorn’s pin of Hawkeye sophomore Montell Marion in 42 seconds. The pair started the period with several scrambles and the pin was recorded without a takedown being awarded.

Iowa rolled off wins at the next five weights to secure the team victory. Top-ranked Hawkeye senior Brent Metcalf answered Thorn’s pin at 141 with one of his own. Hawkeye junior Aaron Janssen recorded two takedowns and three nearfall points in his 11-5 victory over Minnesota redshirt freshman Mario Mason. At 165, senior Ryan Morningstar scored nine nearfall points en route to a 17-2 technical fall over Golden Gopher sophomore Joe Grygelko. Iowa seniors Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) both scored major decisions. Borschel scored an 11-3 win over Minnesota junior Scott Glasser to remain undefeated at 17-0, while Keddy blanked sophomore Kaleb Young, 11-0, en route to his 13th win of the season.

Minnesota won the last two bouts of the dual by decision. Sophomore Sonny Yohn posted a 6-1 win over Hawkeye junior Luke Lofthouse at 197, and junior Ben Berhow recorded a 6-3 victory over Iowa sophomore Blake Rasing at heavyweight.

#1 Iowa 28, #6 Minnesota 12
125 – Matt McDonough (I) dec. Zach Sanders (M), 6-4
133 – Nate Moore (I) dec. Thane Antczak (M), 6-4
141 – Mike Thorn (M) pinned Montell Marion (I), 0:42
149 – Brent Metcalf (I) pinned David Zilverberg (M), 2:18
157 – Aaron Janssen (I) dec. Mario Mason (M), 11-5
165 – Ryan Morningstar (I) tech. fall Joe Grygelko (M), 17-2
174 – Jay Borschel (I) maj. dec. Scott Glasser (M), 11-3
184 – Phillip Keddy (I) maj. dec. Kaleb Young (M), 11-0
197 – Sonny Yohn (M) dec. Luke Lofthouse (I), 6-1
Hwt. – Ben Berhow (M) dec. Blake Rasing (I), 6-3

HAVEN’T WE MET?
Following are past collegiate career results of potential Iowa-Minnesota match-ups:

125 – Matt McDonough (I) is 1-0 vs. Zach Sanders (M)
McDonough dec. Sanders, 6-4, at 2010 National Duals

133 – Daniel Dennis (I) is 2-0 vs. Jayson Ness (M)
Dennis dec. Ness, 6-4, at 2009 National Duals
Dennis dec. Ness, 9-7, at 2009 dual

141 – Montell Marion (I) is 0-1 vs. Mike Thorn (M)
Thorn pinned Marion in 0:42 at 2010 National Duals

174 – Jay Borschel (I) is 1-0 vs. Scott Glasser (M)
Borschel maj. dec. Glasser, 11-3, at 2010 National Duals

184 – Philllip Keddy (I) is 1-0 vs. Kaleb Young (M)
Keddy maj. dec. Young, 11-0, at 2010 National Duals

197 – Luke Lofthouse (I) is 0-1 vs. Sonny Yohn (M)
Yohn dec. Lofthouse, 6-1, at 2010 National Duals

Hwt. – Dan Erekson (I) is 2-0 vs. Ben Berhow (M)
Erekson dec. Berhow, 3-2, at 2009 National Duals
Erekson dec. Berhow, 10-4, at 2009 NCAA Champ’s

HEAD COACH Tom Brands
Two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, Tom Brands, is in his fourth season as head wrestling coach at Iowa. A 1996 Olympic gold medalist and member of wrestling’s Hall of Fame, Brands is only the eighth wrestling coach at Iowa. The former Hawkeye wrestler was a four-time all-American and three-time national champion (1989-92) at Iowa. He has a 78-6 overall and 26-3 Big Ten coaching record at Iowa, and an 95-26 career mark.

In his third season with the Hawkeyes, Brands led Iowa to its second straight NCAA and Big Ten team titles, crowning five all-Americans and two Big Ten champions. The 2009 national title was the school’s 22nd, and it was only the second time in school history Iowa won the NCAA title without an individual champion. Brands earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors after guiding Iowa to the school’s 33rd conference team title. The Hawkeyes ended the 2008-09 season with a 24-0 record, going undefeated for the first time since 1999-2000. The Hawkeyes, who ended the season on a 38-dual match winning streak that dates back to the 2007-08 campaign, clinched the 2009 Big Ten regular season title with a perfect 8-0 mark in conference competition and won the 2008 Midlands team title.

