Iowa wins 8-of-10 to extend winning streak to 11 over Iowa State

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team made it 11 in a row over Iowa State on Saturday night, topping the 15th-ranked Cyclones, 28-8, on Mediacom Mat at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“It was workman-like, I think it was a little ho-hum,” said UI head coach Tom Brands. “We left some team points off the board because we’re not capitalizing on major decision opportunities. You have to score eight to get a major and you do that by getting the ball rolling earlier.”

The Hawkeyes (4-0) won the first five matches, 8-of-10 overall, and got bonus points from Sammy Brooks and Bobby Telford to retain possession of the Dan Gable Trophy.

Telford earned takedowns in the first and second periods, building a 5-0 lead before turning Quean Smith and earning a fall with 1:24 left. He has seven pins in seven matches this year.

“Telford was very patient,” said Brands. “He had an opportunity with the leg in the air, finished, did it again. Very patient, not so scattered and then slow the rest of the match, it was very well wrestled. Very patient and mature, like he’s on a mission.”

Brooks earned his first major decision of the season by scoring eight points in the final 2:10. He scored an escape, takedown, and two nearfall points in the second period, and added a second takedown and 1:51 of riding time to defeat 18th-ranked Lelund Weatherspoon, 9-1.

Iowa built a 15-0 lead at intermission with five consecutive decisions. Thomas Gilman kicked it off at 125, recording a pair of takedowns and 1:41 of riding time to defeat Kyle Larson, 6-1.

“I needed to pick up the pace,” said Gilman. “He just tied me up, so I have got to pick up my pace.

“They’ were trying to keep it close and we have to go out there and put pressure on them, open them up and be physical. We (were) not opening them up enough and maybe we weren’t ready enough for these guys to come in here and just keep it close.”

Cory Clark followed Gilman with an 8-3 win over returning All-American Earl Hall at 133. Hall fired first with a takedown at 1:36, but by the end of the first period Clark erased his deficit, grabbed a 3-2 lead, and saw Hall get dinged for stalling. Clark opened the second period with an escape, and finished a takedown seven seconds before the start of the third. He tacked on 1:24 of riding time to improve to 9-0 all-time at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“I feel like I wrestled to be comfortable and get the win instead of get myself a little uncomfortable and widen the gap to really dominate the match, which is what I’m about,” said Clark. “I might have maybe been a little tired out there but that’s something that I can wrestle through. I just needed to get tougher.”

Josh Dziewa used two takedowns and two nearfall points to defeat Dante Rodriguez, 9-2, at 141.

Brandon Sorensen held on for a 7-6 win at 149 in his Carver-Hawkeye Arena debut. Sorensen led, 2-0, 15 seconds into the match and 4-1 after the first period, but Gabe Moreno closed the gap and evened the score, 6-6, with a takedown in the final minute. Sorensen escaped with 0:41 left to get the win.

Michael Kelly had the Hawkeyes batting 5-for-5 when he reversed Luke Goettl in the final minute, picked up three nearfall points, and rode Goettl out in the third period to win 11-6. It was Kelly’s first win in three Cy-Hawk appearances.

“I was a little bit more active this match,” said Kelly. “I think I can turn it up even more. A match like that doesn’t have to be that close, where it comes down to the last 30 seconds, I have got to widen the margins a little bit and pick my pace up and not hang in positions.”

Mike Evans won his third straight Cy-Hawk matchup against sixth-ranked Tanner Weatherspoon. Evans scored takedowns in the first and second periods and finished with a 7-4 win. He improved to 27-2 all-time at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Cyclones (4-1) picked up wins at 165 and 197. Third-ranked Mike Moreno topped sixth-ranked Nick Moore, 6-3, and third-ranked Kyven Gadson pinned Kris Klapprodt in 5:31.

The Hawkeyes return to the mat Saturday, Dec. 6 hosting Michigan State on Mediacom Mat at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“There are going to be some fireworks in that dual,” said Brands. “We have to keep getting better and be ready to go.”

Notes: Attendance was 11,882, the 24th largest dual wrestling crowd in Carver-Hawkeye Arena history… Iowa retains possession of the Dan Gable Trophy… the Hawkeyes have won 11 straight in the series, including the last five meetings since the inception of the Dan Gable Trophy (2010)… head coach Tom Brands earned his 150th career win at Iowa (150-15-1)… Cory Clark is 9-0 all-time at Carver-Hawkeye Arena… Bobby Telford has pinned all seven opponents this season, he has one win via medial forfeit.

Iowa 28, Iowa State 8
125 – #4 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) dec. Kyle Larson (Iowa State), 6-1; 3-0
133 – #4 Cory Clark (Iowa) dec. #14 Earl Hall (Iowa State), 8-3; 6-0
141 – #6 Josh Dziewa (Iowa) dec. Dante Rodriguez (Iowa State), 9-2; 9-0
149 – Brandon Sorenson (Iowa) dec. Gabe Moreno (Iowa State), 7-6; 12-0
157 – Michael Kelly (Iowa) dec. Luke Goettl (Iowa State), 11-6; 15-0
165 – #3 Michael Moreno (Iowa State) dec. #5 Nick Moore (Iowa), 6-3; 15-3
174 – #4 Mike Evans (Iowa) dec. #6 Tanner Weatherman (Iowa State), 7-4; 18-3
184 – #9 Sammy Brooks (Iowa) major dec. #18 Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State), 9-1; 22-3
197 – #3 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) pinned Kris Klapprodt (Iowa), 5:31; 22-8 *
285 – #3 Bobby Telford (Iowa) pinned Quean Smith (Iowa State), 5:36; 28-8
*Iowa State was deducted one team point following the 197 pound match