No. 1 Hawkeyes Aren't About Statements In Win Over Wisconsin
Tom Brands has been around long enough to know the physics of the wrestling calendar.
Being the No. 1 wrestling team in the nation and just dominating the No. 6 team in the rankings can be fun, even on the first day of December.
But the 32-3 win over Wisconsin on Sunday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena can be a message, the Iowa coach said, provided the Hawkeyes are even better when March rolls around and it’s time for the NCAA championships.
“You can make statement wins at any time,” said Brands, who picked up his 100th Big Ten dual meet win. “Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Just got to keep getting better as you go forward.
“Peaking is a mindset.”
“Doesn’t matter if it’s December 1 or March 1, you go out there and you’re going to compete the same way,” said 165-pounder Alex Marinelli, who scored a takedown with 26 seconds left to defeat Evan Wick, 4-2. “Every match counts, every match matters.”
The Hawkeyes (3-0) won nine of the 10 matches. Wisconsin had just three takedowns in the meet, and those didn’t come until the final four weights.
Iowa’s only loss came at 184, when Cash Wilcke lost to Johnny Sebastian, 7-5,
Iowa has allowed just nine points in its dual wins over Chattanooga, Iowa State and the Badgers.
This win was especially impressive.
Austin DeSanto, the No. 2-ranked wrestler at 133, defeated top-ranked Seth Gross, 6-2. Marinelli came in ranked No. 2 and was able to get another win over Wick, who is No. 3 in the class. Heavyweight Tony Cassioppi defeated No. 2-ranked Trent Hillger, 3-2.
“Big matches,” said Brands. “Not perfect, of course. This is a sport where perfect doesn’t happen.”
The meet started with Spencer Lee’s technical fall over Michael Cullen, 16-0.
Then DeSanto scored two second-period takedowns to defeat Gross.
“Scoring points is good. It’s what you want to do,” DeSanto said. “The big thing is with Terry telling me to stay on my attack be ready for anything and just go out there let loose and be calm. That’s what I did, and it worked.”
The energy from DeSanto’s win sparked the Hawkeyes.
“He stayed on his attack, and I thought that’s what I needed to do,” Marinelli said. “You feed off great energy.
“When they win like that, you want to do the same thing.”
DeSanto has been working on controlling his emotions, and it showed in his steady win.
“I work on it every day,” he said. “It’s just something you work on — you get better at it, and then you keep getting better at it. Just expect things, do it right, and the outcome is what it is.”
“You try, and then there’s results,” Brands said. “You have to admit, fan or not, that there’s progress there. He’s open-minded and receptive, and he knew he had to get better in that area. He’s definitely come a long, long way in a year and six months, or whatever it is.”
Max Murin (141), Pat Lugo (149) and Kaleb Young (157) all had decisions to push Iowa’s lead to 17-0.
Then Marinelli came up with his win, the fourth one in five matches against Wick. Wick’s only points came on two escapes.
“Marinelli’s been a wall to that guy in his career,” Brands said. “I’m not trying to put gasoline on the fire there, I have a lot of respect for Wick.”
“It’s going out there, imposing your will on your opponent, and showing you are the toughest man in the country,” Marinelli said.
Iowa’s Michael Kemerer, ranked No. 3 at 174, pinned Jared Krattinger in 5:47.
Wilcke and Sebastian were tied at 4 heading into overtime. Neither scored in the first sudden victory period, then each had an escape in the two tiebreaker periods. Sebastian’s takedown with :37 left was the winner.
Iowa’s Jacob Warner decisioned Taylor Watkins, 5-2, at 197. Then Cassioppi finished the match, getting an early takedown, and then opening the second period with an escape.
Cassioppi, a redshirt freshman, is 3-0 to start the season.
“He knows that there’s more fish to try,” Brands said. “If you want a little bit of a glimpse into our heavyweight, that sums it up pretty good.”
It sums up the Hawkeyes as well. Just look at the calendar.