Iowa’s Dziewa earns second straight NCAA berth

COLUMBUS, Ohio - University of Iowa's Josh Dziewa is not done wrestling.

He made sure of that with a strong start to the conference tournament.

The Hawkeye senior knocked off Nebraska's third-seeded Anthony Abidin, 3-1, in the 141-pound quarterfinal Saturday at the Big Ten Championships at St. John Arena. The victory assured Dziewa of a top-six finish and clinched an automatic berth to the national tournament.

The 2014 NCAA qualifier doesn't want to hold anything back in his final collegiate postseason.

'It's that time of the year and this is my last time,” Dziewa said. 'Maybe I have a little ‘What do you have to lose, man?' mentality.”

Wrestlers talk about finishing periods and matches strong. Dziewa is attempting to do the same with his Hawkeye career by joining the program's top competitors listed on the wall of the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex wall.

'I'm just trying to win,” Dziewa said. 'I'm just trying to put together a string of matches, winning eight or nine in a row and call you a Big Ten and national champ.

'I just want to get my name on that board with an asterisk next to it.”

Dziewa scored first in both matches, making a first-period takedown the difference against Abidin.

'I went to my offense,” Dziewa said. 'It took me a couple opportunities, but that's because he's a decent wrestler. He's a solid kid.”

Dziewa has focused on staying in good position and moving his feet. He was not thrilled that he had to come out of an impressive scramble to avoid giving up the tying points.

'The problem is he initiated the scramble,” Dziewa said. 'When I initiate, I score in those situations. Yes, I can dodge some bullets and keep myself out of trouble sometimes. I'm good in there, but I'm better when I initiate the scramble. That is the key. I have to initiate.”

He racked up five takedowns in his opening 11-3 major decision over Michigan State's Javier Gasca III. Dziewa said he needs to execute more of his offense, instead of countering opponents.

'I don't want five go-behinds,” Dziewa said. 'I want single-legs, double-legs, carries, that is my type of wrestling.”

He advanced to the semifinal against Minnesota's No. 2-seed Nick Dardanes, who beat Dziewa, 7-3, in a January dual.

'The third match is what is important,” Iowa Coach Tom Brands said before the semifinal. 'That is what we have to look at.”

KELLY'S COMEBACK

University of Iowa's Mike Kelly had one of the more exciting comebacks in the first round at 157 pounds, edging Maryland's Lou Mascola, 11-10, in the first overtime tiebreaker.

Mascola tossed Kelly to his back for a 5-0 lead in the opening minute. Kelly mounted a comeback, tying it in the final minute and securing a point for riding time. Mascola escaped in the final seconds to force overtime.

Kelly rode out Mascola in the first tiebreaker period and an escape in the final period was enough for the win. It was the third one-point match between the two. Kelly one 14-13 at the Midlands Championships, and Mascola won, 5-4, in a dual.

Thomas Gilman wasn't so dramatic, but his response was impressive. Gilman gave up the opening takedown to Michigan State's Mitch Rogaliner, but answered with 10 takedowns of his own for a 23-10 victory at 125.

TOP-SEED TUMBLES

University of Iowa's Sammy Brooks earned the top seed for his first Big Ten tournament, but his debut wasn't as good. Brooks became the first No. 1 seed to fall, getting upset by Penn State's eighth-seed Matt McCutcheon, 6-4, in sudden victory at 184 pounds.

More than the result was the way it occurred. Brooks controlled the majority of the match, but only led 3-2 late. McCutcheon dropped in on a shot and finished in the final second. He celebrated as if he won, but with a riding-time point tied the match, 4-4, forcing overtime.

McCutcheon scored on another shot for the victory.

'I don't look at anything as under control when you're letting a guy hang in there,” Iowa Coach Tom Brands said. 'That guy hung on the edge. We got one stall call and we didn't do enough to get another one, maybe to put the match away.

'We didn't do enough to score points. That match was not well in hand. It is well in hand when the referee slaps the mat.”

McCutcheon's feat mirrored that of former Nittany Lion Quentin Wright, who won the 2011 184-pound conference crown as the No. 8 seed. He beat Wisconsin's top-seeded Travis Rutt in the quarterfinals and Rutt finished third that year.

FASTEST FALL RECORD

University of Nebraska's top-seeded Robert Kokesh etched his name in the conference record book with his quarterfinal win.

The Huskers' senior pinned Michigan's Taylor Massa in just 16 seconds, recording the fastest fall in Big Ten Championships history.

The old record of 23 seconds was shared by Iowa's Bart Chelesvig and Tony Dallago of Illinois. Chelesvig set the mark with a quarterfinal pin against Keith Bollman, of Illinois, in 1992. Dallago stuck Purdue's Braden Atwood in a consolation match in 2012.

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