Hawkeyes need more urgency for Iowa City Duals

IOWA CITY - The attitude has to reflect what is rapidly approaching the University of Iowa wrestling team.

The Hawkeyes are on the verge of an event this week and then Coach Tom Brands said the stakes get higher when they open Big Ten competition and faces state rivals the following weeks.

Top-ranked Iowa will host Cornell College, Iowa Central Community College and Baker (Kan.) University in the Iowa City Duals on Friday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The first of three duals begins at 3 p.m. with the final round of competition is slated for 7 p.m.

The Hawkeyes opened the season, crowning seven champions at the Lindenwood Open last weekend. Brands wants to see an increased urgency from his wrestlers.

"Things don't happen automatically. Your past results don't entitle you to wide-margin wins," Brands said. "What I'm doing today and tomorrow to get ready for the next event is the most important thing and there has to be urgency."

The Hawkeyes carried over some of their efforts in wrestle-offs to their season-opener. Red-shirt freshmen Mike Evans (165) and heavyweight Bobby Telford earned won titles, beating teammates they beat in wrestle-offs in the finals in St. Louis, Mo. Evans scored a 3-0 decision over Nick Moore last weekend, slightly expanding his margin of victory from the wrestle-off. Telford blanked 2011 Big Ten champion Blake Rasing, winning 1-0 in Saturday's finals.

"They have solidified their spots," Brands said. "The other guy has to be ready. They've got to be ready to step in. They have to continue to train with the mindset they are the national champion at their weight class.

"Motivation still has to be at a high level, but those two guys certainly put their stamp on their weight class."

Tony Ramos, an NCAA qualifier last year, avenged a wrestle-off loss to Tyler Clark with a 4-1 win in the 133-pound finals. In a competition where plenty of wrestlers could see time on the mat, Brands wasn't sharing his plans for the weight that saw Nick Trizzino go 2-0 in this event last year, while other contenders prepared to wrestle at another event.

"We'll see what happens in the next couple days, but right now I probably have a way I'm leaning," Brands said. "We'll see how it goes in the next couple of days."

Don't be surprised if Iowa's depth is on display with a number of Hawkeyes taking the mat during the three duals.

Montell Marion, a two-time All-American and 2010 NCAA finalist, won the 141-pound bracket, beating Trizzino in the finals. Mark Ballweg, who won six straight matches to place third, was the 141 starter at the beginning of last season. Brands said he will see how Marion does to start and then make a decision to use another wrestler.

"Grab the spot but don't think it's yours eternally, because there's a lot of competition," Brands said. "There's a lot of competition out there. Don't give your opponent hope."

The Hawkeyes open with Baker, an NAIA program that has an 11-0 mark since starting competition during the 2009-10 season. Cornell, ranked fifth in the NWCA Division III poll, returns six national qualifiers from a year ago. The Rams (1-0) are coached by former Hawkeye Wrestling Club coach Mike Duroe, and face Iowa ta 5 p.m. Iowa closes the competition with a dual against five-time National Junior College Athletic Association national champion Iowa Central, which is coached by former Hawkeye Luke Moffitt.

Cornell will wrestle Iowa Central at 3 p.m.