Wrestling Notebook: Indiana, Nebraska

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ON THE MAT
The University of Iowa wrestling team competes Friday at Indiana. The Hawkeyes and Hoosiers meet at 6 p.m. (CT) inside University Gymnasium. Iowa returns to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to host No. 6 Nebraska on Sunday at 2 p.m. Sunday is Senior Day. The Hawkeyes will recognize Sammy Brooks, Topher Carton, Cory Clark, Thomas Gilman, and Alex Meyer following the dual.
 
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets to the Nebraska dual are available for purchase on hawkeyesports.com/tickets. Tickets are $12 for adults, $8 for youth 18-years-old and younger, and free for UI students and children five-years-old and younger.
 
THE SERIES — INDIANA
Iowa leads the all-time series against Indiana 37-4-3. The Hawkeyes have won the last 22 straight, including a 45-0 victory in 2016, Iowa’s largest margin of victory in the series.
      The Hawkeyes are 16-1-2 all-time in Bloomington. Iowa has won its last eight trips to Indiana. The Hoosiers last, and only, home win in the series was a 19-13 victory in 1968. That dual was also Indiana’s last win in the series.
      Indiana head coach Duane Goldman is one of six Big Ten coaches to graduate from Iowa. Goldman was a four-time All-American from 1983-86 and won an NCAA title in 1986.
 
THE SERIES — NEBRASKA
Iowa leads the all-time series 30-10-1 and has won the last eight meetings overall. The Hawkeyes are 13-3 all-time against the Huskers in Iowa City and won the most recent meeting in Iowa City, 31-7, in 2013. Nebraska’s last win in the series was a 24-13 victory at the National Duals on Nov. 19, 2005.
 
ROAD TRIPPING THROUGH THE B1G
Iowa has won 21 straight conference road duals. The Hawkeyes’ last road loss was Jan. 22, 2012 at Penn State (22-12).
      The Hawkeyes are 4-0 on the road in the Big Ten this year, with wins at Purdue (34-3), Michigan (31-6), Michigan State (44-0), and Minnesota (27-11).
 
UNDEFEATED HAWKEYE
Senior Thomas Gilman enters Friday’s dual as the last unbeaten Hawkeye. Gilman has opened his senior season with 21 straight wins. In the history of Iowa wrestling, 15 wrestlers have finished the season with a perfect record (minimum 20 matches). Four of those wrestlers were able to perform the feat twice. They include Mark Ironside, Lincoln McIlravy, T.J. Williams and Jim Zalesky. Iowa coaches Tom Brands and Terry Brands are among the 15 wrestlers. Tom went 45-0 in 1990-91 and Terry went 35-0 in 1991-92.
 
chasing milestones
Four Hawkeyes are within striking distance of career win No. 100. Senior Thomas Gilman leads all active Hawkeyes with 96 career wins, three more than senior Sammy Brooks. Senior Cory Clark has 89 career wins, and junior Brandon Sorensen has 89 career wins. Forty wrestlers in the program history have accumulated 100 career wins, including coaches Tom Brands (158), Terry Brands (137), and Ryan Morningstar (110).
 
B1G WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Senior Thomas Gilman was named Big Ten Conference Wrestler of the Week on Feb. 7.
      Gilman, the nation’s top-ranked wrestler at 125 pounds, was 2-0 last week with one major decision and one pin. He won by 21-8 major decision against Wisconsin’s Jens Lantz, and erased an 8-0 deficit against Minnesota’s sixth-ranked Ethan Lizak to record a fall in 5:58.
      Gilman is 21-0 this season with a team-high eight pins. He has scored bonus points in 19 matches and averages 5.0 team points per win. The weekly conference honor is the third of his career. He was previously recognized following tournament titles at the 2015 and 2016 Midlands Championships.
 
THOMAS GILMAN, 125, SENIOR
Senior Thomas Gilman, the nation’s top-ranked 125-pounder, is 21-0 and has scored bonus points in 19 matches. He has won 21 straight, one shy of matching his career high set in 2015-16 (22-0). Gilman has set a career high with seven technical falls and leads the team with eight pins. He averages 5.0 points per win, and 4.9 points in 11 dual wins (four pins, four technical falls, and four major decisions). He has seven wins over ranked opponents.
    Gilman is 2-0 in his career against Elijah Oliver (Indiana) with two major decisions, and 5-0 in his career against Tim Lambert (Nebraska). He’s won his last three meetings with Lambert by major decision, including a 13-4 win in the finals of the 2016 Midlands Championships. Gilman is 29-3 all-time at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
 
