Feb. 1, 2011
- Live Results for Iowa’s Home Duals
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone app!
- Order 2010-11 Hawkeye Wrestling Tickets
- Carver-Hawkeye Arena Revitalization
- 2010-11 Iowa Wrestling Media Guide
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
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!
THIS WEEK
The second-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team (11-0-1, 4-0 Big Ten) returns home to host Indiana (10-5, 0-4 Big Ten) Friday at 7 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500). It is “Camo Night” where fans are encouraged to wear camouflaged attire to the dual and the first 1,000 students will receive a camouflaged headband. Tickets for the dual are $10 for adults and $5 for youth, if purchased in advance from the UI Athletics Ticket Office at (319) 335-9323 or online at www.hawkeyesports.com. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for youth if purchased at the dual.
LIVE BLOGGING FROM CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
A member of the UI Sports Information staff will offer interactive content for all of Iowa’s home duals live via 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 begin approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of the dual.
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 hawkeyesports.com using the All-Access subscription ($14.95 per month or $119.95 per year).
Internet – The 2010-11 Hawkeye wrestling media guide, press releases, meet results, and audio broadcasts are available on hawkeyesports.com. Current wrestling staff and student-athlete head shots are available at pics.hawkeyesports.com.
INDIANA HOOSIERS
Indiana enters Carver-Hawkeye Arena with a 10-5 overall record and an 0-4 mark in conference duals. Indiana rolled through its non-conference schedule, going 10-1 in dual matches. The Hoosiers’ lone setback was a 26-12 loss to Missouri at the Indiana Duals. The Hoosiers swept the Disney Duals, Hoosier Duals and IU Quad. The Hoosiers out-scored the IU Quad opposition by a combined score of 130-9.
Indiana is coached by former University of Iowa wrestler Duane Goldman. A four-time All-American from 1983-86, Goldman won the 1986 NCAA Championship with a perfect 36-0 record. He won four Big Ten titles for the Hawkeyes before taking over the Hoosier wrestling program in 1991. Goldman has a 242-124-5 record in 19 seasons at Indiana. He is assisted by a pair of Indiana alums, Pat DeGain (2005) and Joe Dubuque (2006).
Indiana will send four ranked wrestlers to the mat against the Hawkeyes. Junior Matt Powless opened the season with 13 straight victories at 197, and has won his last eight bouts while building a 30-2 record. He is ranked fifth by Intermat and sixth by WIN. Senior Paul Young owns a 21-5 record and is ranked fifth at 157, but may not wrestle Friday night due to injury. Senior Kurt Kinser is Indiana’s season leader in pins (9), posting a 21-7 record at 149 in 2010-11 and a 101-42 career mark. Kinser is ranked 14th by Intermat and 15th by WIN. Graduate student Ricky Alcala brings a 23-7 record to the heavyweight bout. Alcala, who is ranked ninth by Intermat and 10th by WIN, transferred from UC Davis following the 2009-10 season when the Aggie wrestling program was discontinued.
NICE TO SEE YOU
Hawkeye redshirt freshman 133-pounder Tony Ramos and Indiana sophomore 141-pounder Geno Capezio are Carol Stream, IL, natives and prepped together at Glenbard North High School. Ramos was a three-time state champion and four-time conference champion for the Panthers, while Capezio was a two-time all-state and three-time all-conference honoree.
THE SERIES
Iowa leads the all-time series 33-4-3. The Hawkeyes have won the previous 18 matches and own a 16-3-1 record against the Hoosiers in Iowa City. Indiana’s last win over Iowa was a 19-13 decision in 1968.
