McDonough Earns Big Ten Award

Feb. 1, 2011

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!

PARK RIDGE, Ill. — 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.

Up next for Iowa is Friday night’s 7 p.m. dual with Indiana (10-5, 0-4 Big Ten) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500). It is “Camo Night” where fans are encouraged to wear camouflaged attire to the dual. 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.