The Iowa wrestling team captured their third straight Big Ten title on Sunday at the Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The Hawkeyes finished with 156.5 team points, throttling second place Minnesota, who ended with 119.5. Wisconsin finished third with 109 points.

The Hawkeyes had six grapplers in the finals, but only two – 174-pounder Jay Borschel and heavyweight Dan Erekson – won titles.

Matt McDonough (125), Daniel Dennis (133), Brent Metcalf (149), and Phillip Keddy (184) all finished second, while Montell Marion (141) took third place. Jake Kerr (157) and Ryan Morningstar (165) finished fourth, and Chad Beatty (197) placed fifth.

- By J.T. Bugos

For more coverage of Big Ten Wrestling Championships, check out Monday’s edition of The Daily Iowan.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Big Ten Wrestling Championships: More dramatic than The Notebook.
More dramatic than that time you broke up with your girlfriend for the fourth time, and she didn’t want to let you go.

The drama reached its peak, fittingly, in Iowa’s final match of the day.

Hawkeye heavyweight Dan Erekson was nursing a 2-1 lead over Penn State’s Cameron Wade when the referee blew his whistle, allowing Erekson to replace his fallen headgear. A solid three seconds after the shrill sound echoed through a relatively quiet arena, Wade took a shot to Erekson’s lower leg.

Erekson went down hard. The senior hit the mat in a way that a knee injury would have surprised no one (don’t worry folks, the Danimal is still in tip-top shape).

The Iowa bench, however, did not go down.

Head coach Tom Brands might have set a new NFL Combine record if someone had measured his jump to the center of the mat.

Brands was furious, and rightly so. Wade took a cheap shot and could have seriously injured Erekson.
The presence of Penn State headman Cael Sanderson (always annoying to see in person – I think he might use 8 pounds of dome wax) didn’t help the situation. Sanderson threw some verbal jabs at Brands for his outburst, further enraging the Iowa coach.

After the match, Brands said he wasn’t going to talk about the incident (he almost didn’t talk to the media at all he was so peeved), and I wouldn’t have blamed him.

Brands is a fiery, emotional coach, and speaking about the incident so soon could have only caused problems. Most of those problems, though, would have been for Sanderson if he crossed paths with Brands again.

The fourth-year head coach could have taken down a grizzly bear judging by how amped up he was.
Erekson played the incident off, finishing the match and getting himself into the finals.

But the drama was not limited to the coaches.

Dan Dennis’ match with defending Big Ten champion Franklin Gomez almost put the arena into collective cardiac arrest.

The two 133-pounders were locked in a 2-2 tie late in the third period, but Gomez held riding time advantage. With 20 seconds left, Dennis struck for a two-point takedown, giving him a 4-2 lead and eliminating riding time.

After a restart to the center of the mat, Gomez initiated a mind-boggling scramble that had the Hawkeye and Spartan flipping over each other at warp speed. Gomez ended up on top for a reversal, but Dennis soon was back in control.

The Hawkeyes’ reversal was signaled, but eventually taken away because the match was ruled to have ended. Lost in all the scrapping was a hand-locking call that gave Dennis a 5-4 victory.

The match-ending scramble was nothing I’d ever seen. Dennis and Gomez had an incredible match earlier this year (Dennis won that in the first tiebreak period, 3-2), but this was rapid fire muscles putting on a clinic.

Not to be outdone, 197-pounder Chad Beatty and Minnesota’s Sonny Yohn decided to go extra time.
Beatty trailed the Golden Gopher deep into the third period, but scored a takedown with 15 seconds left to tie up the score, 6-6.

An overtime period yielded no scoring, and a tiebreaker ensued. Yohn started down in the first tiebreak period, but could never escape Beatty’s grasp.

But a locking hands call gave Yohn a 7-6 lead he wouldn’t relinquish in the second half of the tiebreak.
Beatty was upset at the hand-locking call and the fact that Yohn wasn’t called for stalling after repeatedly resisting the action.

The senior from Wilton, Iowa who had come back from a foot injury, battled through two highly contested matches and deserved a trip to the finals.

In the end, though, Iowa sends six wrestlers to the finals, and holds a 32.5-point advantage heading into the final session.

If Saturday’s matches were any indication of things to come, I just might have to bring my defibrillator.

