Iowa tops Nebraska in final regular-season dual

IOWA CITY - Topher Carton was ready to go.

When the senior Iowa 141-pounder walked to Carver-Hawkeye Arena from his apartment for the last home match of his career on Sunday, he told himself one thing.

'All I could do was go out and wrestle,” Carton said. 'I wasn't going to lose.”

And he didn't, nor did the team, which topped the Cornhuskers 27-9.

Carton beat Nebraska's No. 10-ranked Colton McCrystal 6-4, in part due to a takedown late in the third period. It wasn't called at first, but a timely challenge from Hawkeye head coach Tom Brands stopped the action.

It didn't take long for Carton to be awarded the two points, though he wasn't worried whether or not the refs would award him the points.

'I knew I had the two,” Carton said. 'If they overturned it, who cares? Go get another one.”

Iowa dominated the dual from the start, getting wins early and often from its stars. Thomas Gilman (125) started thingd off with a slightly disappointing 6-3 decision over the Huskers Tim Lambert.

Gilman had won his last three matchups with Lambert by major decision, including a 13-5 whooping at the 2016 Midlands, their last meeting.

Gilman struggled to get out from under Lambert during the third period, though the Iowa wrestler did put up three takedowns in the first two frames.

'I think we were waiting to see where our guy was going and then all of the sudden he has the ankle,” Brands said. 'That's a long ride, a stalemate and then he got our ankle again.”

The Hawkeyes also registered a fall from senior Sammy Brooks (184) and a technical fall from Alex Meyer (174), which put the meet out of Nebraska's reach.

Brooks did not face familiar foe No. 3 T.J. Dudley, who he is very well acquainted with. Instead Nebraska sent out redshirt freshman Jaquan Sowell, who Brooks made quick work of.

The biggest win - ranking wise - came from Iowa's No. 2 Michael Kemerer, who beat No. 3 Tyler Berger in a rematch of the 157-pound final at Midlands earlier this season. Kemerer beat Berger 6-5 in the second tiebreaker in December and was able to eek out another close decision on Sunday.

The winning point in the 3-2 win was an early escape in the third period. A scramble near the end of the match nearly led to a takedown for Berger, but Kemerer was able to fight it off.

Iowa also got a 4-1 decision from 165-pounder Joey Gunther in a tough match.

Cory Clark (133) made his return to the mat, though he lost to No. 5 Eric Montoya in an absolutely wild match. Entering the third period, the score was tied 2-2. Montoya got loose for an escape and Clark responded with a quick takedown. Montoya then got a reversal and four quick nearfall points before Clark was able to hit him with a reversal of his own. He wasn't able to do much else, however, and Montoya took the match 9-6.

Nebraska was deducted a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct after Clark and Montoya's match.

'They came for blood,” Brands said. 'You saw it and I think we responded well.”

l Comments: jordan.hansen@thegazette.com