Hawkeyes roll in into championship duals

IOWA CITY - One dual was a breeze that featured five pins. The other was knock-down-drag-out that produced a shouting match between assistant coaches.

Both were wins for the top-ranked Iowa wrestling team.

The Hawkeyes improved to 17-0 on Saturday with wins over Tennessee-Chattanooga and No. 5 Cornell at the eight-team National Duals finals before 7,006 fans inside Carver-Hawkeye and will face No. 2 Missouri today at 11:30 for the championship.

But the two duals couldn't have been more different.

Iowa dismantled the Mocs, 44-3, getting pins from Cory Clark at 133 pounds, Mike Kelly at 157, Mike Evans at 174, Sammy Brooks at 184 and Bobby Telford at heavyweight, plus a technical fall from Brandon Sorensen at 149.

The Big Red (16-2) offered a different challenge, but an equally impressive win. The Hawks won seven of the 10 bouts in a dual that produced a total of just 15 takedowns.

'We've got to do a better job,” Iowa Coach Tom Brands.

Iowa won the first four bouts against Cornell, grabbing a 12-0 lead thanks to decisions from Thomas Gillman, Clark, Josh Dziewa and Sorensen. Gillman was the most impressive, battling back from a loss to Chattanooga's Sean Boyle to topple third-ranked Nahshon Garrett, 3-1, scoring a takedown with 20 seconds left in the match.

'We did a good job of staying heavy on him,” Brands said of Gillman keeping the explosive Garrett under control.

The Big Red pulled within 12-6 after a wins at 157 and 165 before and exciting, 3-0, win by Evans at 174 produced a shouting match between Iowa assistant Terry Brands and Cornell assistant Damion Hahn and a team point deducted from Cornell.

'I know I stayed calm,” Tom Brands said. 'I didn't know what was going on ... it's an emotional sport.”

Nathan Burak sealed Iowa's win with a 3-2 victory over Jace Bennett at 197. Missouri forfeited to Telford, getting another chorus of boos.

'I was surprised,” Telford said. 'This is big-boy wrestling.”

Cornell Coach Rob Koll said Jacob Aiken-Phillips is banged up and his only heavyweight.

'Iowa's guy is pretty big and mean,” he said with a laugh.

Missouri (23-0) moved into today's championship dual with 23-12 and 23-9 wins over Illinois and Lehigh, which upset Ohio State in the opening around.

'I know we'll be prepared for it,” Missouri Coach Brian Smith said of today's dual against Iowa.

Iowa 44, Tennessee-Chattanooga 3

(Takedowns in parentheses)

125 pounds - Sean Boyle (TC) dec. Thomas Gillman, 3-1 (1,0); 133 - Cory Clark (I) pinned Nick Soto, 4:15 (1,0); 141 - Josh Dziewa (I) dec. Mike Pongracz, 4-2 (1,0); 149 - Brandon Sorensen (I) tech. fall over Jacob Murphy, 6:19, 19-4 (7.0); 157 - Mike Kelly (I) pinned Austin Sams, 4:32 (2,0); 165 - Nick Moore (I) dec. Justin Lampe, 11-6 (3,3); 174 - Mike Evans (I) pinned Sean Mappes, 4:44 (1,0); 184 - Sammy Brooks (I) pinned McCoy Newberg, 1:52 (1,0); 197 - Nathan Burak (I) dec. Scottie Boykin, 7-4 (2,0); Hwt. - Bobby Telford (I) pinned Jared Johnson, 2:50 (1,0)

Takedowns - Iowa 19, Chattanooga 4; Reversals - Iowa 0, Chattanooga 1; Nearfall points - Iowa 15, Chattanooga 0; Escapes - Iowa 11, Chattanooga 10; Penalty points awarded - Iowa 1, Chattanooga 0; Riding pint points - Iowa 3, Chattanooga 0; Total match points - Iowa 68, Chattanooga 20

Iowa 24, Cornell 8

(Takedowns in parentheses)

125 - Gillman (I) dec. Nahshon Garrett, 3-1 (1,0); 133 - Clark (I) dec. Mark Grey, 6-2 (1,1); 141 - Dziewa (I) dec. Dylan Realbuto, 5-3 (1,0); 149 - Sorensen (I) dec. Christopher Villalonga, 4-1 (1,0); 157 - Brian Realbuto (C) dec. Kelly, 10-7 (3,1); 165 - Dylan Palacio (C) dec. Moore, 5-4 (2,0); 174 - Evans (I) dec. Duke Pickett, 3-0 (1,0); 184 - Gabriel Dean (C) dec. Brooks, 6-2 (2,0); 197 - Burak (I) dec. Jace Bennett, 3-2 (1,0); Hwt. - Telford (I) won by forfeit

Takedowns - Cornell 8, Iowa 7; Reversals - Cornell 1, Iowa 1; Nearfall points - Cornell 0, Iowa 0; Escapes - Cornell 10, Iowa 15; Penalty points awarded - Cornell 0, Iowa 4; Riding time points - Cornell 2, Iowa 2; Total match points - Cornell 30, Iowa 37