— by J.T. Bugos

Click to view photo slideshow (16 photos) ---------

Rachel Jessen/The Daily Iowan - Hawkeye 197-pounder Chad Beatty wrestles Ohio State's Cody Magrum during a quarter-final match at the Big Ten wrestling championship in Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor, MI on Saturday, Mar. 6, 2010. No. 1 Beatty defeated No. 8 Magrum, 6-0.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — All 10 Iowa wrestlers remain in contention for a conference title after the first session at the Big Ten Championships, scoring 93 team points in the process. Penn State is second with 59 points.

Not only are the Hawkeyes still in the mix, but they dominated the competition with nine out of 15 wins earning the team bonus points.

“We’re in a good spot right now. We have to keep it going,” Iowa head coach Tom Brands said. “We’re 15-for-15 on matches. The next step is 10-for-10.”

Iowa had five wrestlers drawn into pigtail matches, and all five won with extra points.

Hawkeye 125-pounder Matt McDonough and 174-pounder Jay Borschel both won by fall – McDonough in 4:33, and Borschel in 3:53.

The other three victories came by major decision. Montell Marion (141) won, 14-5, over Michigan’s Mark Weber. Iowa 165-pounder Ryan Morningstar beat Jason Martin of Purdue, 8-0, and heavyweight Dan Erekson took down another Boilermaker, David Pisarcik, 9-1.

Rachel Jessen/The Daily Iowan - Hawkeye 157-pounder Jake Kerr wrestles Ohio State's Sean Nemec during the quarter-finals of Big Ten wrestling championships. No. 4 Kerr defeated No. 5 Nemec, 5-3.

The quarterfinal matches brought 10 more Iowa wins, starting with McDonough’s 13-5 major decision win over Illinois’ John Deneen. The redshirt freshman remains undefeated on the season.

At 133 pounds, Dan Dennis shut out Ohio State’s Ian Paddock, 4-0. Dennis will face defending Big Ten and national champion Franklin Gomez in his semifinal match. Dennis beat Gomez in their only match this season, 3-2, in the first tiebreak period.

Marion’s quarterfinal win over Purdue’s Juan Archuleta, 7-5, earned him a grudge match with Minnesota’s Mike Thorn. Thorn pinned Marion at the National Duals, but Marion responded with a 15-7 major decision victory over the Golden Gopher in their Big Ten regular-season matchup.

At 149 pounds Brent Metcalf squared off with Purdue’s Nick Bertucci, who earlier in the year had kneed the Hawkeye in the face. Metcalf quickly put the Boilermaker back in his place, winning by pin in 1:08.

After a gut decision by Iowa head coach Tom Brands Friday morning, Jake Kerr took the mat for Iowa at 157 pounds. Kerr rewarded his coach’s decision by beating Ohio State’s Sean Nemec, 5-3. Kerr will face top-seeded Colton Salazar of Purdue later today.

Morningstar followed his early morning victory with a 3-0 win over Minnesota’s Cody Yohn. The senior will battle Ohio State’s Colt Sponseller in his semifinal match. Morningstar managed only an escape in defeating the Buckeye in their regular season matchup.

At 174 pounds, Jay Borschel kept his perfect record intact. Borschel won by decision over Michigan’s Justin Zeerip, 2-0.

“[Borschel] wrestled smart, even though I think he can go more,” Tom Brands said. “He’s got to get more real penetration against a guy like that. So there’s some points left on the mat, but when you win 15 in a row you’re doing something right.”

Phillip Keddy (184) showed the explosiveness he sometimes lacked this season in his victory over Minnesota’s Kaleb Young. Keddy scored six takedowns in his 14-4 win. He will face Penn State’s Dave Erwin, who beat the Hawkeye earlier in this season, 6-4.

Chad Beatty returned to the lineup for the first time since the Midland Championships on Dec. 30, beating Ohio State’s Cody Magrum, 6-0. The 197-pounder had surgery to repair his Lisfranc joint after his victory over Wisconsin’s Trevor Brandvold.

Matside for Beatty’s match, Iowa assistant coach Terry Brands said the wrestler wasn’t bothered by his foot.