CORY CLARK, 133, SENIOR
Senior Cory Clark is ranked as high as second in the national polls. He was the top-ranked 133-pounder until losing for the first time on Jan. 15 to Oklahoma State’s Kaid Brock.
    Clark is 11-1 overall with four pins and two technical falls. He is 1-1 this year against top-10 opponents, and 32-14 in his career against ranked opponents. He has never faced Indiana’s Garrett Pepple, and is 2-0 in his career against Nebraska’s Eric Montoya (2-0, 4-0). Clark is 32-1 all-time at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
 
TOPHER CARTON, 141, SENIOR
Senior Topher Carton is ranked as high as 18th in the national polls. He is 18-6 with a career-high five major decisions and four pins. All six of his losses have been to ranked opponents, three by one-point decision. He has never met Indiana’s Cole Weaver, and won by technical fall, 21-6, in his only meeting with Nebraska’s Colton McCrystal (2015 Midlands). Carton is 8-3 all-time at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
 
BRANDON SORENSEN, 149, JUNIOR
Junior Brandon Sorensen, ranked No. 4 nationally at 149, is 20-2 with a team- and career-high nine major decisions. He has scored bonus points in 15-of-20 wins.
    Sorensen is 3-2 this year against ranked opponents, 24-9 in his career against ranked opponents, and 11-8 all-time against top-five opponents. He is 1-0 all-time against Indiana’s Luke Blanton (4-1), and has never faced Nebraska’s Collin Purinton.
 
MICHAEL KEMERER, 157, R-FRESHMAN
Redshirt freshman Michael Kemerer, ranked No. 2 at 157, is 22-1 with 14 wins by bonus points and five wins over ranked opponents, including four in the top 10. Five of his last eight matches have been against top-10 opponents (4-1). He opened the season 19-0, becoming the first Hawkeye redshirt freshman to win his first 19 matches since Matt McDonough, won 32 in a row to start the 2009-10 season.
    Kemerer has never faced Indiana’s Jake Danishek. He is defeated Nebraska’s Tyler Berger, 6-5, after two tiebreak periods in the 2016 Midlands finals. It is their only career meeting.
 
JOEY GUNTHER, 165, R-FRESHMAN
Redshirt freshman Joey Gunther is 15-5 overall and entered the national rankings this week for the first time in his career this week. Among his five losses, three are to top five opponents. He earned his first win against a ranked opponent at Minnesota on Feb. 5, defeating No. 15 Nick Wanzek, 5-2. He is meeting Bryce Martin (Indiana) for the first time, and lost to Nebraska’s Dustin Williams, 5-2, in their only previous meeting (2016 Midlands).
 
ALEX MEYER, 174, SENIOR
Senior Alex Meyer is 17-5 with a career-best seven major decisions. Meyer defeated Devin Skatzka (Indiana), 5-2, in their only previous meeting (2016 Midlands). He is 2-0 in his career against Nebraska’s Micah Barnes (2-0, 4-1). Meyer is 22-4 all-time at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
 
SAMMY BROOKS, 184, SENIOR
Senior 184-pounder Sammy Brooks is 19-2 overall with 14 wins by bonus points. He has won nine of his last 10, including five matches against ranked opponents. He is 5-2 this year against ranked opponents, and 24-20 in his career against ranked foes. He is 1-1 against Indiana’s Nathan Jackson (L 3-1, W 10-5), and 2-2 all-time against Nebraska’s T.J. Dudley. Brooks defeated Dudley, 6-4, for the Big Ten title in 2016. Brooks is 19-6 all-time at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
 
CASH WILCKE, 197, R-FRESHMAN
Redshirt freshman Cash Wilcke is 12-7 overall with three losses to top 10 opponents, including an 8-7 tiebreak loss to No. 10 Matt McCutcheon. He has never faced his opponents from Indiana and Nebraska.
 
STEVEN HOLLOWAY, 285, R-FRESHMAN
Redshirt freshman Steven Holloway has stepped up a weight class for the injured Sam Stoll. Holloway is 6-7 overall. He earned his first Big Ten win Jan. 27, 6-1, over Ohio State’s Josh Fox. He has never faced this weekend’s opponents.
 
HAWKEYE WRESTLING HISTORY
Iowa’s overall dual meet record is 984-228-31 (.799) in 107 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 23 national titles and 35 Big Ten titles. Iowa’s 53 NCAA Champions have won a total of 81 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 16 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes’ 111 Big Ten champions have combined for 197 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time, and 29 two-time Big Ten champions from Iowa. Iowa’s 154 All-Americans have earned All-America status 319 times, including 18 four-time, 36 three-time and 40 two-time honorees.