Match Notes: Iowa at Minnesota

THE SERIES — MINNESOTA
Iowa leads the all-time series 76-28-1 and has won the last six meetings, including three straight at Minnesota. Iowa has outscored the Gophers, 74-33, on Minnesota’s home turf in the last three meetings.
Iowa is 33-10-1 all-time in Minneapolis. The Hawkeyes won the most recent meeting at Minnesota, 24-10, on Jan. 13, 2019. Minnesota’s last win in the series was a 19-15 victory in Iowa City on Jan. 25, 2014. Minnesota’s last win at home against Iowa was a 22-15 win on Jan. 23, 2013.
Iowa head coach Tom Brands is 14-4 all-time against the Gophers.

WINNING STREAK
Iowa has won 14 straight overall and 19 consecutive Big Ten duals.
The Hawkeyes’ 14-dual winning streak is the second longest active streak in the country behind North Carolina State (20).
Iowa’s Big Ten winning streak is its longest since winning 24 straight from 2014-17.

TOP HEAVY
Iowa has 10 wrestlers ranked in the top eight of the national polls, more than any other school.
The Hawkeyes have three wrestlers ranked at the top of their respective weight class. Spencer Lee (125), Jaydin Eierman (141) and Michael Kemerer (174) are all ranked No. 1. No other school has more than one wrestler ranked No. 1 or better.

TOP 10 MATCHUP — 125 POUNDS
Top-ranked Spencer Lee will face No. 9 Patrick McKee at 125 pounds. The two wrestlers shared Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors on Jan. 19.
Lee has never face McKee, but he is 6-0 all-time against Minnesota, including a win by forfeit when Minnesota visited Iowa last season.
Among Lee’s five other wins against the Gophers, three came against No. 6 Sean Russell (D, MD, Pin) and another came against No. 6 Ethan Lizak (TF).
Lee pinned Nebraska’s Liam Cronin in the 2021 season opener. McKee lost to Cronin, 8-1, in the Gophers’ 2021 opener.
Lee is 23-0 all-time in Big Ten duals and has won 24 straight.

TOP 10 MATCHUP — 157 POUNDS
No. 6 Kaleb Young wrestles No. 5 Brayton Lee at 157 pounds. It is the first meeting between the two, but they share one common opponent in 2021. Lee defeated Nebraska’s Caleb Licking, 10-5, on Jan. 9. One week later, Young defeated Licking by 17-5 major decision.
Young is 3-0 all-time against Minnesota. He defeated No. 9 Steve Bleise, 7-1, in Iowa’s 2019 dual at Minnesota. Young is 19-18 all-time against ranked opponents.

TOP 10 MATCHUP — 285 POUNDS
No. 3 Tony Cassioppi faces top-ranked Gable Steveson at 285 pounds. Steveson has won both previous meetings, a 7-5 decision at the dual in 2020, and 9-4 at the 2020 Big Ten Championships.
Cassioppi is 10-3 all-time against ranked opponents, with two losses to Steveson and a third to Michigan’s Mason Paris. Cassioppi’s next four opponents are ranked in the top 10. Paris is ranked No. 2 in the country and visits Carver-Hawkeye Arena Jan. 31. Illinois’s sixth-ranked Luke Luffman also visits Carver on Jan. 31. Ohio State’s Tate Orndorff is ranked No. 8 and will meet Cassioppi on Feb. 7.