Iowa's Cory Clark and Sammy Brooks join Hawkeyes champion list

IOWA CITY — Two new additions will need to be made to a wall in University of Iowa's Dan Gable Wrestling Complex.

Cory Clark and Sammy Brooks will see their names in black letters on gold nameplates along the wall near the entrance.

Clark and Brooks reversed regular season losses to win individual titles at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships on Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The championship duo helped the Hawkeyes to a runner-up finish with 127 points, but Penn State captured its fifth team title in six seasons with 150 1/2.

Clark and Brooks were the program's first conference champions in two years. Their accomplishment marked the fifth time Iowa crowned two champions in the same year during the 10-year tenure of Coach Tom Brands.

'That's a badge of honor,' Brands said. 'Not the badge of honor, but it's a badge of honor. It's a tribute to those two guys, for sure.'

Clark was the first of four finalists to take the mat for Iowa. He stepped in against Illinois top-seed Zane Richards, who edged Clark in overtime during the regular season. This time, Clark turned the tables, riding Richards out in the first tiebreaker period for 2-1 victory at 133 pounds.

'For sure, it's good to (avenge) a loss, but, at the same time, to me it doesn't matter who steps on the mat,' Clark said. 'I have the same approach, same attitude. I'm not really satisfied with the way I won the match, which I'm a hard person to satisfy personally.

'I've got to get a takedown,' Clark said. 'I've got to get points on the board. It doesn't need to go to double overtime, but it went there and I got my hand raised.'

Clark soaked in the crowd's applause. This was proof the effort was producing dividends.

'It's a unique feeling,' Clark said. 'It's almost like all the work and stuff I've been putting in throughout the year you can feel it pay off.'

The celebration likely lasted as long as it took to leave CHA and find somewhere to place his bracket and medal. Work toward New York and the NCAA Championships begins today.

'This isn't how I want to define my season,' Clark said. 'The NCAAs is. This is moving in the right direction. It's easier to move forward with a Big Ten championship or whatever at Big Tens. It's easier to move forward, knowing you're closer, you're in the right spot.'

Even though Clark wasn't fixed on becoming Iowa's first Big Ten champion since Tony Ramos also won at 133 in 2014, Sammy Brooks had his sights set on the wall.

'I'm in that wrestling room so darn much,' said Brooks, noting that it was time to add another of the left side of the wall for national champions, preferably one with an asterisk to denote multiple titles. 'Every time I walk in I see those names. The pictures going into the locker room of all the national champs. I see the Olympic rings on the wall where it says Iowa Hawks champs.

'How could I not? How could you not want to be on that wall?'

Brooks had split two previous matches with Nebraska's T.J. Dudley, getting caught in a cradle and pinned earlier this year. Brooks led throughout, claiming the 184-pound title with a 6-4 victory.

He scored takedowns in each of the first two periods, finishing in a flurry by staying in good position.

'He's a good wrestler,' Brooks said. 'He's an athletic, dangerous guy. I had to be aware of that and know that when I think I have a takedown I've got to go that extra step. Get the takedown and secure and secure it again.'

They overturned past results, which showed progress. A staple for success.

'They are good guys and they go about their business the right way,' Brands said. 'There are going to be steps forward, but in a match where it's one man against another, it's not always an automatic so it's good when you see it show up.'

As positive as two champions can be, Iowa still dropped two finals matches and ended up a distant second to the Nittany Lions, who denied Iowa two more titles.

Zain Retherford (149) blanked Brandon Sorensen, 4-0, handing him his first loss of the season and forcing him to settle for conference runner-up honors for the second straight year.

Iowa's Nathan Burak (197) made his finals debut, but surrendered an early takedown in a 3-2 loss to Penn State's Morgan McIntosh.

Iowa had seven place sixth or better, including a third-place from Thomas Gilman at 125. Edwin Cooper was fourth at 157. Brands was asked how he felt about the weekend overall.

'I feel like I feel every other times we've gotten beat,' Brands said. There's a lot to be said for positives and it's an individual sport, so that's how you go forward into nationals.'

Iowa is assured of seven qualifiers, while heavyweight Sam Stoll and senior 165-pounder Patrick Rhoads are at the mercy of a selection committee for at-large bids.

'We're on it,' Brands said. 'We'll make a case for them.'

Penn State had three champions, including red-shirt freshman Bo Nickal, who scored an 18-9 major decision over Illinois' Zach Brunson at 174.

Ohio State had two champions. Heavyweight Kyle Snyder returned to the lineup after winning the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas and flirting with an Olympic red-shirt. He won his first conference title, beating Michigan's Adam Coon, 7-4. The Buckeyes' Nathan Tomasello defended his 125-pound title with a takedown in sudden victory, downing Penn State's Nico Megaludis, 3-1.

Illinois' Isaiah Martinez earned Outstanding Wrestler honors, winning the 157-pound championship. He beat Penn State's Jason Nolf, with riding-time advantage in the second overtime tiebreaker after they deadlocked at three apiece.

The NCAA Championships are March 17-19 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

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