Brands served as head coach at Virginia Tech University for two seasons (2005-06), recording a 17-20 dual mark. Prior to taking the helm at Virginia Tech, Brands was an assistant coach at Iowa for 12 seasons (1993-2004). He helped the Hawkeyes to a 177-27 dual record, seven NCAA and eight Big Ten titles, while crowning 23 NCAA champions, 73 all-Americans and 36 Big Ten champions. He was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year in 2000.

As a competitor, Brands won the 1996 Olympic freestyle gold medal at 136.5 pounds in Atlanta, GA. He also won a gold medal at the 1993 World Freestyle Championships in Toronto, two World Cup gold medals (1994, 1995) and was the 1995 Pan American Games champion. He won four U.S. National titles (1993-96) and made four straight U.S. World or Olympic teams (1993-96). Along with his twin brother, Terry, Tom was named 1993 USA Wrestling Athlete of the Year, the 1993 John Smith Outstanding Freestyle Wrestler and 1993 Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year. He was inducted into wrestling’s Hall of Fame in 2001.

Brands was a four-time all-American at Iowa (1989-92). During his Hawkeye career, he won three NCAA titles and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the 1992 NCAA Championships. Also a three time Big Ten champion, Brands won 95 percent of his matches at Iowa. His career mark of 158-7-2, included an undefeated season in 1991 (45-0).

IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY
Iowa’s overall dual meet record is 873-215-30 (.794) in 100 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 22 national titles and 33 Big Ten titles. Iowa’s 49 NCAA champions have won a total of 57 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 14 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes’ 101 Big Ten champions have won a total of 184 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 26 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa’s 138 all-Americans have earned all-America status 278 times, including 17 four-time, 27 three-time and 35 two-time honorees.

CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been the home of Iowa wrestling since 1983. The Hawkeyes are 177-18 (.908) in the arena, which includes a record 10 victories during the 1986 season. Iowa has recorded 17 undefeated seasons in the arena, with the most recent (7-0) occurring in 2008-09. The dual wrestling attendance record for Carver-Hawkeye Arena is 15,955, set when Iowa defeated Iowa State (20-15) on December 6, 2008. The arena seats 15,500 for a dual wrestling meet.

HAWKEYES BLANK UTAH VALLEY, 38-0
Iowa posted its seventh shut out of the season Feb. 6, blanking Utah Valley, 38-0, at Uintah High School in Vernal, UT. The trip served as a homecoming for Hawkeye senior 184-pounder Phillip Keddy, who was a two-time state champion at Uintah.

Iowa (19-0, 4-0 Big Ten) extended its winning streak to 57 overall duals and 39 road duals with the win. Both streaks, as well as the seven shut outs, are school records. Head Coach Tom Brands also picked up his 95th career victory as Iowa only allowed three Wolverine takedowns.

Hawkeye redshirt freshman Matt McDonough, who was ranked fourth in the nation, opened the dual at 125 pounds with a 7-4 decision over #11 Ben Kjar to remain undefeated at 25-0 this season. McDonough scored the first takedown of the bout, but Kjar escaped and scored a takedown of his own to take a 3-2 lead. McDonough responded with a reversal and two nearfall points to end the first period with a 6-3 advantage. Kjar escaped in the second period, but McDonough escaped in the third for the 7-4 win.

Iowa senior Daniel Dennis scored a takedown with three seconds left in his 133-pound match with Utah Valley’s Flint Ray to score a 6-5 victory and collect his 60th career win. Dennis, who was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week last week, led the match 3-0 early in the second period, but Ray scored a takedown and two nearfall points to end the period. Ray chose the down position to start the third period and escaped to take a 5-3 lead, but Dennis scored the takedown and added a point for riding time to snatch his fifth-straight win.

At 141, Hawkeye sophomore Montell Marion scored Iowa’s first bonus points of the night with a 20-7 major decision over Wolverine Jeff Newby.

Hawkeye senior Brent Metcalf scored his 14th pin of the season and the 45th of his Iowa career, sticking Justin Morrill in 1:43 at 149. It was the third-straight pin for Metcalf, who is 25-0 this season and now ranks eighth on Iowa’s all-time career pins list with former Hawkeye Mark Reiland (1989-92).

Iowa junior Jake Kerr scored four third-period takedowns to beat Utah Valley’s Clay Frost, 12-4, at 157. It was Kerr’s second-straight win, and his first major decision of the season.

