Iowa went 8-2 in the dual in front of 2,578 fans at the UW Field House, scoring team bonus points in three matches and allowing a total of four takedowns. Hawkeye seniors Brent Metcalf (149 - 29-0), Jay Borschel (174 - 28-0) and Dan Erekson (Hwt. - 8-0), and redshirt freshman Matt McDonough (125 - 29-0) all posted wins to remain undefeated on the season. The win was also the 30th Big Ten victory for Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands.
Iowa jumped out to a 19-0 lead with wins at the first five weights. McDonough started the dual at 125 with a 10-1 win over Drew Hammen to record his 11th major decision of the season. Leading 4-1 after the first period, McDonough scored a reversal with 10 seconds left in the second period to take a 6-1 lead. He then added three nearfall points in the third and a point for riding time for the 10-1 win, which was his 22nd bonus-point victory of the season. Hawkeye senior Daniel Dennis, who is ranked between third and seventh in the nation, used 1:52 of riding time to score a 2-1 win over #5 Tyler Graff at 133. The Badger redshirt freshman escaped with less than 10 seconds left in the second period to take a 1-0 lead, but Dennis followed with a third-period escape and kept his riding time intact for the win. At 141, sophomore Montell Marion gave up Iowa's first takedown of the dual, but responded with an eight-point third period to beat Wisconsin's Cole Schmitt, 11-4. The 149-pound bout between the top-ranked Metcalf and #5 Kyle Ruschell was one of the dual's marquee match-ups, but Wisconsin forfeited to give Iowa a 16-0 lead. It was the 25th time in 29 bouts that Metcalf scored extra team points for the Hawkeyes. Iowa junior Jake Kerr scored two first-period takedowns in his 157-pound match with Greg Burke, and held on for the 6-5 win.
After the intermission, fourth-ranked Hawkeye senior Ryan Morningstar could not pull off the upset over top-ranked Badger Andrew Howe at 165. After a scoreless first period, Howe scored an escape to take a 1-0 lead. Morningstar, who is now 0-4 against the defending Big Ten Champion and NCAA runner-up, chose the down position to start the third period. Howe, who improved to 28-0 on the season and snapped Morningstar's eight-match winning streak, held the Hawkeye senior down until he accumulated 1:04 of riding time. He then released Morningstar to tie the score at 1-1, but Howe's riding time point gave him the victory.
Borschel stopped any chance of a Badger run with his 4:26 pin of Brendan Ard at 174. The Hawkeye senior was close to the fall in the first period, but had to settle for a takedown and three nearfall points to take a 5-0 lead. After a neutral start to the second period, Borschel scored another takedown and then turned Ard to collect his ninth pin and 19th bonus-point win of the season.
Hawkeye senior Phillip Keddy followed a 184 with a 4-3 decision over Badger Travis Rutt to give Iowa a 28-3 lead. Rutt scored an early takedown in the first period, but Keddy quickly escaped and scored a takedown of his own for a 3-2 lead. Rutt escaped after starting the second period in the down position to tie the score at 3-3, but Keddy's escape in the third period have him the 4-3 win.
Wisconsin scored its second and final victory of the night at 197 when junior Trevor Brandvold, who is ranked between fifth and seventh in the nation, recorded a 4-2 victory over Hawkeye junior Luke Lofthouse. Lofthouse scored an early takedown, but Brandvold followed with an escape and takedown to take a 3-2 lead. Brandvold added a second-period escape and held off Lofthouse's third-period takedown attempts for the win. Erekson closed out the dual with a 3-2 decision over Badger heavyweight Eric Bugenhagen.
Iowa will wrestle for its third straight and 34th overall conference team title March 6-7 at the 2010 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. The event will be held at the University of Michigan's Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor. Session One (first round and quarterfinals) is set to start Saturday at 10 a.m. (CT). Session Two (championship semifinals and consolation matches) will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. Sunday's Session Three (consolation semifinals and seventh-place matches) will start at 11 a.m., with the championships round (first, third and fifth-place matches) starting at 1:05 p.m. The championships round will be aired live on the Big Ten Network. All-session tickets ($30) are available from the University of Michigan Athletic Ticket Office (734-764-0247 or www.MGoBlue.com/tickets). Single-session tickets will be on sale at Crisler Arena at the event.
Results:
125 - Matt McDonough (I) maj. dec. Drew Hammen (W), 10-1
133 - Daniel Dennis (I) dec. Tyler Graff (W), 2-1
141 - Montell Marion (I) dec. Cole Schmitt (W), 11-4
149 - Brent Metcalf (I) won by forfeit
157 - Jake Kerr (I) dec. Greg Burke (W), 6-5
165 - Andrew Howe (W) dec. Ryan Morningstar (I), 2-1
174 - Jay Borschel (I) pinned Brendan Ard (W), 4:26
184 - Phillip Keddy (I) dec. Travis Rutt (W), 4-3
197 - Trevor Brandvold (W) dec. Luke Lofthouse (I), 4-2
Hwt. - Dan Erekson (I) dec. Eric Bugenhagen (W), 3-2
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