Wrestling Notebook: at Michigan, MSU

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IOWA at MICHIGAN/MICHIGAN STATE

DATE	Jan. 6 | Jan. 8
LOCATION	Ann Arbor, Michigan | East Lansing, Michigan
TELEVISION	Michigan Dual on BTN at 6 p.m. CT
VIDEO STREAM	BTN2Go | BTN2Go
LISTEN	KXIC | Hawkeye All-Access
LIVE RESULTS	TrackWrestling.com

ON THE MAT
The University of Iowa wrestling team travels to the state of Michigan this weekend to face No. 15 Michigan on Friday at 6 p.m. (CT) and Michigan State on Sunday at 12 p.m.
      The Hawkeyes and Wolverines wrestle at Cliff Keen Arena. The Spartans host Iowa at Jenison Field House.
 
ABOUT MICHIGAN
Iowa has won eight straight against the Wolverines and owns a 31-25-1 lead in the all-time series. Iowa won the last meeting, 22-9, in Iowa City on Feb. 13, 2015.
      The Hawkeyes are 13-13 all-time in Ann Arbor and have won the last three meetings on the road. Michigan’s last win in the series was 19-15 in 2006. The Wolverines last home win against the Hawkeyes was 20-16 in 2004.
      Iowa head coach Tom Brands is 8-0 all-time against the Wolverines.
 
ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE
Iowa leads the all-time series against Michigan State, 37-15-2. The Hawkeyes have won seven in a row, including a 37-0 victory in Iowa City on Dec. 6, 2014. The Hawkeyes have shutout the Spartans in each of the last two meetings (41-0 in 2013-14 and 37-0 in 2014-15).
      Iowa is 14-10-1 all-time in East Lansing. Michigan State’s last win in the series was at home on Feb. 5, 2006 (19-17).
      Iowa head coach Tom Brands is 7-0 all-time against the Spartans.
 
STREAKING THROUGH THE B1G
Iowa has won 18 straight conference road duals. The Hawkeyes’ last road loss was Jan. 22, 2012 at Penn State (22-12).
      Iowa has won 22 consecutive Big Ten duals, the longest streak since winning 39 straight conference duals from 2007-12. Iowa has not lost a Big Ten dual since falling at home to Minnesota, 19-15, on Jan. 25, 2014.
      The 22-dual conference winning streak ranks as the third longest in program history. The Hawkeyes won 39 in a row from 2007-12, and 98 consecutive duals from 1974-89.
 
SORENSEN MAKES Midlands HISTORY
Junior Brandon Sorensen became the 24th wrestler in the 54-year history of the Midlands Championships to join the prestigious 20-in-4 club, which requires a wrestler to record at least 20 wins in their first four years of competition.
    Sorensen went 5-0 at the Midlands Championships to win the 149-pound title for the second straight year. He is 22-2 all-time in the event.
    Sorensen, ranked No. 2 in the country at 149, is 15-0 this year with a team- and career-high seven major decisions.
 
3 honors for gilman’s 3rd title
Senior Thomas Gilman, the nation’s top-ranked 125-pounder, went 6-0 at the Midlands Championships to win the title for the third time. He is the 11th Hawkeye in program history to win at least three Midlands championships.
    Gilman recorded one pin, one major decision, and three technical falls en route to the title and was named Champion of Champions by his fellow first-place winners, the Dan Gable Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament, and Big Ten Conference Co-Wrestler of the Week.
    Gilman is 14-0 this season with a team-high six falls and six technical falls. The six technical falls match a career-best.
    Gilman has won his last 19 Big Ten dual matches and is 23-2 all-time in Big Ten duals.
 
STOLL, CLARK RETURN TO LINEUP
Senior Cory Clark is listed among Iowa’s probables for the first time in six weeks. Clark, last wrestled Nov. 27 at Purdue. He is 7-0 this year with four pins and a major decision, and is ranked No. 1 at 133 pounds. Phillip Laux was 2-4 wrestling at 133 pounds in Clark’s absence.
    Sam Stoll is back in the probable lineup after making his season debut at Midlands on Dec. 29-30. Stoll was 5-1 in his return, defeating two ranked opponents and placing third at 285 pounds.
    The return of Clark and Stoll give the Hawkeyes six wrestlers ranked in the top six in at least one national poll (No. 1 Gilman, 125; No. 1 Clark, 133; No. 2 Sorensen, 149; No. 2 Kemerer, 157; No. 5 Brooks, 184; No. 6 Stoll, 285)
 
CARTON ENTERS RANKINGS
Senior Topher Carton entered the rankings this week for the first time in his career. The 141-pounder from Rock Island, Illinois, is ranked 15th by Amateur Wrestling News and 19th by WIN Magazine. Carton is 15-2 this season with four major decisions, four pins, and one technical fall. The major decisions and pins are career bests. He has also scored 22 points while going undefeated in five duals.
    Carton is 0-2 this year and 0-5 in his career against ranked opponents. He has two opportunities this weekend to earn his first win against ranked opponents. Michigan’s Sal Profaci is ranked 20th, and Michigan State’s Javier Gasca is ranked 15th.
 
KEMERER CRACKS TOP 2
Redshirt freshman Michael Kemerer climbed from No. 4 to No. 2 in the latest Intermat rankings following his 157-pound title at the Midlands Championships on Dec. 30. Kemerer was 6-0 at the tournament with four major decisions and a 6-5 overtime win over No. 5 Tyler Berger in the finals.
    Kemerer is 16-0 with 10 wins by bonus points and two wins over ranked opponents. He is the first Hawkeye redshirt freshman to win his first 16 matches since Cory Clark started 16-0 in 2013-14 (Clark lost to Jarrod Garnett at the 2013 Midlands in a match not recognized by the NCAA because Garnett was a college graduate competing for Bison Wrestling Club). The last Hawkeye redshirt freshman to win 17 straight to start the season was Matt McDonough, who won 32 in a row.
 
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION… WELCOME ALL CHALLENGERS
The third-ranked Hawkeyes ring in the new year with a January schedule that includes top-ranked Oklahoma State, No. 2 Penn State, and No. 4 Ohio State. Iowa will wrestle all three opponents in that order, beginning Jan. 15 at Oklahoma State. The Nittany Lions visit Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 20, and one week later the Buckeyes are in town for a Friday night dual on Jan. 27.
      Single dual tickets are $15/$10 (adult/youth) for duals against Iowa State (Dec. 10), Penn State (Jan. 20), and Ohio State (Jan. 27). 
 
UNDEFEATED IN THE B1G
Five Hawkeyes have undefeated career records in Big Ten duals. Junior Brandon Sorensen (18-0), senior Alex Meyer (14-0), sophomore Sam Stoll (9-0), and redshirt freshmen Joey Gunther (1-0) and Cash Wilcke (1-0).