Feb. 13, 2011
- 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
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa wrestling team extended its consecutive dual unbeaten streak to 76 with a 30-7 win over Michigan Sunday afternoon on Mediacom Mat inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. With the win, Iowa wrapped up its 19th undefeated season in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes posted an 8-0 record at home this year.
Seniors Aaron Janssen and Luke Lofthouse each picked up a victory in their final appearances in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Janssen used five takedowns to score an 11-4 win over 19th ranked Dan Yates. Lofthouse recorded a pair of takedowns and an escape in the final two periods to erase a 2-1 deficit and defeat 10th ranked Anthony Biondo, 7-3.
“First thing, the seniors did a good job,” said Head Coach Tom Brands. “The two that were on the mat, Lofthouse and Janssen. It’s a tribute to them. Lofthouse is ahead by a point at the end of the match and shoots to build his lead – good for him. That’s how you build leads, that’s how you win tough matches. The guy was getting to him a little bit there at the end in the third period a couple times. He took that away from him by going back to what got him four points in the first place.”
Sophomore Matt McDonough opened the dual with a 3:56 fall. The defending NCAA champion scored three takedowns in the opening period before decking Michigan’s Sean Boyle 54 seconds into the second frame. The pin was McDonough’s sixth in a row and 11th this season. He is now perfect in 19 career matches inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Redshirt freshman Tony Ramos got the crowd of 8,790 excited with a 7-2 decision over 18th-ranked Zac Stevens at 133. After exchanging escape points at the beginning of the second and third periods, Ramos broke a 1-1 tie with a 27-second flurry in the final frame. He scored a takedown with 27 seconds left in the match and recorded a pair of nearfall points at the 15-second mark. After Stevens escaped with 11 seconds remaining, Ramos scored another takedown with seven seconds on the clock to run the final score to 7-2. The win was Ramos’ ninth-straight, giving him a 11-0 dual record and a 7-0 record in Big Ten duals.
Michigan cracked into Iowa’s 9-0 lead with a pair of wins at 141 and 149. Top-ranked Kellen Russell erased a 5-2 deficit against Iowa’s fifth-ranked Montell Marion with an escape and takedown in the final 25 seconds of the third period to force overtime. Russell recorded a takedown and scored two nearfall points 16 seconds into the overtime period to escape with a 9-5 win.
Michigan’s Eric Grajales scored a 13-3 major decision over Iowa’s Mark Ballweg at 149 to pull the Wolverines within two, 9-7, before the Hawkeyes closed the meet with six consecutive victories. Freshman Derek St. John earned four takedowns to top Brandon Zeerip at 157 and start the Hawkeye rally. St. John improved his dual record to 14-1 this season.
|
Sophomore Matt McDonough runs off the mat following his second-period pin. McDonough has recorded six straight falls. |
Janssen followed St. John with his team-high 22nd victory this season to stretch the Hawkeye advantage to 15-7. Iowa’s 12th ranked sophomore Ethen Lofthouse followed Janssen with a 6-4 decision over Michigan’s Justin Zeerip at 174. Lofthouse used a pair of takedowns and two escapes en route to his 15th win of the season.
Sophomore Grant Gambrall remained unbeaten in nine Carver-Hawkeye Arena career matches with his 9-6 win over Michigan’s Hunter Collins. Gambrall scored a pair of takedowns in the opening frame and added a pair of escapes in the third period to secure the win. The 12th ranked 184-pounder is undefeated in seven conference matches this season.
After Luke Lofthouse’s 7-3 decision built Iowa’s lead to 24-7, Hawkeye heavyweight Blake Rasing sent the Iowa faithful home happy with a third period pin over 13th ranked Ben Apland. After Apland recorded an early takedown in the opening frame, Rasing scored consecutive escapes to knot the score 2-2 heading into the final period. Apland chose to start the final period in the down position and recorded an escape at the 1:55 mark before Rasing got his arms around the Michigan sophomore and drove him to the ground for a 4-3 lead at 0:55. Six seconds later the Hawkeye junior put Apland on his back for his second pin of the season.
The No. 2 Hawkeyes (14-0-1, 7-0 Big Ten) will face their final Big Ten opponent of the 2010-11 season when they travel to No. 5 Minnesota (15-3-1, 6-0-1 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.
#2 University of Iowa 30, #10 University of Michigan 7
125 – Matt McDonough (I) pinned Sean Boyle (M), 3:56
133 – Tony Ramos (I) dec. Zac Stevens (M), 7-2 *
141 – Kellen Russell (M) dec. Montell Marion (I), 9-5 SV
149 – Eric Grajales (M) maj. dec. Mark Ballweg (I), 13-3
157 – Derek St. John (I) dec. Brandon Zeerip (M), 10-3
165 – Aaron Janssen (I) dec. Dan Yates (M), 11-4
174 – Ethen Lofthouse (I) dec. Justin Zeerip (M), 6-4
184 – Grant Gambrall (I) dec. Hunter Collins (M), 9-6
197 – Luke Lofthouse (I) dec. Anthony Biondo (M), 7-3
Hwt. – Blake Rasing (I) pinned Ben Apland (M), 6:11