Jan. 4, 2012
- Order Tickets to 2012 USA Olympic Team Trials
- USA Olympic Trials – Iowa City, Iowa
- Hawkeyes Going for Gold
- Big Ten Championships
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone app!
- 2011-12 Iowa Wrestling Media Guide
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
Complete Release in PDF Format
ON THE MAT
The University of Iowa wrestling team travels to Bloomington, Ind., to face the Hoosiers Friday at 6 p.m. (CT) inside University Gym. The Hawkeyes then return home to host No. 2 Oklahoma State on Saturday at 7 p.m. on Mediacom Mat inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
AUDIO COVERAGE
Both weekend duals will be broadcast on AM-800 KXIC and streamed online at hawkeyesports.com via Hawkeye All-Access. Steven Grace and Mark Ironside will have the call live from University Gym and Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
TELEVISION COVERAGE
The Oklahoma State dual will be televised live by IPTV. Tim Johnson and former Hawkeye head coach Dan Gable will have the matside call from Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
INTERNET COVERAGE
BTN.com will stream the Oklahoma State dual. BTN.com is a subscription service that provides quality coverage of Big Ten sports. Hawkeye All-Access subscribers will be able to stream the match at no additional charge via hawkeyesports.com.
LIVE RESULTS
Live results from the Oklahoma State dual will be available on the wrestling schedule page at hawkeyesports.com.
CHASING 900
The Hawkeyes need two dual wins to become just the fourth program in NCAA history reach 900 dual victories. Iowa owns an 898-215-31 (.797) dual record in 101 seasons. Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Oregon State are the only other schools to record at least 900 dual wins.
INDIANA/OKST IN THE LINE OF FIRE
The Hawkeyes are unbeaten in their last 83 duals. Iowa’s last dual loss was a 19-14 decision against Oklahoma State inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Jan. 12, 2008). The Hawkeyes and Cowboys have wrestled three times since then. Iowa holds a 2-0-1 advantage over Oklahoma State during the unbeaten streak, with wins in 2009 (20-13 @ OkSt) and 2010 (19-16 @ Iowa), and a tie in 2011 (15-15 @ OkSt). Iowa is 3-0 against the Hoosiers during its unbeaten streak. The Hawkeyes recorded victories in 2008, 2009 and 2011, outscoring Indiana a combined 87-25.
HAWKEYES BUILD ON RECORD
Iowa grabbed its record 22nd Midlands team title last week, scoring 152 points and putting 11 wrestlers on the medal stand at the 49th annual event. Matt McDonough (125) earned his second career Midlands title. Tony Ramos (2nd, 133) Tyler Clark (4th, 133), Montell Marion (2nd, 141), Mike Kelly (5th, 149), Nick Moore (7th, 157), Mike Evans (7th, 165), Ethen Lofthouse (2nd, 174), Vinnie Wagner (7th, 184), Grant Gambrall (7th, 197) and Bobby Telford (2nd, Hwt.) placed for the Hawkeyes.
MCDONOUGH AMONG THE BEST
Junior Matt McDonough owns a career record of 79-4 (.951). Iowa’s top wrestlers in program history based on winning percentage include: 1. T.J. Williams (98-1-0) .990 2. Brent Metcalf (108-3-0) .972 3. Lincoln McIlravy (96-3-0) .970 4. Tom Brands (158-7-2) .952 5. Terry Brands (137-7) .951
AND THEN THERE WAS ONE
Five Hawkeyes entered the Midlands Championships with unbeaten records. Tony Ramos, Derek St. John, Montell Marion, Bobby Telford and Grant Gambrall had a combined 44-0 mark entering the tournament. Gambrall dropped a pair of decisions and Ramos, Marion and Telford all lost in their respective finals. St. John did not compete at the event and owns an 11-0 mark. In the history of Iowa wrestling, 15 wrestlers have finished the season with a perfect record (minimum 20 matches). Four of those wrestlers were able to perform the feat twice. They include Mark Ironside, Lincoln McIlravy, T.J. Williams and Jim Zalesky. Iowa coaches Tom Brands and Terry Brands are among the 15 wrestlers. Tom went 45-0 in 1990-91 and Terry went 35-0 in 1991-92.
