EVANSTON, Ill. – The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team crowned a champion in Matt McDonough at 125 pounds and had four runner-up finishes in rolling to its record 22nd Midlands Championships Friday at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Iowa sent five wrestlers into the finals and rolled up 152 points. The Hawkeyes had 11 placewinners and compiled a combined 60-26 match record in the two-day tournament.
Host Northwestern finished second with 105 1/2 points and led the way with two champions.
Illinois took sixth with 73 points and had three third-place finishers.
Iowa State finished eighth with 62 1/2 points and had four placewinners.
Northern Iowa tied for 16th with 41 1/2 points and had two placewinners.
Wartburg, the top-ranked team in NCAA Division III, had a pair of placewinners. Byron Tate took sixth at 197, while John Helgeson finished fourth at heavyweight.
McDonough earned his second Midlands title in three years, pinning eighth-seeded Jarrod Garnett of Virginia Tech in the 125-pound finals. McDonough fell behind 2-0 in the opening period before rebounding and building a 7-4 lead heading into the second period. He then put Garnett on his back with a headlock and finished the fall with 58 seconds remaining in the second period. The pin was McDonough’s second of the tournament. He also added a major decision among his five victories en route to the tournament title.
Four other Hawkeyes advanced to the finals but had to settle for second place finishes. Tony Ramos (133) and Bobby Telford (heavyweight) each dropped overtime decisions in their respective finals. Ramos gave up a takedown in the first sudden-victory period against Virginia Tech’s No. 2 seed Devin Carter. Telford was called for locked hands in the second tiebreaker and was unable to escape top-seeded Jarod Trice of Central Michigan in the heavyweight finals. Both losses were the first of the season for Ramos (15-1) and Telford (14-1).
Montell Marion (141) and Ethen Lofthouse (174) also dropped decisions in their respective finals. Marion, the nation’s top-ranked 141-pounder, fell 5-3 to Kendrick Maple of Oklahoma, the tournament’s No. 3 seed. Lofthouse fell to Northwestern’s fifth-seeded Lee Munster, 7-3, in the 174-pound finals. Marion’s loss was his first of the season (14-1).
The top-ranked Hawkeyes return to the mat Friday at Indiana. Iowa will put its 83-dual unbeaten streak on the line against the Hoosiers at 6 p.m. inside University Gym.
Team scores
1. Iowa, 152; 2. Northwestern, 105 1/2; 3. Oklahoma, 94 1/2; 4. Virginia Tech, 76 1/2; 5. Edinboro, 74 1/2; 6. Illinois, 73; 7. Lehigh, 63 1/2; 8. Iowa State, 62 1/2; 9. Maryland, 51; 10. Purdue, 48; tie 16. Northern Iowa, 41 1/2.
Championship matches
125 – Matt McDonough (Iowa) pinned Jarrod Garrett (VT), 4:02. 133 – Devin Carter (VT) dec. Tony Ramos (Iowa), 6-4 (SV1). 141 – Kendric Maple (Okla.) dec. Montell Marion (Iowa), 5-3. 149 – Jake Patacsil (Notre Dame) maj. dec. Mario Mason (Rutgers), 10-2. 157 – Jason Welch (NW) dec. Ganbayor Sanjaa (American), 4-2. 165 – Steve Fittery (DC Athletic Club) maj. dec. Pete Yates (VT), 12-4. 174 – Lee Munster (NW) dec. Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa), 7-3. 184 – .Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) dec. Ben Bennett (Central Michigan), 5-2 197 – Chris Honeycutt (Edinboro) dec. Micah Burak (Penn), 4-0. Hwt – Jarod Trice (C.Michigan) dec. Bobby Telford (Iowa), 3-2 (TB2).
Iowa placewinners
125 – 1. McDonough. 133 – 2. Ramos; 4. Tyler Clark. 141 – 2. Marion. 149 – 4. Mike Kelly. 157 – 7. Nick Moore. 165 – 7. Mike Evans. 174 – 2. Lofthouse. 184 – 7. Vinnie Wagner. 197 – 7. Grant Gambrall. Hwt – 2. Telford.
Iowa State placewinners
141 – 6. Luke Goetti. 165 – 5. Andrew Sorenson. 174 – 5. Tanner Weatherman; 8. Mikey England. Hwt – 3. Matt Gibson.
Northern Iowa placewinners
133 – 7. Joe Colon. 184 – 3. Ryan Loder.
