Iowa wrestling ready for challenge that awaits at top-ranked Oklahoma State

Excitement normally surrounds the meeting between two of the most storied college wrestling programs.

Anything will be hard to top the record-setting spectacle that occurred last season at Kinnick Stadium in front of 42,287 fans. The next installment between Iowa and Oklahoma State will be big for a different reason.

The third-ranked Hawkeyes will face their first real dual test when they take on the top-ranked Cowboys Sunday at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla. Iowa has won three straight in the series, including 18-16 last season and 30-7 the last trip to Oklahoma State.

'They take wrestling serious down there,' said Iowa Coach Tom Brands, who has guided the Hawkeyes to 21 straight road dual wins. 'Their arena is named after a wrestling coach. We know the history. They know the history. This battle has been hotly contested for decades, and this is no exception'

Four Hawkeyes — Topher Carton (141), Michael Kemerer (157), Joey Gunther (165) and 197-pounder Cash Wilcke — are making their debut in this dual. Last season, Alex Meyer and Sam Stoll were introduced to the rivalry. Thomas Gilman, Cory Clark, Brandon Sorensen and Sammy Brooks are familiar with the atmosphere that awaits, competing at Oklahoma State two years ago.

'They love wrestling down there, so they're going to get a lot of people to get really excited for this dual,' Brooks said. 'It's the environment you want. It's not Kinnick, but it's as good as it gets in wrestling.'

Brooks has experienced both ends of the spectrum in this dual. He produced a key technical fall last season in the home victory. He also dropped a decision in his last trip to Oklahoma State.

'I'm not going to dwell on it or beat myself up over what happened,' said sixth-ranked Brooks, who will wrestle No. 4 Nolan Boyd. 'I watched it and learned from it. I'll take what I learned into this match.'

The two programs have combined for 57 NCAA titles, including 34 from Oklahoma State. Sunday marks the 51st dual in the series. The Cowboys own a 27-21-2 edge in duals. Gilman isn't concerned with the past.

'I'm not too caught up in the hype,' Gilman said. 'It's just another match, another competition, another team trying to take us out.'

The Hawkeyes (7-0) haven't been tested in a dual yet this season. The Cowboys (5-0) have dominated their opponents with the exception of a 23-19 win over No. 7 Cornell last month. The dual will be a good barometer for Iowa, which has an upcoming stretch that includes home duals against No. 2 Penn State and No. 4 Ohio State.

'We're going to find out a lot about this team after this weekend,' Brands said. 'We'll find out a lot about them the next couple weeks, and we're getting closer to what we call 'March Matness.' '

Iowa welcomed Clark back to the lineup after missing about a month due to a shoulder injury. He won both matches during last weekend's road trip to Michigan and Michigan State. He will receive a tough test from sixth-ranked and unbeaten Kaid Brock.

'These are the guys that push you,' Clark said. 'I enjoy wrestling people who want to beat me (more) than wrestling people who want to stay alive and skate the whole match.'

All 10 Cowboys are ranked, including nine in their respective weights. Iowa counters with nine ranked wrestlers, including top-ranked Gilman (125) and Clark (133) and second-ranked Sorensen and Kemerer at 149 and 157, respectively.

'This is the best time of year,' Brands said. 'You're in the meat of your season. Not only is it just hitting events, but these are big events. These are events where you're going to have crowds and you're going to have a lot at stake with seedings and rankings and things that are going to impact how your road to your championship is going to look like for each individual.

'Important matches. This isn't just entertainment for entertainment purposes. This is real life.'

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