Positions earned in competition, not wrestle-offs

IOWA CITY - University of Iowa wrestling coach Tom Brands said it was the million-dollar question.

Who will be the guy at each weight for the Hawkeyes?

Iowa held its preseason wrestle-offs at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex in Iowa City last weekend, but the season-opening competition will shine a bigger light on who are the contenders to lead the Hawkeyes this season.

Iowa, ranked first in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association/USA Today Coaches poll, opens competition with the Lindenwood Open this weekend in St. Louis, Mo.

The lineup will be determined throughout the course of the season, but this weekend is important, according to Brands.

"The important thing is they continue to widen the gap on their opponent," Brands said. "This weekend, now, is for real. Even though it was upon us last weekend, it was for real, but now it is for real against other competition than what's in the room."

The Hawkeyes will get the opportunity to make their mark against different competition, and not the same bodies they drill and work out with on a regular basis. The tournament will allow a wrestler to gain a firm grip on a spot by pulling away from contenders. On the other hand, it can put the loser of a wrestle-off right back in the mix, like at 133 pounds, 165 and heavyweight.

"You look at some weight classes where the starter maybe didn't win, but it's not about being the starter anyway," Brands said. "Now, a guy like Ty Clark, he has to solidify. A guy like Mike Evans has to solidify or a guy like Nick Moore gets another chance to get himself in contention. A lot is going to be decided."

A wrestler's daily effort is a small factor. Brands wants to see a good attitude and a wrestler buying into the Iowa wrestling lifestyle, owning championship goals with the actions to achieve them. 

"It means something, but it's about performance on the mat," Brands said. "This isn't about necessarily, if I can train hard and have a good attitude everyday. This is about being able to go out and whip some tail in St. Louis, for instance, this weekend.

"You go with the guy that gives you the best chance to win."

Brands said there have been a few instances in his five-year tenure as Hawkeyes head coach where he didn't labor over a decision, noting he has flipped a coin and drawn a name out of a hat to pick a starter for an occasional. He is confident wrestlers will work out those situations.

"If no one is really stepping up then shame on all three of them," said Brands, who has led Iowa to three Big Ten and NCAA Championships, finishing second and third, respectively, last year, and has 97-6-1 since the 2006-07 season. "It's about performance, so we don't toil over it. If anybody is toiling over it, they are."