Big 10 Wrestling: Hawkeye dominance on display

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The University of Iowa's dominance was at full strength Saturday.

The top-ranked Hawkeyes rolled through the opening rounds and continued the momentum into the semifinals, putting themselves in strong position to win their third straight team title after first day of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships at the University of Michigan's Crisler Arena, Iowa, wrestling with its full lineup for the first time all season, posted a 21-4 record for the day, advancing six to today's finals.

“You put six in the finals,” Brands said. “That's what you're after.”

The Hawkeyes were going after their opponents from the start, tallying a 15-0 mark through the quarterfinals and pushing all 10 to the semifinals.

Red-shirt freshman Matt McDonough and Daniel Dennis extended Iowa's win streak to 17 straight matches with semifinal victories.

McDonough handled Minnesota's Zach Sanders, 8-0, at 125 pounds, McDonough kept pressure on Sanders and taking the attack to his opponent, McDonough scored takedowns in the first and third, getting late nearfall points for the major.

McDonough knew he was in for a battle.

“He's a fighter and he's not going to give up for seven minutes,” McDonough said. “I stuck to my game plan and worked hard and didn't give him any room to breathe the entire match.”

McDonough (32-0), the second seed, will face 2008 national champion Angel Escobedo in the finals. McDonough enjoys challenges and this is one he's had his sights set on.

“It's an important match for me,” McDonough said. “It's something I look forward to and I'm getting pumped up for it.”

Dennis followed with a win over a defending national champion, beating Michigan State's Franklin Gomez for the second time this year. Dennis won, 5-4, taking a late lead with a takedown, surrendering a reversal to tie it at 4-4, and winning on a locked-hands call during a final scramble as time wound down.

He could have done without the drama.

“It didn't have to be as wild and exciting for the fans to watch, but it was,” said Dennis, who led 4-2 in the final 15 seconds. “It's good to come out on top of it.”

Dennis pressed the action in the third when they were tied 2-2 and Gomez owning 1:05 of riding time. He forced a stall call, but kept attacking for the go-ahead score.

“I'm not ever going to rely on that and win like that,” Dennis said about trying to get a second stall warning on Gomez. “I'm not going to expect the calls, because more than likely I'm not going to get them.”

After a loss at 141, top-ranked senior Brent Metcalf (31-0) provided another win, beating Penn State's Frank Molinaro, 12-3 at 149. He broke open a close match with nine points in the final period. He'll try for his third Big Ten crown against Ohio State's Lance Palmer.

Jay Borschel (31-0) assured his best finish, reaching the 174-pound finals with a 6-0 win over Jordan Blanton of Illinois. Borschel hasn't surrendered a point in the tournament.

Dan Erekson (11-0) capped the Hawkeyes' winning ways with a 5-2 victory over Penn State's Cameron Wade at heavyweight.

The Hawkeyes four unbeaten wrestlers remained that way.

“That's what you do,” Brands said. “You get ready to wrestle and go out every time to do what those guys have done.”

Phil Keddy is heading to the conference finals at 184 for a second straight time with a 4-1 win over Penn State's No. 2 seed David Erwin, avenging an earlier loss.

Keddy scored a takedown in the opening period, adding an escape in the second. Brands described his performance as solid.

“He stayed in there good, got the takedown and rode him the first period,” Brands said. “That was the difference.”

The momentum seem to transfer from one wrestler to the next during the streak. The Hawkeyes weren't concern with keeping it going.

“It's not like that as much as it is just wanting to prove what you're capable of doing,” Dennis said. “If we have 10 individuals wanting to prove what we're able to do and wanting to show the rest of the world what we're capable of then it will fall in place as a team.”

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