Match Notes: #4 Minnesota at #2 Iowa

Jan. 22, 2014

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Weekly Release

ON THE MAT
The second-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team hosts No. 4 Minnesota on Saturday at 1:04 p.m. (CT). Admission is $15 for adults, $8 for youth, and free for UI students and children five years old and younger. Everyone must have a ticket to enter Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

ON THE TUBE
The dual is televised by BTN. Tim Johnson and Jim Gibbons will call the dual, and Shane Sparks will report matside live from Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

THE SERIES — MINNESOTA
Iowa leads the all-time series 70-25-1. The schools have met 11 times since 2006-07, Tom Brands first season as Iowa’s head coach. The Hawkeyes own an 8-3 advantage during that stretch.

A RARE VISIT
Iowa and Minnesota have met 11 times over the past seven-plus seasons, but only three times in Iowa City. Over that three-dual stretch, the Hawkeyes lost the first meeting, 29-13, on Feb. 18, 2007, but won each of the last two meetings at Carver-Hawkeye Arena: 25-9 on Feb. 1, 2009; 19-17 on Jan. 29, 2012. Iowa is 32-12 at home against the Gophers all-time.

IOWA VS. RANKED OPPONENTS
Minnesota is the fourth top 10 team Iowa will have faced this season. The Hawkeyes are 2-1 in their previous three top 10 matchups, falling to No. 1 Penn State (24-12), and defeating No. 5 Oklahoma State (24-6) and No. 8 Nebraska (22-9). Iowa is 5-1 against top 25 opponents, having also defeated No. 15 Iowa State (23-9), No. 15 Edinboro (22-19), and No. 21 Purdue (30-3).

CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
The Hawkeyes won 26 consecutive Big Ten conference duals inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Iowa’s loss to Penn State on Dec. 21, 2013 was a non-conference dual). The Hawkeyes have won 19 of the last 20 duals inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and own a 212-20 (.913) all-time record inside the arena. The Hawkeyes have won five tournament titles on their home mat, including the 1983 and 1994 Big Ten Championships, and the 1986, 1991 and 1995 NCAA Championships.

COACHING TIES
Iowa assistant coach Ben Berhow wrestled at Minnesota from 2007-10. He had 78 career victories and received the Minnesota Integrity Award his senior season, and the Verne Gagne Scholarship/Leadership Award as a junior. He was named Most Improved Wrestler after posting an 8-0 Big Ten record his sophomore season. Berhow worked with the Minnesota coaching staff from 2011-13 before joining the Hawkeyes this season. Minnesota head coach J Robinson served as an assistant coach at the University of Iowa from 1976-84. During that span, the Hawkeyes won seven NCAA, and eight Big Ten crowns.

ST. JOHN ON THE REBOUND
Second-ranked Derek St. John (20-1) is coming off his first loss of the season, a 9-7 decision to then No. 3 James Green. St. John has a career record of 96-12, including a 12-0 record following a loss. St. John is 4-1 this year against ranked opponents. He has won nine of his last 10 matches against ranked opponents. He has never faced Minnesota’s Dylan Ness.

B1G RESULTS IN B1G SEASON
Iowa has opened 4-0 in Big Ten for the seventh straight year. Iowa has five perfect 8-0 Big Ten season under head coach Tom Brands. The Hawkeyes have won 35-of-40 individual bouts during the first half of the Big Ten season, including 17 wins by bonus points. The Hawkeyes have won their last 14 Big Ten duals. Five Hawkeyes are 4-0 in Big Ten duals (Gilman, Ramos, Dziewa, Moore, Telford), and seven Hawkeyes own a perfect 1.000 win percentage in Big Ten duals (Lofthouse and Brooks are both 2-0).

DEPTH AT 125
Redshirt freshman Thomas Gilman has started the last six duals and strung together a career-long nine match win streak. Gilman, ranked No. 3 in the country, is 15-2 with seven bonus-point wins and five wins over ranked opponents, including a 3-1 victory over defending NCAA Champion Jesse Delgado (Illinois) in the Midlands finals. He is 5-2 overall vs. ranked opponents. Redshirt freshman Cory Clark opened the season ranked No. 4 and owns a 12-0 record with eight falls and one major decision (He lost 10-8 to Jarrod Garnett in the Midlands semifinals, but Garnett is not a collegiate wrestler).

