ISU senior All-Americans Michael Moreno (165) and Kyven Gadson (197) closed out their final dual matches with a pair of pins on Senior Day. Tanner Weatherman (174) and Dante Rodriguez (141) also recorded pins to give the Cyclones their 14th-straight victory over Wisconsin.
Gabe Moreno recorded the first Cyclone points with a 6-0 victory over Rylan Lubeck at 149 pounds. Moreno used takedowns in the first and third periods en route to his 25th win of the season.
One of the marquee matchups was at 165 pounds, as ISU’s third-ranked Moreno took on UW’s No. 2 Isaac Jordan. Jordan picked up the first-period takedown and began the second period with a 2-1 lead after a Moreno escape. Jordan chose down to open the period and it appeared Moreno was going to ride him out for the two minutes. However, after a stalemate and restart, Moreno turned Jordan and got him on his back where he kept him there to pick up the fall at 4:26. It was great way for the senior to end his dual career as a Cyclone.
Weatherman made it back-to-back pins for the Cyclones by registering the fall at the 4:05 mark in the 174-pound bout. Weatherman gave up an early takedown to Frank Cousins, but then took a 4-2 lead early in the second period with a takedown and a pair of escapes. Weatherman then put Cousins on his back with a double-leg takedown late in the second period to notch the pin.
ISU’s Lelund Weatherspoon narrowly lost to Ricky Robertson at 184 pounds, 5-4. Weatherspoon tied the match at 4-4 in the third period with a reversal, but couldn’t tack on a final-minute takedown to get the victory.
No. 2 Gadson (197 pounds) went out on top in his final dual match as a Cyclone. Holding a 7-3 lead in the third period, Gadson threw Timmy McCall with a double underhook and registered the fall at the 6:12 mark. It was Gadson’s 43rd-straight dual victory and his 10th pin of the season.
Kyle Larson tallied a 5-2 victory at 125 pounds over Johnny Jimenez. Larson went ahead 5-2 with a takedown with 0:33 seconds left in the second period. He then rode Jimenez out the final two minutes to notch the win.
The other match featuring highly-ranked opponents was at 133 pounds with No. 3 Earl Hall (ISU) vs. No. 7 Ryan Taylor (UW). After a scoreless first period, Hall recorded the reversal after choosing down to open the second period. An escape by Taylor tied the match at 2-2 and then Taylor got the only takedown with 1:05 left in the match to grab the 4-3 victory over Hall.
Dante Rodriguez secured ISU’s fourth pin of the afternoon by sticking Jesse Thielke at 2:11. Thielke took an early lead, but Rodriguez threw Thielke and kept him there to notch the fall.
Iowa State will play host to the 2015 Big 12 Wrestling Championship, March 7 in Hilton Coliseum.
Match Results
149: Gabe Moreno (ISU) dec. Rylan Lubeck (UW), 6-0: ISU 3, UW 0
157: T.J. Ruschell (UW) maj. dec. Luke Goettl (ISU), 14-6: ISU 3, UW 4
165: Michael Moreno (ISU) wbf Isaac Jordan (UW), 4:26: ISU 9, UW 4
174: Tanner Weatherman (ISU) wbf Frank Cousins (UW), 4:05: ISU 15, UW 4
184: Ricky Robertson (UW) dec. Lelund Weatherspoon (ISU), 5-4: ISU 15, UW 7
197: Kyven Gadson (ISU) wbf Timmy McCall (UW), 6:12: ISU 21, UW 7
HWT: Connor Medbery (UW) wbf Joe Scanlan (ISU), 2:42: ISU 21, UW 13
125: Kyle Larson (ISU) dec. Johnny Jimenez (UW), 5-2: ISU 24, UW 13
133: Ryan Taylor (UW) dec. Earl Hall (ISU), 4-3: ISU 24, UW 16
141: Dante Rodriguez (ISU) wbf Jesse Thielke (UW), 2:11: ISU 30-16
Final Score: Iowa State 30, Wisconsin 16
