Hawkeye wrestlers bring ‘bad attitude’ in a good way

IOWA CITY - Iowa heavyweight wrestler Bobby Telford says this year's team has developed a bad attitude.

And that's a good thing for the No. 1 team in the country.

'Everyone talks about the last couple of years and this team being hungry,” Telford said after pinning all three opponents Friday in the Iowa City Duals at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. 'You talk about the expectations of this program from fans, you guys, the media. But this team, since I've been here, this is a different team. This is a team for younger brothers, kids that weren't always on the top. Kids that are ornery for no reason. Kids that have bad attitudes.

'Some people may look at that bad, because they don't understand them, but (it's) bad attitude in a good way. You've got to have that bad attitude in the Big Tens, nationals, big dual meets.”

Telford, ranked third and a two-time All American, needed less than two minutes to record falls in each match. As a senior leader, Telford said the team is ready to put its anger over past struggles and shortcomings to good use on the mat.

'It's what you're born about your whole life,” Telford said. 'When people start getting noticed, then you've got to really turn it on. I think that's what's good about this program. There's a lot of pissed off kids that are all getting together for a common goal. ... It's kind of more of a shut-up mentality.”

Senior Nick Moore also recorded three pins, and six others tallied two each for an Iowa total of 19. Using the same lineup in all three duals, Iowa (3-0) posted a pair of 55-0 drubbings of Baker Univ. (Kan.) and Cornell College, with a 49-3 rout of Iowa Central sandwiched in between. Cornell (1-3) dropped duals to Iowa Central (30-14) and Baker (30-11).

'I think you get in your home arena and you compete,” Iowa Coach Tom Brands said. 'It's the second weekend, and it's the weekend before Iowa State. Now we're not looking forward to Iowa State anymore, we're at Iowa State. ... So we've got to get ready to go now.”

With a fluid competition at 149 pounds among freshman Brandon Sorensen and juniors Brody Grothus and Edwin Cooper, Brands sent them to today's Lindenwood Open in St. Charles, Mo. The decision propelled 141-pound sophomore Topher Carton into trying his hand at 149 for the Iowa City Duals.

'I like to scratch, I wanted to wrestle,” Carton said. 'And it was a good day.”

Carton, a former undefeated state champion for Davenport Assumption, was second on the team in tech falls last season. He tallied two more Friday before closing his day with an 11-5 decision over Trevor Engle of Cornell College.

'One of the biggest things Tom and Terry always talk to me about is just letting the fur fly and just going out and trusting my offense,” Carton said. 'These last couple of weeks, I think I've done a lot better job doing that than I have in the past.”

Nathan Burak, who won the 197-pound championship at last weekend's Luther Open, didn't compete Friday and will not be at Saturday's Lindenwood Open. Brands would not confirm if the junior All-American would be in the lineup against No. 16 Iowa State next Saturday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

IOWA CITY DUALS

Baker 30, Cornell 11

Baker 33, Iowa Central 15

Iowa 55, Baker 0

Iowa 49, Iowa Central 3

Iowa 55, Cornell College 0

Iowa Central 30, Cornell 14

AT CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA

Iowa 55, Baker 0

125 pounds - Thomas Gilman (Iowa) pinned Alex Fortuna, 2:05; 133 - Cory Clark (Iowa) pinned Bryce Shoemaker, 4:11; 141 - Josh Dziewa (Iowa) tech. fall Juan Rivera, 17-1; 149 - Topher Carton (Iowa) tech. fall Tyler Dickman, 23-7; 157 - Michael Kelly (Iowa) pinned Nick Haugen, 1:32; 165 - Nick Moore (Iowa) pinned Connor Middleton, 4:24; 174 - Mike Evans (Iowa) pinned Josh Thomas, 1:45; 184 - Sammy Brooks (Iowa) won by injury default Bryant Guillen; 197 - Kris Klapprodt (Iowa) dec. Billy Leone, 9-4; 285 - Bobby Telford (Iowa) pinned Beau Bennett, 1:52.