At 165, Hawkeye senior Ryan Morningstar scored his 100th career victory with a 3-1 decision over Jeb Clark. Morningstar scored two nearfall points in the second period and an escape in the third to win his fifth-straight bout.

Hawkeye senior Jay Borschel kept his season record (24-0) perfect with an 8-2 decision over Brad Darrington at 174. Borschel scored a takedown in each period to post his 85th career victory.

Utah natives Keddy and Iowa junior Luke Lofthouse added two more Hawkeye wins in the final matches of the night. Keddy improved to 18-6 in front of his hometown crowd with a 9-3 win over Casen Eldredge. Lofthouse, who is a native of Avon, UT, picked up his third-straight victory with a 12-5 decision over Josh Wood at 197. Hawkeye senior heavyweight Dan Erekson received a forfeit to end the dual.

Iowa 38, Utah Valley 0
125 – Matt McDonough (I) dec. Ben Kjar (UV), 7-4
133 – Daniel Dennis (I) dec. Flint Ray (UV), 6-5
141 – Montell Marion (I) maj. dec. Jeff Newby (UV), 20-7
149 – Brent Metcalf (I) pinned Justin Morrill (UV), 1:43
157 – Jake Kerr (I) maj. dec. Clay Frost (UV), 12-4
165 – Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. Jeb Clark (UV), 3-1
174 – Jay Borschel (I) dec. Brad Darrington (UV), 8-2
184 – Phillip Keddy (I) dec. Casen Eldredge (UV), 9-3
197 – Luke Lofthouse (I) dec. Josh Wood (UV), 12-5
Hwt. – Dan Erekson (I) won by forfeit

WRESTLING SUMMER CAMPS
For dates and more information about 2010 Iowa Wrestling Summer camps visit www.iowawrestlingcamps.com.

HAWKEYES CROWN THREE DUHAWK OPEN CHAMPS
Eight Hawkeyes competed unattached at the DuHawk Open at Loras College in Dubuque, IA, Feb. 6, with three winning individual titles. Sophomore Brodie Ambrose (197) and true freshmen Tony Ramos (133) and Dylan Carew (149) each won their weight classes, while sophomore Blake Rasing (Hwt.) and true freshmen Ethen Lofthouse (174) and Tomas Lira (184) each placed second, and sophomore Stew Gillmor (157) placed fifth.

HAWKEYES SET SCHOOL RECORD FOR SEASON SHUTOUTS
Iowa’s 38-0 shutout of Utah Valley last weekend was the seventh for the Hawkeyes this season, which sets a new school record. The previous record of five was set during the 1980-81, 1989-90, 1990-91 and 2008-09 seasons. Iowa has blanked Cornell College (57-0), Iowa Lakes (52-0), North Carolina Pembroke (47-0), Southern Illinois Edwardsville (51-0), Michigan (36-0), Michigan State (37-0) and Utah Valley (38-0) this season.

HAWKEYE TRIO REMAINS UNDEFEATED
Hawkeye seniors Brent Metcalf (149) and Jay Borschel (174), and redshirt freshman Matt McDonough (125) are all undefeated this season. Metcalf and McDonough are 25-0, while Borschel is 24-0. Metcalf has scored extra team points in 20 of his 25 bouts, while McDonough has posted extra points in 18 and Borschel 15. All three are 19-0 in dual matches, and have combined for 275 of Iowa’s 674 team points scored in dual competition. Metcalf (23-0) and McDonough (9-0) are also unbeaten at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in their Iowa careers.

METCALF MOVES UP ON CAREER PINS LIST
Hawkeye senior 149-pounder Brent Metcalf moved up to eighth on Iowa’s all-time career pins list after sticking his third-straight opponent last weekend. His 45 career pins is tied for eighth with former Hawkeye Mark Reiland (1989-92). Former Hawkeye Ed Banach (1980-83) holds the record with 73. Iowa Assistant Coach Terry Brands ranks sixth with 48 (1988-92) and Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands ranks seventh with 46 (1988-92).

Metcalf is the only Hawkeye to crack the career list with only three seasons of competition. He has pinned 45 percent (45 pins in 99 matches) of his opponents at Iowa. The top-ranked Hawkeye has 14 pins this season and is undefeated at 25-0.

MORNINGSTAR SNARES 100TH CAREER VICTORY
Hawkeye senior Ryan Morningstar recorded his 100th career win last weekend with a 3-1 victory over Utah Valley’s Jeb Clark. Morningstar is 20-3 this season, going 15-2 in dual competition. The Lisbon, IA, native has started 82 duals for the Hawkeyes and has a career record of 100-35.

