Finals of the 47th Annual Midlands Championships

Entering the final round of the 47th Annual Midlands Championships at Northwestern's Welsh-Ryan Arena, Iowa holds a 15-point (154.5-139.5) lead on Iowa State in the team standings. Iowa State has four finalists and Iowa has three. The two teams meet up once in the championship bouts. At 125, Iowa State's Andrew Long takes on Iowa's Matt McDonough. They also wrestle head-to-head in the fifth-place match at 133, pitting Iowa's Nate Moore against ISU's Nick Fanthorpe.

Should be an exciting finish. I will be in-and-out with updates, trying to do other things so please be patient. I will attempt to be as current as possible.

Mike Allen is the Grand Marshall of the Midlands placewinners Grand March.

We're about to start. A big one right off the bat. If McDonough wins I think it will but lock up a team title for Iowa. 3rd, 4th and 5th are pretty much locked in: 3. CMU114 (2 finalists); 4. Missouri 101 (0), 5. Wisconsin 81.5 (3)

Long with two takedowns in first and 5-2 lead with 1:31 RT after first. McD with takedown to tie it 5-5, but Long with almost 2 min RT. McD t2 with 13 secs left to force OT 7-7.

McD with T2 and wins 9-7. What an excellent match.

Nate Moore and Nick Fanthorpe battled to OT after trading escapes in regulation. Fanthorpe gets escape in first tiebreaker and rides Moore out in second thirty seconds to win 2-1.

At 141, Montell Marion gets caught in a cradle after a scramble and loses by fall. Joey Slaton gets third with a 9-0 win.

Metcalf and Ruschell and Mueller vs. LeValley wrestling now at 149. Metcalf up 5-2 in third. Levalley wins, 2-0.

After 141 pound finals, 1. Iowa 158.5, 2. ISU 140.5, 3. CMU 114, 4. Missou 101, 5. Wisconsin 86.5

Derek St. John (Iowa-unattached) finishes fifth, receiving a medical forfeit in the final round. *Yes, Matt. Default for DSJ*

By the way, I believe Graff (Wis) won 133, Krom (maryland) won 141 and Fittery (American U.) won by fall at 157.

Hope I'm not breaking protocol by doing this but my OW voting is going Alex Krom, Maryland; brent Metcalf, Iowa; Steve Fittery, American, but I won't share the order.

Off to get a quick interview, hopefully.

I'm back. 165 going on now. Reader (ISU) vs. Howe (Wisconsin) for title. Howe up 1-0 with 40 secs left in second.

Morningstar down 1-0 after an escape in the second by Mizzou's Nick Marable.

Both 165-pound matches are tied 1-1 in the third. ANYONE SURPRISED????

Mstar and Marable in OT. Reader and Howe go into tiebreaker periods.

Howe rides out reader in first 30-sec period. Mstar in deep on takedown but no score as SV minute ends.

Reader rides out Howe and they go into another SV period. Mstar and Marable go into SV2. Howe with T2 in second SV to win 3-1. Mstar shoots in and hangs tough in a mad scramble to win 4-2 in 2OT.

Team scores after 165: 1. Iowa 162, 2. ISU 140.5, 3. Central Mich 114, 4. Missouri 102, 5. Wisconsin 90.5

Borschel vs. Bennet (CMU). Borschel with T2 and NF2 for 4-0 lead after first. Borschel gets E1 to go up 5-0 to start second. Borschel wins championship, 6-1, at 174.

Henderson (Missou) and Burke (ISU) go into OT tied 1-1. henderson called for locked hands in waning seconds to tie it up, but Henderson scores a takedown in the OT to win 3-1.

Starting to focus on stories for print product. Will only add in what place guys finish, if I get chance.

Keddy (Iowa) gets fourth, gambrall (Iowa) gets sixth and Ward (ISU) was 7that 184 after this afternoon.

Beatty gets thirdc. Varner wins the 197-pound title.