Jan. 11, 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
ON THE MAT
The University of Iowa wrestling team travels to Lincoln, Neb., to face the Huskers on Friday at 7 p.m. (CT) inside UN Coliseum. The Hawkeyes then return home to host No. 17 Northwestern on Sunday at 1 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 NU Coliseum and Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
TELEVISION COVERAGE
The Nebraska dual will be televised on a same-day tape delay by BTN. Tim Johnson and Jim Gibbons will have the matside call from NU Coliseum. The dual will air Friday night at 9 p.m. (CT).
The Northwestern dual will be televised live by Mediacom. Rob Brooks and Mike Duroe will call the action matside from Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
INTERNET COVERAGE
Hawkeye All-Access will provide a video stream of the Northwestern dual via BTN.com. 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 STATS
Live stats for the Northwestern dual will be available on the wrestling schedule page at hawkeyesports.com.
CHASING 900
The Hawkeyes need one dual win to become just the fourth program in NCAA history to reach 900 dual victories. Iowa owns an 899-215-31 (.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.
AN EVEN 50?
A win at Nebraska on Friday would be the Hawkeyes’ 50th straight road dual without a loss. Iowa is unbeaten in 49 consecutive road duals, which is a school record. That streak started with a 20-13 win at Iowa State on Dec. 9, 2007.
MCDONOUGH AMONG THE BEST
Junior Matt McDonough owns a career record of 81-4 (.953). 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
RAMOS NABS 2ND BIG TEN HONOR
Tony Ramos earned his second career conference honor earlier this week when he was named Big Ten Co-Wrestler of the Week on Jan. 10 Ramos, a sophomore from Carol Stream, Ill., pinned Indiana’s Joe Duca in the second period at Indiana (1/6) before earning a 4-3 overtime decision against Oklahoma State’s top-ranked Jordan Oliver (1/7). He had previously won the award after a pair of bonus point victories against No. 7 Illinois (12/2) and Iowa State (12/4). 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. 2, owns a 17-1 record with four major decisions, five technical falls and four pins.
AND THEN THERE WAS ONE
Sophomore Derek St. John won his first 11 bouts of the season before suffering a knee injury Dec. 8 against Northern Iowa. He has missed the last three Hawkeye events and remains 11-0 on the season. 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.
RAMOS IS DUAL DOMINANT
RAMOS IS DUAL DOMINANT Entering Friday’s dual at Nebraska, sophomore Tony Ramos was undefeated in 20 career duals, including a perfect 8-0 record this season. Ramos has recorded three falls and four major decisions in eight duals this season, racking up a team-high 37 points.P> HAWKEYES BUILD ON RECORD
Iowa grabbed its record 22nd Midlands team title Dec. 30, 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.
HOME SWEET HOME
Two of Iowa’s probable starters have never lost a match inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. They include Tony Ramos (12-0) and Mike Evans (6-0). Evans, a redshirt freshman from Enola, Pa., has recorded two pins and two technical falls in his six career bouts inside CHA. Ramos, a sophomore from Carol Stream, Ill., was perfect in six bouts last season and has won his first six bouts inside CHA this year. Matt McDonough owns a .960 winning percentage inside CHA (24-1). Grant Gambrall also has just one loss inside his home arena (11-1).
GAMBRALL AT 197
Junior Grant Gambrall has started at 197 pounds in three of Iowa’s eight duals (2-1). 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 6-3 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.
MCDONOUGH’S MIDLANDS SUCCESS
Junior Matt McDonough won his second Midlands title in three years Dec. 30 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.
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 899-215-31 (.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 Road Streak: 49
? Big Ten Winning Streak: 37
? Big Ten Home Winning Streak: 17
? Big Ten Road Winning Streak: 20
ABOUT THE UNBEATEN/WINNING DUAL STREAKS
Against Big Ten foes, the Hawkeyes have won their last 37 duals, including 17 at home and 20 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). The Hawkeyes are unbeaten in 49 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 tied Oklahoma State’s record of 84 consecutive duals without a loss when they topped Indiana, 26-12, on Jan. 6, 2012. The streak came to an end the following night when Oklahoma State defeated Iowa, 17-16, in Iowa City. The Cowboys and Hawkeyes were tied 16-16 after splitting 10 duals, but Oklahoma State earned the victory based on the third tiebreak criteria, match points (54-51). The loss also ended the Hawkeyes 38-dual home winning streak.
