Hawkeyes Earn Top Seed at National Duals

Feb. 8, 2012

Weekly Release in PDF Format | 2012 Mat Mayhem Brackets

ON THE MAT
The University of Iowa wrestling team competes at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Dual Tournament on Sunday on the campus of Iowa State. The tournament regional begins at 11 a.m. inside Hilton Coliseum. Iowa will be the #1 seed. The Hawkeyes will receive a bye in the opening round and face either #4 Virginia Tech or #5 Northern Iowa in the semifinals at 1 p.m.

AUDIO COVERAGE
The dual tournament 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 Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

2012 NATIONAL DUALS FORMAT
For the first time in tournament history, the National Duals will begin with four regional tournaments. The Hawkeyes will face a regional field that includes Northern Iowa, Oregon State, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin and host Iowa State. Match times will begin at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The NWCA/Cliff Keen Division I National Duals will be held on the campuses of Cornell (N.Y.), Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Rutgers. The winner of each region will move on to compete February 19th for the National Duals Championship. The host site for the final event will be announced following the regionals.

IOWA AT THE NATIONAL DUALS
Iowa has wrestled in 17 National Duals and has a 66-10-3 all-time record in the tournament. Iowa has won the title six times (1992, 1995, 1996, 2008, 2009, 2010), placed second three times (1994, 1997, 1998), third six times (1990, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003), fifth once (2007) and sixth once (2006).

1-2-3 SHOOT
Iowa’s three lightest weights have a combined 63-5 (.926) record this season with 42 bonus-point victories. Junior Matt McDonough (125) leads Iowa with nine pins. Sophomore Tony Ramos (133) owns a team-best six technical falls and senior Montell Marion (141) leads the Hawkeyes with eight major decisions.

ST. JOHN RETURNS
Sophomore Derek St. John returned to the mat Jan. 29 with a 6-1 victory over Wisconsin’s Shawn Perry. It was St. John’s first appearance since Jan. 20, and only his second appearance since suffering a knee injury Dec. 8 against Northern Iowa. St. John was 11-0 before aggravating the injury Jan. 20 in a 7-3 loss to Ohio State’s Joe Demas. He is now 12-1 and ranked No. 5 by Intermat.

RAMOS IS DUAL DOMINANT
Sophomore Tony Ramos has recorded five falls and four major decisions in 14 duals this season, racking up a team-high 60 points and a 22-1 overall record. He owns a 25-1 career dual record and has never lost in 15 matches inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

MCDONOUGH AMONG THE BEST
Junior Matt McDonough owns a career record of 87-4 (.956). 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

MARION HITS 80
Senior Montell Marion’s 3-2 win over Minnesota’s Nick Dardanes on Jan. 29 marked the 80th career victory for the 141-pound wrestler from Des Moines, Iowa. Marion owns an 81-19 career record, including a 20-2 mark this season. He is the seventh-ranked 141 pound wrestler in the nation and leads Iowa with a team-best eight major decisions. Only Matt McDonough (87) has more career victories among active Hawkeyes.

ANOTHER 10
The Hawkeyes’ 19-17 win over Minnesota on Jan. 29 marked Iowa’s 10th dual win of the season. The Hawkeyes have won at least 10 duals in every season dating back to 1967-68 — a span of 45 seasons.

REIGONAL OPPONENTS
#2 Seed — OREGON STATE (9-2)
? Iowa leads the all-time series 5-1.
? Oregon State won the first meeting of the series, 23-11, in 1973, but Iowa has won the last five meetings, outscoring the Beavers 167-36.
? The teams have not met since 2001 (Iowa, 31-6).
? Oregon State head coach Jim Zalesky was the head coach at Iowa from 1998-2006. He compiled a 127-34 career record and won three Big Ten and three NCAA titles.
? Zalesky was a four-time All-American and three-time NCAA champion while wrestling for the Hawkeyes (1980-84).

#3 Seed — IOWA STATE (3-12)
? Iowa leads all-time series 60-16-2.
? Hawkeyes have won the last eight meetings, including a 27-9 win on Dec. 4, 2011 in Ames.
? Iowa is undefeated in eight meetings with ISU at the National Duals tournament.
? The Hawkeyes defeated Iowa State (19-12) in the 2010 finals.
? Iowa State’s last win in the series was in 2005 (19-16).

