Dec. 30, 2010
PARDON OUR PROGRESS! As friends of the UI and fans of the Hawkeyes know, the UI Athletics Department is well into a multi-million dollar revitalization of Carver-Hawkeye Arena. This important and exciting project has reduced for this season the number of ticket windows that are operational on game nights. Fans attending the home events of the 2010-11 UI men’s basketball, women’s basketball and wrestling teams are invited to avoid game night delays by purchasing their event tickets online or in advance of game day. If your schedule doesn’t allow for an advance purchase, we recommend you consider arriving at the Arena a little earlier than originally planned. Go Hawks!
EVANSTON, Ill. — The University of Iowa wrestling team crowned eight placewinners Thursday night at the 2010 Midlands Championships to place fourth with 91 points. Missouri won its first Midlands team title with 103.5, while Wisconsin placed second (95.5) and Lehigh placed third (93) at the 48th annual event in Evanston, IL. Portions of the event will be broadcast Jan. 8 at 3 p.m. (CT) and Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. (CT) on the Big Ten Network.
Hawkeye sophomore Matt McDonough was Iowa’s top finisher, placing second at 125 pounds. The tournament’s top seed and the defending Midlands champion at 125, McDonough lost a 3-1 decision to #2 seed Brandon Precin of Northwestern in the championship finals. Precin scored a first-period takedown and added an escape in the second period to take a 3-0 lead in the match. McDonough scored an escape in the third period, but could not get the takedown to force overtime. The loss was McDonough’s first of the season, and only the second of his career.
“I didn’t wrestle my best match,” said McDonough.” He (Precin) wrestled a really good match. Credit to him for wrestling his match, and there’s the problem right there. I gotta make it my match. I gotta stick it to him, and I’m still looking forward because it’s not the end of the season yet.”
Also placing for the Hawkeyes were junior Tyler Clark (133-5th), seniors Aaron Janssen (165-5th) and Luke Lofthouse (197-7th), redshirt freshmen Ethen Lofthouse (174-5th) and Tony Ramos (133-6th), and sophomores Mark Ballweg (141-6th) and Grant Gambrall (184-6th). Clark (#11 seed), Janssen (unseeded) and Ethen Lofthouse (#9 seed) all wrestled above their seeds with their fifth-place finishes. Clark and Ramos met twice during the two-day tournament, with each posting one victory. Ramos scored a 3-1 decision in the championships quarterfinals Wednesday, while Clark scored a 2-1 decision in the first tiebreak period in the fifth-place match Thursday night.
The sixth-ranked Hawkeyes (7-0, 1-0 Big Ten) will host Southern Illinois Edwardsville (1-6) Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The dual has been designated Autograph and Half-Price Concessions Night. After the dual, Iowa wrestlers will sign autographs at tables around the Carver-Hawkeye Arena concourse.
FINAL MIDLANDS TOP 10 TEAM STANDINGS
Place Team – Points
1. Missouri – 103.5
2. Wisconsin – 95.5
3. Lehigh – 93.0
4. Iowa – 91.0
5. Pittsburgh – 82.5
6. Oklahoma – 82.0
7. Central Michigan – 72.5
8. Iowa State – 63.5
9. Nebraska – 63.0
10. Illinois – 60.5
IOWA’S MIDLANDS CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL RESULTS (# indicates tournament seed)
125 – #2 Brandon Precin (Northwestern) dec. #1 Matt McDonough (Iowa), 3-1
IOWA’S MIDLANDS FIFTH PLACE RESULTS (# indicates tournament seed)
133 – #11 Tyler Clark (Iowa) dec. #3 Tony Ramos (Iowa), 2-1 TB-1
141 – #6 Todd Schavrien (Missouri) maj. dec. #4 Mark Ballweg (Iowa), 14-2
165 – Aaron Janssen (Iowa) won by medical forfeit over Chris Spangler (Iowa State)
174 – #9 Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) dec. #4 Mike Letts (Maryland), 6-4
184 – Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa) pinned #1 Grant Gambrall (Iowa), 6:59
2010 Final Midlands Championships Brackets in PDF Format
2010 Final Midlands Championships Team Standings in PDF Format