KELLY DEBUTS AT 149
Redshirt freshman Mike Kelly recorded a 6-2 mark in his 149-pound collegiate debut last week at the Midlands Championship (one loss was against non-collegiate competition). Kelly, who had been 4-2 this season while competing at 157 pounds, recorded one pin and a major decision en route to a fifth place finish. Kelly is now ranked 11th at 149 according to Intermat. If Kelly competes at 149 pounds this week, he’ll be the fourth wrestler Iowa has used at 149 in dual competition, joining Josh Dziewa (1-0), Mark Ballweg (1-1) and Jacob Ballweg (1-2).
MCDONOUGH’S MIDLANDS SUCCESS
Junior Matt McDonough won his second Midlands title in three years last week at the 49th annual event in Evanston, Ill. McDonough recorded two pins, including a second period fall in the finals, and one major decision en route to the title. Since 2009, McDonough owns a 15-1 record at the Midlands, including two championships (2009, 2011) and a runner-up finish (2010). McDonough is 15-1 this season with three major decisions and a team-high eight pins.
HOME SWEET HOME
Five of Iowa’s probable starters have never lost a match inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. They include Tony Ramos (11-0), Dylan Carew (2-0), Mike Evans (5-0), Grant Gambrall (11-0) and Bobby Telford (5-0).
RAMOS EARNS BIG TEN HONOR
Tony Ramos was named Big Ten Co-Wrestler of the Week on Dec. 6. The weekly honor was the first of Ramos’ career. Ramos, a sophomore from Carol Stream, Ill., won the award after a pair of bonus point victories against No. 7 Illinois and Iowa State. He posted a 13-5 major decision over the Illini’s B.J. Futrell, then-ranked No. 2 in the country, and recorded a second period pin against Iowa State’s Shayden Terukina. Ramos, currently ranked No. 4, owns a 15-1 record with four major decisions, five technical falls and three pins.
GAMBRALL AT 197
Junior Grant Gambrall is listed as a probable starter at 197 pounds. Gambrall, a junior from Iowa City, Iowa, made his first career appearance at 197 pounds on Nov. 25, recording a 4-3 decision over Cornell College’s Alex Coolidge. He is 6-2 this season and earned a seventh-place finish at the Midlands Championships competing at 197. Gambrall was an All-American while competing at 184 pounds in 2010-11.
BRANDS HITS 100
Iowa head coach Tom Brands earned his 100th career dual win as Iowa’s head coach Nov. 25 vs. Iowa Central (37-6). It took Brands 107 duals to reach 100 career victories. Only Dan Gable, Iowa’s all-time winningest coach, reached win No. 100 faster. Gable hit the century mark in his 105th dual. Brands owns a 103-6-1 career record since taking over the Iowa program in 2006.
NCAA EXPERIENCE
The top-ranked Hawkeyes have seven wrestlers with previous NCAA championships experience. Junior Matt McDonough has advanced to the NCAA finals each of the past two seasons, winning the championship in 2010 and finishing runner-up in 2011. Montell Marion is a two-time All-American at 141 pounds. The senior from Des Moines, Iowa, placed second in 2010 and earned a fourth place finish in 2011. Sophomore Derek St. John and junior Grant Gambrall also earned All-America honors in 2011. St. John placed fourth at 157 pounds and Gambrall earned third place at 184 pounds. Sophomores Tony Ramos (133) and Ethen Lofthouse (174), and senior Blake Rasing (Hwt.) also earned NCAA berths last season.
HAWKEYE WRESTLING HISTORY
Iowa’s overall dual meet record is 898-215-31 (.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’ 104 Big Ten champions have won a total of 188 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 27 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa’s 144 All-Americans have earned All-America status 291 times, including 17 four-time, 29 three-time and 38 two-time honorees.
IOWA UNBEATEN/WINNING DUAL STREAKS
- Unbeaten Streak: 83
- Unbeaten Road Streak: 48
- Big Ten Winning Streaks: 36
- Big Ten Home Winning Streak: 17
- Big Ten Road Winning Streak: 19
- Home Winning Streak: 38
ABOUT THE UNBEATEN/WINNING DUAL STREAKS
Iowa owns a streak of 83 consecutive duals without a loss, one shy of the mark set by Oklahoma State from 1959-66 (84). 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 48 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 36 duals, including 17 at home and 19 on the road. All three marks rank second in school history. 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 38 duals at home. That streak 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 consecutive home wins is 55 (1/9/1977-12/18/1983).
