Iowa wrestling dominates Purdue for road dual victory

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Iowa suffered an ominous start.

Purdue’s Matt Ramos caught top-ranked Spencer Lee off guard, scoring the first takedown and following with a six-point throw. It didn’t take long for Lee to recover, dominate and never look back.

Lee wasted little time, storming back to tie the score before pinning Ramos in just 2:54, igniting second-ranked Iowa to eight victories and a 37-6 Big Ten Conference dual victory over the Boilermakers Sunday at Holloway Gymnasium.

“That’s what wrestling’s about,” Lee said after the dual. “Anything can happen in wrestling, the guy was game, went out, took me down and threw me. He took it to me a little bit, but the thing is you have to keep wrestling. The next score, next point. If you don’t get pinned in that throw, you have to get off your back and belly and keep scoring.

“That’s what wrestling is about. It’s a never quit sport, never quit attitude.”

Lee improved to 7-0 this season, posting his fourth pin of the season to go with a technical fall and two major decisions. Lee notched his 30th career pin with the Hawkeyes and has won 45 straight matches, dating back to March 21, 2019.

The two-time Hodge Trophy winner and three-time NCAA champion showed his resolve to withstand the early blitz.

“You just have to keep wrestling,” Lee said. “Keep moving forward.”

The Hawkeyes closed strong with five straight wins, including a pin from 184-pounder Abe Assad and a major decision by Jacob Warner at 197.

Assad needed just 4:15 to deck Ben Vanadia. Assad dictated the action with three takedowns and a tough spiral ride. He was able to execute and apply what he worked on during the week.

“I hit him with it and sucked him back,” Assad said. “I kind of readjusted there, caught his arm (and) settled in for the fall. It’s something I work a lot on in practice, so it’s nice to see it work out on the mat.”

Warner bounced back from a loss Friday with a strong 16-4 major decision over Hayden Filipovich. He amassed five takedowns, helping Iowa to a 22-7 takedown advantage.

Brody Teske returned to the lineup for the first time since the season opener against Cal Baptist. He followed Lee with a major decision at 133, tallying two takedowns and eight nearfall points in a 16-4 win over Dustin Norris. Iowa led 10-0 through two matches.

Max Murin continued his tear against opponents this season. Murin (11-1) notched his fourth technical fall and ninth bonus-point win this season, trouncing Trey Kruse, 22-7. Murin racked up 10 takedowns Sunday after five before a second-period fall against Illinois on Friday.

Freshman Aiden RIggins made his Hawkeye debut. He stepped in for Patrick Kennedy at 165. Riggins surrendered the opening takedown, but answered with two reversals and four nearfall for a 9-4 decision over Stoney Buell.

Tony Cassioppi received a forfeit to close the dual as Iowa won the final five matches. The Hawkeyes move to 9-0 overall and 2-0 in the Big Ten, extending their dual win streak to 12.

Iowa resumes competition Friday against Northwestern at Carver Hawkeye Arena, starting at 8 p.m.

AT WEST LAFAYETTE, IND.

Iowa 37, Purdue 6

(Individual takedowns in parentheses)

125 pounds – Spencer Lee (I) pinned Matt Ramos, 2:54 (1,2); 133 – Brody Teske (I) major dec. Dustin Norris, 16-4 (2,1); 141 – Parker Filius (P) dec. Cullan Schriever, 6-2 (2,0); 149 – Max Murin (I) tech. fall Trey Kruse, 22-7 (10,0); 157 – Kendall Coleman (P) dec. Caleb Rathjen, 3-2 (1,0); 165 – Aiden Riggins (I) dec. Stoney Buell, 9-4 (0,1); 174 – Nelson Brands (I) dec. Cooper Noehre, 4-0 (1,0); 184 – Abe Assad (I) pinned Ben Vanadia, 4:15 (3,0); 197 – Jacob Warner (I) major dec. Hayden Filipovich, 16-4 (5,0); Hwt. – Tony Cassioppi (I) won by forfeit.

MEET STATISTICS

Takedowns – Iowa 22, Purdue 7. Reversals – Iowa 3, Purdue 0. Escapes – Iowa 11, Purdue 17. Nearfall points – Iowa 16, Purdue 4. Penalty points (awarded) – Iowa 5, Purdue 1. Riding-time points – Iowa 4, Purdue 1. Total match points – Iowa 86, Purdue 37.