March 18, 2010
NCAA Wrestling Session II Photo Gallery
- 2010 NCAA Championships
- Carver-Hawkeye Arena Revitalization
- 2009-10 Hawkeye Wrestling Media Guide
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
- Big Ten Network highlights
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone app!
OMAHA, Neb. — After the first full day of competition, the University of Iowa wrestlers lead the NCAA team race with 34.5 points, advancing eight student-athletes to Friday morning’s championship quarterfinals. Competition is set to get underway at 9:30 a.m. (CT) at the Qwest Center in Omaha, NE.
The Hawkeyes turned in a solid round Thursday, winning 18 of their 20 bouts and scoring team bonus points in six matches. Iowa is the only school with all 10 wrestlers still alive in the tournament and has the most quarterfinalists. Oklahoma State is in second place with 26 points (five quarterfinalists, nine wrestlers) and Iowa State is in third with 24 points (five quarterfinalists, nine wrestlers). Iowa has won 22 NCAA team titles, including the last two.
Hawkeye seniors Daniel Dennis (133), Brent Metcalf (149), Ryan Morningstar (165), Jay Borschel (174), Phillip Keddy (184) and Dan Erekson (Hwt.), sophomore Montell Marion (141) and redshirt freshman Matt McDonough (125) each won their second round matches to advance to the championship quarterfinals. Hawkeye senior Chad Beatty (197) also won his consolation bout at 197 pounds to stay alive in the tournament. Iowa’s lone loss Thursday night was junior Jake Kerr’s 8-1 defeat by #1 seed J.P. O’Connor of Harvard at 157.
“We had a very good round today, and now the key is to keep the intensity up and keep improving with every match,” said Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands. “We are favored in five of our eight quarterfinal matches tomorrow, and we need to have another good round to have a good shot at winning this title. Winning eight of nine matches in the championship bracket tonight is something I have to be pleased with. We wrestled much better than we did in the opening round.”
McDonough opened the evening session for Iowa with a 10-6 win over unseeded Anthony Zanetta of Pittsburgh, improving to 34-1 this season. Zanetta scored the first takedown to take a 2-0 lead, but McDonough responded with an escape and takedown to end the first period with a 3-2 lead. McDonough chose the down position to start the second period and got caught on his back during a scramble, which resulted in three nearfall points for Zanetta. The third-seeded Hawkeye scored a quick reversal to tie the score at 5-5. Zanetta escaped to take a 6-5 lead, but McDonough snagged one more second-period takedown to go up 7-5. Zanetta chose a neutral start for the third period, but McDonough scored a takedown and added a point for riding time for the win. The Hawkeye redshirt freshman will face unseeded Jarrod Garnett of Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals. Garnett upset #6 seed Zach Sanders of Minnesota and #11 seed Michael Martinez of Wyoming en route to the quarterfinals. McDonough won his previous meeting with Garnett – a 15-7 major decision – at the 2009 Midlands.
Dennis scored his 20th season victory with a 4-0 decision over unseeded Kelly Kubec of Oregon State. The second-seeded Hawkeye senior opened the bout with a takedown, scored an escape in the second period and rode Kubec the entire third period for the win. Dennis will face #10 seed Nick Fanthorpe of Iowa State in the quarterfinals. He has won both previous meetings with Fanthorpe – a 4-3 decision at the 2008 Midlands finals and a 10-8 decision in sudden victory at the dual in Ames in December.
Marion collected his 35th career and 25th season victories with his 10-5 decision over unseeded Conor Beebe of Central Michigan. Beebe grabbed a 2-0 lead on a takedown, but Marion responded with an escape and takedown of his own to go up 3-2. The sixth-seeded Hawkeye escaped in the second period to take a 4-2 lead, but Beebe pulled within one with an escape of his own early in the third period. Marion took Beebe to his back, scoring two takedown and two nearfall points to take an 8-3 lead. Beebe escaped, but Marion scored one more takedown for the win. The Hawkeye sophomore will face unseeded Germane Lindsey of Ohio, who knocked off #3 seed Mike Thorn of Minnesota en route to the quarterfinals. Marion and Lindsey have not met in collegiate competition.
Metcalf scored his 105th career victory with a 20-7 major decision over unseeded Kyle Borshoff of American. The second-seeded Hawkeye senior recorded eight takedowns and one reversal in the bout, while only allowing Borshoff points on seven escapes. Metcalf, who is 33-1 this season, will face #7 seed Mitch Mueller of Iowa State in the quarterfinals. Metcalf holds a 4-0 collegiate record against Mueller, recording a major decision and technical fall last season and a pin and decision this season.
Morningstar avenged an earlier season loss to Oklahoma State’s Alex Meade, posting a 3-1 decision over the Cowboy. The seventh-seeded Hawkeye scored a first-period takedown to take a 2-0 lead over Meade, who is seeded 10th. Meade escaped in the second period, but Morningstar’s third-period escape sealed the win. The Iowa senior will face #2 seed Jarrod King of Edinboro in the quarterfinals. It will be the first collegiate meeting for the pair.
Borschel scored his 95th career win with a 10-0 major decision over unseeded Daniel Rinaldi of Rutgers. The second-seeded Hawkeye senior scored takedowns in the first and second periods to take a 4-0 lead. Borschel added an escape, takedown, two stalling points and a point for 2:24 riding time to keep his record undefeated at 34-0. He will face #10 seed Jordan Blanton of Illinois in the quarterfinals in what will be a rematch of the 2010 Big Ten finals. Borschel scored a 6-0 decision in that bout to win his first Big Ten title.
