Beatty missing regular season, eyes Big Ten meet

IOWA CITY - University of Iowa wrestler Chad Beatty will miss the rest of the regular season with a fracture in his foot suffered in the Midlands tournament at Evanston, Ill.

The Hawkeyes' 197-pounder is optimistic he'll be able to return for the Big Ten Championships in March.

“It was a pretty significant injury,” Beatty said in a telephone interview Tuesday, adding that “surgery went well” and recovery is well under way.

“I should still be able to go for March,” he said.

Beatty was wrestling Wisconsin's Trevor Brandvold in the third-place match at the Midlands Championships when he was injured. He howled in pain when Brandvold rolled over his foot. After being treated, Beatty finished the match and won by a 6-3 decision.

Beatty ended up taking his spot on the awards stand at the Midlands after an Iowa trainer and a member of Northwestern's training staff iced his right foot.

“I was just scared more than anything,” said Beatty, who could be replaced in top-ranked Iowa's lineup at this weekend's Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals by Brodie Ambrose or Luke Lofthouse.

Beatty, a senior from Wilton, posted a 19-6 record last season. He missed the Midlands and several duals because of injury.