Match Notes: Iowa vs. Illinois

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ON THE MAT
The seventh-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team hosts No. 15 Illinois on Friday at 7 p.m. (CT) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Admission is $12 for adults, $8 for youth, and free for UI students and all children five-years-old and younger. 

IOWA VS. ILLINOIS
Iowa and Illinois are meeting for the 78th time in series history. The Hawkeyes have won seven in a row and lead the all-time series, 50-26-1. Iowa is 22-9-1 against the Illini in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes lost 21 of the first 22 meetings in the series that began in 1920, but have since won 49-of-55 with one tie (12-12 in 1952). Illinois’ last win in the series was a 24-13 victory on Feb. 10, 2006, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 
    Iowa head coach Tom Brands is 7-0 all-time against the Illini. Illinois is coached by Jim Heffernan, a four-time All-American from 1983-87. Heffernan won the 150-pound NCAA title on Iowa’s 1986 national championship team. 

IOWA COACHING TREE
Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan is one of six Big Ten coaches to graduate from Iowa (Tom Brands, Iowa; Barry Davis, Wisconsin; Tony Ersland, Purdue; Duane Goldman, Indiana; Jim Heffernan, Illinois; Tom Ryan, Ohio State). Heffernan was part of three NCAA championship teams; 1983, 1985, 1986. 

BIG TEN OPENERS
Iowa has won 19 straight conference openers, including 11 in a row under head coach Tom Brands. Iowa’s last loss in a Big Ten opener was a 25-17 defeat to Penn State to open the 1997-98 conference season. 

ANOTHER TEST AT 165
Redshirt freshman Kaleb Young (165) was 3-0 in his Hawkeye debut at the Iowa City Duals. Young won his first two matches by technical fall and major decision, and won his third match, 3-2, over No. 20 Andrew Fogarty of North Dakota State. Young got the call at 165 against Rider’s fourth-ranked Chad Walsh and dropped a 5-4 decision, his first loss of the year. 
    If Young gets the call Friday, he will face a third straight ranked opponent. No. 2 Isaiah Martinez, a two-time NCAA champion and three-time finalist is a senior for the Illini. 
    Young has never faced Martinez. His teammate, 14th-ranked Alex Marinelli, lost to Martinez 14-5 in the third round of the 2016 Midlands Championships. Marinelli is also listed in the probable lineup. 

KEMERER TEAM-HIGH 8 IN A ROW
Sophomore Michael Kemerer, ranked third by Intermat, is scheduled to face No. 17 Kyle Langenderfer. It is the first meeting between the two. 
    Kemerer has won eight straight, and among his last six wins, he has four wins over ranked opponents, including three ranked in the top seven. 
    Kemerer is 4-0 with one major decision, one technical fall, and two pins. He had four pins all of last season. 
    Langenderfer bumped up to 157 last season. He competed at 149 from 2014-15. He lost to Brandon Sorensen by major decision in his only two meetings (11-2, 16-4). 

LAUX CRACKS NATIONAL RANKINGS
Senior Phillip Laux has cracked the national rankings for the first time in his career. Laux has a team-high six wins and is ranked No. 18 at 133 pounds by WIN Magazine. 
    He could move up the rankings with a win on Friday. Illinois’ Dylan Duncan is ranked 15th by WIN with a record of 4-2. Laux is 0-3 all-time against ranked opponents. His six-match winning streak is a career-long in varsity competition, though he did win 23 straight competing unattached as a true freshman. 

HAWKEYES AT HOME
The Hawkeyes are 242-24 all-time at Carver-Hawkeye Arena since moving from the UI Field House in 1983. The Hawkeyes have recorded 20 undefeated seasons in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the most recent in 2012-13 (9-0). 
    Carver-Hawkeye Arena has hosted two United States Olympic Team Trials, four Big Ten Championships (1983, 1994, 2005, 2016), and four NCAA Championships (1986, 1991, 1995, 2001). 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.     Carver-Hawkeye Arena hosts the 2018 UWW World Cup on April 7-8, 2018. 

2018 UWW WORLD CUP
Following the NCAA season, Carver-Hawkeye Arena opens its doors April 7-8 to host the most prestigious international dual tournament in the world. The UWW World Cup features the top eight men’s freestyle teams in the world, including the 2017 UWW World Champion, United States. 
    Team USA features Hawkeye All-American and World silver medalist Thomas Gilman, and Olympic medalists Jordan Burroughs, J’Den Cox, and Kyle Snyder.
    Ticket opportunities for the World Cup include a Gold all-session package, a Black all-session package, and standard all-session tickets. Visit worldcupiowacity.com for more information. 

HAWKEYE WRESTLING HISTORY 
Iowa’s overall dual meet record is 991-228-31 (.799) in 108 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 23 national titles and 35 Big Ten titles. Iowa’s 54 NCAA Champions have won a total of 82 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 16 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes’ 112 Big Ten champions have combined for 199 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time, and 30 two-time Big Ten champions from Iowa. 
    Iowa’s 154 All-Americans have earned All-America status 324 times, including 19 four-time, 37 three-time and 39 two-time honorees.

TICKET INFORMATION
Single dual tickets are available for purchase at hawkeyesports.com. 
    Single dual tickets are $12/$8 (adult/youth) for duals against Illinois (12/1), Michigan State (Jan. 5), and Northwestern (Feb. 4). 
    Single dual tickets are $15/$10 (adult/youth) for duals against Oklahoma State (Jan. 14), Michigan (Jan. 27), and Minnesota (Feb. 2). 
    UI students and kids five-years old and younger are admitted free to all wrestling events.