Iowa 49, Iowa Central 3

125 pounds - Gilman (Iowa) tech. fall Alex Delacruz, 26-10; 133 - Clark (Iowa) pinned Tyler Miler, 2:07; 141 - Dziewa (Iowa) pinned Cory Collins, 4:34; 149 - Carton (Iowa) tech. fall Teddie Harvey, 22-6; 157 - Kelly (Iowa) dec. Richie Lewis, 8-5; 165 - Moore (Iowa) pinned Stephon Gray, 2:45; 174 - Evans (Iowa) pinned Jake Meehan, 1:52; 184 - Brooks (Iowa) pinned Armani Robinson, 2:06; 197 - Patrick Downey (Iowa Central) dec. Klapprodt, 11-6; 285 - Telford (Iowa) pinned Richard Gonzalez, 0:48.

Iowa 55, Cornell 0

125 pounds - Gilman (Iowa) pinned Scott Smith, 1:45; 133 - Clark tech. fall (Iowa) Phillip Opelt, 16-1; 141 - Dziewa (Iowa) pinned Nathan Shank, 1:09; 149 - Carton (Iowa) dec. Trevor Engle, 11-5; 157 - Kelly (Iowa) pinned Aaron Engle, 2:28; 165 - Moore (Iowa) pinned Michael Maksimovic, 0:55; 174 - Evans (Iowa) tech. fall Brent Hamm, 19-3; 184 - Brooks (Iowa) pinned James Garrett, 3:33; 197 - Klapprodt (Iowa) pinned Jim Kirby, 1:58; 285 - Telford (Iowa) pinned Eric Tucker, 1:22.

Iowa Central 30, Cornell 14

125 pounds - Delacruz (ICCC) major dec. Smith, 17-3; 133 - Opelt (Cornell) major dec. Caleb Studebaker, 11-0; 141 - Clay Walker (ICCC) dec. Jared Brathor, 8-6; 149 - Engle (Cornell) dec. Jason Alfau, 12-6; 157 - Harvey (ICCC) major dec. Engle, 12-3; 165 - Lewis (ICCC) major dec. Maksimovic, 12-3; 174 - Meehan (ICCC) pinned Hamm, 4:33; 184 - Robinson (ICCC) major dec. Garrett, 14-6; 197 - Downey (ICCC) tech. fall Kirby 2:19, 18-2; 285 - Tucker (Cornell) pinned Gonzalez, 3:36.

Baker 30, Cornell 11

125 pounds - Fortuna (Baker) tech. fall Vikash Hypio, 19-2; 133 - Shoemaker (Baker) major dec. Opelt, 9-1; 141 - Shank (Cornell) dec. Rivera, 9-7; 149 - Engle (Cornell) dec. Dickman, 10-4; 157 - Haugen (Baker) pinned Engle, 2:41; 165 - Middleton (Baker) dec. Danny Klema, 8-2; 174 - Hamm (Cornell) tech. fall Thomas, 16-0 (6:27); 184 - Josh Ortiz (Baker) dec. Garrett, 3-2; 197 - Leone (Baker) pinned Kirby, 1:31; 285 - Bennett (Baker) dec. Tucker, 3-2.

Baker 33, Iowa Central 15

125 pounds - Delacruz (ICCC) major dec. Fortuna 11-2; 133 - Shomaker (Baker) pinned Tyler Miler, 2:00; 141 - Walker (ICCC) major dec. Rivera, 11-1; 149 - Alfau (ICCC) major dec. Dickman 8-0; 157 - Haugen (Baker) dec. Harvey 10-3; 165 - Lewis (ICCC) major dec. Middleton 14-5; 174 - Meehan (ICCC) pinned Trevor Sutton, 5:13; 184 - Robinson (ICCC) pinned Ortiz, 2:50; 197 - Downey (ICCC) tech. fall Leone, 3:48; 285 - Bennett (Baker) pinned Gonzalez, 2:32.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com