“That was a match that was fairly contested and went the whole time,” Terry Brands said. “He scored a takedown early and got his near-fall, and then it was kind of a ride, and he got a good burn. I think he looks good. His shape is good, and he feels good about it.”

Tom Brands said Beatty’s performance was “gutsy and tough,” but noted there is still plenty of wrestling to go. The fourth-year head coach said Beatty might have surprised himself a little bit with his strong performance, but thinks his grappler has more to give.

Dan Erekson also emerged from Session I with his unbeaten record still in place. The heavyweight pinned Michigan State’s Alan O’Donnell in 1:17 in his quarterfinal match.

Session II starts tonight at 6 p.m. Competition will go through the championship semifinals and up to the consolation semifinals.

- By J.T. Bugos

Pigtail Matches

125 – No. 2 Matt McDonough (I) pinned Brenan Lyon (MSU), 4:33

141 – No. 3 Montell Marion (I) major dec. Mark Weber (MICH), 14-5

165 – No. 2 Ryan Morningstar (I) major dec. Jason Martin (PU), 8-0

174 – No. 1 Jay Borschel (I) pinned Nick Avery (IND), 3:53

HWT – No. 2 Dan Erekson (I) major dec. David Pisarcik (PU), 9-1

Quarterfinal Matches

125 – No. 2 Matt McDonough (I) major dec. No. 7 John Deneen (ILL), 13-5

133 – No. 2 Daniel Dennis (I) dec. No. 7 Ian Paddock (OSU), 4-0

141 – No. 3 Montell Marion (I) dec. No. 6 Juan Archuleta (PU), 7-5

149 – No. 1 Brent Metcalf (I) pinned No. 8 Nick Bertucci (PU), 1:08

157 – No. 4 Jake Kerr (I) dec. No. 5 Sean Nemec (OSU), 5-3

165 – No. 2 Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. No. 7 Cody Yohn (MINN), 3-0

174 – No. 1 Jay Borschel (I) dec. No. 8 Justin Zeerip (MICH), 2-0

184 – No. 3 Phil Keddy (I) major dec. Kaleb Young (MINN), 14-4

197 – No. 1 Chad Beatty (I) dec. No. 8 Cody Magrum (OSU), 6-0

HWT – No. 2 Dan Erekson (I) pinned No. 8 Alan O’Donnell (MSU), 1:17

The Iowa wrestling team took no mercy on their first three opponents.

Nothing changed in the Hawkeyes’ fourth match.

Iowa recorded their third consecutive shutout in the Iowa City Duals, beating North Carolina Pembroke, 47-0, inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Redshirt freshman Matt McDonough (125), and seniors Daniel Dennis (133), Ryan Morningstar (165), and Phillip Keddy (184) all recorded technical fall.

Seniors Brent Metcalf (149) and Jay Borschel (174), along with sophomore Jordan Johnson (heavyweight), all recorded pins.

Also follow DI wrestling beat writers Ryan Young and J.T. Bugos on Twitter @rcyou and @jtbugos.

— by J.T. Bugos

The Iowa wrestling team displayed complete dominance  against the Cornell College Rams, winning 57-0 thanks to three technical falls and seven pins — five straight at one point.

At 125 pounds, redshirt freshman Matt McDonough opened with a technical fall against Ram sophomore Timothy Hood in 4:17.

Senior Daniel Dennis (133) followed McDonough’s lead, also winning by technical fall against Alex Hughes, 25-7.

At 141 pounds, senior Dan LeClere started Iowa’s five consecutive pin streak, downing Ram junior Kevin Donahue in 5:15 after jumping out to an 18-4 lead through two periods.

Brent Metcalf continued the Hawkeyes’ relentless pursuit of falls, pinning sophomore Jacob Schwebke in 4:35, giving Iowa two technical falls and two pins through the first four matches.

Junior Jake Kerr, not to be outdone, avenged his loss to Coe College earlier in the day by way of pin against sophomore Nicholas Loughlin in 5:54.

Senior Ryan Morningstar, who escaped with a 6-5 against Coe College’s Nick LeClere in his last match, posted Iowa’s fourth straight pin against senior Alex Riniker.

At 174 pounds senior Jay Borschel made quick work of Cliff Robertson with a pin in 1:35.

Phillip Keddy (184) broke the fall streak, but continued the domination, winning by technical fall against sophomore Andrew Roberts in 5:42.

