Nov. 21, 2012
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ON THE MAT
The University of Iowa wrestling team opens its 2012-13 home schedule Saturday with the fifth annual Iowa City Duals. Beginning at 9 a.m., Iowa will host consecutive duals against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (9 a.m.), Cornell College (11 a.m.) and Iowa Central (1 p.m.) on Media com Mat inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Times are subject to change.
Admission is $12 for adults, $8 for youth, and free for kids five-years old and younger.
IOWA CITY DUALS
This season marks the fifth year of the Iowa City Duals. The Hawkeyes are 14-0 in the history of the Duals, and Iowa wrestlers own a 135-5 record in the event. Iowa Central is making its fourth appearance in the Duals. Cornell is making its third appearance and SIUE is making its second.
MCDONOUGH STREAK HITS 31
Senior Matt McDonough extended his winning streak to 31 matches last weekend. McDonough finished last season with a NCAA title and a 28-match winning streak, and opened this year with three consecutive dual wins at Tennessee-Chattanooga. He is one match away from matching the longest win streak of his career. He won 32 in a row to start the 2009-10 season. McDonough’s last loss was an 11-7 overtime decision to Illinois’ Jesse Delgado (Dec. 2, 2011). He has since defeated Delgado twice — first at the National Duals tournament (6-3) and most recently in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament (4-3).
RAMOS IS DUAL DOMINANT
Junior Tony Ramos recorded two falls and a major decision in Iowa’s season opener. He has won 32-of-33 career duals. Last year, Ramos registered five falls, four major decisions and three technical falls in 18 duals, racking up a team-high 74 points. His 16 dual points this year ranks second behind Bobby Telford (18).
BALLWEG IS BACK AT 141
Senior Mark Ballweg returned to the dual lineup with three major decision in Iowa’s season opener. His 2012-13 debut marked his first dual appearance since 2010-11. Ballweg opened that season as Iowa’s starting 141-pounder and wrestled his way to a 15-3 record that included seven falls. He has won his last 17 bouts and owns a career record of 28-3 at 141 pounds.
2 @ 149
Redshirt freshman Brody Grothus and sophomore Michael Kelly are both listed as probable starters at 149. Grothus won the preseason wrestle-off and opened the year as Iowa’s starter, posting a 1-1 record in the season opener. He opened the year with a fall before tweaking his knee and losing a 9-5 decision to No. 10 Derek Valenti (Virginia). Kelly, who owned a 15-14 record as Iowa’s 149-pounder last season, open this year with a 4-2 record and a fourth place finish at the Lindenwood Open. His four wins included a pair of pins and a technical fall.
MOUNT ST. JOHN
Junior Derek St. John earned career wins No. 46, 47 and 48 in Iowa’s season opener at Chattanooga. He is two wins shy of becoming the fifth active Hawkeye to reach 50 career wins, joining a list that includes Matt McDonough (103), Grant Gambrall (61), Tony Ramos (61) and Ethen Lofthouse (51). He owns a 48-9 career record, including a 27-3 mark in dual competition.
SPLIT DUTIES @ 165
Sophomores Mike Evans and Nick Moore held court at 165 pounds in Iowa’s season opener. Evans started two of Iowa’s three duals and scored a major decision (14-3) and a decision (7-4). Moore followed suit with a 12-3 major decision in the night cap. Together, Evans and Moore combined for 11 team points. Last year, Evans racked up 61 points in 14 dual victories, an average of 4.38 points per dual win, more than any other Hawkeye. The 61 points was tied for the second highest point total from any weight class.
IOWA FIRSTS
Senior Grant Gambrall (174), junior Ethen Lofthouse (184) and sophomore Jeremy Fahler (197) each made their career debuts at their respective weights in Iowa’s season opener. Gambrall, an All-American at 184 in 2011, split a couple overtime decisions and added 7-5 win to post a 2-1 mark. Lofthouse, an All-American at 174 in 2012, was 3-0 with a major decision and a pin in his 184-pound debut. Fahler scored a first period pin in his only appearance at 197.
TELFORD LEAVES NO POINT LEFT BEHIND
Sophomore Bobby Telford scored the maximum 18 team points in Iowa’s first three duals of the season. He opened the season with a fall in 0:51, scored six points via forfeit against Virginia, and closed Iowa’s season opener with a first period pin (2:48). The 18 points are already half of the 36 duals points Telford scored in 2011-12, a season that ended in All-America honors and 29 total victories.
BURAK CRACKS THE PROBABLE LINEUP
Freshman Nathan Burak is listed among Iowa’s 197-pound probables. Burak did not compete in Iowa’s season openers, but he did competed unattached at the Lindenwood Open. He started his season with a first period pin before suffering a 1-0 defeat in his second match. He then strung together six straight wins, including two major decisions and a technical fall to win the consolation bracket. His seven wins lead the team.
