This week’s episode of the Pinning Combination podcast with Hall of Fame coach Dick Briggs looks back at wins for the Iowa men and women last week, reviews American Rivers Conference competitions, highlights the standouts from the weekend of high school tournaments and previews upcoming boys’ conference tournaments and regional duals and girls’ regional tournaments.
Coe followed up a fifth-place finish at the NWCA National Duals with a 4-0 mark at the American Rivers Conference Duals on Saturday at Luther in Decorah. The Kohawks improved to 10-1 this season. The A-R-C held its first women’s conference tournament, Iowa’s offense against Purdue and prep results in the Wrestling Weekend That Was.
Lilly Luft’s pin put an exclamation point on a statement day for the Hawkeyes as they blew out Life University, the No. 1 team in the NAIA.
The Iowa women’s wrestling team beat Missouri Valley College and Life University in duals at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2024.
Iowa and Life University — the No. 1 women’s wrestling teams in the NCAA and NAIA, respectively — will face off on Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Victor Voinovich III opened the season as the Iowa men’s wrestling 149-pound starter before being supplanted by teammate Caleb Rathjen. The transfer from Oklahoma State has continued to vie for the spot and produced a technical fall win in Iowa’s 34-6 throttling of Purdue Friday at home.
The Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the Purdue Boilermakers 34-6 in a Big Ten men’s wrestling dual at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024.
Iowa wrestling 125-pounder Drake Ayala has ascended the rankings and owns the No. 1 spot in three of four national polls. He has won four straight against ranked foes and will take on NCAA finalist Matt Ramos when Iowa hosts Purdue Friday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Reese Larramendy is “one of the best counter wrestlers in America,” Iowa associate head coach Gary Mayabb said this week. Away from the mat, Larramendy brings leadership and a love of Russian culture to the Hawkeyes.
In the hours following Thursday’s announcement of Beth Goetz’s appointment as the University of Iowa’s permanent athletics director, Iowa coaches and other key stakeholders were quick to praise the hire and Goetz’s leadership.
Weather wiped out much of the wrestling schedule in Iowa last week, but there still are plenty of topics to discuss on this week’s episode of the Pinning Combination, including Iowa’s impressive win over Nebraska and Ben Kueter’s debut.
No. 3 Iowa beat No. 10 Minnesota 22-9 in a Big Ten wrestling dual Monday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. Ben Kueter made his debut at heavyweight for the Hawkeyes.
Ben Kueter beat No. 29 Bennet Tabor, 5-3, in the final match of No. 3 Iowa’s 22-9 victory over No. 10 Minnesota in a Big Ten dual action Monday night. Fans stood waiting for the Hawkeyes’ heavyweight to be announced for his debut. They erupted when Kueter emerged from the smoke at the end of the tunnel.
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