Nov. 19, 2011
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IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa wrestling team crowned seven champions Saturday at the Joe Parisi Wrestling Open in Saint Charles, Mo. The Hawkeyes added six runner-up and five third place finishes while posting an 85-25 record in their season opening event.
Junior Matt McDonough (125), sophomore Tony Ramos (133) , senior Montell Marion (141), freshman Brody Grothus (149), sophomore Derek St. John (157), redshirt freshman Mike Evans (165) and redshirt freshman Bobby Telford (HWT) earned titles for the Hawkeyes. Grothus won his title while wrestling unattached.
McDonough recorded four pins on his way to the finals, where he earned a 7-1 decision over Neosho Community College’s Jeff Vesta. McDonough’s efforts raised his career pin total to 27. He earned nine falls as a redshirt freshman and 14 falls last season. Redshirt freshman Matt Gurule lost to Vest in the semifinals but bounced pack with a pair of decisions in the consolation bracket to finish third.
Ramos recorded a pin, two technical falls and a major decision en route the 133 finals, where he earned a 4-1 decision over senior teammate Tyler Clark. Clark recorded a pair of major decisions, a pin and an OT victory over teammate Aldon Isenberg before falling to Ramos in the finals. Isenberg finished third with a couple bonus point victories in the consolation bracket.
Marion topped teammate Nick Trizzino 4-1 in the 141 pound finals. The Hawkeye senior finished the day 5-0 with three major decisions. Trizzino, a sophomore from Bettendorf, Iowa, picked up a major decision en route to his runner-up finish. The Hawkeyes swept the top three positions at 141 after junior Mark Ballweg bounced back from an opening round loss with six straight wins, including a pin in the consolation finals, to finish third.
Grothus, a true freshman from Davenport, Iowa, pinned Missouri’s Kellen Nounous in the 149 pound finals. The pin was Grothus’ third of the day. Jacob Ballweg topped teammate Ethan Owens in the consolation round and recorded a 5-4 decision in the consolation finals to earn third place. Hawkeye sophomore Dylan Carew withdrew from the field following his first round decision over Illinois’ Caleb Ervin.
Iowa swept the top four positions at 157 pounds. St. John posted four bonus-point wins, including a 10-1 major decision against teammate Joey Trizzino in the finals. Redshirt freshman Michael Kelly earned third place following an 8-5 decision over teammate Patrick Rhoads in the consolation finals.
Evans and teammate Nick Moore combined for five pins en route to the 165 pound final. Evans blanked Moore 3-0 to win the title and finish the day 5-0 with three pins and a major decision. Moore finished 4-1 with a pair of falls and a major decision.
Lofthouse used a pair of decisions, a technical fall and a pin to reach the 174 pounds finals, where he dropped a 3-1 decision to Missouri’s Pat Wright.
Redshirt freshman Jeremy Fahler posted a 3-1 record on the day. His only defeat, a 6-3 decision, came to Missouri’s Clarence Neely in the 184 pound finals.
Despite failing to capture the tournament title, sophomore Tomas Lira turned in one of Iowa’s more impressive efforts, using four straight falls to earn a shot in the consolation finals. After dropping his opening match, 7-6, Lira opened the consolation bracket with a technical fall before his four straight pins berthed him into the finals, where he recorded an 11-2 major decision to earn third place.
Telford used a trio of pins and a 5-1 decision to earn a spot in the 285 pound finals, where he topped teammate Blake Rasing 1-0. Rasing opened the tournament with a pair of pins and finished with a 4-1 record en route to the runner-up finish.
The Hawkeyes return to action Friday, Nov. 25, when they host the Iowa City Duals inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa will put its 77-match unbeaten streak on the line against Baker (3 p.m.), Cornell College (5 p.m.) and Iowa Central (7 p.m.). Tickets to the event are $10 for adults, $5 for youth and free for kids five and under. Visit hawkeyesports.com for ticket information.