ATTENDANCE LEADERS AT IT AGAIN
Iowa has led the nation in attendance for five straight seasons. The Hawkeyes averaged a national record 8,209 fans in six home duals last season. It marked the third straight year Iowa averaged over 8,000 fans per dual. Iowa’s dual vs. Iowa State (Dec. 3, 2010) was the largest dual crowd in the country last year (11,895). Iowa is off to a strong start in 2011-12. The Hawkeyes drew 8,527 fans to the Iowa City Duals on Nov. 25, 7,330 to the Dec. 2 dual vs. No. 7 Illinois, and 7,078 to the Dec. 8 dual vs. Northern Iowa.
CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa is 5-0 in dual competition inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season, outscoring their opponents 184-26. The 2010-11 Hawkeyes posted a perfect 8-0 dual record in their home venue of Carver-Hawkeye Arena, marking Iowa’s 19th undefeated season in the facility since moving from the UI Fieldhouse in 1983. Iowa has a 193-18 (.915) record in the arena, which seats 15,500, and has won its last 38 duals at Carver-Hawkeye. Iowa’s last home loss was 19-14 to Oklahoma State on Jan. 5, 2008. The 2009-10 Hawkeyes went 11-0 at Carver-Hawkeye, which is the school record for most home wins in a single season. The dual wrestling attendance record for Carver-Hawkeye Arena is 15,955, set when Iowa defeated Iowa State (20-15) on December 6, 2008.
LAST MEETINGS
#2 IOWA 35, Indiana 6 (Feb. 4, 2011)
125 – Matt McDonough (I) pinned Justin Brooks (IU), 5:59
133 – Tony Ramos (I) pinned Matt Ortega (IU), 6:26
141 – Montell Marion (I) maj. dec. Mitchell Richey (IU), 13-5
149 – Kurt Kinser (IU) dec. Matt Ballweg (I), 2-0
157 – Derek St. John (I) pinned Paul Young (IU), 6:20
165 – Aaron Janssen (I) maj. dec. Ryan LeBlanc (IU), 14-5
174 – Jake Kerr (I) dec. Nick Avery (IU), 5-1 *
184 – Grant Gambrall (I) dec. Eric Cameron (IU), 5-3
197 – Luke Lofthouse (I) dec. Matt Powless (IU), 10-5
Hwt. – Ricky Alcala (IU) dec. Blake Rasing (I), 6-5
*The Indiana bench was warned after the 174-pound match.
#10 IOWA 15, #6 Oklahoma State 15 (Jan. 16, 2011)
125 – Matt McDonough (I) dec. Jon Morrison (OSU), 7-3
133 – Jordan Oliver (OSU) dec. Tyler Clark (I), 11-4
141 – Mark Ballweg (I) dec. Josh Kindig (OSU), 8-3
149 – Jamal Parks (OSU) dec. Matt Ballweg (I), 8-4
157 – Derek St. John (I) dec. Neil Erisman (OSU), 7-5
165 – Dallas Bailey (OSU) dec. Aaron Janssen (I), 6-2
174 – Ethen Lofthouse (I) dec. Mike Benefiel (OSU), 4-3
184 – Chris Perry (OSU) dec. Grant Gambrall (I), 2-0
197 – Clayton Foster (OSU) dec. Luke Lofthouse (I), 5-3
HWT – Blake Rasing (I) dec. Blake Rosholt (OSU), 3-1 SV
TICKET INFORMATION
Single-meet tickets are now available for purchase on hawkeyesports.com. Single-meet tickets to Oklahoma State (1/7) and Minnesota (1/29) are $13 for adults, $7 for children, and $2 for kids five and under. Northwestern (1/15) and Wisconsin (2/5) are $10 for adults, $5 for children, and free for kids five and under.
2012 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS
All-Session Tickets are available for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials April 21-22 in Iowa City, Iowa. All-Session tickets are $75 for adults, $40 for youth. Nearly 6,000 tickets were sold as of Dec. 13. The trials attendance record was set in 2000 when Dallas, Texas, hosted 7,000 fans inside Reunion Arena.
UP NEXT
The top-ranked Hawkeyes return to the mat Friday, Jan. 13, at Nebraska. Iowa will face the Huskers at 6 p.m. (CT) inside the NU Coliseum. The Hawkeyes then host Northwestern on Sunday, Jan. 15. The Wildcats visit Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 1 p.m. To purchase tickets, contact the UI Ticket Office at 800-IA-HAWKS or online at hawkeyesports.com. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children, and free for kids five and under.