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| IOWA at PRINCETON |
| DATE | Sunday, Dec. 8 | 1 p.m. CT |
| LOCATION | Princeton, New Jersey | Jadwin Gymnasium |
| TV | NBC Sports Chicago | NBC Sports Philadelphia |
| LISTEN | Hawkeye All-Access |
| VIDEO STREAM | ESPN + |
| LIVE UPDATES | @IowaWRLive |
ON THE MAT
The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team competes at No. 12 Princeton on Sunday at 1 p.m. (CT) inside Jadwin Gymnasium.
ON YOUR SCREEN
Sunday’s dual is streamed at ESPN+ and televised on NBC Sports Chicago and NBC Sports Philadelphia.
IOWA VS. PRINCETON
Iowa and Princeton are meeting for the third time in school history. The Hawkeyes won the first meeting, 36-7, in Blairstown, New Jersey, in 2001, and 31-10 in Iowa City in 2018.
BACK-TO-BACK No. 1’s
Spencer Lee and Austin DeSanto are ranked No. 1, respectively, at 125 and 133 pounds. Lee is 3-0 with one major decision and two technical falls. DeSanto is 3-0 with one major decision, one technical fall, and a 6-2 decision against then-top-ranked Seth Gross.
Lee is the two-time defending NCAA champion at 125. DeSanto was an All-American in 2019, placing fifth at 133.
The last time Iowa had two wrestlers ranked No. 1 at 125 and 133 was Jan. 10, 2017. Thomas Gilman and Cory Clark occupied the top spot at those weight classes for the first half of the 2016-17 season.
RIGHT ON BRAND(S)
Redshirt freshman Nelson Brands, ranked No. 10 at 184, entered the national polls for the first time in his career Nov. 26. Brands entered the season billed as a 165-pounder but opened his college career with an 8-4 decision at 184 against Chattanooga on Nov. 17. One week later, he returned to the mat as a 184-pounder and defeated Iowa State’s No. 7 Sam Colbray, 4-3, in the first tiebreak period. It was his first career win against a ranked opponent. Brands was 18-0 wrestling as a true freshman unattached in 2018-19.
UP AND AT ‘EM
Senior Michael Kemerer opened the 2019 season Nov. 17 in a new weight class. A 2017 and 2018 All-American at 157, Kemerer returned to the mat after a 20-month absence and wrestled for the first time in his career at 174. He won by 20-0 technical fall. He is 3-0 at his newfound weight class, winning by major decision, technical fall, and pin.
HEAVY ASCENT
Redshirt freshman Tony Cassioppi climbed from No. 12 to No. 3 in the latest Intermat rankings following his 3-2 win over Wisconsin’s No. 2 Trent Hillger on Dec. 1.
Cassioppi is 3-0 this year with one pin and a pair of wins over ranked opponents. He defeated Iowa’s State’s 16th-ranked Gannon Gremmel, 6-0, on Nov. 24.
CASHMAN READY FOR DUAL DEBUT
Redshirt freshman Aaron Cashman is making his dual debut Sunday. Cashman is wrestling at 125 pounds, where he is 3-0 this season after winning the Luther Open on Nov. 16.
Cashman was 3-2 wrestling at a pair of open tournaments as a freshman in 2018-19. he won the Pat “Flash” Flanagan Open and was 0-2 at the Loras Open.
BRANDS GET B1G #100
Iowa’s 32-3 win against No. 6 Wisconsin on Dec. 1 was head coach Tom Brands’ 100th Big Ten victory. He has a 100-10 Big Ten record in 14 seasons. Brands has had eight undefeated Big Ten seasons, and won or shared the Big Ten regular season title 10 times under Brands’ watch.
IOWA RANKED NO. 1
The Hawkeyes gained the top spot in the NWCA Coaches Poll on Tuesday, Nov. 26 for the first time since Feb. 17, 2015.
Princeton is ranked No. 12 in the Dec. 3 poll. The Tigers are one of 10 ranked opponents on Iowa’s schedule. The Hawkeyes are 2-0 this year against ranked opponents, defeating No. 11 Iowa State, 29-6, and No. 6 Wisconsin, 32-3.
