Wrestling blood runs thick

IOWA CITY - Ethen and Luke Lofthouse have an interesting relationship. The University of Iowa wrestlers are nephew and uncle by blood, but brothers at heart.

“I've lived with him my whole life,” Ethen Lofthouse said. “People say uncle, and I automatically think brother. To me he's my brother.”

That's a view shared by the elder Lofthouse.

“We're very close,” Luke Lofthouse said. “He's like a little brother to me. We've lived together since I was seven years old.”

Tonight, they face two of Iowa State's top wrestlers when the No. 6 Hawkeyes host the No. 14 Cyclones in Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 7.

Ethen gets two-time All-American Jon Reader, ranked third by InterMat, at 174. Luke, ranked No. 13, is expected to wrestle 12th-ranked Jerome Ward at 197.

“It's exciting to me and I'm exciting to get out there,” Ethen said. “It happens to be that I'm wrestling one of their better wrestlers and I have a chance to go out and prove myself in front of all the fans.”

He doesn't have to prove himself to his uncle. Luke, 25, said Ethen, 19, has made strides in all three positions - top, bottom and neutral.

“He's gotten tough,” Luke said. “He's developed his skills.”

Luke has helped Ethen get acclimated to college life and the rigors of training for Division I wrestling - sometimes by example, other times by direct instruction.

“He doesn't like to tell me what to do, but at the same time I'm watching him. I learn just how I watch everyone else in the room and learn from them,” Ethen said. “Sometimes he'll put his hands on me and teach me stuff.”

Coach Tom Brands said they have different styles but both are aggressive and attack.

“Luke is a plodder,” Brands said. “Ethen is an explosive, rocket-fuel type guy. Both are extremely physical. Very strong, but there are differences.”

Those differences also surface in a competitive relationship.

“I don't want to say he takes losing better than I do, but usually when I lose there's a little bit more trash-talking and stuff going on,” Ethen said.

They share stories of pickup football and baseball games, or wrestling in the family's basement. Ethen said Luke often took advantage of being bigger and older, getting in some hard hits.

“It would always end up with one of us being really mad and leaving because we were losing or we felt we were cheated,” Luke said.

“Usually we weren't, but we felt like it because of the outcome.

“Even (when) we play board games it gets real competitive.”

But the relationship runs deep. Ethen even lived with Luke and his wife, Allison, after they were married last year.

“That in itself is enough to tell you how close we are,” Luke said. “Not many newlywed people would allow that to happen.”

Now they enter one of college wrestling's top events with 4-0 records and a chance to help Iowa extend its six-match win streak against the Cyclones (4-0).