University of Iowa men’s wrestling, Massoma Endene part ways

IOWA CITY – As University of Iowa men’s wrestling prepares for the biggest opponent of the season, it will be without the services of 197-pounder Massoma Endene.

Hawkeyes Coach Tom Brands announced Tuesday that the Endene is no longer on the team roster. The news comes before fourth-ranked Iowa hosts No. 1 Penn State Friday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, beginning at 6 p.m.

“My statement to that is sometimes these things work and sometimes they don’t work, and this one just didn’t work out,” Brands said during the team’s weekly media availability. “We wish him the best and that’s the extent of it.

“We have a big event coming to town Friday and we’re excited.”

Endene was a three-time NCAA Division III champion for Wartburg, transferring to Wisconsin briefly after his second title only to return to the Knights for last season.

Endene was a graduate transfer for the first semester, making an early impact and climbing as high as No. 4 in the national rankings. He posted a 6-1 record, defeating Pitt’s No. 4 Mac Stout, Oklahoma State’s No. 10 Cody Merrill and Missouri’s No. 15 Evan Bates, but hasn’t been in the lineup since falling to Iowa State’s Rocky Elam in the final match of the Cy-Hawk Series dual.

Brands did not elaborate on what led to Endene’s departure. Freshman Harvey Ludington, who is 8-1 officially and 3-2 unattached, and redshirt freshman Brody Sampson, a former Ballard prep, are listed in the probable lineup. Ludington still has a few dates to compete until a redshirt decision has to be made.

“We want to be really smart with Ludington,” Brands said. “He’s our best option based on results at the Soldier Salute. We are going to be smart. We are going to take it week to week.”

The Hawkeyes (8-2, 1-0) remained in their spot in the recent National Wrestling Coaches Association dual rankings. Iowa State (6-1) was third behind No. 2 Ohio State and Penn State, which owns an NCAA record 78 consecutive dual win streak.

Penn State is 7-0 and shut out No. 17 Rutgers in the Big Ten Conference dual opener Saturday.

“We know it’s the No. 1 team in America,” Brands said. “We know they are high-powered. Do you build the opponent up, saying those things? Those are pretty good ways to describe someone. Are you in admiration of them? Yeah, you’re going to have to go. You’re going to have to go to stay on the mat with them. You’re going to have to score and score again and again.

“This isn’t coming down to whether this is going to be normal because there is nothing normal about this. The thing is we don’t have normal guys in our room. There is a choice here.”

University of Northern Iowa improved to 8-4, completing its title defense in the NCAA D-I bracket of the NWCA Multi-Divisional Duals on Saturday at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

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