Brody Teske wins in Iowa wrestling debut, but wants more

IOWA CITY — Brody Teske was excited, pumped up and ready to take the mat at Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the first time.

But he also had a lot of questions, like “do I belong.”

“I worked my ass off,” Teske said after beating California Baptist’s Hunter Leake, 6-4, at 133 pounds Sunday afternoon. “There’s no doubt I belong.”

Don’t get the wrong impression. Teske was not happy with his performance as the second-ranked Iowa wrestling team opened the 2022-23 season with a 42-3 domination of the Lancers.

His was not one of the top performances of the afternoon in front of an announced crowd of 14,587 that looked much smaller.

But Teske’s journey to putting on that black-and-gold singlet was a “childhood dream achieved.”

The four-time Iowa state champion from Fort Dodge started his career at Penn State, then spent the last two seasons at Northern Iowa, winning a Big 12 title last March.

Now he’s a Hawkeye and “grateful” to be here. And ready for so much more.

“To come out and have a performance like that and just barely get by?” Teske said. “OK put your head back down and go to work ... work to bring your best out.

“Continue to advance and move forward. Stay the course. ... make the appropriate changes. Listen to the coaches and continue to bring the best out of myself.”

After a scoreless first period against Cal Baptist’s Hunter Leake, Teske scored the first of his two takedowns. He got another in the third, but also gave up a reversal and locked his hands. The bout was tied, 4-4, at one point.

Iowa Coach Tom Brands said, despite the close call, he liked what he saw at 133.

“(That weight) is starting to iron itself out in the wrestling room,” Brands said. “That’s not saying that we’re decided there.”

Teske understands that.

“I cannot wait to just bring my best out,” he said.

Brands said he was as pleased as he could be with the season opener.

The Hawkeyes won nine of the 10 bouts, totaled 36 takedowns to two for Cal Baptist, and scored 18 nearfall points.

Former Lisbon prep Cobe Siebrecht opened the dual with a pin at 157. Patrick Kennedy followed with a 20-5 technical fall at 165, Dustin Rhodes scored a major decision at 174 and Abe Assad used four takedowns for an 11-4 win at 184 before NCAA finalist Jacob Warner closed the first half of the dual with a 38-second pin of Elijah Sobas at 197.

At that point, Cal Baptist had not scored a takedown in the dual.

“There were some good performances with some new faces,” Brands said.

Siebrecht said he felt “good” and “strong” at his new weight class.

“I feel like I filled the weight class pretty good,” he said.

Iowa heavyweight Tony Cassioppi gave Iowa back-to-back pins after the break, decking Christopher Island in 2:13.

Drew Bennett at 141 gave Iowa another major decision and Max Murin ended the dual with a wild, 24-9, technical fall of Chaz Hallmark at 149.

Murin scored the first takedown and was up 4-0 after a two-point nearfall. But he got reversed to his back and found himself down, 6-4. He stormed back and led, 7-6, by the end of the first period.

Iowa’s only loss came at 125 where Aidan Harris — filling in for three-time NCAA champion Spencer Lee — lost, 9-4.

“There’s some really good things, but there are things we need to sharpen up,” Brands said. “It’s still November.”

Siebrecht said the Hawkeyes, as a team, just need to “keep grinding. .... We’re not worried about beating each other. We’re worried about beating everybody else.”

The Hawkeyes hit the road Thursday, wrestling at Army, before duals against Sacred Heart and Buffalo at the “Arm Bar at the Armory” on Friday.

“We’ve got to move forward either way,” Brands said. “We’ll see where we’re at.”

Iowa 42, California Baptist 3

(Individual takedowns in parentheses)

157 pounds — Cobe Siebrecht (I) pinned Joey Mora, 4:59 (2,0); 165 — Patrick Kennedy (I) tech. fall over Mateo De La Pena, 20-5, 7:00 (7,0); 174 — Drake Rhodes (I) dec. Zach Rowe, 13-4 (5,0); 184 — Abe Assad (I) dec. Peter Acciardi, 11-4 (4,0); 197 — Jacob Warner (I) pinned Elijah Sobas, :38 (2,0); Hwt. — Tony Cassioppi (I) pinned Christopher Island, 2:13 (1,0); 125 — Elijah- Griffin (CB) dec. Aidan Harris, 9-4 (2,0); 133 — Brody Teske (I) dec. Hunter Leake, 6-4 (2,0); 141 — Drew Bennett (I) dec. Edison Alanis, 16-5 (7,0); 149 — Max Murin (I) tech. fall over Chaz Hallmark, 24-9, 6:52 (6,0)

TOTALS: Takedowns — Cal Baptist 2, Iowa 36; Reversals — Cal Baptist 3, Iowa 1; Escapes — Cal Baptist 24, Iowa 9; Nearfall points — Cal Baptist 6, Iowa 18; Penalty points awarded — Cal Baptist 1, Iowa 5; Riding time points — Cal Baptist 1, Iowa 5; Total match points — Cal Baptist 42, Iowa 111

A — 14,587. Referees — Jason Wedgbury, Jeron Quincy

Comments: jr.ogden@thegazette.com