Dec. 3, 2013
Iowa Ready to Head to Edinboro
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IOWA CITY, Iowa — For University of Iowa wrestlers Josh Dziewa and Mike Evans, Thursday’s dual at No. 15 Edinboro is a chance to show off in their home state.
The Hawkeyes travel to Edinboro, Pa., to face the Fighting Scots in a 6 p.m. (CT) dual in the McComb Fieldhouse. Dziewa is from Yardley, Evans from Enola.
“It’s western Pennsylvania, so it’s closer to Evans, but Pa. is Pa. to those guys,” UI head coach Tom Brands said Tuesday inside the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex. “That’s where their roots are, and we have big matches, especially at 141.”
The 141-pound matchup pits 13th-ranked Dziewa against No. 2 Mitchell Port. Port was the NCAA runner-up at 141 pounds a season ago.
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“I have to be ready to go from the beginning to the end. I only have seven minutes, that’s how I have been looking at it. I have to put points up early and often.”
UI junior 141-pounder Josh Dziewa
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“Early in the match, he is going to have to be ready to go,” said Brands. “This guy is tricky to wrestle. He is a slow guy, and I don’t say that begrudgingly. He can ride and control the pace. We have to go out and wrestle our match and be ready.”
Brands wants to see more pop, pace, and explosion out of his 141-pounder. Dziewa came out slow in match his against Iowa State’s Gabe Moreno on Dec. 1 before going on to post a 12-5 victory.
“Last week, I was slow off the whistle and wasn’t ready to go,” said Dziewa. “That’s something I don’t have time to make up for this week. I have to be ready to go from the beginning to the end. I only have seven minutes, that’s how I have been looking at it. I have to put points up early and often.”
Last season Port downed Mark Ballweg, 5-0, in the Feb. 16 meeting in Iowa City. Dziewa recalls the style of the match with Port handling Ballweg in the top position, but says it doesn’t have any bearing on his approach Thursday.
“I am not worried about it,” he said. “I am going out there to wrestle my pace and he can try to do what he wants to do.”
Redshirt freshman Thomas Gilman will make his dual debut at 125 pounds, bringing a 6-1 record into the matchup. Brands says Gilman has earned the right to compete, but made it clear that the job still belongs to Cory Clark.
“It’s the right thing to do with where we’re at with some personal things,” he said. “This is not an indication in any way, shape, or form on Clark’s performance. He is still the guy and will be the guy when we come back to town a week from Thursday when we’re wrestling Buffalo here.
“It’s better to keep Clark at home, and this shows our depth. Either guy we’re good with and it’s good for Gilman as well.”
With 7-of-10 matches against Iowa State being decided by four points or less, Brands says the Hawkeyes need to pick up their pace and tempo.
“Iowa State did what they do,” said Brands. “We want to be able to go out there and no matter what a guy gives us, we need to rise above that and blow the doors off them and widen then gap. When your opponent is trying to keep (the match) close, and he’s going (to try) to get you in the end, you have to feel that and then pick it up.”
Brands said 197-pounder Nathan Burak and heavyweight Bobby Telford both could have wrestled at Iowa State and it isn’t out of the question for them to return to the lineup Thursday, but a decision has not yet been made.