Iowa’s Gilman advances to Big Ten finals

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Occasionally, the way doesn't matter as much as the destination.

University of Iowa‘s Thomas Gilman will accept reaching the final, even if he wasn't satisfied with his performances.

Gilman used a late takedown and rideout for a 5-4 win over Penn State's Jordan Conaway, becoming one of four Hawkeye finalists last night in the Big Ten Championships at Ohio State's St. John Arena. Iowa was second in the team race after the opening day, trailing the host Buckeyes, 102 1/2 -101.

'As long as you keep winning that is all that matters,” Gilman said. 'It's not how I want to wrestle as far as point margin, but I'm in the finals, so it feels good.

'I've got to get the job done.”

Gilman faced a big chore when Conaway scored a takedown with two seconds left in the second and grabbed a 4-3 lead with an escape in the third.

He maintained his composure, shooting a low-single leg and finishing for the go-ahead score with less than 40 seconds remaining. Even with the clock ticking, he was confident he would get points when he most needed them. Gilman said he was able to grind away at Conaway.

'I had him on the ropes most of the match,” Gilman said. 'I just wasn't able to capitalize. I had him on the ropes at the end. I knew it and I rode him out.”

Gilman faces Ohio State's Nathan Tomasello in the finals. It is one of two head-to-head finals matchups between the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes. The pair has faced off many times in freestyle and Gilman won by one in an overtime tiebreaker.

Gilman said that may have been a moral victory for Tomasello and he was going to prevent another or any other victory.

'He thinks he owes me. I'll tell him this, I owe him,” Gilman said. 'That's how I look at it. I owe him a whooping.”

The two top teams face off at 141 as well with Iowa's Josh Dziewa, knocking off the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds to reach the finals. Dziewa scored takedowns in the first and second period to beat Minnesota's Nick Dardanes, 5-1. He takes on Ohio State's top-seeded Logan Stieber, who is looking to become the 14th four-time Big Ten champion.

'I felt good (Saturday),” Dziewa said. 'I'm going to the finals.”

Dziewa was challenged by Iowa Coach Tom Brands after his loss to Dardanes in January. The words from Brands struck a nerve and Dziewa has been more offensive in this tournament.

'He told me I didn't compete,” Dziewa said. 'There have been a couple of times in my career that has happened to me. It' can't happen.”

Freshman Brandon Sorensen beat Michigan's Alec Pantaleo, 2-0, in the 149-pound semifinal. He will face Northwestern's defending national champion Jason Tsirtsis, who lost to Sorensen in overtime at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in January.

'It's big,” Sorensen said. 'It's good I'll see Tsirtsis again and I hope to widen the gap this time.”

Heavyweight Bobby Telford returns to the Big Ten finals for the first time since his runner-up finish as a freshman. He scored a takedown with 15 seconds left in the one-minute sudden-victory overtime period for a 3-1 semifinal win over Wisconsin's top-seeded heavyweight Connor Medbery.

The Hawkeyes didn't have a semifinal decided by more than four points, going 4-3 in the round. The showed toughness getting key points at times.

'You stay focused even if you're losing,” Sorensen said. 'You're still looking to score. That's what I'm always looking to do.”

The Hawkeyes won seven matches in each of the first two rounds, advancing a tournament-high into the semifinals. Cory Clark (133), Mike Evans (174) and 197-pounder Nathan Burak earned top-six finishes, despite losing in the semifinal. Sam Brooks remains in the 184 consolation bracket.

'The opening-day assessment is highs and lows, and that's the nature of the sport,” Brands said. 'We did some work, which is good, to keep us in there. We had some things fall apart a little bit.

'We have four finalists and we have to do some work.”

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