LAST MEETING – IOWA 24, INDIANA 12
Iowa recorded its 37th straight dual win Jan. 20, 2009, with a 24-12 victory over Indiana at Bloomington. The Hawkeyes posted wins at the first two weights to take a 7-0 lead. Hawkeye senior Charlie Falck opened the dual for Iowa at 125 with a 3-1 upset in sudden victory over #3 Angel Escobedo. Iowa junior Daniel Dennis followed with a 16-4 major decision over Matt Ortega at 133. Indiana fought back with an upset of its own at 141 as unranked Andrae Hernandez scored two nearfall points in the second tiebreak period to beat Hawkeye senior Alex Tsirtsis, 3-1. Hawkeye junior Brent Metcalf gave Iowa an 11-3 lead with a 19-4 technical fall over Nick Walpole at 149. Indiana won its second match of the night when 157-pounder Kurt Kinser scored a 4-1 decision over Hawkeye sophomore Matt Ballweg. Hawkeye juniors posted wins at the next four weights to clinch the dual. Ryan Morningstar kicked off the run with a 7-5 win over Paul Young at 165. Jay Borschel followed at 174 with a 10-2 victory over Trevor Perry. Phillip Keddy posted an 11-5 win over Eric Cameron in 184 and Chad Beatty scored an 8-5 win over Matt Powless at 197. Iowa closed out the dual by forfeiting the heavyweight match.
Iowa 24, Indiana 12
125 – Charlie Falck (I) dec. Angel Escobedo (IND), 3-1 SV
133 – Daniel Dennis (I) maj. dec. Matt Ortega (IND), 16-4
141 – Andrae Hernandez (IND) dec. Alex Tsirtsis (I), 3-1 TB-2
149 – Brent Metcalf (I) tech. fall Nick Walpole (IND), 19-4
157 – Kurt Kinser (IND) dec. Matt Ballweg (I), 4-1
165 – Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. Paul Young (IND), 7-5
174 – Jay Borschel (I) maj. dec. Trevor Perry (IND), 10-2
184 – Phillip Keddy (I) dec. Eric Cameron (IND), 11-5
197 – Chad Beatty (I) dec. Matt Powless (IND), 8-5
Hwt. – Nate Everhart (IND) won by forfeit
CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Carver-Hawkeye Arena has b
een the home of Iowa wrestling since 1983. The Hawkeyes are 186-18 (.916) in the arena, which includes a record 11 victories during the 2009-10 season. Iowa has recorded 18 undefeated seasons in the arena, with the most recent (11-0) occurring in 2009-10. 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 normally seats 15,500 for a dual wrestling meet.
WRESTLING SUMMER CAMPS
For dates and more information about 2011 Iowa Wrestling Summer camps visit www.iowawrestlingcamps.com.
MARION NAMED THEMAT.COM WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Hawkeye junior Montell Marion has been named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for Jan. 25-31. Marion, an NCAA runner-up in 2010, returned to the University of Iowa lineup in a big way as he helped the No. 8 Hawkeyes to a 22-13 win at No. 1 Penn State Sunday at University Park, PA. The victory extended Iowa’s unbeaten streak to 73 duals, and helped the team to an 11-0-1 (4-0 Big Ten) record this season.
Marion, who was wrestling in his first dual of the 2010-11 season, fought off his back to beat No. 5/6 Andrew Alton of Penn State, 11-9. Alton jumped out to a 5-0 lead near the end of the first period after taking Marion down and scoring three nearfall points. Marion chipped away at the lead in the second period before exploding for three takedowns in the third and collecting 1:16 in riding time for his first win of the season.
Each week, TheMat.com will select an Athlete of the Week, based upon performances that week. The selection committee will consider any level of wrestling, from youth programs through the Senior level.
MCDONOUGH NAMED BIG TEN WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Hawkeye sophomore Matt McDonough turned a big weekend into a Big Ten award, earning the conference Wrestler of the Week honor earlier today. McDonough, who is ranked first in the nation at 125 pounds by Intermat and WIN, recorded two pins to help the eighth-Hawkeyes beat #18 Northwestern (31-9) Friday night in Evanston and top-ranked Penn State (22-13) Sunday afternoon in University Park. Iowa’s wins over Northwestern and Penn State extended its streak of unbeaten duals to 73, and helped the Hawkeyes jump to No. 2 in the most recent NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll.
The Marion, IA, native entered Friday’s dual with Northwestern against top-ranked and undefeated Wildcat Brandon Precin ranked second by Intermat and WIN, and third by AWN. Precin handed McDonough his first season loss and second career loss at the 2010 Midlands Championships in December, taking over the top ranking. Precin took a 3-0 lead Friday night and had the riding time point locked up mid-way through the third period when McDonough took the Wildcat senior to his back and recorded a pin in 6:11 to hand Precin (25-1) his first loss of the season.