Keddy picked up his 25th season win with a 6-2 decision over #8 seed Louis Caputo of Harvard. The ninth-seeded Hawkeye senior jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but Caputo escaped in the second period to make the score 2-1. Keddy recorded an escape and takedown in the third period, as well as a point for 3:03 of riding time to advance in the championship bracket. He will face #1 seed Kirk Smith of Boise State in the quarterfinals. Keddy is 3-1 against Smith in collegiate competition, with Smith winning the most recent meeting (3-1 in the tie break period) at the 2010 National Duals in January.
Erekson recorded Iowa’s first pin of the tournament, decking #12 seed Scott Steele of Navy in 2:36. The fifth-seeded Hawkeye senior scored a takedown early in the bout, then added three nearfall points before scoring his fifth pin of the season and the 28th of his career. Erekson, who is undefeated at 14-0, will face #4 seed Konrad Dudziak of Duke in the quarterfinals. Dudziak is also undefeated with a 16-0 record, and it will be the pair’s first collegiate meeting.
After losing a close decision in overtime Thursday morning, Beatty responded with an exciting 5-4 win over unseeded Dennis Drury of North Carolina in the consolation second round. After a scoreless first period, Beatty escaped and scored a takedown to take a 3-0 lead. Drury escaped once in the second period and once in the third to make the score 3-2, then added a takedown with less than 30 seconds left in the match to go up 4-3. Beatty scored a reversal with less than 10 seconds remaining to post the 5-4 win. The ninth-seeded Beatty will face unseeded Joseph Kennedy of Lehigh in Friday morning’s consolation third round. Beatty won his previous meeting with Kennedy – a 3-2 decision – at the 2009 Midlands. Kerr will face #11 seed Neil Erisman of Oklahoma State in the consolation third round Friday morning. It will be the pair’s first collegiate meeting.
Hawkeye fans can follow the NCAA competition via radio, internet and television broadcasts. 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). NCAA Sessions III, IV and V will be aired live on ESPNU HD, and the championship finals will be aired live on ESPN HD. Matches from Sessions III and VI will be available on www.ESPN360.com. All tickets for the event have been sold out.
NCAA TEAM STANDINGS AFTER SESSION TWO (Top 10 Teams)
Place Team – Points – Quarterfinalists – Total Competitors Remaining
1. Iowa – 34.5 – 8 – 10
2. Oklahoma State – 26 – 5 – 8
3. Iowa State – 24 – 5 – 9
4. Ohio State – 23 – 2 – 8
Oklahoma – 23 – 3 – 8
Wisconsin – 23 – 3 – 7
7. Cornell – 22 – 3 – 7
8. Minnesota – 20 – 3 – 7
9. Missouri – 18.5 – 3 – 7
10. Central Michigan – 17 – 0 – 7
IOWA’S SECOND ROUND NCAA RESULTS (Numbers indicate tournament seeds)
Championship Bracket
125 – #3 Matt McDonough (Iowa) dec. Anthony Zanetta (Pittsburgh), 10-6
133 – #2 Daniel Dennis (Iowa) dec. Kelly Kubec (Oregon State), 4-0
141 – #6 Montell Marion (Iowa) dec. Conor Beebe (Central Michigan), 10-5
149 – #2 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) maj. dec. Kyle Borshoff (American), 20-7
157 – #1 J.P. O’Connor (Harvard) dec. Jake Kerr (Iowa), 8-1
165 – #7 Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) dec. Alex Meade (Oklahoma State), 3-1
174 – #2 Jay Borschel (Iowa) maj. dec. Daniel Rinaldi (Rutgers), 10-0
184 – #9 Phillip Keddy (Iowa) dec. #8 Louis Caputo (Harvard), 6-2
Hwt. – #5 Dan Erekson (Iowa) pinned #12 Scott Steele (Navy), 2:36
Consolation Bracket
197 – #9 Chad Beatty (Iowa) dec. Dennis Drury (North Carolina), 5-4
IOWA’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINAL MATCH-UPS (Numbers indicate tournament seeds)
125 – #3 Matt McDonough (Iowa) vs. Jarrod Garnett (Virginia Tech)
133 – #2 Daniel Dennis (Iowa) vs. #10 Nick Fanthorpe (Iowa State)
141 – #6 Montell Marion (Iowa) vs. Germane Lindsey (Ohio)
149 – #2 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) vs. #7 Mitch Mueller (Iowa State)
165 – #7 Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) vs. #2 Jarrod King (Edinboro)
174 – #2 Jay Borschel (Iowa) vs. #10 Jordan Blanton (Illinois)
184 – #9 Phillip Keddy (Iowa) vs. #1 Kirk Smith (Boise State)
Hwt. – #5 Dan Erekson (Iowa) vs. #4 Konrad Dudziak (Duke)
IOWA’S NCAA CONSOLATION THIRD ROUND MATCH-UPS (Numbers indicate tournament seeds)
157 – Jake Kerr (Iowa) vs. #11 Robert Erisman (Oklahoma State)
197 – #9 Chad Beatty (Iowa) vs. Joseph Kennedy (Lehigh)
Complete NCAA Wrestling Championships Team Standings After Session Two in PDF Format
Complete NCAA Wrestling Championships Brackets After Session Two in PDF Format