5 takeaways from the opening session of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships

Iowa experienced multiple ups and downs during the opening session of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships on Saturday at Northwestern’s Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill. Overall, the Hawkeyes advanced into the semifinals. Here are some takeaways from the first session.

KENNEDY CLAIMS ANOTHER NCAA BERTH

Patrick Kennedy was a bright spot for the Hawkeyes in the opening session. Kennedy dominated his was to the 174-pound semifinal with two technical falls, outscoring both foes, 42-8, combined.

Kennedy entered the tournament as the fourth seed and had a workmanlike start. He throttled Michigan State’s No. 13 Ceasar Garza, 22-5, racking up six takedowns and ending it in 5:21.

For a first-session encore, Kennedy handled Maryland’s Branson John, 20-3. Kennedy tallied five takedowns and secured the technical fall with a four-point nearfall at the 5:28 mark. The victory set up a semifinal meeting with Penn State’s No. 1 seed Levi Haines.

Kennedy, a two-time national qualifier, secured his third NCAA berth with a top-six finish. He split time with All-American Nelson Brands, who began the season in the lineup and competed in Iowa’s final two duals. Kennedy wrestled in nine duals and is the postseason starter. He took advantage of the opportunity, starting strong and claiming one of the eight Big Ten automatic qualifying spots at 174 for the national tournament March 20-22 in Philadelphia.

CALIENDO CONTINUES TO STOCKPILE POINTS

Iowa All-American Michael Caliendo leads the team in technical falls. He added to his total and posted his 10 technical fall of the season. Caliendo didn’t even reach the third period, trouncing Rutgers’ Anthony White, 21-4, in 4:49 of the 165-pound quarterfinal. He did most of the damage from his feet, scoring six takedowns.

Caliendo increased his bonus-point win rate to 78.9 percent, adding four major decisions and a pin to his tech total. Caliendo has been one of the most consistent point scorers and has carried that approach to the postseason. It was his fourth straight bonus-point win and the eighth in his last nine victories.

Caliendo move into the semifinal secured a top-six finish and one of the Big Ten’s nine automatic NCAA berth. Caliendo is a two-time All-American, placing fourth last season with Iowa and seventh at North Dakota State in 2023.

IOWA’S TOP SEEDS ADVANCE

The Hawkeyes’ top-seeded duo of Drake Ayala (133) and 197-pounder Stephen Buchanan moved into the semifinal, taking different routes through the quarterfinals. Buchanan remained undefeated and recorded an 8-0 major decision over Ohio State’s No. 9 Seth Shumate in his Big Ten Championships debut.

Ayala overcame a slow start that included 3-0 and 7-4 deficits, taking over for a 13-9 decision. Both clinched top-six finishes and automatic berths to the NCAA tournament.

Ayala advances to nationals for the third time. He was third here and reached the NCAA finals last season. Buchanan, who has wrestled for Wyoming and Oklahoma, is now a five-time NCAA qualifier. He placed third at the national tournament each of the last two seasons.

CLOSE ONES GET AWAY

Iowa dropped two matches they were expected to win, according to seeding. One was in sudden victory and another in tiebreaker-1.

No. 4 seeds Jacori Teemer (157) and Gabe Arnold (184) fell in the quarterfinals. Teemer gave up a takedown in 4-1 sudden victory loss to Minnesota’s No. 5 Tommy Askey. Arnold was unable to ride Maryland’s Jaxon Smith long enough in the final tiebreaker period. Smith earned a point for an advantage in riding time and won, 3-2. Smith avenged a tiebreaker loss to Arnold in the regular-season dual.

OFFICIALS HONOR MIKE ALLEN

Officials at conference tournaments across the country, including the Big Ten and Big 12, wore purple ribbons in honor of late official Mike Allen, who died Feb. 28 at the age of 74.

Allen, a former Waterloo East standout in wrestling and football, wrestled for University of Northern Iowa. He officiated college wrestling for about 35 years, becoming Coordinator of Officials for the Big Ten, Big 12 and Mid-American Conference.

Allen was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Iowa High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame.

Allen, a retired school principal, worked 23 NCAA Division I tournaments and actually became the first official to work the NAIA, NJCAA and all three NCAA tournaments in the same year.

TEAM RACE AFTER THE OPENING SESSION

Iowa was fourth with five semifinalists and 54 points after the opening session. Penn State led the way with 88 points, leading second-place Nebraska by 25. Illinois was third with 58 ½ points and six semifinalists.

Ayala, Kyle Parco (149), Caliendo, Kennedy and Buchanan were semifinalists for the Hawkeyes.

Penn State pushed nine into the semifinals and produced 15 bonus points through the first two rounds.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com