Hawkeye seniors Brent Metcalf (97-2) and Phillip Keddy (94-38) are also closing in on their 100th career victories.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP
Iowa’s 11 seniors – Chad Beatty, Jay Borschel, Daniel Dennis, Dan Erekson, Michael Fahrer, Phillip Keddy, Dan LeClere, Rick Loera, Brent Metcalf, Ryan Morningstar, Joe Slaton – bring a wealth of talent and experience to the mat.

The group has a combined career record of 630-213, going 392-114 in duals, 116-49 in Big Ten duals and 145-39 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The group has scored 1,592 team points in dual competition and has started a combined 509 dual matches. Iowa’s seniors have won one NCAA individual title, three Big Ten individual titles, nine all-America honors and qualified for the NCAA Championships 16 times.

ALL IN THE FAMILY
On the 2009-10 Hawkeye wrestling team, there is one set of brothers, three wrestlers whose fathers wrestled at Iowa and two uncle-nephew combinations.

Junior Matt Ballweg (157) and redshirt freshman Mark Ballweg (133/141) are brothers who hail from Waverly, IA. Senior Rick Loera (197), redshirt freshman Matt McDonough (125/133) and true freshman Nick Trizzino all had fathers who wrestled for the Hawkeyes. George Loera (1975-76) and Mike McDonough (1974-76) wrestled on the same team, while Mark Trizzino was an all-American (1984) and four-year letterwinner (1981-84) for the Hawkeyes.

Junior Luke Lofthouse (197) is the uncle of Hawkeye true freshman Ethen Lofthouse (174). Nick Trizzino’s uncle, Scott Trizzino, was also a three-time all-American (1978-79-81) and four-time letterwinner (1977-79, 1981) for the Hawkeyes.

There have been 11 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.

MICHIGAN TO HOST 2010 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 2010 Big Ten Wrestling Championships are set for Saturday and Sunday, March 6-7 at the University of Michigan’s Crisler Arena at Ann Arbor, MI.

Session One (first round and quarterfinals) is set to start Saturday at 10 a.m. (CT). Session Two (championship semifinals and consolation matches) will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. Sunday’s Session Three (consolation semifinals and seventh-place matches) will start at 11 a.m. with the championships round (first, third and fifth-place matches) starting at 1:05 p.m.

All-session tickets ($30) are available from the UM Athletic Ticket Office (734-764-0247 or www.MGoBlue.com/tickets). Single-session tickets will be on sale at Crisler Arena on days of competition. Single-session tickets for Sessions One and Two are $15 for reserved seats, $10 for general admission seats and $8 for general admission seats for groups of 10 or more. Tickets for Session Three are $20 for reserved seats, $15 for general admission seats and $8 for general admission seats for groups of 10 or more.

2010 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS SET FOR OMAHA
The 2010 NCAA Wrestling Championships are scheduled for March 18-20 at the Qwest Center in Omaha, NE. The NCAA, University of Nebraska and the Omaha Sports Commission will co-host the event. Tickets to the event are available at (402) 422-1212 or ticketmaster.com.

Sessions one (11 a.m.) and two (6:30 p.m.) will be held Mar. 18, sessions three (10 a.m.) and four (6 p.m.) will be Mar. 19, and session five (10 a.m.) and the championship finals (6:30 p.m.) are set for Mar. 20. All times are Central.

UP NEXT
The top-ranked Hawkeyes will close out the 2009-10 Big Ten dual season at home and on the road next weekend, with both matches appearing on the Big Ten Network.

Iowa will host #3 Ohio State (16-1, 5-0 Big Ten) Friday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. (CT) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Big Ten Network will air a same-day taped delay broadcat of the dual at 10 p.m. (CT). Tickets purchased in advance are $13 for adults, $7 for youth and $2 for children ages five and under, while tickets purchased at the meet are $15 for adults, $8 for youth and $2 for children ages five and under. UI students will be admitted for free. Tickets are available at the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com., where fans can take advantage of a print-at-home option.

The Hawkeyes will close out the dual meet season Sunday, Feb. 21 at #15 Wisconsin (6-9, 2-3 Big Ten). The match will be wrestled at the UW Field House in Madison at 3 p.m. (CT), and aired on a same-day taped-delay basis on the Big Ten Network at 10 p.m. Tickets ($5 for adults, $2 for children and seniors) go on-sale starting one hour prior to the event and are available at the ticket windows located inside the entrance to Gates B and C of the Field House.

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