#4 Seed — VIRGINIA TECH (7-4)
? Iowa leads the all-time series 2-0.
? The Hawkeyes won the first meeting 21-10 in 1968; and won the most recent meeting 38-0 in 2005.
? Iowa head coach Tom Brands was the head coach at Virginia Tech from 2004-06.
? Head coach Kevin Dresser won the 1986 142-pound NCAA title while wrestling for the Hawkeyes.

#5 Seed — NORTHERN IOWA (7-5)
? Iowa leads the all-time series 44-8-2.
? Iowa has won the last 36 meetings, including a 38-4 victory Dec. 8, 2011.
? Northern Iowa’s last win in the series was in 1974 (17-15).
? UNI head coach Doug Schwab was a Hawkeye assistant coach from 2007-10.
? Schwab won the 141-pound NCAA title while wrestling for the Hawkeyes in 2000. He was a three-time All-American (1999-2001).

#6 Seed — WISCONSIN (5-10)
? Iowa leads the all-time series 74-8-3.
? Iowa has won four straight against the Badgers, including a 39-3 victory Jan. 29, 2012.
? Wisconsin’s last win in the series was a 21-14 victory in 2007.
? Wisconsin coach Barry Davis was a four-time All-American and three-time NCAA champion while wrestling for the Hawkeyes (1980-85). Davis won a school record 46 matches in 1981-82.

B1G AT THE NWCA
Eight Big Ten teams are competing in the NWCA National Dual tournament. Six teams will compete Feb. 12, including Iowa and Wisconsin at the Ames, Iowa, regional; Nebraska and Ohio State at the Stillwater, Okla., regional; and Illinois and Purdue at the Ithaca, N.Y., regional. Michigan and Minnesota will compete Feb. 11 on the campus of Rutgers in the Piscataway, N.J., regional.

#900
The Hawkeyes topped Nebraska, 24-9, Jan. 13 to earn the 900th dual win in program history. Iowa owns a 903-218-31 (.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.

MCDONOUGH EARNS CONFERENCE HONOR
Junior Matt McDonough earned Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors on Jan. 31. McDonough upset top-ranked Zach Sanders to help lead Iowa to a 19-17 victory over Minnesota on Jan. 29. He did not allow an offensive point while scoring two takedowns and a reversal against the previously unbeaten Sanders. The conference honor was the second of McDonough’s career.

RAMOS NABS 2ND BIG TEN HONOR
Tony Ramos earned his second career conference honor 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. 4, owns a 22-2 record with four major decisions, six technical falls and six pins.

CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa finished the 2011-12 home schedule with an 8-1 record inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,400). The Hawkeyes outscored their opponents 258-63 and set a national attendance record, averaging 9,014 fans in six home dates (Iowa City Duals do not count toward national attendance figures). Iowa has a 196-19 (.910) record in the arena, including 19 undefeated seasons, since moving from the UI Fieldhouse in 1983. The dual wrestling attendance record for Carver-Hawkeye Arena is 15,955, set when Iowa defeated Iowa State (20-15) on Dec. 6, 2008.

ATTENDANCE LEADERS AT IT AGAIN
Iowa hosted the third largest dual crowd in NCAA history (15,400) when Oklahoma State visited Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 7, 2012. In six home dates, the Hawkeyes averaged a national record 9,014 fans. That includes duals vs. Oklahoma State, Illinois (7,330), Northern Iowa (7,078), Northwestern (7,954), Minnesota (9,511) and Wisconsin (6,809). Prior to 2011-12, the Hawkeyes had led the nation in attendance for five straight seasons. This year’s 9,014 average is expected to mark the sixth straight year Iowa has led the nation in attendance, and the fourth straight year Iowa averaged over 8,000 fans per dual.

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 108-9-1 career record since taking over the Iowa program in 2006.

NCAA EXPERIENCE
The 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 903-218-31 (.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.

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.

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 during the 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).