Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2016-17 | Hawk Talk Monthly — March 2017 | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch: Sammy Brooks | Big Ten Tournament Bracket | Session IV Photo Gallery
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — University of Iowa seniors Sammy Brooks and Thomas Gilman won individual conference titles Sunday afternoon at the 2017 Big Ten Championships at Assembly Hall.
Brooks defended his 184-pound title by registering a 12-2 major decision against defending NCAA champion Myles Martin of Ohio State. Gilman blanked Nebraska’s Tim Lambert, 4-0, to win the 125-pound title.
Cory Clark and Michael Kemerer placed runner-up at 133 and 157 pounds, respectively. Clark dropped a 5-4 decision in the final seconds against Ohio State’s Nathan Tomasello. Kemerer fell to Penn State’s Jason Nolf, 8-2.
The Hawkeyes won both matches in the consolation round. Brandon Sorensen put together consecutive bonus-point victories on the back side of the 149-pound bracket to place third, including one major decision and a pin. Alex Meyer won, 4-2, in the 174-pound fifth-place bout.
The Hawkeyes finished third in the team race with 112.5 points. Ohio State won the title with 139.5 points.
“We won two of four in the finals and saw some things that we can learn and build from at the other two,” said UI head coach Tom Brands. “We have St. Louis ahead of us and we’re excited about that. We have work to do.”
Gilman won his title and improved to 27-0 by registering a takedown in the first period and adding escapes in the second and third. He will enter the NCAA Championships as the top seed at 125.
“This a stepping stone but there’s a lot of work to do,” Gilman said. “It’ll be back to the practice room and back to training and getting ready for St. Louis. I know a Big Ten Title is a big deal but it’s also a step along the way. It’ll be back to work.”
Brooks used a footsweep to put Martin on his back in the first period, getting two points for the takedown and four points for nearfall.
“I’ll give props to my warmup partner, Jeremiah Moody,” Brooks said. “He’s the foot sweep king. I hit one and thought of him first for a split second before I had to refocus.”
Brooks added two more takedowns, one in the second and one in the third, to become Iowa’s first back-to-back conference champion since Matt McDonough won consecutive titles in 2011 and 2012.
Iowa placed seven wrestlers on the award stand and automatically qualified six of those seven for the national tournament in St. Louis on March 16-18. Topher Carton did not reach the award stand but he did place ninth to earn an automatic bid at 141. Cash Wilcke placed eighth at 197, but both he and Joey Gunther will need at-large bids to enter the national tournament field. The NCAA announces the tournament qualifiers Tuesday. The entire brackets will be released Wednesday at 5 p.m. (CT).
IOWA CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
125 – #1 Thomas Gilman (IA) dec. #3 Tim Lambert (NEB), 4-0
133 – #1 Nathan Tomasello (OSU) dec. #3 Cory Clark (IA), 5-4
157 – #1 Jason Nolf (PSU) dec. #2 Michael Kemerer (IA), 8-2
184 – #2 Sammy Brooks (IA) major dec. #4 Myles Martin (OSU), 12-2
3rd PLACE RESULTS
149 – #2 Brandon Sorensen (IA) pinned Zac Hall (MICH), 2:53
5th PLACE RESULT
174 – #5 Alex Meyer (IA) dec. #11 Ryan Christensen (WIS), 4-2
TEAM SCORES
1. Ohio State 139.5
2. Penn State 130.0
3. Iowa 112.5
4. Nebraska 102.5
5. Minnesota 93.0
6. Illinois 88.5
7. Michigan 83.0
8. Rutgers 67.5
8. Wisconsin 67.5
10. Michigan State 38.5
11. Maryland 32.0
12. Purdue 26.0
13. Indiana 24.5
14. Northwestern 18.0