RAMOS UNDEFEATED AT HOME
Senior Tony Ramos is 32-0 all-time at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Ramos is 8-0 at home this year, including a pair of wins over ranked opponents. He pinned No. 15 Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State) and defeated No. 1 John Morrison (Oklahoma State), 8-2. Ramos was named Big Ten Co-Wrestler of the Week after defeating Morrison. The weekly conference honor was the fourth of his career. Ramos is 63-2 in 64 career dual starts. He is 11-1 in duals this season and leads Iowa with nine pins. His 54 dual points also lead the team. He is 18-2 overall and ranked No. 3 in the country

ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY AT 149
Brody Grothus won three straight against top 10 opponents before falling to Nebraska’s fifth-ranked Jake Sueflohn, 5-2, on Jan. 18. Grothus has climbed to No. 13 in the national rankings after winning eight of his last 10 bouts, including wins against No. 8 David Habat (Edinboro), No. 2 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern), and No. 3 Josh Kindig (Oklahoma State).

MOORE EARNS NATIONAL HONOR
Junior Nick Moore is 14-2 overall, 10-1 in duals, and 3-2 this year against ranked opponents. He defeated No. 2 Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma State), No. 6 Mike Moreno (Iowa State), No. 13 Pierce Harger (Northwestern), and lost to top-ranked David Taylor (Penn State) and No. 5 Steve Monk (NDSU). Moore was named USA Wrestling’s Athlete of the Week on Jan. 20. Moore, then ranked No. 5, finished a takedown with 15 seconds left in sudden victory to defeat Oklahoma State’s No. 2 Tyler Caldwell, 3-1, on Jan. 10. It was the highest rated opponent Moore has defeated in his career. It was also the first overtime match of Moore’s career. He finished the weekend with a 13-3 major decision over Indiana’s Ryan LeBlanc to improve to 13-2 overall and climb to No. 4 in the national rankings.

SWEET 16 FOR EVANS
Junior Mike Evans has scored bonus points in 16-of-18 wins this year. Evans has a recorded seven falls and four major decisions, and leads the team with five technical falls. Evans racked up three pins and two majors en route to his first Midlands title Dec. 30. He is 18-3 this season and has a career record of 67-8. Evans’ three losses this year have been to the No. 2, 3, and 4 rated wrestlers in the country. On Saturday, he’ll face fifth-ranked Logan Storley.

BROOKS ENTERS THE RANKINGS
Freshman Sammy Brooks entered the rankings for the first time in his career this week when Amateur Wrestling News rated the Oak Park, Ill., native No. 10. Brooks has won three straight matches at 184 pounds, including two bouts against ranked opponents. Brooks topped No. 16 Nolan Boyd of Oklahoma State, 7-1, on Jan. 10, and defeated No. 11 T.J. Dudley, 6-4, in sudden victory Jan. 18. Brooks is 16-6 overall, and 14-4 competing at 184 pounds. Two of Brooks’ losses were to the No. 3 ranked 197-pounder in the country (Gadson, Sheptock).

BURAK WITH A SHOT AT NO. 1
Sophomore Nathan Burak meets top-ranked junior Scott Schiller in the 197-pound matchup. Burak, ranked No. 16, is 9-2 and 2-2 against ranked opponents. Schiller is 22-0. Burak has met Schiller three times in his career. He gave up a late takedown in last season’s dual, falling 3-1. Schiller won 9-3 at the NWCA National Duals, and scored a takedown in the first sudden victory period to win, 3-1, at the 2013 Big Ten Championships.

BIG RESULTS FOR BIG BOBBY
Bobby Telford owns a 16-1 record this year, including a 6-1 mark against ranked opponents. He has wins over No. 12 Jimmy Lawson (Penn State), No. 13 Adam Fager (Utah Valley), No. 6 J.T. Felix (Boise State), No. 9 Mike McClure (Michigan State), No. 15 Austin Mardsen (Indiana), and No. 7 Adam Chalfant (Indiana). His lone loss came in Midlands finals to No. 4 Adam Coon (Michigan), who is now ranked No. 1 in the country.

HAWKEYE WRESTLING HISTORY
Iowa’s overall dual meet record is 937-223-31 (.799) in 104 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 23 national titles and 34 Big Ten titles. Iowa’s 52 NCAA Champions have won a total of 80 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 148 All-Americans have earned All-America status 301 times, including 17 four-time, 32 three-time and 38 two-time honorees.

ALL-AMERICAN STREAK
The Hawkeyes have crowned at least one All-American every year since 1972, a span of 42 seasons. Iowa has totaled 255 All-America honors during that stretch. The Hawkeyes return five All-Americans to this year’s squad. Tony Ramos (2nd-133), Derek St. John (1st-157), Mike Evans (6th-174) and Ethen Lofthouse (5th-184) join 2012 All-American Bobby Telford (5th-285) in the 2013-14 lineup.

40 YEARS OF DOMINANCE
Since 1974, only seven schools have captured the NCAA Championship. During that 40-year span, the Hawkeyes have won 23 team titles, including nine straight from 1978-86. The other schools include Oklahoma State (7), Minnesota (3), Penn State (3), Iowa State (2), Arizona State (1) and Oklahoma (1).