MADISON, Wisconsin — The University of Iowa wrestling team won nine-of-10 bouts to defeat Wisconsin, 31-3, on Friday night at the Kohl Center. Iowa held a 32-4 advantage on takedowns and outscored the Badgers 88-37 in match points to improve to 11-0 overall and 5-0 in the Big Ten.
Iowa won the first seven matches and led 18-0 at intermission. Nathan Burak led off the dual with 20-7 major decision at 197, and Thomas Gilman used nine takedowns and two nearfall points to earn his team-best fourth technical fall, 23-7.
Sam Stoll scored a takedown in the first 15 seconds and held on for a 3-1 win at 285, and Cory Clark won, 7-3, in the only match featuring two top 10 wrestlers. Clark is ranked third, Ryan Taylor is ranked seventh.
“I have to continue to move and get my angels and I feel like I did a pretty good job of that,” Clark said. “Obviously, there is room for improvement.”
Topher Carton won his third straight Big Ten match before the break. Carton won a 4-2 decision, but he controlled the pace the entire match and scored in the final 20 seconds of the first and second periods.
“I felt like I was in good control,” Carton said, “but I’m not pushing the pace and feeling when they’re ready to break. The high crotch I hit off the underhook, I didn’t hold it. I hit the underhook and scored with it. I just have to keep building off that and keeping the attack going.”
The Hawkeyes came out of intermission with a pair of wins from Brandon Sorensen and Edwin Cooper, Jr., at 149 and 157 to build a 24-0 lead.
Wisconsin finally got on the board at 165 when defending Big Ten champion Isaac Jordan defeated Patrick Rhoads, 6-1. The match snapped Iowa’s streak of 21 straight wins dating back to its win at Illinois on Jan. 8.
Alex Meyer and Sammy Brooks closed the scoring. Meyer defeated No. 19 Ricky Robertson , 2-0, and Brooks scored four takedowns and two nearfall to finish a 14-6 major decision.
“We have guys that love to compete and guys who love to wrestle,” said UI head coach Tom Brands. “They come in, they go on the road, wherever it is, they love to wrestle. We’re at home next against Purdue and then we have a tough test at Nebraska a week from Sunday, so we have to get better.”
Iowa returns to the mat Friday, Jan. 22 hosting Purdue at 8 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Prior to the dual, the United States women’s freestyle team will hold a special wrestle-off at Carver-Hawkeye Arena to determine four rosters spots for the Pan-American Games.
NOTES: Attendance was 2,571… it marked just the second NCAA wrestling dual in the history of the Kohl Center… Iowa has won 12 straight conference road duals… The Hawkeyes are 5-0 in the Big Ten for the sixth time under Tom Brands… Iowa’s returning All-Americans improved to 60-1… Gilman improved to 15-0 with 13 wins by bonus points, his 15-match win streak matches a career high and his four technical falls lead the team… Cory Clark improved to 4-1 against ranked opponents… Burak has won a career-best 15 straight matches with nine matches by major decision.
#2 Iowa 31, Wisconsin 3
197 — #3 Nathan Burak (IA) dec. Eric Peissig (UW), 20-7; 4-0
285 — #8 Sam Stoll (IA) dec. Brock Horwarth (UW), 3-1; 7-0
125 — #2 Thomas Gilman (IA) tech. fall Johnny Jimenez (UW), 23-7; 12-0
133 — #3 Cory Clark (IA) dec. #7 Ryan Taylor (UW), 7-3; 15-0
141 — Topher Carton (IA) dec. Gabe Grahek (UW), 4-2; 18-0
149 — #2 Brandon Sorensen (IA) dec. Andrew Crone (UW), 6-3; 21-0
157 — #16 Edwin Cooper, Jr. (IA) dec. T.J. Ruschell (UW), 8-2; 24-0
165 — #3 Isaac Jordan (UW) dec. Patrick Rhoads (IA), 6-1; 24-3
174 — #12 Alex Meyer (IA) dec. #19 Ricky Robertson (UW), 2-0; 27-3
184 — #8 Sammy Brooks (IA) major dec. Ryan Christiansen (UW), 14-6; 31-3
Team Records:
Iowa: 11-0, 5-0
Wisconsin: 1-4, 0-3
Post dual comments from the Hawkeyes in Wisconsin: https://t.co/XfS5F3QrTa
— Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling (@Hawks_Wrestling) January 16, 2016
