Two Big Ten Foes Up Next For Wrestlers

Feb. 8, 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!

THIS WEEK
The second-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team (12-0-1, 5-0 Big Ten) will put its unbeaten streak of 74 dual matches to the test against No. 23 Purdue (6-7-1, 1-3 Big Ten) and No. 10 Michigan (10-3, 5-1 Big Ten) this weekend. Iowa will wrestle the Boilermakers at 6 p.m. (CT) Friday at Penn High School in Mishawaka, IN. The Hawkeyes will then head home to wrestle Michigan at 1 p.m. Sunday. The Hawkeyes will honor their five seniors on Mediacom Mat inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena Sunday afternoon.

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. Sunday on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, so wrestling fans are encouraged to stay and cheer on Head Coach Fran McCaffery and the Hawkeyes. 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 also be an Insight Bowl victory recognition with members of the Iowa football team at halftime of the men’s basketball game. 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.

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 Iowa-Michigan dual will be streamed live on hawkeyesports.com. The broadcast is available using using the All-Access subscription ($14.95 per month or $119.95 per year). 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.

THANK YOU SENIORS
Five Hawkeye seniors will be making their final appearance on Mediacom Mat at Carver-Hawkeye Arena during the Iowa-Michigan dual. Seniors Matt Ballweg (149-Waverly, IA), Aaron Janssen (157-Emmetsburg, IA), Jake Kerr (157-Oskaloosa, IA), Brooks Kopsa (157-Gilman, IA) and Luke Lofthouse (197-Avon, UT) will be honored during the dual. The group has a combined career record of 142-108 at Iowa.

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.

PURDUE BOILERMAKERS
The No. 23 Purdue Boilermakers are 6-7-1 (1-4 Big Ten) with wins over Hofstra (28-6), Calumet College of St. Joseph (39-0), Missouri (18-15), Gardner-Webb (48- -1), Ashland (30-9) and Wisconsin (18-16), losses to Illinois (15-26), Oklahoma State (6-26), Central Michigan (19-21), Michigan (13-28), Kent State (15-17), Minnesota (15-26) and Northwestern (6-32), and a tie with Edinboro (16-16). The Boilermakers are coming off Sunday’s 18-16 upset over No. 6 Wisconsin at Madison.

Head Coach Scott Hinkel has a 39-32-2 record in four seasons as head coach of the Boilermakers. He wrestled for Purdue from 1984-87, still holds the school record for career falls (45) and ranks second with 127 career wins. Hinkel has been a part of Purdue wrestling for all but three of the last 27 years, working his way up through the ranks. After graduation he was a volunteer and graduate assistant from 1989-90 and a full-time assistant coach from 1993 until he was named head coach in 2007. He is assisted by Tom Erikson (Oklahoma State, 1987) and Pete Rogers (Ohio State, 2000).

The Boilermakers are heavy on experience, with eight upperclassmen in their starting lineup. Leading the team are seniors Luke Manuel (174) and Logan Brown (197), and junior A.J. Kissel (184). Kissel leads the team with wins (19) and pins (8), and is ranked eighth by Intermat and WIN, and 11th by AWN. Manuel and Brown are two of just 16 Purdue wrestlers in school history to eclipse the 100-career victory mark. Manuel, who is ranked eighth by Intermat and WIN, and 17th by AWN at 13-6 this season, has 109 career wins. Brown, who is ranked fifth by WIN, seventh by AWN and 10th by Intermat with a 17-4 season record, has 104.

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
The No. 10 Michigan Wolverines are 10-3 (5-1 Big Ten) with wins over Pittsburgh (17-15), Liberty (37-9), Buffalo (29-7), Lehigh (21-18), Purdue (28-13), Central Michigan (21-12), Northwestern (22-12), Ohio State (27-9), Indiana (23-9) and Wisconsin (26-9), two losses to Penn State (12-24, 13-28) and an early-season loss to Lehigh (6-25). The Wolverines will host No. 5 Minnesota (14-3, 5-0 Big Ten) Friday at 6 p.m. (CT).

Head Coach Joe McFarland is 146-67-5 in 12 seasons at Michigan, making him the third-winningest coach in program history. The Wolverine alum has a 176-101-5 record in 15 seasons as a collegiate head coach. As a wrestler (1981-82, 1984-85), McFarland posted a 166-24-4 career record and was a four-time All-American, two-time NCAA finalist and four-time Big Ten finalist. He holds the school records for most single season wins (48). He is assisted by Michigan alums Kirk Trost (1986) and Mike Kulczycki (2003).