Against Penn State, McDonough got the Hawkeyes out to a strong 6-0 start and kept the sold-out Rec Hall crowd quiet when he pinned Penn State’s Nate Morgan in 4:16 to open the dual. The Hawkeyes held Penn State to its lowest point total of the season, while handing the Nittany Lions their first loss.
McDonough is 16-1 this season, going 12-0 in duals and 4-0 in Big Ten duals. The 2010 NCAA Champion at 125 pounds leads Iowa in team points scored in dual competition (59) and pins (8). Named 2010 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, this is his first career Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honor. He is the first Hawkeye to be selected for the weekly conference award this season.
CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE
The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Tom Brands, Terry Brands, Mike Zadick, Kurt Backes and Danny Song earned a total of one Olympic gold medal, one Olympic bronze medal, five NCAA titles, nine conference titles and 12 All-America honors.
HAWKEYE STREAKS
Iowa is unbeaten in its last 73 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. The Hawkeyes are unbeaten in 46 consecutive road duals, which is also a school record. That streak started with a 20-13 win at Iowa State on Dec. 9, 2007.
Iowa’s 15-15 tie with Oklahoma State on Jan. 16, 2011, broke the Hawkeyes’ 69-match winning streak that started with a win over Cornell (32-3) on Jan. 12, 2008. That streak is an Iowa school record and ranks second-best in NCAA wrestling history behind an Oklahoma State streak. The Cowboys won 76 straight duals from 1937-51. Oklahoma State is tied with Iowa in second place, tallying two 69-match streaks (1921-32 and 1996-99).
Against Big Ten foes, the Hawkeyes have won their last 31 duals, including 14 at home and 17 on the road. The 31 league duals and the 14 home duals rank second in school history, while the 17 road duals rank third. 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).
Iowa has won its last 31 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 Oklahoma State. The school record is 55 (1/9/1977-12/18/1983).
HAWKEYE WRESTLING HISTORY
Iowa’s overall dual meet record is 888-215-31 (.797) in 101 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 23 national titles and 34 Big Ten titles. Iowa’s 51 NCAA champions have won a total of 78 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 15 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes’ 102 Big Ten champions have won a total of 186 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 27 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa’s 140 all-Americans have earned all-America status 286 times, including 17 four-time, 29 three-time and 37 two-time honorees.
HAWKEYES GO 2-0 ON FIRST BIG TEN ROAD TRIP, KNOCK OFF #1 PENN STATE
The eighth-ranked Hawkeyes extended their unbeaten streak to 73 duals with a 22-13 win over top-ranked Penn State Sunday afternoon at Rec Hall in University Park, PA, and a 31-9 win over No. 18 Northwestern Friday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, IL. The Hawkeyes (11-0-1, 4-0 Big Ten) held Penn State to its lowest point total of the season, while handing the Nittany Lions (13-1, 2-1 Big Ten) their first loss.
The Hawkeyes won eight of 10 bouts at Northwestern (15-2, 3-2 Big Ten), including upsets by sophomore Matt McDonough at 125 and redshirt freshman Derek St. John at 157, to improve to 10-0-1 (3-0 Big Ten). McDonough, who was ranked second in the nation by Intermat and WIN, and third by AWN, opened the dual at 125 pinning top-ranked and undefeated Brandon Precin of Northwestern in 6:11. Precin led 3-0 and had the riding time point locked up mid-way through the third period when McDonough took the Wildcat senior to his back and recorded the pin to hand Precin (25-1) his first loss of the season. St. John scored two third-period takedowns against Northwestern sophomore Jason Welch to pull off the 4-2 upset at 157. Welch, who was ranked sixth in the nation by WIN, seventh by Intermat and 11th by AWN, led 1-0 after the first two periods. St. John, who was ranked 14th by Intermat and 15th by AWN and WIN, scored two takedowns less than a minute apart to record the victory.
