Hawkeye freshmen hitting the highs and lows

IOWA CITY -- Both are red-shirt freshman with impressive competitive natures and a wealth of potential.

But, University of Iowa's Mike Evans and Bobby Telford have been experiencing separate ends of the winning spectrum recently.

Evans has posted five straight wins, while Telford has lost his last four as the second-ranked Hawkeyes  hit the road for a key Big Ten Conference road trip against two highly-ranked opponents. Iowa (9-1. 4-0 Big Ten) wrestles No. 7 Ohio State on Friday in Columbus, Ohio, starting at 6 p.m., and then travels to State College, Pa., for a showdown with third-ranked and defending national champion Penn State on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Evans has built an 18-2 record at 165, ascending to sixth in the rankings, and his last four wins have included two major decisions, a key victory in the heated Oklahoma State dual and a 7-3 decision over Nebraska's third-ranked Robert Kokesh in Lincoln, Neb. The approach has been basic.

"Just going out and wrestling like it's any other match," Evans said. "Just wrestling really and not looking at who they are and more focusing on what I do."

He has been opportunistic on his feet and a hammer in the top position. He isn't afraid of rolling around on the mat, getting into positions others may consider dangerous. Consistency in preparing for a match and taking the mat with confidence is important for his success.

"You do that by getting ready to take on the world every match and he's done a good job," University of Iowa Coach Tom Brands said. "We're on track there, but consistency is the key."

Evans has displayed a fiery disposition, getting chippy with a Clarion opponent during the Midlands Championships and clinching his muscles with some emphatic hand slaps to coaches and teammates after his win against Kokesh. Both demonstrate why Brands called Evans a "super competitor."

"They're kind of the same thing," Evans said. "Both can show I want to win and I want to do what it takes to win."

Controlling that emotion is as important as being fueled by it. It has to be channeled appropriately to overcome tough moments in competition.

"One of the things as a competitor is emotional stability," said Brands, noting that mental and physical toughness is combined with spiritual, physiological and emotional components. "The more even I can be when I'm frustrated or when that frustration is coming into my wrestling the more I can focus on what I need to focus on, and then execute like a cool cucumber or an assassin on the mat, the better I am."

Telford, ranked as high as ninth and as low as 13th in major polls, won his first 18 matches and was one of the more impressive wrestlers in the Hawkeyes lineup, showing a lot of activity and athletic ability for a heavyweight. He lost to Central Michigan's Jarrod Trice, who is taking an Olympic red-shirt, in overtime of the Midlands finals. He then gave up a major decision to Oklahoma State's second-ranked Alan Gelogaev before losses to Nebraska's No. 8 Tucker Lane and Northwestern's No. 7 Mike McMullan, who has split overtime decisions with Telford.

"In high school, I've been through ups and downs," Telford said. "I haven't really looked at it as a stretch or anything like that. I just need to start doing what it takes."

Brands said Telford has to "wrestle in the moment" and focus on the situation at hand instead of wrestling in "rear view mirror" of what has already happened. Telford has heard the critics, and agreed that he has looked attentive in matches. He won't be shielded or put much stock into what is being said, but he has to dig deep to reverse the trend.

"He's well aware of what's going on," said Brands, who noted that Iowa's defending Big Ten champion and backup heavyweight Blake Rasing will be on the road trip as well. "He's well aware he may be in a rut and I know what my grandaddy and daddy and mommy taught me when you're in a rut you work hard and you've got to do some serious inner findings.

"You'll find your way, but it's not going to be automatic."

Opponents appear to be slowing the pace down against Telford, but he said that isn't an excuse for not scoring points. More aggressiveness and dictating the motion to suit his style are necessary. Execution hasn't been strong in his latest bouts, according to Telford.

"I made some errors my last couple of matches. I need to get back on track," Telford said. "I've been having some good workouts this week and training on the mat."

Evans denied Telford hasn't been successful and that their confidence levels are different. He said the two were in opposite positions when Telford was a Midlands finalist and Evans finished seventh.

"I don't think he's going the opposite way," Evans said. "I just think the matches he's been in haven't gone his way."

The Hawkeyes will need a lot to go their way this weekend against the Buckeyes (8-2, 2-2) and Nittany Lions (7-1, 3-1). Both could bring an end to Iowa's 39 straight wins against conference opponents or its streak of 50 straight road wins.

Among the top matches Friday night at Ohio State include 133 and 141. The Buckeyes' Logan and Hunter Stieber are ranked fourth and seventh at 133 and 141, respectively. They will take on Iowa's second-ranked Tony Ramos (133) and third-ranked Montell Marion (141). Those are two of five potential matches between ranked foes.

"We're going to have some matches where individual rankings and seeds are going to be impacted," Brands said. "There's some big matches in this dual and we need to make a statement with maybe some upsets from the experts' point of view."