The Wolverines are led by top-ranked junior Kellen Russell (149), senior Anthony Biondo (197) and sophomore Ben Apland (Hwt.). Russell, who redshirted the 2009-10 season where Michigan posted a 4-15 dual record and placed 10th at the Big Ten Championships, is on a 29-match winning streak and is undefeated at 27-0 this season. Biondo is ranked 10th by AWN, and 11th by Intermat and WIN with an 19-9 record, while Apland is 14-9 and ranked 10th by Intermat, 12th by WIN and 13th by AWN.

LAST MEETING – HAWKEYES BEAT PURDUE, 41-6
Top-ranked Iowa posted a 41-6 victory over No. 25 Purdue Jan. 24, 2010, at Lowell High School in Lowell, IN. The Hawkeyes (16-0, 2-0 Big Ten) scored team bonus points in seven of their eight wins over the Boilermakers. Purdue (10-5, 0-1 Big Ten) won two bouts in sudden victory and recorded five takedowns.

Iowa jumped out to a 22-0 lead on pins from redshirt freshman Matt McDonough (125) and sophomore Montell Marion (141), a major decision from senior Daniel Dennis (133) and Hawkeye senior Brent Metcalf’s win by disqualification at 149. Purdue won the first of its two bouts when junior Colton Salazar scored a takedown in sudden victory to beat Iowa junior Jake Kerr, 6-4, at 157. The Hawkeyes responded with three straight wins by seniors Ryan Morningstar (165), Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) to take a 35-3 lead. The Boilermakers recorded one last victory at 197 as Logan Brown scored a takedown in sudden victory to beat Hawkeye junior Luke Lofthouse, 3-1. Iowa ended the dual with senior Dan Erekson sticking Purdue freshman Adam Walls in 1:08.

Iowa 41, Purdue 6
125 – Matt McDonough (Iowa) pinned Cashé Quiroga (Purdue), 2:13
133 – Daniel Dennis (Iowa) maj. dec. Akif Eren (Purdue), 16-5
141 – Montell Marion (Iowa) pinned Juan Archuleta (Purdue), 3:53
149 – Brent Metcalf (Iowa) won by dq over Nick Bertucci (Purdue), 4:10
157 – Colton Salazar (Purdue) dec. Jake Kerr (Iowa), 6-4 SV
165 – Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) dec. Jason Martin (Purdue), 10-4
174 – Jay Borschel (Iowa) won by forfeit
184 – Phillip Keddy (Iowa) maj. dec. Nick Corpe (Purdue), 11-1
197 – Logan Brown (Purdue) dec. Luke Lofthouse (Iowa), 3-1 SV
Hwt. – Dan Erekson (Iowa) pinned Adam Walls (Purdue), 1:08

LAST MEETING – HAWKEYES SHUT OUT MICHIGAN, 36-0
Top-ranked Iowa recorded its fifth shut-out of the 2009-10 season, blanking Michigan 36-0 Jan. 22 at Cliff Keen Arena in Ann Arbor, MI. Iowa (15-0, 1-0 Big Ten) scored team bonus points in five of the 10 bouts, and only allowed three Michigan (4-8, 0-1 Big Ten) takedowns in the Big Ten dual season opener.

Hawkeye senior Brent Metcalf posted a technical fall at 149, while redshirt freshman Matt McDonough (125), sophomore Montell Marion (141), junior Aaron Janssen (157) and senior Phillip Keddy (184) all scored major decisions. Unranked Hawkeye junior Luke Lofthouse, who was wrestling for injured Iowa starter Chad Beatty at 197, scored three third-period takedowns to upset ninth-ranked Anthony Biondo, 9-6.

