ON THE MAT
The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team hosts No. 9 Wisconsin on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The dual is televised live on BTN.
IOWA VS. WISCONSIN
Iowa leads the all-time series, 79-8-3, including a 40-4-1 all-time record in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes have won the last nine meetings and 40 of the last 41 dating back to 1975. Wisconsin’s only win during that time was a 21-14 decision inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 27, 2007. The series dates back to 1923, an 8-6 Iowa win.
FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
Saturday’s dual is televised live on BTN and available at FoxSports.com and the Fox Sports mobile app. Iowa is making eight appearances on BTN this season, including duals against Minnesota, Purdue, Penn State, and Wisconsin, road duals at Illinois, Ohio State, and Nebraska. The Big Ten Championships at Nebraska on March 5-6 are also televised on BTN.
SENIOR NIGHT
The Hawkeyes will recognize nine seniors following Saturday’s dual. The list includes one student-manager, Jenna Novak, and eight student-athletes:
Aaron COSTELLO, Dubuque, Iowa
Austin DESANTO, Exeter, Pennsylvania
Jaydin EIERMAN, Columbia, Missouri
Michael KEMERER, Murrysville, Pennsylvania
Alex MARINELLI, Miamisburg, Ohio
Vince TURK, Hampshire, Illinois
Myles WILSON, New Castle, Colorado
Kaleb YOUNG, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania
Saturday is SENIOR DAY at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Make some noise for a special group of #Hawkeyes 👏 👏 pic.twitter.com/CIzsx1yKTe
— Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling (@Hawks_Wrestling) February 1, 2022
LAST DANCE AT CARVER
Six Hawkeyes in Saturday’s probable lineup are prepping for their final appearance at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Those six wrestlers; Austin DeSanto (17-3), Jaydin Eierman (6-1), Vince Turk (5-3), Kaleb Young (20-6), Alex Marinelli (24-1) and Michael Kemerer (25-2) have a combined record of 97-16 (.858) wrestling at home. Iowa is 35-3 in home dual meets since 2016-17, the first year of the 2022 senior class. That record included a stretch of 22 straight wins at home from 2017-22.
25 AT HOME
Since 2006-07, Tom Brands’ first year as Iowa’s head coach, 10 wrestlers have won 25 or more matches at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Alex Marinelli (24-1) could join teammate Michael Kemerer (25-2) in that quarter century club with a win Saturday. The others include Brent Metcalf (25-0), Matt McDonough (36-1), Tony Ramos (34-0), Derek St. John (31-1), Nick Moore (25-7), Mike Evans (33-2), Bobby Telford (30-5), Thomas Gilman (30-3), Cory Clark (32-2) and Brandon Sorensen (35-3).
TOP 10 MATCHUPS
Senior Alex Marinelli (165 pounds) is scheduled to face a ranked opponent for the fourth straight week. Wisconsin’s Dean Hamiti is ranked sixth in the country. It is the first career meeting between the two. Marinelli is 2-1 in his last three outings, defeating #27 Dan Braunagel (Illinois), 4-1, and #11 Brady Berge (Penn State), 10-2. His only loss this season was 3-2 to #7 Carson Kharchla (Ohio State). Marinelli is 43-11 in his career against ranked opponents. Senior Max Murin is ranked 10th and scheduled to wrestle Wisconsin’s seventh-ranked Austin Gomez. Murin is 3-2 this season against ranked opponents, including a 1-1 mark against the top 10. He defeated fifth-ranked Yayha Thomas (Northwestern), 4-3, and dropped a 3-2 decision to second-ranked Sammy Sasso (Ohio State). Murin is 21-19 in his career against ranked opponents.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
The defending NCAA champion Hawkeyes opened the season ranked No. 1 in the NWCA Coaches Poll and ran their streak atop the polls to 28 straight weeks before dropping to the No. 2 spot on Jan. 11, 2022. The 28-week stretch ranked No. 1 in the country was Iowa’s longest since spending 38 weeks at the top of the rankings from Jan. 15, 2008, until Feb. 23, 2010. (The poll started weekly rankings in 1997. Bi-weekly and monthly rankings started in 1960). Since 1960, the Hawkeyes have appeared at the top spot of the national poll 220 times.
EYES ON IOWA CITY
The University of Iowa wrestling program has sold out of season tickets for the first time in program history. The 2021-22 season marks a return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena for fans that were not allowed to attend last season due to COVID restrictions. Iowa led the nation in attendance for the 14th consecutive season in 2019-20, setting an NCAA average attendance record of 12,568 fans in seven home dates. Official attendance records were not kept in 2020-21.
HAWKEYES AND CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA
Iowa is 118-13 (.901) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena since Tom Brands took over the program prior to 2006-07. The Hawkeyes are 268-26 (.912) all-time at Carver-Hawkeye Arena since moving from the UI Field House in 1983. Iowa was 2-0 at home during its COVID shortened 2020-21 season, completing its 24th undefeated season in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
BONUS POINTS OR BUST
Senior Austin DeSanto is 12-1 with a team-high eight technical falls. DeSanto has 35 career technical falls. He has scored 20 points or more in five of his 12 wins and has 26 career matches of scoring 20 points or more.
DUAL DOMINANT
The nine All-Americans in Iowa’s lineup have a combined record of 324-54 (.857) in career duals, including a 201-31 (.866) mark in Big Ten duals. Senior Michael Kemerer has 50 career dual victories, including a 34-2 mark in Big Ten duals. Kemerer is 50-2 all-time in duals. Senior Alex Marinelli is 49-2 all-time in dual meets, including a 31-2 mark in Big Ten duals. Senior Austin DeSanto is 46-5 all-time in duals, including a 20-2 mark in the Big Ten. Senior Jaydin Eierman is 53-6 all-time in dual competition, including a 14-1 record at Iowa. He is 27-1 all-time in conference duals. He was 19-0 at Missouri from 2016-19 and is 8-1 since joining the Big Ten in 2020.
