EVANSTON, Ill. -- The University of Iowa wrestling team won three individual titles and scored a tournament-record 187.5 points to win the 51st annual Midlands Championships on Monday night.
Thomas Gilman (125), Derek St. John (157), and Mike Evans (174) each won their first career Midlands titles as the Hawkeyes won their record 23rd Midlands team championship. Iowa placed 14 wrestlers in the top eight, including 10 inside the top three.
Gilman scored takedowns in the first and second periods to defeat defending Midlands Champion Jarrod Garnett, 6-1, in the 125-pound finals.
St. John used three takedowns and a reversal to defeat Indiana's Taylor Walsh, 9-3, at 157. St. John extended his winning streak to a career-best 24 matches, and stopped Walsh's streak of consecutive falls at 15.
Evans built a 5-0 lead before closing the 174-pound finals with a half-nelson at 2:15. Evans pinned three opponents and scored two major decisions en route to the tournament title.
The Hawkeyes' 187.5 team points broke their previous record of 185, set in 2007. Edinboro placed a distant second with 102.5 points, and Michigan (84), Illinois (83), and Northern Iowa (70.5) rounded out the top five.
Tony Ramos (133), Nick Moore (165), Ethen Lofthouse (174), and Bobby Telford (285) each finished runner-up at their respective weight class.
Josh Dziewa won a 3-1 decision in the 141-pound third-place match, and Brandon Sorensen topped Brody Grothus, 4-2, for third place at 149. Nathan Burak placed third at 197, and Sammy Brooks (184) and Cory Clark (125) each placed sixth.
Iowa returns to action Jan. 3 at Purdue. The Hawkeyes host Michigan State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 4 at 7 p.m. (CT). Visit hawkeyesports.com or call the UI Athletic Ticket Office (800-IA-HAWKS) for ticket information.
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