Iowa 36, Michigan 0
125 – Matt McDonough (Iowa) maj. dec. Sean Boyle (Michigan), 14-3
133 – Daniel Dennis (Iowa) dec. Zac Stevens (Michigan), 2-0
141 – Montell Marion (Iowa) maj. dec. Mark Weber (Michigan), 19-6
149 – Brent Metcalf (Iowa) tech. fall Mark Boyer (Michigan), 22-7 in 6:47
157 – Aaron Janssen (Iowa) maj. dec. Dave Johnson (Michigan), 12-4
165 – Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) dec. Aaron Hynes (Michigan), 6-4 SV
174 – Jay Borschel (Iowa) dec. Justin Zeerip (Michigan), 6-0
184 – Phillip Keddy (Iowa) maj. dec. Erich Smith (Michigan), 10-2
197 – Luke Lofthouse (Iowa) dec. Anthony Biondo (Michigan), 9-6
Hwt. – Blake Rasing (Iowa) dec. Ben Apland (Michigan), 6-1

HAVEN’T WE MET?
Following are the past collegiate career results between the probable Iowa vs. Purdue match-ups:

157 – Derek St. John (Iowa) is 1-0 vs. Colton Salazar (Purdue)
St. John maj. dec. Salazar, 9-0 – 2009 Midlands

197 – Luke Lofthouse (Iowa) is 0-1 vs. Logan Brown (Purdue)
Brown dec. Lofthouse, 3-1 SV – at 2009-10 dual

Following are the past collegiate career results between the probable Iowa vs. Michigan match-ups:

125 – Matt McDonough (Iowa) is 1-0 vs. Sean Boyle (Michigan)
McDonough maj. dec. Boyle, 14-3 – at 2009-10 dual

197 – Luke Lofthouse (Iowa) is 1-0 vs. Anthony Biondo (Michigan)
Lofthouse dec. Biondo, 9-6 – at 2009-10 dual

Hwt. – Blake Rasing (Iowa) is 1-0 vs. Ben Apland (Michigan)
Rasing dec. Apland, 6-1 – at 2009-10 dual

THE SERIES
Purdue – Iowa leads the series with Purdue, 36-4-3. The Hawkeyes have won the last 24 meetings with the Boilermakers, and hold a 16-3-1 advantage on the road against Purdue. The Hawkeyes won the last meeting, 41-6, at the dual meet in Lowell, IN, last season. Purdue’s last win in the series was a 23-9 decision in 1961 in Iowa City.

Michigan – The Hawkeyes lead the series with Michigan, 27-25-1. Iowa has won the last four meetings, including last season’s 36-0 shut-out in Ann Arbor. The Hawkeyes hold an 11-9-1 advantage in Iowa City. Michigan’s last win in the series was 19-15 in the fifth-place match at the 2006 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls.

CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been the home of Iowa wrestling since 1983. The Hawkeyes are 187-18 (.912) 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.

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 74 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 32 duals, including 15 at home and 17 on the road. The 32 league duals and the 15 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 32 duals at home. 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 for home wins is 55 (1/9/1977-12/18/1983).

HAWKEYES FLATTEN INDIANA, 35-6
The second-ranked Hawkeyes extended their dual match unbeaten streak to 74 with a 35-6 win over Indiana (10-6, 0-5 Big Ten) Friday night on Mediacom Mat inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa won eight of 10 bouts to improve to 12-0-1 overall and 5-0 in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes recorded a 32-5 advantage in takedowns and scored bonus points in five of its eight wins, including three pins and a pair of major decisions.

Defending NCAA champion Matt McDonough built an 18-5 lead at 125 before putting Justin Brooks on his back with 1:01 left in the bout to give Iowa an early 6-0 lead. The pin was McDonough’s fourth straight. He now owns a 17-1 season record and is unbeaten (18-0) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Eighth-ranked Tony Ramos kept the pin party rolling when he flattened Matt Ortega in 6:26. Ramos racked up eight takedowns, four in the third period alone, before putting six points on the board with his second pin of the season.

Junior Montell Marion took the mat to a roaring ovation from the 7,067 fans in attendance. Marion, making his first appearance of the season inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, used three takedowns, one three-point nearfall and a bonus point for riding time to secure a 13-5 major decision at 141.

No. 14 Kurt Kinser topped Matt Ballweg, 2-0, at 149 to trim Iowa’s lead to 16-3 before redshirt freshman Derek St. John brought the crowd to its feet with a fall against fifth-ranked Paul Young. St. John built a 5-0 lead against Young before recording the fall with :40 remaining in the bout. Senior Aaron Janssen followed St. John’s upset with a major decision over Ryan LeBlanc at 165. Janssen battled to a 4-2 lead after two periods before using four takedowns in the third frame to score the 14-5 win.

