McDonough fell behind 2-0 in the opening period before rebounding and building a 7-4 lead heading into the second frame. 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 tonight's finals but had to settle for second place finishes. Tony Ramos (133) and Bobby Telford (Hwt.) 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).
Tyler Clark (133) earned a fourth place finish after falling to fourth-seeded B.J. Futrell of Illinois, 6-4, in the consolation finals. Clark finished the tournament with five wins in seven matches to record the highest Midlands finish of his career. He finished fifth last season.
Michael Kelly (149) recorded a 3-2 decision over Utah Valley's seventh-seeded Josh Wilson in the fifth-place match. Kelly, who entered the tournament unseeded, finished the championships with a 5-2 record that included a pin and a major decision.
The Hawkeyes finished the 49th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships with 11 place-winners and a combined 60-26 record.
The top-ranked Hawkeyes return to the mat Friday, Jan. 6, at Indiana. Iowa will put its 83-dual unbeaten streak on the line against the Hoosiers at 6 p.m. (CT) inside University Gym. The Hawkeyes then host Oklahoma State on Saturday, Jan. 7. The Cowboys visit Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 7 p.m. To purchase tickets, contact the UI Ticket Office at 800-IA-HAWKS or online at hawkeyesports.com. Admission is $13 for adults, $7 for children, and $2 for kids five and under.
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