Iowa, Real Woods ‘right the ship’ with dominating wrestling win over Wisconsin

IOWA CITY — Tom Brands was happy to see his Iowa wrestling team’s two-dual skid come to an end Sunday.

“We have to focus on what’s ahead,” the Hawkeye coach said after his fourth-ranked team dominated Wisconsin, 34-7, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena before an announced crowd of 14,827. “Postseason looms.”

But that postseason remains somewhat of a mystery.

Iowa’s lineup, it appears, is far from set. Brands used freshman Joey Cruz at 125 pounds, Brody Teske returned at 133 and Gabe Arnold wrestled just his eighth match at 184.

Who will be in the lineup at College Park, Md., when the Hawkeyes head to the Big Ten Championship in less than a month? Is this team ready for the most important part of the season?

“You’ll know if we’re ready when I know if we’re ready,” Brands said. “Here’s the thing. We’ve got a dual meet left (Feb. 25 at No. 2 Oklahoma Sate). We’ve got a lot of wrestling to go and that starts right now.

“We’re going to Stillwater, Oklahoma. That’s an undefeated team. I think they’ve re-identified themselves in the way that they wanted to.”

The march to March may remain unclear, but on Sunday these Hawkeyes (11-2, 6-2) were dominate again after back-to-back lopsided losses to Michigan and Penn State.

Iowa won eight of the 10 bouts, getting a rare pin from second-ranked Real Woods at 141 pounds and 19-4 technical falls from Teske and Patrick Kennedy at 174. Jared Franek at 157, Zach Glazier at 197 and heavyweight Bradley Hill scored major decisions.

The Hawkeyes totaled 30 takedowns and 120 match points.

“Winning just brings good spirits,” Woods said. “This team is full of men who know how to fight through adversity. Adversity catapults people like us. It doesn’t bring us down.”

Woods, one of 14 seniors honored in the final home dual, also snapped a personal two-match skid.

“He righted the wrong,” Brands said.

Wood said it was nothing special that made the difference, “just small, specific things in my routine.

“Minor things I’d say. Nothing, like, drastic. There’s definitely no magic wand.”

Woods built a 14-0 lead on Felix Lettini on the strength of two takedowns and a pair of 4-point nearfalls before finishing off the Badger freshman in 4 minutes, 38 seconds.

“It might have meant more than people realize,” he said of the pin. “I don’t consider myself a pinner ... I kind of made it a point to get that pin.

“I really wanted to put a stamp on it.”

Woods said he learned a lot after losses to Michigan’s Sergio Lemley and Penn State’s Beau Bartlett.

“Every win is elevating,” he said. “Even losses are elevating. I think those losses were more elevating than this win.

“I’m just ready to move forward. I’m ready for the postseason.”

Teske scored five takedowns in his 19-4 win over Nicolar Rivera, ending the bout with 49 seconds left in the second period.

He was glad to be back on the Carver mat.

“I plan on being the guy in March,” he said. “I plan on climbing that podium.”

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It took Kennedy a little longer to get his 19-4 tech fall, stopping the bout with Cale Anderson with 37 seconds left in the third period. He scored six takedowns in the dominating win.

Caleb Rathjen at 149 and Arnold at 184 also won for the Hawkeyes. A freshman from Iowa City High, Arnold improved to 8-0 with an 8-6 win over graduate senior Shane Liegel.

Eric Barnett at 125 and Dean Hamiti at 165 won for the Badgers (9-6, 3-4), who had won three in a row before falling at Minnesota on Friday. Hamiti topped Michael Caliendo, 14-11, in the marquee matchup.

IOWA 34, WISCONSIN 7

(Individual takedowns in parentheses)

125 pounds — Eric Barnett (W) dec. Joey Cruz, 8-0 (2,0); 133 — Brody Teske (I) tech. fall over Nicolar Rivera, 4:11, 19-4 (5,0); 141 — Real Woods (I) pinned Felix Lettini, 4:38 (2,0); 149 — Caleb Rathjen (I) dec. Joseph Zargo, 8-1 (2,0); 157 — Jared Franek (I) dec. Luke Mechler, 17-5 (4,0); 165 — Dean Hamiti (W) dec. Michael Caliendo, 14-11 (3,2); 174 — Patrick Kennedy (I) tech. fall over Cale Anderson, 6:23, 19-4 (6,0); 184 — Gabe Arnold (I) dec. Shane Liegel, 8-6 (2,1); 197 — Zach Glazier (I) dec. Josh Otto, 13-4 (3,0); Bradley Hill (I) dec. Gannon Rosenfeld, 11-3 (3,0)

TOTALS: Takedowns — Iowa 30, Wisconsi 6; Reversals — Iowa 0, Wisconsin 1; Escapes — Iowa 11, Wisconsin 27; Nearfall points — Iowa 12, Wisconsin 0; Riding time points — Iowa 5, Wisconsin 2; Penalty points awarded — Iowa 2, Wisconsin 0. Total match points — Iowa 120, Wisconsin 49

A — 14,827

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