Dual streak on the line for Hawks at Oklahoma State

The wrestling rivalry between Iowa and Oklahoma State doesn't need help to be compelling, but the next chapter comes with a boost anyway.

The 10th-ranked Hawkeyes take their 69-dual meet winning streak to Stillwater, Okla., to face No. 6 Oklahoma State today at 2 p.m. Iowa will attempt to break a tie with Oklahoma State to secure sole possession of second all-time in NCAA Division I and keep the Cowboys' record of 76 straight dual victories in its sights.

“It's not the number,” Iowa Coach Tom Brands said. “It's (being) on the way to the No. 1 record and it's on the way to having second place all by yourself. Second place isn't what you strive for in competition, but in this situation we have to get to second place before we get to first place.”

The streak started Jan. 12, 2008, against Cornell University a week after a 19-14 defeat to Oklahoma State in Iowa City. Brands said the Hawkeyes (8-0) have survived many tests during the winning stretch, overcoming fractured lineups because of injury and showing toughness by winning close duals. Oklahoma State may not be the biggest challenge, but it is the next one.

“We've persevered,” Brands said. “We used a lot of guys along the way. We had to plug in guys that were going to do a good job.”

The focus has never been on continuing the streak, however. Individual prepares to perform their best, claiming the battles to win the war. Today is no different.

“We're going to go there and have the same mission,” defending NCAA champion Matt McDonough said.

After Iowa's 49-0 victory Jan. 7 over Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, Brands said today's matchup looked like a mismatch in favor of the Cowboys. The gap might have closed, but that isn't changing the Hawkeyes' preparation.

“You can point to some of their struggles, but they're going to be ready,” Brands said. “We have to be more ready. That's the bottom line.”

The dual promises a number of close matches. Six of 10 expected bouts have wrestlers ranked within a handful of spots of each other. Four of those favor the Cowboys, but the margin of error is minimal.

“At this point the rankings don't mean much,” Brands said. “They're going to try to right the ship a little bit and we have to right the ship, too.”

Plenty of tossup matches exist based off InterMat rankings. OSU's No. 13 Josh Kindig and No. 19 Mark Ballweg are listed at 141. Derek St. John is ranked 15th, one spot ahead of the Cowboys' Neil Erisman. Dallas Bailey is 13th at 165, and Iowa's Aaron Janssen is 13th.

None is more pivotal than 184 pounds. Iowa's Grant Gambrall, ranked 16th, is expected to wrestle No. 14 Chris Perry. Gambrall has never beaten Perry, the brother of former Iowa two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American Mark Perry.

“Have to treat it like any other match,” Gambrall said.

It's only fitting that the most prestigious college wrestling programs battle one another as the Hawkeyes try to break Oklahoma State's bearhug on the winning streaks list.

“I love it,” McDonough said. “That's the way it should be.

“You want to beat that streak. You want to beat that team. You got to go there and do it.”