Against Penn State, the Hawkeyes used a pin from McDonough, a major decision from senior Luke Lofthouse at 197 and decisions from redshirt freshman Tony Ramos (133), junior Montell Marion (141), senior Aaron Janssen (165) and sophomore Grant Gambrall (184) to extend its unbeaten streak to 73 duals. Marion, who was the 2010 NCAA runner-up at 141, was making his first appearance in the Hawkeye lineup since being reinstated to the team earlier this month.
Iowa jumped out to a 12-0 lead with wins at the first three weights, silencing the sold-out crowd of 6,500. McDonough gave Iowa six crucial team points when he pinned Penn State’s Nate Morgan in 4:16 to open the dual. Ramos, who was ranked between 10th and 14th in the nation, scored Iowa’s first upset of the day with a 3-2 decision over Penn State’s Andrew Long, who is ranked fourth or fifth. Marion fought off his back to beat No. 5/6 Andrew Alton of Penn State, 11-9. Alton jumped out to a 5-0 lead near the end of the first period after taking Marion down and scoring three nearfall points. Marion chipped away at the lead in the second period before exploding for three takedowns in the third and collecting 1:16 in riding time for his first win of the season.
Penn State responded with wins at 149 and 157 to make the score 12-7 going into the intermission. With Marion’s appearance in the lineup at 141, Hawkeye sophomore Mark Ballweg bumped up to 149 to face Penn State junior Frank Molinaro, who was ranked between fifth and seventh in the nation. Ballweg, who was ranked between 12th and 15th at 141, fought hard, but the weight difference helped Molinaro score a 10-3 decision. Nittany Lion redshirt freshman David Taylor, who entered the dual with an undefeated 25-0 record and a No. 2/3 national ranking, scored Penn State’s only bonus points of the dual with his 12-4 major decision over Hawkeye redshirt freshman Derek St. John at 157.
Coming out of the intermission, Janssen gave the Hawkeyes a 15-7 lead with his 6-2 decision over Penn State redshirt freshman Jake Kemerer. Nittany Lion redshirt freshman Ed Ruth, who was ranked between first and third in the nation, made the score 15-10 with his 10-3 decision over Hawkeye redshirt freshman Ethen Lofthouse at 174.
Gambrall and Luke Lofthouse sealed the team victory for the Hawkeyes with wins at the next two weight classes. Gambrall, who was ranked between 14th and 16th in the nation, scored a takedown in each period in his 8-3 upset over No. 6/7 Quentin Wright at 184. Lofthouse collected seven takedowns and his 40th career win with a 17-6 major decision over sophomore Justin Ortega at 197. Penn State won the final bout of the dual, when No. 5/7 junior Cameron Wade posted a 1-0 decision over unranked Hawkeye junior Blake Rasing at heavyweight.
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 the number of ticket windows that are operational on game nights. Fans attending Iowa’s home wrestling meets are invited to avoid delays by purchasing their event tickets online or in advance. If your schedule doesn’t allow for an advance purchase, we recommend you consider arriving at the arena a little earlier than originally planned. The North entrance is no longer 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 an event. The East entrance will serve as the event pass gate.
2011 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS SET FOR NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern University will host the 2011 Big Ten Championships Mar. 5-6 at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, IL. Session I (wrestling through quarterinals and consolation first round) will start Saturday at 10 a.m. (CT), Session II (wrestling through championship semifinals and up to the consolation semifinals) will start Saturday at 5 p.m. and Session III (consolation semifinals, 7th place matches) will start Sunday at 1 p.m. with the championship finals, and third and fifth-place matches starting Sunday at 3 p.m.
Tickets are available from the NU ticket office at 888-GO-PURPLE. Fans may request to be seated in a specific school’s designated seating areas. All session tickets are $40 for reserved seats, $36 for adult general admission and $24 for youth general admission. Single session ticket prices are as follows: Session I – $15 for adult general admission and $12 for youth general admission; Session II – $18 for reserved seating, $15 for adult general admission and $12 for youth general admission; Session III – $20 for reserved seating, $18 for adult general admission and $15 for youth general admission.
2011 NCAA’S SET FOR PHILADELPHIA
The 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships are scheduled for March 17-19 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA. The NCAA, Rider University and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference will co-host the event. Tickets to the event are available at (800) 298-4200 or comcasttix.com. Session times are as follows: Session 1 – Thursday at 10 a.m., Session 2 – Thursday at 5:30 p.m., Session 3 – Friday at 9:30 a.m., Session 4 – Friday at 6 p.m., Session 5 – Saturday at 10 a.m. and Session 6 – Saturday at 5:30 p.m. All session times are Central.
