Rams impressive at IIAC Duals

MOUNT VERNON - Many associated with the Cornell wrestling team shared one specific opinion Saturday.

The Rams, who have battled inconsistency this season, produced their best performance of the year. A sentiment expressed by coaches, wrestlers and even other members of the athletic department.

Cornell posted a 4-0 record, including a 22-13 victory over No. 14 Luther, during the Iowa Conference Wrestling Duals on Saturday at Cornell's Small Multi-Sport Arena.

“They responded,” Cornell Coach Mike Duroe said. “They even impressed me a little bit and that's hard to do.”

Things may be coming together for the No. 10 Rams, who hit the strength of their schedule, including duals with No. 2 Wartburg Friday and Coe on Feb. 5. Duroe had the exact number of days until the IIAC tournament and the national tournament, which is 24 and 40 days, respectively.

“It was critical for our team, for sure, for individuals and the team,” Duroe said. “We needed to have a strong performance. We needed to be strong today because it does give us a little bit of momentum.”

Cornell (14-9, 5-1 IIAC) widened the scoring gap after beating the Norse, 20-18, at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals Jan. 9 at UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. Kevin Donahue helped by avenging a loss and turning it in the Rams' favor.

Donahue, a returning All-American, beat Kevin Bokoski, 8-3, and gave Cornell its first lead at 6-4, following teammate Nick Nothern's win at 133. Bokoski edged Donahue by two at the National Duals. Donahue tweaked some things with his style since their last meeting.

“I made a few minor adjustments, no just for Bokoski but for everybody, to my wrestling game plan in general,” Donahue said. “Have faith in my offense and really commit, knowing that I can score (and) that I can dictate the pace.”

Donahue controlled the match from the start, scoring three takedowns in the opening two periods. He's rediscovered confidence in his training from Duroe to dictate the pace of his bouts.

“I think at the beginning of the year I was having a little bit of doubt,” said Donahue, who improved to 27-6. “I fell like I'm definitely starting to turn the corner a little bit.”

Once Cornell turned the corner, it left Luther in its rearview mirror, winning five of the last six matches. After fifth-ranked Jason Pyle's win at 149 gave Luther its second lead, Cornell regained it with a decision for 157-pounder Nicholas Loughlin, who has won 21 straight matches. It gave Cornell a 9-7 lead that climbed to 22-7 after decisions from Colten Moore (165), Joe Hambleton (174), Andrew Roberts (184) and Robert Widmer (197).

The Rams showed their consistency with six wrestlers claiming at least three wins, including 4-0 performances from Donahue, Nothern, Loughlin, Hambleton and Roberts. They handled each opponent, claiming lopsided wins over Buena Vista (29-12), Loras (40-3) and Central (38-3).

“They came out with a purpose,” Duroe said. “A sense of urgency is what we've been preaching. As a coaching staff and something we've been trying to get these guys to do.”

Heavyweight Allyn Plattner and Jayson Swanson (125) provided bonus points for the Norse, who caught the wrath of their assistant coach Jeff O'Gara, following the dual, because of a lack of effort. Plattner notched a fall in 2:13 over Wyatt Bauman and Swanson earned a 10-2 major decision over Timothy Hood.

“Today they deserved to win,” Luther Coach Dave Mitchell said. “They were more aggressive, more physical. They wanted more than we did.”

Luther was dominant against the rest of the field. The Norse (9-6, 3-2 IIAC) opened with a 39-9 against Central, and rebounded from the Cornell defeat to drop Buena Vista, 31-13. Luther closed the day with a 37-6 win over Loras. Plattner and Pyle each went 4-0, collecting four and three pins, respectively.

“I thought they came back. This last dual was probably our most complete dual,” said Mitchell, noting he's looking for more intensity from his wrestlers. ”We fought harder in certain positions.”