Nov. 9, 2012
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IOWA CITY, Iowa – Nine Hawkeyes advanced to the finals of the 2012 University of Iowa wrestle-offs Friday night inside the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Seniors Matt McDonough and Mark Ballweg highlighted the evening with a pair of technical falls. Junior Ethen Lofthouse also scored a bonus point victory by virtue of a major decision.
Lofthouse scored three takedowns and three near-fall points in the first period before cruising to a 13-4 win over freshmen Alex Meyer in the 184-pound semis. McDonough scored five takedowns and totaled six near-fall points en route to a 19-3 win over sophomore Matt Gurule at 125 pounds, and Ballweg matched McDonough’s exact numerical output in his 18-2 win over freshman Connor Ryan at 141 pounds.
McDonough will face Cory Clark in Saturday’s finals. Clark advanced with a 3-1 win over freshman Thomas Gilman. Both freshmen exchanged escapes in regulation before Clark finished a double-leg 30 seconds into the sudden victory period.
Sophomore Josh Dziewa scored a 7-3 win over Ethan Owens to score a date with Ballweg in Saturday’s finals, and freshman Sammy Brooks advanced to meet Lofthouse following an 8-3 win over sophomore Jeremy Fahler.
Redshirt freshman Patrick Rhoads, the winner of the lone pigtail match Thursday night, scored the day’s biggest surprise when he topped sophomore Michael Kelly in the 149-pound semis. Rhoads rallied from a 3-1 third period deficit by stringing together an escape, one takedown and three near-fall points en route to a 7-4 decision. Rhoads will face redshirt freshman Brody Grothus in the 149-pound finals. Grothus advanced to the finals when Joe DuCharme defaulted by injury prior to the match.
Sophomore Nick Moore also punched his ticket to the finals with a 5-3 win over sophomore Walt Gillmor. Moore will face sophomore Mike Evans in the finals of the 165-pound bracket.
Four weights did not participate in the opening rounds. They include 133, 174, 197 and 285 pounds. All five weights contested Friday, and each of those four weights will crown a wrestle-off winner in Saturday’s finals. There is no 157-pound wrestle-off bracket.
Saturday’s competition is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. Doors open at 7 a.m.
2012 WRESTLE-OFFS
THURSDAY’S RESULTS
149 – Patrick Rhoads major dec. Jake Kadel, 15-6
FRIDAY’S RESULTS
125 – Matt McDonough tech. fall Matt Gurule, 19-3
125 – Cory Clark dec. Thomas Gilman, 3-1 SV
141 – Mark Ballweg tech. fall Connor Ryan, 18-2
141 – Josh Dziewa dec. Ethan Owens, 7-3
149 – Patrick Rhoads dec. Michael Kelly, 7-4
149 – Brody Grothus win by forfeit over Joe DuCharme
165 – Nick Moore dec. Walt Gillmor, 5-3
184 – Ethen Lofthouse major dec. Alex Meyer, 13-4
184 – Sammy Brooks dec. Jeremy Fahler, 8-3
SATURDAY (8:30 a.m.)
125 – McDonough vs. Clark
133 – Tony Ramos vs. Topher Carton
141 – Dziewa vs. Ballweg
149 – Rhoads vs. Grothus
165 – Mike Evans vs. Moore
174 – Grant Gambrall vs. Kris Klapprodt
184 – Lofthouse vs. Brooks
197 – Tomas Lira vs. Nathan Burak
285 – Bobby Telford vs. Artie Bess