IOWA CITY – The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team swept 10 matches to blank visiting Michigan State, 37-0, Saturday night on Mediacom Mat at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The Hawkeyes recorded 32 takedowns, allowed only five, and scored bonus points in half their matches to win their 17th straight conference opener.
“That was what we wanted to do. We wanted to shut that team out,” said Mike Evans, who had one of Iowa’s two technical falls, “but we left points on the board. Some of the majors should have been techs, and we didn’t get a fall. That was a bummer.”
Evans scored 12 points in the final 1:32 to earn a 20-5 technical fall against Kevin Nash at 174. He led 8-2 after two periods before stringing together four takedowns and finishing the match with three nearfall points.
Iowa’s second technical fall belonged to Brody Grothus, who his intentions be known early, locking chests with Kaelen Richards off the whistle at 149.
“I went out there right off the bat and got to my tie,” said Grothus. “I wish I would have put him on his back there in the opening seconds, but I came out for two and kept building on that lead.”
Grothus added three nearfall points in the opening period, and rattled off eight points in the final frame, including a takedown with five seconds left to secure the 16-1 win.
“Coach kept talking about separation and separation comes from going out there and dominating your opponent,” said Grothus. “ I feel like I did that for seven minutes.”
Thomas Gilman opened the dual with an 18-6 major decision at 125, Bobby Telford closed with a 10-2 major decision at 285, and somewhere in between the Hawkeyes got a third major from Sammy Brooks at 184.
The 6,000-plus fans in attendance also got off their feet at 197, where Alex Meyer, who prior to today had not wrestled above 174 pounds this season, scored a takedown in the final minute to win 6-5.
“I knew a couple days ago that I was going,” said Meyer. “I just got ready, followed my routine, gave up an early take-down, but knew I could overcome it. Just like we talk about in practice, we can overcome a mistake, just coming back and getting out right away.”
The Hawkeyes also got decisions from Cory Clark (133), Topher Carton (141), Edwin Cooper (149), and Nick Moore (165).
”I think the pace, especially Evans, Brooks, and Meyer’s pace too, and then Telford getting the major,” said UI head coach Tom Brands.
“You just can’t let guys slow you down, and a little bit of hustle, we talk about it all the time with the in-and-out kind of stuff, and then guys start to fall down, but that’s because you make them fall down. That’s the important thing”
The Hawkeyes return to the mat Dec. 29-30 at the Midlands Championships in Evanston, Illinois.
