ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Six University of Iowa wrestlers advanced to Saturday night’s semifinals at the Big Ten Championships at the Crisler Center.
The Hawkeyes went 8-0 in first round matches before going 6-4 in the quarterfinals to finish Session I with a 14-4 record. Iowa posted bonus points in eight wins, including two falls, one injury default, one technical fall and four major decisions.
Iowa’s two top-seeded wrestlers cruised to the semifinals. Spencer Lee posted a 17-0 technical fall victory over Michigan’s ninth-seeded Jack Medley at 125 and Real Woods pinned Purdue’s No. 8 Parker Filius in 2:08 at 141.
.@LeeSpencerlee36 cruises to a tech fall! 🔥 @Hawks_Wrestling x #B1GWrestle pic.twitter.com/4RKiPLqngI
— Iowa On BTN (@IowaOnBTN) March 4, 2023
No. 4 seed Max Murin went 2-0 on Saturday morning, getting an injury default victory over Michigan State’s Peyton Omania before improving to 2-0 this season against Penn State’s Shayne Van Ness with a quarterfinal victory.
Murin had a takedown in the first, used an escape in the third and added a point for riding time to notch his fifth ranked victory of the season.
Out the gate with a bang. 👊
Real Woods with the pin! @Hawks_Wrestling x #B1GWrestle pic.twitter.com/GM96mZRnS4
— Iowa On BTN (@IowaOnBTN) March 4, 2023
No. 3 seed Patrick Kennedy had a pair of bonus point wins in his postseason debut, first piling up nine takedowns and 22 points in a 22-8 victory over Maryland’s John Best in his first-round match before getting a late takedown to secure a 11-3 major over Northwestern’s Maxx Mayfield.
The wins were Kennedy’s fifth and sixth majors this season, improving his record to 18-2 overall. The Minnesota native has 12 bonus point victories.