Iowa moves into third with four semifinalists at NCAA Wrestling Championships

NEW YORK — Iowa made a modest climb in the team standings and advanced four to the semifinals at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

The Hawkeyes went 4-1 in quarterfinal matches and sit in third place after the third session of the national tournament Friday at Madison Square Garden. Penn State has five semifinalists and 68 1/2 points. Ohio State is second with 54. The Buckeyes also have four in the semifinals. Fourth-place Oklahoma State has three in the semifinals with 46 points.

Iowa's Thomas Gilman and Cory Clark returned to the semifinals at 125 and 133, respectively. They continue to lead the way and push each other.

'I expect a lot out of him and he expects a lot out of me,' Clark said. 'I don't really have to watch him wrestle. He gets done. He goes back. We just count on each other to do our jobs and our jobs are to score points and win matches.'

Gilman posted his third straight bonus-point win, handling Nebraska's Tim Lambert, 16-5. The win sets up a rematch between Gilman and Ohio State's top-seeded defending NCAA champion Nathan Tomasello, who beat Iowa's Dylan Peters, 10-4, in the quarterfinal. Gilman has beaten him in past freestyle bouts and in last year's dual, but Tomasello won in the 2015 Big Ten Championships. They have not met this season.

'Of course, I'm excited,' Gilman said. 'We have a long history, mostly freestyle going back to high school. He's got the last win, but I have the majority of them. I need to get that win back and get my streak going again.

'It's always a fight when me and him wrestle. It's exciting.'

Gilman has maintained a high level of scoring through each round, so far. Iowa Coach Tom Brands said Gilman marches to an offensive beat.

'It's something he hangs his hat on,' Brands said. 'He scores a lot of points and he will have to do that (Friday night).'

Clark blanked Nebraska's Eric Montoya, 4-0, setting up a rematch with Illinois' Zane Richards, who Clark beat in the Big Ten final. Clark has been in control but still hasn't put it all together.

'I haven't really scored a lot of points, but I've been wrestling smart,' Clark said. 'I've been wrestling tough, so if I can put that together and add some more takedowns, a couple of nearfall and I'll be set.'

Brandon Sorensen also beat a Cornhusker to secure his second straight All-American. Sorensen scored a takedown in sudden victory-2 to beat Jake Sueflohn, 4-2.

'Winning tough matches with offensive shots, I'd hang my hat on that,' Brands said. 'You don't want to make a living on it but in a match like where it comes down to it, and clearly there is a strategy there, that's all I'll say, you do what you have to do to win.'

Nathan Burak advanced to the semifinals, earning his third All-American honor. Burak scored a reversal late in the second period to help post a 5-2 victory over Duke's Conner Hartmann at 197.

'It's pretty exciting but the big thing is I want to get on top of that podium,' Burak said. 'That is the thing I'm going for.'

Hartmann nearly rode Burak the entire period, but he kept fighting and scored two with about three seconds left in the second period. He said he felt Hartmann's demeanor change after that and in the final period.

'I had to stay relaxed, keep moving, go to my corner for advice, keep after it and that's where I got the reversal at the end, which was big,' Burak said.

Iowa's lone quarterfinal setback came at 184. Nebraska's T.J. Dudley used a first-period takedown and a tilt for four nearfall in the second for a 9-6 win over Sammy Brooks, who nearly converted a late throw for the win.

Iowa's Alex Meyer remained in consolation competition, beating two seeded foes. He is a win away from a top-eight finish.

'He's being pretty solid as he goes,' Brands said of Meyer. 'He's bailing himself out.'

Iowa State's Lelund Weatherspoon continued his run. He dropped his third seeded wrestler to reach the 174-pound semifinals. Weatherspoon defeated Ohio's No. 7 Cody Walters, 5-3, in the quarterfinal.

Weatherspoon, a two-time Big 12 champion, became the Cyclones' 15th unseeded All-American.

'Coaches say it doesn't matter who you have, you've got to wrestle them,' Weatherspoon said. 'That's all I've been doing. Just wrestling.'

Iowa State's Earl Hall (133), Tanner Weatherman and 197-pounder Pat Downey dropped quarterfinal matches and will wrestle in Friday night's consolation round.

The Cyclones are 15th with 19 points.

Peters is the lone Panther remaining. UNI is tied for 36th with 6 1/2 points.

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