Hlas: Hawkeye wrestlers still can’t tame Lion kings

IOWA CITY — For a while Friday night, Carver-Hawkeye Arena had that old, familiar feel that some visiting high-ranked college wrestling timber was about to meet a buzz saw.

A crowd of 14,311 — larger than at any Hawkeyes home basketball game this season — came to the marquee meet on Iowa's home schedule, against Penn State.

For forever and a day, Carver was where top challengers to the Hawkeyes got worked over here by the best and most-aggressive wrestling team in the land, and intimidated by a crowd much larger and noisier than they'd ever encountered.

But Penn State has stacked up five of the last six NCAA team championships and fears no one. That isn't to suggest bowing to someone else is accepted here any more than stalling on the mat or eating Oreos away from it.

Two matches into Friday's event between the second-ranked Nittany Lions and No. 3 Hawkeyes, Iowa had an 8-0 lead. Unbeaten 125-pound senior Thomas Gilman gave PSU freshman Nick Suriano his first college loss with a 3-2 decision that Gilman didn't find satisfying, then Cory Clark overwhelmed the Lions' George Carpenter and earned a technical fall.

In the next match, at 141, the Hawkeyes' Topher Carton had a 3-0 lead over Jimmy Gulibon entering the third period. The joint was jumping. Things were going Iowa's way.

From the arena's tunnelway, a pumped-up former Hawkeye wrestler yelled 'He is soft!' about Gulibon as everyone else in the building was hollering and cheering themselves.

But Gulibon isn't soft. He wrestles for Penn State. He took Carton down four times in the final period for an 8-6 win.

The next match's result wasn't unexpected, but the competitiveness of it was to many. Penn State's Zain Retherford, who hasn't lost a college match since 2014, decisioned Brandon Sorensen 9-8 in extended overtime.

Retherford's other matches this season were 10 wins by pin, one by technical fall, and one by a 19-6 decision. He beat Sorensen 10-1 in last year's NCAA final.

The fans were quiet in the early part of Retherford-Sorensen, still down about Carton's loss. But that changed as this 11-minute match grew longer and ever more entertaining. Half the crowd was on its feet during the overtime periods.

At one point, Penn State Coach Cael Sanderson appeared to look across the mat toward Iowa counterpart Tom Brands' corner with a grin as if to say 'What a match, huh?'

'Zain's probably the toughest kid I've ever met,' Sanderson said after the dual, quite a statement from the Olympic gold-medalist.

'It's not about moral victories,' Brands said about what may have been the sport's match of the year so far, but added Sorensen 'is moving the right way, the way I like to see.'

He didn't say similar things about most of the rest of his men. Alex Meyer was Iowa's only winner in the final six matches. By meet's end, it was clear the Nittany Lions still have more horses than the Hawkeyes.

Sanderson has resources and facilities. But he doesn't rest on laurels, constantly recruiting and coaching with passion.

If there's consolation for Iowa, it's that it has elevated its recruiting the last couple years. Brands has raided Pennsylvania for his best signees since he became head coach here in 2006. One is Michael Kemerer, a freshman who endured his first college loss Friday, to top-ranked 157-pounder Jason Nolf. The others are coming soon.

Iowa remains a formidable program with an exciting style. Its coaches still connect with young wrestlers. Penn State people love their team, but the Hawkeyes still have unparalleled support.

'Great crowd,' Iowa Coach Tom Brands said after Friday's meet. 'With Penn State coming to town and you never know, you got beat down at Oklahoma State (24-11 last Sunday), you maybe worry if you've got some fans at home.

'But the fans showed up. We've got the best fans. … We just need to get the best wrestling.'

Brands is battling what Iowa's opponents once faced. It's hard catching up to the king. Wrestling is hard.