BURAK, GILMAN LEAD IOWA AT LINDENWOOD
Freshmen Thomas Gilman (125) and Nathan Burak (197) each placed third by winning the consolation bracket at their respective weights at the Lindenwood Open on Nov. 16. Burak owned a 7-1 record with two major decisions, one technical fall and one pin, while Gilman posted a 5-1 mark with three technical falls. Sophomore Michael Kelly earned fourth place with a 4-2 mark at 149. Redshirt freshman Kris Klapprodt placed fifth at 174 with a 6-2 mark, while sophomore Walt Gillmor and freshman Alex Meyer each placed sixth. Gillmor owned a 4-3 mark at 165 and Meyer finished with the same record at 174. Freshman Topher Carton (2-2), Sophomore Josh Dziewa (5-2), freshman Connor Ryan (3-2), redshirt freshman Jake Kadel (3-2), freshman Sammy Brooks (3-2) and freshman Artie Bess (0-1) also competed in the tournament.
MCDONOUGH AMONG THE BEST
Senior Matt McDonough owns a career record of 103-4. His .963 winning percentage ranks fourth in program history among wrestlers with a minimum 95 decisions. 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. Matt McDonough (103-4) .963
5. Tom Brands (158-7-2) .952
6. Terry Brands (137-7) .951
THREE WITH AN EYE ON FOUR
Senior Matt McDonough is a three-time NCAA finalist. He won NCAA titles in 2010 and 2012, and finished runner-up in 2011. With a top eight finish at the 2013 NCAA tournament, McDonough would become the 18th four-time All-American in school history. With a trip to the finals he’d become join Ed Banach, Duane Goldman and Lincoln McIlravy as the school’s only four-time NCAA finalist. A third national title would make McDonough the seventh wrestler in school history to earn three NCAA Championships (Ed Banach, Tom Brands, Barry Davis, Lincoln McIlravy, Joe Williams, Jim Zalesky).
TICKET INFORMATION
Season and single-meet tickets are now available for purchase on hawkeyesports.com. Season tickets for eight home dates (including the Iowa City Duals) are available for $85. Single-meet tickets for Iowa City Duals (11/24), Lehigh (12/6), Purdue (1/6), Nebraska (2/10) and Edinboro (2/16) are $12 for adults, $8 for youth, and free for kids five-years old and younger. Single-meet tickets to Iowa State (12/1), Ohio State (1/4) and Penn State (2/1) are $15 for adults, $8 for youth and $2 for kids five-years old and younger.
ATTENDANCE LEADERS AT IT AGAIN
The Iowa City duals is the first of eight home dates on 2012-13 the schedule. The Hawkeyes drew 8,527 fans to the Iowa City Duals last season, spring boarding a home schedule that set the national attendance record for the sixth straight year. 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 last season, the Hawkeyes averaged a national record 9,014 fans. That includes duals vs. Oklahoma State (15,400), Illinois (7,330), Northern Iowa (7,078), Northwestern (7,954), Minnesota (9,511) and Wisconsin (6,809). Iowa’s 9,014 average was a national dual record. It marked the fourth straight year Iowa averaged over 8,000 fans per dual and the sixth straight season the Hawkeyes were the nation’s attendance leaders.
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 (.912) 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.
HAWKEYE WRESTLING HISTORY
Iowa’s overall dual meet record is 909-219-31 (.797) in 102 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 23 national titles and 34 Big Ten titles. Iowa’s 51 NCAA Champions have won a total of 79 NCAA Individual titles, crowning six three-time and 16 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes’ 105 Big Ten champions have won a total of 190 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 28 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa’s 147 All-Americans have earned All-America status 297 times, including 17 four-time, 31 three-time and 37 two-time honorees.
39 YEARS OF DOMINANCE
Since 1974, only seven schools have captured the NCAA Championship. During that 38-year span, the Hawkeyes have won 23 team titles, including nine straight from 1978-86. The other schools include Oklahoma State (7), Minnesota (3), Iowa State (2), Penn State (2), Arizona State (1) and Oklahoma (1).
2012-13 SCHEDULE
Eleven of Iowa’s 21 dual opponents are ranked in the top 25 of the preseason NWCA/USA Today Division I Coaches Poll. They include Minnesota (1), Penn State (2), Oklahoma State (3), Ohio State (5), Illinois (6), Nebraska (9), Michigan (16), Virginia (17), Edinboro (20), Lehigh (21) and Purdue (23). Iowa’s schedule includes eight home dates and three postseason events, including the NWCA National Duals (Feb. 23), the Big Ten Championships (Mar. 9-10), and NCAA Championships (Mar. 21-23).
IOWA CITY DUALS OPPONENTS
The Hawkeyes have a combined record of 16-3 against today’s opponents. Iowa’s 6-0 record against SIUE includes consecutive shutouts in the most recent meetings. The Hawkeyes beat SIUE 51-0 at the 2010 Iowa City Duals and 49-0 in 2011. Iowa owns a 5-3 series advantage over Cornell. The Hawkeyes lost the first three meetings of the series beginning in 1930. The Rams scored consecutive victories in 1930 (17-13), 1932 (15.5-10.5) and 1933 (17-11). Iowa won its first series meeting, 22-11, in 1970. The Hawkeyes have since run their series win streak to five with victories in 2007 (51-0), 2009 (57-0), 2010 (43-0) and 2011 (42-0). The Hawkeyes own a 5-0 series advantage against Iowa Central. The Hawkeyes won the first series meeting, 49-0, in 2000, and own wins in 2007 (50-0), 2008 (52-0), 2010 (45-0) and 2011 (37-6).