Penn State hands Hawkeyes second straight loss

The start was good for the University of Iowa wrestling team, but the finish was even better for Penn State University.

The second-ranked Hawkeyes built a double-digit lead, winning the first three matches, but the No. 3 Nittany Lions answered by claiming the final seven bouts for a 22-12 Big Ten Conference Dual win Sunday in front of 6,796 spectators at Rec Hall in State College, Pa.

Iowa (9-3, 4-2 Big Ten) had its record 84-dual unbeaten streak snapped with a loss to Oklahoma State on Jan. 7, and the three losses is the most since 2006-07 when the Hawkeyes lost five in Tom Brands' first year as Iowa's head coach. It was just the first time the Hawkeyes suffered consecutive losses with Brands at the helm. The last time Iowa had consecutive losses was when they lost three straight late in the 2005-06 season.

Penn State Coach Cael Sanderson had failed to defeat the Hawkeyes in his first five duals as head coach, including two with the Nittany Lions and three with the Iowa State Cyclones, where his. Last year, Penn State was top-ranked when Iowa went into Rec Hall and left with a 22-13 win.

“These guys certainly wanted to win. We were a little hesitant throughout the match, but it's a big match for us and our program, I guess, and that's understandable,” Sanderson said in a story by USA Wrestling. “But it gives us something we can build on and go from there.”

When freshman Morgan McIntosh scored an overtime takedown for a 5-3 decision over Grant Gambrall at 197, it secured the victory for Sanderson and Penn State (8-1, 4-1). Heavyweight Cameron Wade capped the dual with a 4-0 win over Blake Rasing.

Matt McDonough, ranked second, kicked off the dual at 125 pounds with a 3-1 decision over No. 8 Nico Megaludis, scoring a takedown with two seconds remaining in sudden victory overtime. Tony Ramos earned bonus points with a fall in 4:20 over Frank Martellotti at 133, giving Iowa a 9-0 lead.

The early advantage to increased 12-0 when Montell Marion beat Bryan Pearsall, 7-3, at 141, tallying three takedowns.

Bonus points were expected to be key in this dual, but only two matches were decided by more than a regular decision, which is a win by seven points or less. Ramos earned the only fall, giving Iowa six points, and Penn State's second-ranked Ed Ruth posted a 10-1 major decision over No. 9 Ethen Lofthouse at 174 for the Nittany Lions' only extra point. Ruth's win gave Penn State its first lead and one for good.

Top-ranked NCAA finalists Frank Molinaro (149) and David Taylor (165) added decisions for Penn State. Molinaro beat Mike Kelly, 11-5, while Taylor downed Mike Evans, 9-4. Molinaro (20-0), Talyor (18-0) and Ruth (20-0) all remain undefeated.

“This is a sport where you really don't need something to spur ya'. You should be able to get up every time. That's the mark of being the best. We try to be the best every time. Sometimes the falls are pretty hard,” Brands said the same USA Wrestling article. “But, if there is something you stumble on, you've got to be tougher coming back. I'm not sure we were. We lost seven straight matches in that dual meet. There's got to be some type of change of emotion or energy or something from an individual point of view when it's going against you as a team.”

Iowa wrestled without second-ranked 157-pounder Derek St. John, who returned Friday against Ohio State but re-aggravated a knee injury suffered Dec. 10 against University of Northern Iowa. Penn State's No. 8 Dylan Alton scored two takedowns to beat Nick Moore, 5-3, at 157.

The Hawkeyes were swept on the road trip, winning only three matches in a 21-9 loss to No. 7 Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio, on Friday. Iowa returns to action Sunday, hosting fourth-ranked Minnesota next Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, beginning at 3 p.m.