At 197 pounds, senior Chad Beatty didn’t disappoint in his match, pinning Ram junior Robert Widmer in 2:31 for a sixth pin.

Heavyweight Jordan Johnson finished off the match with a pin of his own in 2:24.

Check The Daily Iowan throughout the day for more posts from the Iowa City Duals.

Also follow DI wrestling beat writers Ryan Young and J.T. Bugos on Twitter @rcyou and @jtbugos.

— by J.T. Bugos

The Iowa women’s golf team teed off play this morning at the Hawkeye Invitational, the team’s only home tournament.

After a first round score of 306, Iowa’s best mark of the season, the Hawkeyes sat in third place.

Freshman Kristi Cardwell led the team with an even-par score of 72, putting her in a tie for first place individually. Juniors Brianna Coopman, Laura Cilek, and Lauren Forbes also broke 80 with scores of 77, 78, and 79.

The second round of play was suspended due to darkness at roughly 6:20 p.m., leaving most of the Hawkeyes with a few holes left to play.

Cilek and sophomore Chelsea Harris currently have the low scores on the team at three over.

The Hawkeyes’ second-round play dropped them to fourth place, just one stroke behind third-place Missouri State and nine strokes behind leader Illinois.

“We had a really good first round, but we kind of struggled a little bit in the second round,” assistant coach John Owens said. “We have to get off to a great start tomorrow. There’s a couple teams in front of us we can catch, so hopefully we can do that and finish in the top three.”

The second round of play will resume Sunday at 9:00 a.m., followed by the third and final round.

— by J.T. Bugos

By J.T. Bugos
joseph-bugos@uiowa.edu
The Iowa women’s golf team traveled to Madison, Wis., for the Lady Northern Invitational on Sunday. After a disappointing first tournament in East Lansing, Mich., at the Mary Fossum Invitational, the Hawkeyes hoped to bounce back.
While the team didn’t meet expectations by placing in the top five, Iowa did show improvement.
Purdue won the Lady Northern by a wide margin, finishing with a three-round score of 865 (1 over). Ohio State and Michigan State tied for second with team scores of 878.
Iowa finished 12th out of 15 teams with a score of 939. The finish marked improvement from the first tournament — the Hawkeyes cut 25 strokes from their overall score.
“I feel really good about our improvements in play from our first tournament,” head coach Kelly Crawford said. “We did a much better job reaching greens, and that was due to our efforts in practice. Our scores were lower under much tougher conditions.”
The Hawkeyes started the first round on a rough note, Crawford said, and the team fell 14 strokes back through the first three holes. The team settled down, though, and finished in a tie for 13th place with a score of 314 (26 over). Iowa was led in the opening round by freshman Kristi Cardwell and junior Laura Cilek.
Cardwell posted a 76 (4 over), while Cilek carded a 77.
The team got off to a strong start in round two, Crawford said, but unfortunately, bad weather caused the second round to be suspended. No Iowa player had completed more than 10 holes before thunderstorms rolled in.
Play resumed the following morning, and the team completed round two with a score of 311. Senior Alison Cavanaugh was the lowest scorer with a 75, and sophomore Chelsea Harris shot a 77.
Round three resulted in an identical score to round one: 314. Harris and Cilek both had the low score for the round, carding 78s. Cardwell and junior Brianna Coopman finished right behind their teammates with 79s.
Harris said the wind on the second day was so strong, she was afraid to put her putter on the ground and have the wind move the ball and incur a penalty. While conditions were harsh, neither Harris nor Cilek used it as an excuse.
“The weather wasn’t the best for the two days, but we dealt with it, and I don’t think anyone let it bother her,” Cilek said. “We are faced with those conditions lots of times in practice, so I felt like we handled the wind and rain pretty well.”
The Lady Northern was a preview for the Big Ten championships in April 2010. While the Hawkeyes finished 10th out of the 11 Big Ten teams, they are still confident they can compete for the top spots by the end of the golf year.
“We saw that all the Big Ten teams are very good, but we also saw that even the best in the conference make mistakes,” Cilek said. “They just dealt with them better than we did. If we trust our game and accept the up and downs that come with a round, we will definitely be able to compete with the teams that finished at the top of the leaderboard this week.”