ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Two University of Iowa freshmen – Jace Rhodes and Joel Jesuroga – claimed black bracket (freshman division) titles on Saturday at the Lindenwood Open at the Robert F. Hyland Arena.
Two additional Hawkeye freshmen — Kolby Franklin and Gage Marty – tallied third-place finishes. Iowa’s six competitors finished the tournament with an 18-6 record.
Rhodes won his second straight title, going 4-0 with three bonus point victories – two falls and a technical fall. The Mason City, Iowa, native, who won the Luther Open last week, pinned Shay Korhom of Bellarmine in the championship bout in 2:20.
After winning by technical fall in his first match, Jesuroga won three straight decisions to claim the 149- pound title. In the finals, the Pleasant Hill, Iowa, native defeated Paul West, 3-2. West was competing unattached.
Franklin finished third in the gold (open) bracket at 197 pounds. After dropping a 5-2 decision in his first match, the DuBois, Pennsylvania, native won four straight matches – two by major decision – before getting revenge on Bates with a 5-2 victory to place third.
Marty had three falls on the day to tally a third-place finish in the black bracket. The Solon, Iowa, native had back-to-back first-period pins to open the tournament before falling in the semifinals, 5-3. Marty notched his quickest fall – in 1:10 – in his first consolation match before downing UALR’s Keith Miley in the third-place bout, 7-3.
Iowa will send two wrestlers – Jacob Warner and Tony Cassioppi – to the NWCA All-Star Classic on Tuesday in Austin, Texas. The Hawkeyes return to action Saturday, facing No. 20 Penn inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, beginning at 2 p.m. (CT).
IOWA RESULTS
149 Gold Bracket
Caleb Tyus (SIUE) major dec. Bretli Reyna (UI), 10-2
Brik Filippo (C. Oklahoma) def. Bretli Reyna (UI), MFF
197 Gold Bracket
Evan Bates (NU) dec. Kolby Franklin (UI), 5-2
Kolby Franklin (UI) major dec. Ryan Golnick (Lindenwood), 11-2
Kolby Franklin (UI) major dec. Ryan Yarnell (SIUE), 18-7
Kolby Franklin (UI) dec. Jesse Cassatt (Missouri), 6-3
Kolby Franklin (UI) dec. Evan Bates (NU), 5-2 –Third place
133 Black Division – Bracket B
Jace Rhodes (UI) tech. fall Cedrick Abney (Jarvis Christian College), 17-0
Jace Rhodes (UI) pinned Kade Willis (Maryville), 2:57
Jace Rhodes (UI) dec. Elon Rodriguez (Triton), 6-0
Jace Rhodes (UI) pinned Shay Korhom (Bellarmine), 2:20 – First Place
149 Black Division
Joel Jesuroga (UI) tech. fall Ben Zemon (Triton), 16-0
Joel Jesuroga (UI) dec. Alec Peralta (SIUE), 3-1
Joel Jesuroga (UI) dec. Easton Hilton (Missouri), 3-1 (SV1)
Joel Jesuroga (UI) dec. Paul West (Unattached), 3-2 – First Place
285 Black Division – Bracket A
Easton Fleshman (UI) pinned Helliot Santana-Guevara (Joilet JC), 3:16
Easton Fleshman (UI) dec. Ronald Krewer (Triton), 3-0
Apollo Gothard (UALR) dec. Easton Fleshman (UI), 3-2 (SV1)
Ka’Ron Lewis (Ozarks) dec. Easton Fleshman, 2-1 (SV1)
285 Black Division – Bracket B
Gage Marty (UI) pinned Victor Vargas (Morton College), 1:57
Gage Marty (UI) pinned Allyn Johnson (Triton), 1:42
Emmett Bivens (Carl Albert St.) dec. Gage Marty (UI), 5-3
Gage Marty (UI) pinned William Muckler (Bellarmine), 1:10
Gage Marty (UI) dec. Keith Miley (UALR), 7-3 – Third place