ALL IN THE FAMILY
On the 2010-11 Hawkeye wrestling team, there are three sets of brothers, two wrestlers whose fathers wrestled at Iowa and two uncle-nephew combinations.
Senior Matt Ballweg (149), sophomore Mark Ballweg (141/149) and freshman Jacob Ballweg (141) are brothers who hail from Waverly. They are the fifth set of three brothers to wrestle at Iowa, and the third set to be on the roster at the same time. The other sets of three brothers to compete for the Hawkeyes are Ed Banach, Lou Banach and Steve Banach; Marty Kistler, Harlan Kistler and Lindley Kistler; Mike Uker, Ben Uker and Joe Uker; and Lenny Zalesky, Larry Zalesky and Jim Zalesky.
Matt and Mark Ballweg are the 12th set of brothers to wrestle together in the Hawkeye lineup since the 1950s. The other 11 sets 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).
Junior Stew Gillmor (149/157) and freshman Walt Gillmor (165) are brothers from Donahue, while sophomore Nate Moore (133) and freshman Nick Moore (157/165) are brothers from Iowa City.
Sophomore Matt McDonough (125/133) and redshirt freshman Nick Trizzino have fathers who wrestled for the Hawkeyes. Mike McDonough wrestled at Iowa from 1974-76, while Mark Trizzino was an all-American (1984) and four-year letterwinner (1981-84) for the Hawkeyes.
Senior Luke Lofthouse (197) is the uncle of Hawkeye redshirt freshman Ethen Lofthouse (174). Nick Trizzino’s uncle, Scott Trizzino, was a three-time all-American (1978-79-81) and four-time letterwinner (1977-79, 1981) for the Hawkeyes.
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.
UP NEXT
The No. 2 Hawkeyes (11-0-1, 4-0 Big Ten) will hit the road to face No. 24 Purdue (5-6-1, 0-2 Big Ten) Feb. 11 then return home to honor its five seniors against No. 13 Michigan (9-2, 4-0 Big Ten) Feb. 13. Iowa will wrestle the Boilermakers at 6 p.m. (CT) at Penn High School in Mishawaka, IN. The Hawkeyes will then head home to wrestle Michigan at 1 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Tickets for the Iowa-Michigan dual are $10 for adults and $5 for youth, if purchased in advance from the UI Athletics Ticket Office, at (319) 335-9323, or online at www.hawkeyesports.com. If purchased at the door, tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for youth. The Iowa men’s basketball team will host Minnesota at 5:05 p.m. Feb. 13 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, so wrestling fans are encouraged to stay in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and cheer on Head Coach Fran McCaffery and the Hawkeyes. Hawkeye fans are encouraged to sit in sections G, H and I or FF, GG, HH above row 25. Anyone with a ticket to the basketball game may use that ticket to attend the Iowa-Michigan wrestling meet, but will not be allowed to leave the arena between events. Basketball fans attending the wrestling meet are encouraged to sit in sections G, H and I above row 25. The UI Athletics Ticket Office will stop selling wrestling tickets after the fifth match, and start selling men’s basketball tickets.
There will be an Insight Bowl victory recognition with members of the Iowa football team at halftime of the men’s basketball game. Wrestling fans can have the opportunity to get their picture taken with the Insight Bowl trophy on the Carver-Hawkeye Arena concourse starting at 3:30 p.m.
IOWA CITY TO HOST 2012 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS
Iowa City has been selected to host the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling. The event will be held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on the campus of the University of Iowa from April 21-22, 2012.
Iowa City was one of three finalist cities to make final presentations on their bid to a selection committee on Jan. 12. The committee included USA Wrestling staff and athletes, as well as representatives from the U.S. Olympic Committee. The other cities to make finalist presentations were Columbus, OH, and Council Bluffs, IA.
Initially, seven cities bid to host the competition. Those cities which were not selected for finalist presentations were Greensboro, NC; Hampton, VA; Oklahoma City, OK; and Pontiac, MI.
