Iowa Wrestling Weekend That Was: Final thoughts on the World Cup and other notable wrestling results

The World of wrestling came to Eastern Iowa last weekend. Iowa hit the road, UNI hosted its home tournament and Alburnett boys’ and Mount Vernon girls’ team had strong showings. This is the Wrestling Weekend That Was.

WORLD CUP THOUGHTS

The world came to Eastern Iowa. Coralville hosted United World Wrestling’s World Cup for men’s and women’s freestyle. Men and women from 19 countries and four continents were here to wrestle in the two-day dual-style event at Xtream Arena.

The U.S. Men’s freestyle team defeated Iran, 6-4, to celebrate its 15th World Cup title. USA Wrestling won here in 2018 when it was hosted at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The women’s national team, coached by former University of Iowa NCAA champion Terry Steiner, finished fourth.

Kyle Snyder, an Olympic and World champion, clinched the 15th gold medal for Team USA in the penultimate match of the event. The U.S. Team was missing some of its World medalists and marquee names, although one of the all-time bests, Jordan Burroughs, took the mat. Snyder didn’t give participating a second thought.

“I just love to compete,” Snyder said. “I’m ready to go. You tell me where and when I’ll be there. Especially on the home turf, I’m always going to be here. I’ll always be here to compete. It’s easy.

“Have to fly over to Krasnoyarsk (Russia) usually to get these type of matches, so take a two-hour flight to Iowa is easy.”

Attendance fluctuated over the weekend, drawing a good crowd for the later sessions. The timing is tough to attract local fans with high school tournaments in full swing on Saturdays and the Hawkeyes’ home basketball game Sunday.

“I was sad that I still heard the Iranian crowd out there,” Snyder said. “Not that I was hoping to only hear U-S-A chants, but they travel well everywhere, so it was pretty cool.”

Sunday’s matches did not disappoint, even if the U.S. women’s team came up short of a medal. The teams fielded World and Olympic champions and medalists. Fans caught a glimpse of some of the young and upcoming international stars and some of the accomplished veterans, like USA’s 18-year-old 72-kilogram Wunderkind Amit Elor, who won the senior, U23 and U20 trifecta at the World Championships earlier this year and Mongolia’s 40-year-old Olympian Burmaa Ochirbat.

Need more to put that last fact in perspective. Ochirbat competed in the 2003 Asian Championships – a year before Elor was born. A true snapshot of the future, present and past.

Fans have access to international competitors and USA’s post-collegiate wrestlers via television and live streams, but nothing matches watching the athletes in person. Seeing them live will cause you to appreciate their athleticism and ability more. If you have an opportunity to watch international competition, especially in your own back yard, take advantage of the chance. It is worth every penny.

IOWA TOPS UTC

University of Iowa improved to 7-0 this season, beating University of Tennessee-Chattanooga on Saturday. The Hawkeyes won six of 10 bouts, getting a pin from heavyweight Tony Cassioppi, technical falls from Real Woods (141) and 165-pounder Patrick Kennedy and a major decision from Jacob Warner at 197.

Former Lisbon prep and current 157-pound starter Cobe Siebrecht remained hot, moving to 6-0 after a 6-2 decision over Lincoln Heck. Siebrecht has climbed to as high as 14th in the national rankings.

Iowa sent nine to the University of Northern Iowa Open. Drake Ayala led the way, winning the 125 title with two major decisions. Caleb Rathjen was second at 157 for the Hawkeyes.

VOELKER LEADS UNI AT HOME

Freshman Wyatt Voelker paced UNI at its home Open tournament Saturday. The former West Delaware prep was the Panthers lone champion, winning the 197-pound title. He was one of 11 UNI medalists, including runners-up Trever Anderson (125), 133-pounder Julian Farber, Connor Thorpe (141) and Christian Minto at 165.

Voelker opened with a 12-2 major decision over Missouri’s Tommy Hagen and added a 5-3 decision over Minnesota’s Gabe Nagel. He received a forfeit over Iowa’s Zach Glazier in the final. Voelker has won three open titles this season. He is 11-0 with two pins, a technical fall and three major decisions.

BEDLAM FINISH

Rivalries generate excitement. The “Bedlam Series” battle between Oklahoma State and Oklahoma is one of the most notable rivalries in college wrestling. Sunday was a prime example of why many eyes are any dual when the Cowboys and Sooners wrestle.

Oklahoma State’s 29th-ranked Luke Surber pinned No. 28 Keegan Moore in 34 seconds at 197 and lifted the Cowboys (4-1) to a 21-15 victory at Norman, Okla. Interestingly, Moore started his career at Oklahoma State before transferring to UNI and moving to Oklahoma.

Dustin Plott (174) won by technical fall and Travis Wittlake (184) won in overtime to set up Surber’s heroics. The Cowboys have won 16 straight duals against the Sooners.

I.C. WEST’S PIERCE 2ND AT COUNCIL BLUFFS

Iowa City West freshman Alex Pierce earned a runner-up finish at 106 pounds Saturday at the Council Bluffs Wrestling Classic. He went 6-1, improving to 12-1 this season. Justin Avila (160) was fifth, 170-pounder Kyler Scranton was seventh and Ashton Honore placed eighth at 220 for the Trojans.

ALBURNETT WINS BOBCAT DUALS

Alburnett captured the team title at Western Dubuque’s Bobcats Duals on Saturday in Epworth. The Pirates downed Pleasant Valley, 42-32, in the finals.

Alburnett, the smallest school in the field, rolled to win the black pool. The Pirates defeated Williamsburg (37-24), Dubuque Senior (76-6), Cedar Rapids Kennedy (60-18) and Central DeWitt (64-18). Williamsburg finished third, Kennedy was sixth, while the host Bobcats were seventh.

MUSTANGS SECOND AT MARION

Mount Vernon placed second in the team race, placing behind Bettendorf in the Marion girls’ wrestling tournament. The Bulldogs won with 172. The Mustangs scored 158, edging Cedar Rapids Prairie by 1.5 points.

Kiersten Swart, Elli Shebetka, Gracie Pickney, Libby Dix, Mae Stoops and Aly Lashley each had titles for the Mustangs.

Cedar Rapids Jefferson’s Madison Larsen and Gift Gonpue, Prairie’s Mackenzie Childers, Addison Bowman, Brianna Bistricky and Luisa Meade and Marion’s Natalie Hedlund and Ashley Lantz all won individual titles.