Senior Jake Kerr made his first appearance at 174 since posting a 5-3 record at the weight class in 2008-09. The Hawkeye senior used a second period escape to enter the third period with a 1-0 edge. Indiana’s Nick Avery knotted the score with an early escape before Kerr scored a takedown and a pair of nearfall points with two seconds left in the match to record a 5-1 win.

Hawkeye sophomore Grant Gambrall stretched Iowa’s team lead to 32-3 with a 5-3 decision over Indiana’s Eric Cameron. The 13th-ranked Iowa City native improved to 15-4 on the season.

The Hawkeyes scored their second upset of the evening when No. 12 Luke Lofthouse scored a 10-5 decision against No. 5 Matt Powless. Lofthouse used four takedowns, two in the final period, to hand Powless just his third loss of the season.

Indiana picked up its second win of the night when No. 9 Ricky Alcala escaped with a 6-5 win over Hawkeye junior Blake Rasing. Rasing used a third period escape and takedown to battle back from a 6-2 deficit, but Alcala held Rasing off for the win.

SIX HAWKEYES WIN TITLES AT DUHAWK OPEN
Six out of the nine Hawkeye wrestlers competing unattached at Saturday’s DuHawk Open at Loras College in Dubuque, IA, won titles, while the other three Iowa competitors earned places. The nine Hawkeyes combined for a 28-4 record on the day, collecting 14 pins, five major decisions and one technical fall. The Hawkeyes also posted the top three finishers in the 165-pound bracket.

Juniors J.J. Krutsinger (133) and Vinnie Wagner (184), and true freshmen Matt Gurule (125), Nick Moore (165), Mike Evans (174) and Bobby Telford (Hwt.) won titles at their respective weight classes. True freshman Michael Kelly (165) placed second, true freshman Walt Gillmor (165) placed third and true freshman Jeremy Fahler (184) placed fifth.

UNATTACHED HAWKEYES TEARING THROUGH 2010-11
Seven Hawkeye wrestlers have combined for 25 individual open tournament titles while competing unattached this season.

True freshman Bobby Telford has the most individual titles (6), winning the heavyweight brackets at the Northern Iowa, William Penn, Glen Brand, Pat “Flash” Flanagan, Grand View and DuHawk Opens. Telford has won his last 16 matches, pinned 13 opponents and has a 23-4 record while competing unattached.

True freshman Mike Evans has won five individual titles at 174 – Kaufman-Brand, Northern Iowa, William Penn, Pat “Flash” Flanagan and DuHawk Opens – while posting a 22-2 record and pinning 12 opponents. Evans has won his last 10 bouts.

True freshman Michael Kelly won four titles – Kaufman-Brand, Northern Iowa, William Penn and Glen Brand Opens – while wrestling at 157 pounds. He has a 25-5 record at 157 and 165.

Juniors J.J. Krutsinger (133) and Vinnie Wagner (184) have each won three titles while competing unattached. Both won at the William Penn and DuHawk Opens, while Krutsinger won at the Grand View Open and Wagner won at the Glen Brand Open. Krutsinger is 14-1 this season while Wagner is 17-3.

True freshmen Nick Moore (157/165) and Matt Gurule (125) have each won two titles while competing unattached. Both won at the DuHawk Open, while Moore won at the Pat “Flash” Flanagan Open and Gurule won at the William Penn Open. Moore is 20-4, winning his last eight bouts, while Gurule is 19-9.

WRESTLING SUMMER CAMPS
For dates and more information about 2011 Iowa Wrestling Summer camps visit www.iowawrestlingcamps.com.

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 quarterfinals 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.

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.

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.

HAWKEYE WRESTLING HISTORY
Iowa’s overall dual meet record is 889-215-31 (.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.

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
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

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The No. 2 Hawkeyes (12-0-1, 5-0 Big Ten) will face their final Big Ten opponent of the 2010-11 season when they travel to No. 5 Minnesota (14-3, 5-0 Big Ten) Feb. 20 for a 2 p.m. dual. The meet will be held at Minnesota’s Williams Arena (14,625). General admission tickets are available for $15 at gophersports.com. The Big Ten Network will air a same-day taped-delay broadcast of the dual at 8:30 p.m. (CT). Announcers Tim Johnson and Jim Gibbons will provide commentary.

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