TIEBREAK CRITERIA
The Hawkeyes saw their 84-match dual unbeaten streak end Jan. 7, 2012, when Oklahoma State topped Iowa 17-16. The two teams were tied at 16 after splitting 10 bouts, so officials used the NCAA tiebreak criteria inserted last offseason to determine a winner. The first tiebreak is match victories (5-5) and the second is falls/tech. falls (0-0). Oklahoma State eventually won on the third tiebreak criteria, match points (54-51).
ATTENDANCE LEADERS AT IT AGAIN
The third largest dual crowd in NCAA history (15,400) watched Iowa host Oklahoma State on Jan. 7, 2012. That number increased Iowa’s season average to 9,936. 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. 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). *The IC Duals do not count towards attendance figures.
CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa is 5-1 in dual competition inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,400) this season, outscoring their opponents 200-43. The 2010-11 Hawkeyes posted a perfect 8-0 dual record in their home venue, marking Iowa’s 19th undefeated season in the facility since moving from the UI Fieldhouse in 1983. Iowa has a 193-19 (.910) record in the arena. 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 Dec. 6, 2008.
LAST MEETINGS
#1 IOWA 33, #15 Nebraska 3 (Jan. 9, 2010)
125 – McDonough (I) maj. dec. David Klingsheim (N), 13-5
133 – Nate Moore (I) maj. dec. C.J. Napier (N), 9-1
141 – Montell Marion (I) dec. Mike Koehnlein (N), 10-5
149 – Brent Metcalf (I) won by forfeit
157 – Aaron Janssen (I) dec. Tyler Koehn (N), 4-0
165 – Ryan Morningstar (I) maj. dec. Alex Ward (N), 11-2
174 – Jay Borschel (I) dec. Stephen Dwyer (N), 10-7
184 – Phillip Keddy (I) dec. Josh Ihnen (N), 4-1
197 – Craig Brester (N) maj. dec. Luke Lofthouse (I), 11-1
Hwt. – Jordan Johnson (I) dec. Tucker Lane (Ne), 3-2
#8 IOWA 31, #18 Northwestern 9 (Jan. 28, 2011)
125 – Matt McDonough (I) pinned Brandon Precin (N), 6:11
133 – Tony Ramos (I) dec. Levi Mele (N), 9-3
141 – Mark Ballweg (I) pinned Kaleb Friedley (N), 2:49
149 – Andrew Nadhir (N) dec. Matt Ballweg (I), 11-4
157 – Derek St. John (I) dec. Jason Welch (N), 4-2
165 – Aaron Janssen (I) dec. Kevin Bialka (N), 3-0
174 – Ethen Lofthouse (I) maj. dec. Brian Roddy (N), 18-7
184 – Grant Gambrall (I) dec. Aaron Jones (N), 8-2
197 – John Schoen (N) won by forfeit
Hwt – Blake Rasing (I) dec. Ben Kuhar (N), 10-4
TICKET INFORMATION
Single-meet tickets are now available for purchase on hawkeyesports.com. Single-meet tickets to Northwestern (1/15) and Wisconsin (2/5) are $10 for adults, $5 for children and free for kids five and under. Tickets to the Minnesota dual (1/29) are $13 for adults, $7 for children and $2 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 travel to Columbus, Ohio, and State College, Pa., for a pair of Big Ten road duals Jan. 20 and 22. The Buckeyes host Iowa on Friday, Jan. 20 at 6 p.m. (CT). Penn State hosts the Hawkeyes on Sunday, Jan. 22 at 2 p.m. (CT). Both events will be broadcast by AM-800 KXIC on audio streamed online at hawkeyesports.com via Hawkeye All-Access. The Penn State dual will be televised by BTN.com.