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IOWA CITY, Iowa — Freshman Justin Stickley opened with one fall and junior Sam Stoll closed with a second as the University of Iowa wrestling team rolled past No. 22 Rider, 35-6, on Friday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Stickley (125) erased a 6-1 deficit before building a 15-7 lead and earning his third fall of the season in 4:36. Stoll’s pin was less dramatic. He turned a first-period takedown into his third fall of the year in one minute, 27 seconds.
“Stickley was all over the guy and when you’re all over a guy it inspires your teammates,” said UI head coach Tom Brands. “But these guys are veterans and they are not going to get too caught up in that. It inspires me and it inspires the crowd. That was a pretty loud roar on that fall. That’s what our fans want to see.”
The seventh-ranked Hawkeyes scored bonus points in seven-of-eight wins, adding five major decisions to their bookended falls.
Brandon Sorensen and Michael Kemerer picked up major decisions at 149 and 157, respectively, and before Stoll closed the dual, Iowa racked up three straight majors from Joey Gunther, Mitch Bowman, and Cash Wilcke.
“We scored a lot of bonus points and we need bonus points,” said Brands. “We have guys that have a lot left in them and they’re just going to get better. There are some positives there. There was good hustle. There was a lot of riding time. Edge of the mat is big, when there is one toe in bounds you can still get back points, you can get a fall outside the circle, so that’s important.”
Iowa forced the action most of the night, owning 28 of the 33 takedowns scored and forcing 15 stall calls. The Hawkeyes also got four-point nearfalls from Stickley, Kemerer, Bowman, and Wilcke.
“Fans come to watch exciting wrestling,” Brands said. “That’s why you have to control the center of the mat and we’re doing that for the most part. If we wrestle how we can wrestle, and wrestle the moment and build leads, chain wrestle, come off the bottom and wrestle in all positions, we’re going to be just fine.”
Iowa returns to the mat Friday, Dec. 1 hosting No. 14 Illinois at 7 p.m. (CT) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are available at hawkeyesports.com/tickets.
NOTEABLES
- Bowman earned his first career win over a ranked opponent.
- Three of Kemerer’s last six opponents have been top 7 opponents, he is 3-0 with two major decisions against those three opponents.
- Justin Stickley improved to 5-2 with his first win over a D1 opponent.
- Iowa forced 15 stall calls in the match and owned a 28-5 advantage in takedowns.
- Fifteen of Sam Stoll’s 33 career wins have ended in fall.
- Friday was the first meeting in series history between the two teams.
- Records: Iowa (4-0), Rider (0-1).
- Attendance was 7,699
#7 IOWA 35, #22 Rider 6
125 — Justin Stickley (I) pinned Jonathan Tropea (R), 4:36; 6-0
133 — Phillip Laux (I) dec. Anthony Cefolo (R), 5-1; 9-0
141 — #17 Tyson Dippery (R) dec. Vince Turk (I), 8-4; 9-3
149 — #2 Brandon Sorensen (I) major dec. Gary Dinmore (R), 14-4; 13-3
157 — #3 Michael Kemerer (I) major dec. #7 B.J. Clagon (R), 18-5; 17-3
165 — #4 Chad Walsh (R) dec. #16 Kaleb Young (I), 5-4; 17-6
174 — Joey Gunther (I) major dec. Wayne Stinson (R), 12-3; 21-6
184 — Mitch Bowman (I) major dec. #20 Michael Fagg-Daves (R), 15-3; 25-6
197 — #10 Cash Wilcke (I) major dec. Ethan Laird (R), 16-3; 29-6
285 — #7 Sam Stoll (I) pinned Mauro Correnti (R), 1:27; 35-6
