CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee – Six Hawkeyes advanced to the quarterfinal round and four moved on to the semifinals at the Southern Scuffle at McKenzie Arena on Saturday. Drake Ayala, Aaron Costello, Cullan Schriever and Brennan Swafford all advanced to the semifinals slated for noon (CT) on Sunday.
Ayala, a freshman from Fort Dodge, Iowa, picked up a tech fall in the first round before topping Oklahoma State’s Reece Witcraft via 17-6 major decision in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, Ayala handled Missouri’s Noah Surtin, winning a 9-3 decision over the tournament’s No. 3 seed while accumulating 2:41 of riding time. The unseeded Ayala will square off with No. 2 seed Patrick McKee of Minnesota in the semifinals.
Senior Aaron Costello put on a dominating performance in the round of 64 defeating Josiah Hill of Arkansas-Little Rock by major decision, 14-5. In the round of 32 he made quick work of Stanford’s Seamus O’Malley pinning him in 2:20. Costello defeated Michael Wolfgram of West Virginia by decision, 5-3, to advance to the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, with the score tied 1-1 with six seconds remaining in the third period, Costello scored a takedown to win by decision and advance. Costello matches up against Cornell’s No. 2 seed Lewis Fernandes in the semifinals.
Redshirt freshman Cullan Schriever picked up three decisions and a major decision, going 4-0 on his way to the semifinals. Schriever defeated Buffalo’s Derek Spann, 3-2, in his quarterfinal match. Schriever escaped to begin the second period to tie the match at 1-1, before scoring a takedown at the start of the third period that proved to be the difference in the match. Schriever will wrestle Michigan State’s Rayvon Foley – the bracket’s No. 1 seed – in the semifinals.
Senior and two-time NAIA National Champion Brennan Swafford earned a major decision in round one and won by decision in both the round of 16 and the quarterfinals to advance to Sunday’s semifinals. Swafford won a dominant 9-0 major decision in the round of 32 over Chattanooga’s Thomas Sell, and defeated North Dakota State’s Riley Habisch, 9-6, in the quarterfinals. Swafford wrestles South Dakota State’s Cade DeVos, a Southeast Polk High School alum and the bracket’s No. 2 seed, in the semifinals.
Freshman Wyatt Henson and redshirt freshman Patrick Kennedy each advanced to the quarterfinal round. Henson was pinned by Missouri’s Allan Hart and Kennedy lost a 6-4 decision to West Virginia’s Peyton Hall in sudden victory. In the consolations Kennedy will face Caleb Fish of Michigan State, and Henson will face Heath Gonyer of Appalachian State.
Action resumes at 10 a.m (CT). Live results and a video stream are available at FLO.
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA RESULTS // SOUTHERN SCUFFLE
125 // Drake Ayala (Unattached)
R32 – Drake Ayala (Iowa) won by tech fall over Alex Cottey (Chattanooga), 23-7 3:57
R16 – Drake Ayala (Iowa) won by major decision over Reece Witcraft (Oklahoma St), 17-6
Quarterfinals – Drake Ayala (Iowa) won by decision over Noah Surtin (Missouri), 9-3
133 // Charles Matthews
R32 – Codi Russell (Appalachian State) won by tech fall over Charles Matthews (Iowa), 15-0 5:46
C32 – Brandon Wittenberg (Virginia Tech) won by tech fall over Charles Matthews (Iowa), 15-0 4:07
133 // Cullan Schriever (Unattached)
R64 – Cullan Schriever (Iowa) won by decision over Ethan Fernandez (Spartan Combat RTC), 10-3
