Ryder Block’s pin helps No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes rebound for 22-14 dual win at No. 6 Nebraska

University of Iowa needed a strong rebound performance.

The Hawkeyes responded with a victory that was definitely needed.

Fourth-ranked Iowa won six bouts, receiving a pin from 149-pounder Ryder Block and a major decision from Michael Caliendo at 165, to drop No. 6 Nebraska, 22-14, at the Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln, Neb.

“Let’s keep it going. That was an important dual meet,” Iowa Coach Tom Brands said in a news release. “We wrestled well; we need to keep building. Then there are areas and individuals that we need to get on track, where it is on track, on track, wide gap.”

Brands secured his 300th career dual win with the Hawkeyes.

“It means he is a good coach,” Block said. “He’s got guys on the team that believe in him. You can’t let the outside noise get in the room because it doesn’t matter. We’ve got 30 guys in that room that believe in Tom Brands. It means he knows what he is doing and we all trust him.”

Iowa (9-3, 2-1) won three of the first five bouts and Block provided the biggest boost. Block, ranked 10 th, was locked in a tied match in the third period with No. 12 Chance Lamer. Block executed a single-leg and tripped Lamer to the mat, catching him on his back for a fall in 5:51 and giving the Hawkeyes a 12-3 lead after four matches.

“You get an opportunity to put a guy away, put him away,” Brands said. “When you have the clamps on a guy, you don’t get a two count and let him off his back, and he packed him hard. We’ve got to build there.”

Iowa opened the dual with back-to-back wins from Joey Cruz (125) and 133-pounder Drake Ayala. Cruz, who was wrestling for starter Dean Peterson, used a first-period takedown for a 4-2 decision over Alan Koehler. Ayala, who moved to 5-5 this season, looked more like a two-time NCAA finalist. Ayala tallied three takedowns and added a point for riding time to defeat No. 8 Jacob Van Dee, 12-6.

The Hawkeyes returned from the mid-point intermission with three consecutive victories. Caliendo handled L.J. Araujo, getting four takedowns in a 14-4 triumph and making it 16-6.

Second-ranked Patrick Kennedy returned to the lineup and followed with a 2-1 decision in tiebreaker-1 over No. 2 Christopher Minto at 174. Gabe Arnold stepped in for No. 2 Angelo Ferrari at 184 and iced the dual win. Arnold scored the only takedown of the match and beat No. 7 Silas Allred, 4-1.

Nebraska (9-4, 2-1) took one-point decisions at 141 and 157, adding a technical fall at 197.

At heavyweight, A.J. Ferrari recorded a takedown in the final seconds of the first and defeated Ben Kueter, 4-1.

Iowa returns to action next Friday, hosting No. 9 Minnesota at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, starting at 7 p.m.

Iowa 22, Nebraska 14

AT LINCOLN, NEB.

(Individual takedowns in parentheses)

125 pounds – Joey Cruz (I) dec. Alan Koehler, 4-2 (1,0); 133 – Drake Ayala (I) dec. Jacob Van Dee, 12-6 (3,1); 141 – Brock Hardy (N) dec. Nasir Bailey, 1-0 (0,0); 149 – Ryder Block (I) pinned Chance Lamer, 5:51 (2,1); 157 – Antrell Taylor (N) dec. Jordan Williams, 2-1 (0,0); 165 – Michael Caliendo (I) major dec. L.J. Araujo, 14-4 (4,0); 174 – Patrick Kennedy (I) dec. Christopher Minto, 2-1 tiebreaker-1 (0,0); 184 – Gabe Arnold (I) dec. Silas Allred, 4-1 (1,0); 197 – Camden McDanel (N) tech. fall Brody Sampson, 20-5 (6,0); 285 – A.J. Ferrari (N) dec. Ben Kueter, 4-1 (1,0).

MEET STATISTICS

Takedowns – Iowa 11, Nebraska 9. Reversals – Iowa 0, Nebraska 0. Escapes – Iowa 16, Nebraska 17. Nearfall points – Iowa 0, Nebraska 0. Penalty points (awarded) – Iowa 1, Nebraska 1. Riding-time points – Iowa 1, Nebraska 1. Total match points – Iowa 51, Nebraska 46.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com