Iowa’s Kelly dropping down and joining mix at 149

Red-shirt freshman Michael Kelly is expected to wrestle at 149 pounds at the Midlands Championships, according to University of Iowa Coach Tom Brands.

Kelly, a state champion from Cedar Falls, went 25-4 last year wrestling unattached at 157 and 165.

Brands said Kelly has looked good, dropping weight and holding up well in practice.

"He's been down and he's done a good job with his weight coming down," said Brands, noting Kelly was just .031 over from being able to officially weigh in against UNI. "Couldn't mathematically make it otherwise he would have got the nod for sure."

The 149-pound spot has been an issue since the graduation of two-time NCAA champion Brent Metcalf after the 2010 season. Last year it was the lone weight that didn't qualify for the NCAA tournament. So far, Jake Ballweg, Mark Ballweg and Josh Dziewa have filled in during meets. Dziewa scored a major decision against Clay Welter of UNI. Mark Ballweg won against Iowa State, but he will wrestle 141 along side NCAA finalist and top-ranked Montell Marion at Midlands. Freshman Brody Grothus from Davenport Assumption, who won the Lindenwood Open and finished third at the UNI Open, will wrestle unattached.

"We're going to solve that this week in the practice room," Brands said. "We'll take two or three."

As for Grothus foregoing a red-shirt year and step into the lineup, Brands said he could handle it but that decision has to be the right call for the coach, wrestler and his family.

"I've never had a true freshman wrestle for me in my years as a head coach and probably won't change this year, but I tell you what, when we recruited him, there was dialogue," Brands said. "he talked a little differently than other recruits.

"We're taking it one meet at a time and we certainly aren't at that possibility now."