No. 7 Iowa men’s wrestling closes Big Ten Dual season with 32-6 win over Purdue

University of Iowa closed its conference dual schedule with a victory.

The Hawkeyes did it in convincing fashion.

Seventh-ranked Iowa won eight matches, including a pin from Harvey Ludington and a technical fall from Drake Ayala, and handled Purdue, 32-6, in a Big Ten Conference dual Sunday at West Lafayette, Ind.

“We can open some of those up a bit,” Iowa Coach Tom Brands said in a post-dual interview. “Relax and wrestle, free yourself up. When there is a wide gap, you are freer. There are lots of opportunities to widen that gap so I can be freer. When it is tight, don’t wrestle tight. When it’s tight, you just blow it open. It gets easier and easier; it’s not easy, but it gets easier.”

Dean Peterson set the tone with a 9-2 decision over Ashton Jackson at 125. Ayala, who closed Friday’s Michigan dual with a technical fall, posted his second straight. He tallied six takedowns for a 19-4 triumph over Blake Boarman at 133.

Kale Petersen (141), Ryder Block (149) and Victor Voinovich followed with consecutive decisions. Petersen used a takedown in sudden victory to beat Isaiah Schaefer, 7-4, while Block and Voinovich had 5-0 decisions. Voinovich won his third straight match as a starter.

The biggest ranked matchup pitted Iowa’s No. 3 Michael Caliendo and No. 4 Joey Blaze at 165. Blaze scored the lone takedown of the match in the second period and both exchanged reversals in the third. Blaze came out on top, 7-4.

“We learn and we implement,” Brands said about Caliendo’s match. “Make adjustments and implement those adjustments.”

Iowa (12-5, 5-3) responded with three straight wins. Patrick Kennedy (174) built a 15-4 lead after the first period before winning by injury default in the second. Gabe Arnold added a decision at 184.

Ludington, who beat a ranked foe Friday, wrestled his last match of the season. The 2197-pound freshman managed takedowns in each of the first two periods, turning and pinning Noah Weaver in 4:23.

“Doing a good job, learning, getting better and implementing adjustments,” Brands said of Ludington, who will maintain redshirt this season.

Iowa will close the regular season at rival and No. 3-ranked Oklahoma State on Feb. 22 in Stillwater, Okla. The Hawkeyes defeated the Cowboys, 18-16, in the semifinals of the National Duals Invitational on Nov. 16.

Iowa 32, Purdue 6

AT WEST LAFAYETTE, IND.

(Individual takedowns in parentheses)

125 pounds – Dean Peterson (I) dec. Ashton Jackson, 9-2 (2,0); 133 – Drake Ayala (I) tech. fall Blake Boarman, 19-4 (6,0); 141 – Kale Petersen (I) dec. Isaiah Schaefer, 7-4 SV (2,1); 149 – Ryder Block (I) dec. Gavin Brown, 5-0 (1,0); 157 – Victor Voinovich III (I) dec. Stoney Buell, 5-0 (1,0); 165 – Joey Blaze (P) dec. Michael Caliendo, 7-4 (1,0); 174 – Patrick Kennedy won by injury default over Aidan Costello (5,0); 184 – Gabe Arnold (I) dec. James Rowley, 4-1 (1,0); 197 – Harvey Ludington (I) pinned Noah Weaver, 4:23 (2,0); 285 – Hayden Filipovich (P) dec. Gage Marty, 4-1 SV (1,0)

MEET STATISTICS

Takedowns – Iowa 20, Purdue 3. Reversals – Iowa 2, Purdue 1. Escapes – Iowa 9, Purdue 14. Nearfall points – Iowa 0, Purdue 0. Penalty points (awarded) – Iowa 0, Purdue 1. Riding-time points – Iowa 3, Purdue 1. Total match points – Iowa 76, Purdue 27.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com