Wrestling Weekend That Was: Iowa suffers consecutive losses, Iowa State drops UNI

Iowa suffered consecutive losses for the first time since 2018, Iowa State beat UNI, Coe won the Bremner Cup dual against Cornell, Wartburg won the American Rivers Conference again and Tanner Sloan posted a notable win during the Wrestling Weekend That Was.

Iowa suffers second straight loss

Iowa experienced its second straight lopsided loss, falling to top-ranked Penn State, 29-6, Friday at a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Drake Ayala (125) and Caleb Rathjen (149) provided the only bright spots. Zach Glazier kept his match close with three-time NCAA champion and top-ranked Aaron Brooks, but moral victories aren’t well received in the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex. Other than that, it was all Nittany Lions, who have humbled every team they’ve faced this season. The 8-2 split wasn’t that surprising, but the manner that most lost was, surrendering bonus points in five. It was one of Iowa’s worst losses in about 20 years and its first back-to-back losses in six years.

It's not all about Iowa’s performance, though. Cael Sanderson may have one of his best lineups during his successful tenure, which includes 10 NCAA titles since 2011. That still doesn’t make the result palatable for those that surround and support the proud Iowa program. It does allow the Hawkeyes to learn and improve to turn things around for the postseason.

Iowa will fare much better Sunday against Wisconsin before the regular-season finale at unbeaten No. 2 Oklahoma State.

Iowa State drops UNI

Iowa State and Northern Iowa has become an entertaining rivalry under Cyclones Coach Kevin Dresser and Panthers Coach Doug Schwab. The two coaches don’t shy away from banter, including Dresser’s use of emojis (Panther head and water gun) during his weekly news conference before the dual.

Iowa State won Sunday’s dual handily, despite a close 6-4 split in matches. The Cyclones displayed their penchant for bonus points. That was the difference. Iowa State received technical falls from No. 8 Evan Frost (133), Casey Swiderski (149), NCAA champion David Carr at 165 and heavyweight Yonger Bastida, M.J. Gaitan added a major decision at 174. Frost was impressive in a 19-4 win over No. 24 Julian Farber.

The Cyclones posted an upset as well. Anthony Echemendia, ranked ninth, defeated No. 6 Cael Happel, 9-6. A lot went Iowa State’s way Sunday.

The weekend was an odd situation for the Panthers. They traveled to Riverside, Calif., for their first road dual at Cal Baptist on Friday. UNI dropped the Lancers, 36-9, and quickly returned for Sunday’s dual that moved up to 1 p.m. due to the Super Bowl.

Against Iowa State, Trever Anderson (125) and Ryder Downey (157) beat higher ranked foes. Anderson edged No. 24 Kysen Terukina, 8-5, in sudden victory. No. 15 Downey beat No. 14 Cody Chittum, 12-8, continuing his strong first season as a starter. Parker Keckeisen was dominant with a technical fall and major decision. Wyatt Voelker maintained his hot streak, winning his last five matches.

Coe conquers Cornell

Coe won its seventh straight dual against rival Cornell in the Bremner Cup. The rivalry is named for Barron Bremner, the athletics director and coach who served at both schools.

The fifth-ranked Kohawks claimed seven weights in a 30-14 win.

Coe’s Will Esmoil (165) recorded a pin while Bryce Parke (133), Dresden Grimm (141) and 174-pounder L.J. Richardson won by technical fall for the Kohawks, who improved to 11-2 overall this season. The top match of the night was also won by Coe. No. 7 Mathieu Arsenault earned a 7-5 decision over No. 13 Treyten Steffen, 7-5.

The Rams (5-10) had a couple notable wins. Cornell’s 14th-ranked Cael McLaren pinned No. 11 Jared Voss at 184. Teammate Gabriel Smith, ranked 15th at 157, won by technical fall over Dylan Falck.

Both teams will compete at the NCAA Division III Lower Midwest Region Championship Feb. 29-March 1 at Alliant Energy Powerhouse in Cedar Rapids.

Wartburg wins American Rivers Conference dual crown

Second-ranked Wartburg thumped No. 17 Loras, 38-3, Friday at Dubuque. The Knights secured their 41st American Rivers Conference/Iowa Conference dual title. Wartburg improved to 15-1 overall and 8-0 in the conference. The lone loss was to top-ranked Augsburg (Minn.).

According to Wartburg Sports Information, 41 conference crowns is the most by any program in any sport.

Tanner Sloan stops Stephen Buchanan

South Dakota State 197-pounder and former Alburnett two-time state champion Tanner Sloan recorded a noteworthy win Friday at Norman, Okla. Sloan, a returning NCAA finalist ranked No. 5 currently, scored a takedown in the first period and a second-period escape for a 4-1 decision over Oklahoma’s No. 2 Stephen Buchanan in the final match of the Jackrabbits’ 20-13 win.

On Saturday, Sloan was just one of two Jackrabbits to win at Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Okla. He beat No. 15 Luke Surber, 4-0, for his 12th straight victory, moving to 17-1 this season. Sloan won his 36th straight dual match for his 103rd career victory, taking sole possession of 13th place on SDSU’s all-time wins list.

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