Hawkeyes Blow Past Gophers, 35-4

by Darren Miller

MINNEAPOLIS — The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team extended its winning streak to 15 duals with a 35-4 win at No. 15 Minnesota on Friday night at the Maturi Sports Pavilion. The margin of victory was the largest in the series since a 44-2 Hawkeye win in 1992.

Wrestling insertIowa piled up 34 takedowns and won the first nine bouts, scoring bonus points in five of them, and finished the dual with a 115-45 edge in match points and a 34-7 advantage in takedowns.

The Hawkeyes scored bonus points in the first three matches and added two more major decisions after the break. Minnesota didn’t record a takedown until the eighth match of the night, and didn’t get on the board until the final match of the dual.

“Good lopsided win,” said head coach Tom Brands. “A lot of good things. A lot of hustle. But there is also things where I know we can score more points and maybe be a little more efficient.”

Top-ranked Spencer Lee opened the scoring with a takedown 31 seconds into the match at 125. He rattled off 12 nearfall points before securing the fall in one minute, 53 seconds. The pin was the 23rd of his career, the 18th in the first period.

Fifth-ranked Austin DeSanto put up 21 points for the second time in as many matches, this time using four takedowns and 12 back points to dismantle No. 20 Boo Dryden, 21-2, at 133.

Top-ranked Jaydin Eierman piled up 10 takedowns, including four in the third period, to run away 22-9 at 141. Max Murin scored a takedown in the final second of the first period and added a second takedown in the final minute of a 5-1 decision at 149.

Seventh-ranked Kaleb Young won a top-10 matchup at 157. Young used a third-period takedown to force overtime and rode-out No. 6 Brayton Lee in the first-tiebreak period to earn a 4-3 decision, giving Iowa a 21-0 team lead at the break.

Second-ranked Alex Marinelli opened the second half with an 8-4 decision at 165, and No. 1 Michael Kemerer scored four takedowns to win his 2021 season debut by 12-3 major decision.

Sixth-ranked Nelson Brands recorded five takedowns in a 10-6 win at 184, and Jacob Warner extended Iowa’s lead to 35-0, scoring five takedowns in a 13-2 major decision at 197.

Minnesota got on the board at heavyweight when top-ranked Gable Steveson won by 15-6 major decision over No. 3 Tony Cassioppi.

No. 1 Iowa returns to action hosting No. 2 Michigan and No. 10 Illinois on Sunday, Jan. 31, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes wrestle Michigan at 11 a.m. on BTN. The Illinois duals begins at 3 p.m. on BTN Plus.

“Michigan is going to be loaded for bear,” Brands said. “They are coming after the Hawks in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and we have to get better between now and then.”

NOTABLES

  • Iowa has won 15 straight overall and 20 consecutive Big Ten duals.
  • Iowa has won seven straight against the Gophers and four in a row at Minnesota, outscoring the Gophers 109-37 in its last four trips to Minneapolis.
  • Tom Brands improved to 15-4 all-time against Minnesota.
  • Spencer Lee extended his winning streak to 25 matches.
  • Spencer Lee’s pin was the 23rd of his career, 18 have come in the first period.
  • Spencer Lee is 24-0 all-time in Big Ten duals.
  • Austin DeSanto won 21-2, his 23rd career match scoring 20 or more points.
  • Austin DeSanto has outscored his two opponents this season, 42-8.
  • Eierman scored 22 match points, his highest total since scoring 24 in 2018.
  • Young’s win over No. 6 Lee was his highest ranked win over an opponent since defeating No. 5 Ryan Deakin at the 2019 NCAA Championships.
  • Bretli Reyna made his collegiate debut in the “extra matches”
  • Zach Glazier made his collegiate debut in the “extra matches”
  • Patrick Kennedy earned his first career win in the “extra matches”

#1 IOWA 35, #15 Minnesota 4
125        #1 Spencer Lee (I) pinned #9 Patrick McKee (M), 1:53; 6-0

133        #5 Austin DeSanto (I) tech. fall #20 Boo Dryden (M), 21-2; 11-0

141        #1 Jaydin Eierman (I) major dec. Marco Polanco (M), 22-9; 15-0

149        #6 Max Murin (I) dec. #17 Michael Blockhus (M), 5-1; 18-0

157        #7 Kaleb Young (I) dec. #6 Brayton Lee (M), 4-3; 21-0

165        #2 Alex Marinelli (I) dec. #16 Andrew Sparks (M), 8-4; 24-0

174        #1 Michael Kemerer major dec. (I) #16 Jake Allar (M), 12-4; 28-0

184        #6 Nelson Brands (I) dec. Isaiah Salazar (M), 10-6; 31-0

197        #3 Jacob Warner (I) major dec. #31 Garrett Joles (M), 13-2; 35-0

285        #1 Gable Steveson (M) major dec. #3 Tony Cassioppi (I), 15-6; 35-4

Records: Iowa (2-0, 2-0), Minnesota (2-2, 2-2)

Date: Jan. 22, 2021

 

Extra Matches

133        Cullan Schriever (I) major dec. Jake Gilva (M), 14-5

149        Jake Bergeland (M) dec. Carter Happel (I), 5-4

157        Cael Carlson (M) dec. Bretli Reyna (I), 5-4

174        Patrick Kennedy (I) dec. Sam Skillings (M), 10-4

197        Zach Glazier (I) dec. Dylan Anderson (M), 10-3