Jan. 13, 2012
- Order Tickets to 2012 USA Olympic Team Trials
- USA Olympic Trials – Iowa City, IA
- Hawkeyes Going for Gold
- 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
LINCOLN, Neb. – The University of Iowa wrestling team won seven-of-10 bouts to top seventh-ranked Nebraska, 24-9, tonight inside NU Coliseum. The win was the 900th dual victory in school history and marked Iowa’s 38th consecutive conference win. The loss was Nebraska’s first of the year.
“We did some good things,” said head coach Tom Brands. “You can start with the victory over a capable and confident opponent. We grabbed control of the dual, which is always important, but we need to grab control of every match and not give the opponent any opportunities.”
Junior Grant Gambrall led off the dual with a 3-1 overtime victory over James Nakashima at 197 pounds. Both wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third frames before Gambrall finished a takedown 17 seconds into the sudden victory period.
Nebraska (10-1, 1-1) tied the team score, 3-3, when ninth-ranked Tucker Lane scored a third period takedown over No. 8 Bobby Telford to earn a 4-1 victory.
The Hawkeyes (8-1, 3-0) answered with consecutive wins at 125, 133, 141 and 149 pounds to build an 18-3 advantage.
Junior Matt McDonough mixed five takedowns with a reversal and two nearfall points to build a 14-3 lead before flattening Shawn Nagel with 10 seconds left in the second period (4:50). The fall was the ninth of the season for McDonough, who has won his last 10 contests.
Sophomore Tony Ramos followed McDonough with a 10-3 win at 133 pounds. Ramos opened the scoring with a takedown and escape to build a 3-0 lead heading into the third frame, where he added three more takedowns and totaled 1:16 of riding time to defeat No. 18 Ridge Kelly, 10-3.
Senior Montell Marion increased the Hawkeye lead to 15-3 with a 9-6 win over No. 6 Jake Sueflohn. Marion scored a reversal with five seconds left in the opening period before totaling three takedowns over the final two frames to earn his eighth victory in as many duals this season.
Redshirt freshman Michael Kelly captured the Hawkeyes’ fifth straight match with a 7-3 decision over Brandon Wilbourn at 149 pounds. Kelly recorded back-to-back escapes between the first and second period to tie the bout, 2-2, before earning a takedown and consecutive stall calls to build a 6-2 lead. He then surrendered an escape, but added a point for riding time (1:30) to earn his first career dual victory.
Nebraska stopped the Hawkeye rally when 10th-ranked James Green scored a 12-7 win over redshirt freshman Nick Moore. Moore scored a pair of takedowns in the third period to pull within two points, 8-6, but Green withstood the rally and earned the win to trim the Iowa lead to 18-6.
Redshirt freshman Mike Evans swung the momentum back toward the Hawkeyes when he scored a 7-3 upset over third-ranked Robert Kokesh. The ninth-ranked Evans scored an early takedown and a late first period reversal to build a 4-2 lead after one frame. He then added a second period takedown and a third period escape to improve to 3-0 in Big Ten duals and extend Iowa’s lead, 21-6.
Sophomore Ethen Lofthouse then added to the team lead when he notched an 8-1 decision over Tyler Koehn at 174 pounds. Lofthouse didn’t allow an offensive point and collected 2:36 of riding time behind three takedowns.
Nebraska won the final bout of the dual when seventh-ranked Josh Ihnen topped senior Vinnie Wagner 10-5, making the final team score, 24-9.
The Hawkeyes return to the mat Sunday at 1 p.m. when No. 17 Northwestern visits Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets to the event are $10 for adults, $5 for children and free for kids five and under.
Notes: Iowa has an all-time record of 900-215-31… only Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Oregon State have more than 900 dual victories… the win was Iowa’s 38th straight in Big Ten duals… Iowa is unbeaten in its last 50 road duals… Iowa is 2-1 against ranked teams this season.
#2 University of Iowa 24, #7 Nebraska University 9
197 lbs. – #19 Grant Gambrall (Iowa) dec. James Nakashima (N), 3-1 SV; TS 3-0
285 lbs. – #9 Tucker Lane (N) dec. #8 Bobby Telford (Iowa), 4-1; TS 3-3
125 lbs. – #2 Matt McDonough (Iowa) pinned Shawn Nagel (N), 4:50; TS 9-3
133 lbs. – #2 Tony Ramos (Iowa) dec. #18 Ridge Kiley (N), 10-3; TS 12-3
141 lbs. – #3 Montell Marion (Iowa) dec. #6 Jake Sueflohn (N), 9-6; TS 15-3
149 lbs. – Michael Kelly (Iowa) dec. Brandon Wilbourn (N), 7-3; TS 18-3
157 lbs. – #10 James Green (N) dec. Nick Moore (Iowa), 12-7; TS 18-6
165 lbs. – #9 Mike Evans (Iowa) dec. #3 Robert Kokesh (N), 7-3: TS 21-6
174 lbs. – #11 Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) dec. Tyler Koehn (N), 8-1; TS 24-6
184 lbs. – #7 Josh Ihnen (N) dec. Vinnie Wagner (Iowa), 10-5