R32 – Cullan Schriever (Iowa) won by major decision over Dyson Kunz (Northern Colorado), 12-3
R16 – Cullan Schriever (Iowa) won by decision over Richie Koehler (Rider), 7-4
Quarterfinals – Cullan Schriever (Iowa) won by decision over Derek Spann (Buffalo), 3-2
141 // Drew Bennett
R32 – Drew Bennett (Iowa) won by decision over Jared Donahue (Drexel), 10-3
R16 – Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) won by major decision over Drew Bennett (Iowa), 10-2
Cons. of 16 #2 – Caleb Rea (West Virginia) won by decision over Drew Bennett (Iowa), 2:15
141 // Wyatt Henson (Unattached)
R32 – Wyatt Henson (Iowa) won by decision over Jack Marlow (Buffalo), 14-4
R16 – Wyatt Henson (Iowa) won by major decision over Angelo Martinoni (CSU-Bakersfield), 10-2
Quarterfinals – Allan Hart (Missouri) pinned Wyatt Henson (Iowa), 6:35
141 // Leif Schroeder
R32 – Quinn Kinner (Rider) pinned Leif Schroeder (Iowa), 2:28
Cons. of 16 #2 – Andrew Bloemhof (Oklahoma St) won by medical forfeit over Leif Schroeder (Iowa)
149 // Caleb Rathjen (Unattached)
R32 – Caleb Rathjen (Iowa) won by major decision over Matthew Williams (Chattanooga), 12-2
R16 – Cody Chittum (Unattached) won by decision over Caleb Rathjen (Iowa), 5-2
Cons. of 16 #2 – Josh Brown (CSU-Bakersfield) won by medical forfeit over Caleb Rathjen (Iowa)
149 // Bretli Reyna (Unattached)
R32 – Bretli Reyna (Iowa) won by major decision over Luke Hart (VMI), 12-4
R16 – John Arceri (Buffalo) won by decision over Bretli Reyna (Iowa), 2-0
Cons. of 16 #2 – Bretli Reyna (Iowa) won by medical forfeit over Alek Martin (South Dakota St)
Cons. of 8 #1 – Gaven Sax (North Dakota St) won by decision over Bretli Reyna (Iowa), 3-2 TB2
157 // Sebastian Robles (Unattached)
R32 – Weston Wichman (Chattanooga) won by major decision over Sebastian Robles (Iowa), 8-0
C32 – Hunter Shaut (Buffalo) won by decision over Sebastian Robles (Iowa), 6-4 SV
165 // Joe Kelly
R64 – Nick Knutson (Northern Colorado) won by decision over Joe Kelly (Iowa), 3-1
C32 – Drew Nicholson (Chattanooga) won by major decision over Joe Kelly (Iowa), 10-1
165 // Patrick Kennedy (Unattached)
R32 – Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) won by tech fall over Tyler Kocak (George Mason), 25-10 6:03
R16 – Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) won by medical forfeit over Andrew Sparks (Minnesota)
Quarterfinals – Peyton Hall (West Virginia) won by decision over Patrick Kennedy (Iowa), 6-4 SV
165 // Jack McClimon (Unattached)
R32 – Devin Hendrick (Bellarmine) won by tech fall over Jack McClimon (Iowa), 17-1 6:25
Cons. of 16 #1 – Jack McClimon (Iowa) pinned Mke Wilson (Rider), 4:37
Cons. of 16 #2 – Jack McClimon (Iowa) won by medical forfeit over Andrew Sparks (Minnesota)
Cons. of 8 #1 – Jake Null (North Carolina St) pinned Jack McClimon (Iowa), 1:57
174 // Brennan Swafford
R32 – Brennan Swafford (Iowa) won by major decision over Thomas Sell (Chattanooga), 8-0
R16 – Brennan Swafford (Iowa) won by decision over Triston Wills (UA- Little Rock), 9-7
Quarterfinals – Brennan Swafford (Iowa) won by decision over Riley Habisch (North Dakota St), 9-6
285 // Aaron Costello
R64 – Aaron Costello (Iowa) won by major decision over Josiah Hill (Arkansas-Little Rock), 14-5
R32 – Aaron Costello (Iowa) pinned Seamus O’malley (Stanford), 2:20
R16 – Aaron Costello (Iowa) won by decision over Michael Wolfgram (West Virginia), 5-3
Quarterfinals – Aaron Costello (Iowa) won by decision over Hunter Catka (Virginia Tech), 3-1