“We are unbelievably pleased and humbled with the response we received from cities wishing to host our most valuable event property,” said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. “We would like to thank the leaders from all three finalist cities for their outstanding presentations. We hope that all of these cities continue to be involved with USA Wrestling and host wrestling events in years to come.”
The initial bid proposal for the event also included the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Weightlifting. Due to a scheduling conflict, USA Weightlifting could no longer hold Trials on the selected dates and stepped out of the bid process.
The event will feature competition in the three Olympic styles of the sport – men’s freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle. The competition will determine the U.S. athletes who will qualify to represent the United States at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.
The local organizing committee is led by the University of Iowa Athletics and the Iowa City/Coralville Area CVB and includes leaders from the City of Iowa City, City of Coralville and City of North Liberty. Among those serving on the host committee are legendary collegiate and Olympic wrestlers Dan Gable, Tom Brands, Terry Brands, Lincoln McIlravy and Cornell College coach Mike Duroe.
“I believe this is a good decision for the future of wrestling at all levels. This will help increase the visibility of our sport. I see more growth for wrestling as a result. It gets me very excited,” said wrestling legend Dan Gable from the local organizing committee.
“The Iowa City local organizing committee was selected based upon their proven track record of hosting large and successful wrestling events, as well as a history of drawing strong fan support,” said Bender. `We are committed to working tirelessly with the organizing committee and the entire community to host the most successful U.S. Olympic Team Trials in our history.”
“This community is fired up to welcome our nation’s best to Carver Hawkeye Arena and will come together as they have so many times to produce a Trials that is remembered for years to come,” said Joshua Schamberger, President of the Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau “Our entire community couldn’t be more excited by this news. We look forward to creating an athlete and fan experience that will carry on through London.”
Carver-Hawkeye Arena, which is located on the University of Iowa campus, serves as the home arena for Iowa’s wrestling team, as well as Iowa’s basketball and volleyball squads. The arena seats 15,000 for wrestling and is named after long-time wrestling supporter Roy J. Carver. The $47 million Carver-Hawkeye Arena – Addition and Renovation Project is underway to expand and upgrade facilities, and is scheduled for completion in time for the 2011-12 athletic year.
This is the first time that the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling has been hosted in Iowa since USA Wrestling has served as National Governing Body in 1984. Carver-Hawkeye Arena hosted the NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships four times (1986, 1991, 1995, 2001). The total attendance figures for the 1995 (80,389), 2001 (79,477) and 1991 (70.163) NCAA Championships rank ninth, 11th and 15th, respectively among NCAA Wrestling Championships. It also hosted the Big Ten Wrestling Championships three times (1983, 1994, 2005).
A preliminary U.S. Olympic Team Trials qualifying event for wrestling was held in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in 1984. Other major wrestling competitions held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena include two NWCA All-Star Classics (1993, 1996) and two Cliff Keen NWCA National Duals (1998, 1999).
The Fieldhouse at the University of Iowa hosted the first USA Wrestling Junior National Championships in 1971, and served as venue for the competition from 1971-1982. Iowa City also hosted USA Wrestling’s Greco-Roman National Championships three times (1975, 1977, 1978). Iowa City also hosted the 1983 USA Wrestling Freestyle World Team Trials.
“We are thrilled and excited with this remarkable opportunity to stage an event that will have the full attention of wrestling community not only in the state of Iowa and the Heartland, but the United States and the world. We are also delighted with the opportunity to showcase the revitalized Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Rest assured, the University of Iowa, the UI Athletics Department, and our city partners are ready to stage an event that USA Wrestling will be very, very proud of,” said Gary Barta, Athletics Director of the University of Iowa.
U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS FOR WRESTLING
(Organized by USA Wrestling as the sport’s NGB)
1984 – Allendale, Mich.
1988 – Pensacola, Fla.
1992 – Pittsburgh, Pa. (FS); Concord, Calif. (GR)
1996 – Spokane, Wash. (FS); Concord, Calif.(GR)
2000 – Dallas, Texas
2004 – Indianapolis, Ind.
2008 – Las Vegas, Nev.
2012 – Iowa City, Iowa