Iowa men’s wrestling pounds Oregon State in season-opening dual

Stephen Buchanan made a good first impression in an Iowa Hawkeye singlet.

The three-time All-American and 197-pound transfer demonstrated his resilience and notched a notable win in his debut in the lineup.

Top-ranked Buchanan scored seven points in the third period and added a point for riding time to finish a 9-5 come-from-behind victory over No. 5 Trey Munoz in the marquee matchup of No. 2 Iowa’s 30-7 win over No. 23 Oregon State Saturday night in Corvallis, Ore.

Munoz is a four-time NCAA qualifier and two-time All-American, placing third at 184 pounds last season. Buchanan is also a four-time national qualifier and finished third at 197 the last two seasons.

Munoz controlled most of the first two periods, using a first-period takedown and second-period escape for a 4-1 lead.

Buchanan battled back with an escape and two takedowns. He closed with a tough ride to lock up more than a minute of riding time.

“I fall back on my training,” Buchanan said in Iowa’s news release. “We go through hard practices every day, I have teammates in there who are just as good as Trey, and they are hand fighting me and pushing me to my limits. It was just another day in the office.”

But he wasn’t the only wrestler to win his first bout in the black-and-gold singlet.

Like Buchanan, Kyle Parco transferred to Iowa this season. The former Fresno State and Arizona State All-American beat Victor Jacinto, 5-1, at 149 in his Iowa debut.

Redshirt freshman Ryder Block was injured in his first year with the program. He had to wait for his first match as a Hawkeye.

Block (141) also fought back from a deficit, surrendering a first-period takedown. His escapes in the first two periods kept him in the match. Block completed the comeback, scoring a takedown with about 22 seconds left and rode out Nash Singleton with a few mat returns to close a 5-4 decision.

“It was good to get a win,” Block said in the news release. “Still have a lot to do and a lot to get better at. I knew it was going to be there, I just needed to pull the trigger. As soon as I got in I felt good and as soon as I got my hands locked on his leg I knew I was going to finish.”

Iowa (1-0) claimed eight of 10 matches and produced bonus points in three matches. Drake Ayala (133), 165-pounder Michael Caliendo and Gabe Arnold at 184 each recorded technical falls.

Ayala, the 125-pound NCAA runner-up in March, tallied eight takedowns in a 26-10 win over Damion Elliott at 133.

Caliendo, a returning All-American, throttled Kekana Fouret, 18-3, thanks to five takedowns and two nearfall.

Arnold, who made his dual debut for Iowa last year, amassed six takedowns in a 20-5 trouncing of T.J. McDonnell. His win clinched Iowa’s dual victory.

Nelson Brands returned to the Hawkeye lineup, missing last season to suspension. He escaped and secured 1:01 of riding time in a 2-1 decision over Sean Harman.

Ben Kueter closed the dual with a 10-4 win over Brett Mower at heavyweight. Iowa improved to 19-0 in season-opening duals under Coach Tom Brands

“I think that we can pick up on the fact that we have really good scoring ability,” Tom Brands said. “You don’t have to wait until the end. We can penetrate better. If you are looking for a basic evaluation, it would be just penetrate. We need to get underneath the chin, get past the hands, we have to be able to get guys coming over the top of us.”

Iowa will host Stanford on Nov. 9 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, starting at 1 p.m. The Hawkeyes have sold out season tickets for the fourth straight season.

BACK POINTS FROM THE DUAL

* - Ayala decided to move up to 133 for this season. He looked strong and seems to be every ounce of a 133-pounder. He dictated the pace and was very offensive. He answered any questions about the move.

* - Buchanan overcame a slow start in his win over a quality opponent in Munoz. He got caught flat-footed a couple times, giving up one takedown. Buchanan seemed to get more comfortable and stronger as the match progressed. He took over in the final period and his counter offense was impressive, leading to his late takedowns.

* - The 174 and 184 spots seem in good hands with Brands at 174 and Arnold at 184. Arnold noted that he has become a little bigger and the lower weight was a “struggle” to reach. If he stays at 184, he seemed extremely strong, explosive and aggressive. Arnold was able to score at will. It will be interesting to see how these two weights shake out over the next couple months. Could they end up switching spots by the end of the season?

* - Block showed poise in his gutsy victory. He spent more than a year off the mat due to injury, so nerves had to be an early factor. The way he won by scoring off his own shot for a one--point lead late, refusing to let Singleton get away to tie the match in the waning seconds. Remember, the former Waverly-Shell Rock three-time undefeated state champion won two Junior National titles in Fargo, N.D.. He also went 159-1 in high school with his loss coming to Ayala. The 141 spot might just be in good hands.

* - Transfer Jacori Teemer did not make the trip with the team. The three-time All-American and 157-pound NCAA runner-up for Arizona State last season was listed in the probable lineup earlier in the week. He was made available for interviews Thursday during the program’s annual media day. Broadcasters for flowrestling, which produce livestreaming, said those associated with the team said Teemer was fine and they expect him to be in the lineup soon.

* - With Ayala moving up to 133, the Hawkeyes will need to find his replacement at 125. Joey Cruz, who transferred in from Oklahoma before last season, got the nod. He lost a 7-3 decision to No. 13 Max Renteria. Kale Petersen was also listed as a possibility at 125. Someone will need to emerge as a top competitor to prevent this from being a void in the starting lineup.

AT CORVALLIS, ORE.

Iowa 30, Oregon State 7

(Individual takedowns in parentheses)

125 pounds – Max Renteria (OSU) dec. Joey Cruz, 7-3 (1,1); 133 – Drake Ayala (I) tech. fall Damion Elliott, 26-10 (8,1); 141 – Ryder Block (I) dec. Nash Singleton, 5-4 (1,1); 149 – Kyle Parco (I) dec. Victor Jacinto, 5-1 (1,0); 157 – Ethan Stiles (OSU) major dec. Caleb Rathjen, 12-3 (2,1); 165 – Michael Caliendo (I) tech. fall Kekana Fouret, 18-3 (5,0); 174 – Nelson Brands (I) dec. Sean Harman, 2-1 (0,0); 184 – Gabe Arnold (I) tech. fall T.J. McDonnell, 20-5 (6,0); 197 – Stephen Buchanan (I) dec. Trey Munoz, 9-5 (2,1); Hwt. – Ben Kueter (I) dec. Brett Mower, 10-4 (3,0)

MEET STATISTICS

Takedowns – Iowa 28, Oregon State 6. Reversals – Iowa 0, Oregon State 1. Escapes – Iowa 11, Oregon State 26. Nearfall points – Iowa 2, Oregon State 3. Penalty points (awarded) – Iowa 1, Oregon State 1. Riding time points – Iowa 3, Oregon State 2. Total match points – Iowa 101, Oregon State 52.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com