Feb. 5, 2013
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa senior Matt McDonough has been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week, the conference office announced Tuesday. The weekly honor is the fourth of McDonough’s career, and second this season. He was previously honored Nov. 20.
The two-time NCAA champion earned the honor following his 2-1 overtime victory over second-ranked Nico Megaludis. McDonough escaped with four seconds left in the first tiebreak period to extend his winning streak to 42 matches, and lead Iowa to a 22-16 win over top-ranked Penn State.
McDonough, the nation’s top-ranked 125-pounder, improved to 14-0 overall and 8-0 against ranked opponents.
The Hawkeyes have earned Big Ten weekly honors four times this season, more than any other school. Sophomore Nick Moore earned Big Ten honors last week, and junior Derek St. John was recognized Dec. 11.
McDonough has earned the award four times, more than any other Hawkeye in school history. The conference began awarding weekly honors in 1998-99.
The Hawkeyes (16-1, 6-0) return to the mat this weekend to conclude the Big Ten regular season. Iowa faces Illinois in Champaign, Ill., on Friday at 7 p.m., and hosts Nebraska on Sunday at 2 p.m. The Illinois dual will be televised live by BTN, while the Nebraska dual will be televised live by Mediacom.