ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Iowa won all three of its NCAA championship tie-in matches Sunday Morning.

Sophomore Montell Marion (141), junior Jake Kerr (157), and senior Ryan Morningstar (165) will all vie for third place at the Big Ten championships later today.

Both Marion and Kerr needed to win their first consolation bouts, while Morningstar only needed to place fifth or better.

Meanwhile, Iowa top-seeded 197-pounder Chad Beatty, who already qualified for the national meet, forfeited both of his consolation matches.

Marion earned his NCAA ticket with a 11-6 win against eighth-seeded 141-pounder Cole Schmitt of Wisconsin.

The Des Moines native broke a 6-6 tie with under 10 seconds to go in the third period on a takedown and a three-point near-fall. He will face Purdue’s No. 6 seed Juan Archuleta in the 141-pound third-place bout.

Marion defeated Archuleta, 7-5, on Saturday during the championship quarterfinals.

At 157, Kerr also clinched a spot in the national tournament with a 5-3 win over No. 6 seed David Johnson of Michigan. The Oskaloosa, Iowa native held a 5-0 advantage heading into the third period, but a third-period takedown by Johnson eliminated the shutout.

Kerr will go toe-to-toe with unseeded Anthony Jones of Michigan State. The two did not wrestler during Iowa’s regular-season road dual with the Spartans.

Junior Aaron Janssen took the mat for the Hawkeyes at 157 in the meet.

Morningstar’s consolation semifinal with No. 5 seed Paul Young turned into a thriller. The second-seeded Hawkeye broke a 3-3 tie on an escape with 30 seconds left in the third period.

An evasive Morningstar picked up a stall warning with five seconds left.

For more coverage of the Big Ten wrestling championships, be sure to read Monday’s edition of The Daily Iowan.

— by Ryan Young

Consolation Semifinals:
141 — No. 3 Montell Marion (I) dec. No. 8 Cole Schmitt (Wis), 11-6
157 — No. 4 Jake Kerr (I) dec. No. 6 David Johnson (Mich), 5-3
165 — No. 2 Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. No. 5 Paul Young (Ind), 4-3
197 — No. 7 Logan Brown (Pur) wins by forfeit No. 1 Chad Beatty (I)

Click to view photo slideshow (22 photos)
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Iowa’s 34th Big Ten championship is still in the works after the second session inside Crisler Arena.

Despite the Hawkeyes possessing 32.5-point lead with six wrestlers in the hunt for an individual title, Minnesota, sitting in second place with 104.5 team points, remains in contention.

And after a Saturday night that saw four seeded grapplers fall out of championships contention and into the consolation bracket, Iowa head coach Tom Brands knows much more needs to be done on Sunday.

“There were certain things that happened out there that cannot happen, ever,” Brands said, specifically citing a lack in hustle. “Those are things your iron out throughout the year, and when you’re doing it at this point of the year, we’re going to have conversations.”

The coach saved his most heated conversation for first-year Penn State head coach Cale Sanderson Saturday night — a pointed argument midway through the third period of the semifinal heavyweight bout.

Following an escape by third-seeded Nittany Lion Cameron Wade, referees called a timeout to allow Iowa 285-pounder Dan Erekson to secure his headgear, which had gotten knocked off during a scramble.

But Wade, apparently unaware of the stoppage, shot low on Erekson’s legs, and Brands ferociously stormed center mat, suspecting Wade had attempted to injure his wrestler.

After exchanging choice words with the officials, the fourth-year Hawkeye headman directed his dispute at Sanderson.

Meanwhile, Erekson waited for the match to resume and evenutaly clinched his second straight Big Ten finals appearance on a 5-2 decision.

He said he gave Wade “the benefit of the doubt,” but noted he wasn’t surprised to see Brands take action.

“He gets into it,” Erekson said. “One thing about our coaches is they believe in us, almost so much that they believe in us more than we believe in ourselves, so they have our back, and they’re behind us. They wants us to succeed. You know, they don’t want us to get hurt.”

Brands and the Iowa coaching staff also got a bit animated towards the end of the 133-pound semifinal between second-seeded Daniel Dennis and defending Big Ten and NCAA champion Franklin Gomez.

But the outcome was also a bit more favorable for the Hawkeyes.

Following a third-period takedown on the edge of the mat that gave Dennis 4-2 advantage, Gomez managed a reversal after a restart to tie the match.

As time expired, referees awarded Dennis a point on a locked-hands call, and the second-seeded senior scored a reversal of his own to seemingly secure the win. The points, however, remained absent on the scoreboard until after the officials conferred.

Dennis said he could have done without the last-second thrills.

“It was good to come out on top of it,” he said. “But preventing that scramble would have been better, and it would have been ideal, and if I could go back, that scramble would never happened.”

He’ll have the chance to rectify his mistake Sunday afternoon when he faces top-seeded 133-pounder Jayson Ness of Minnesota.

Dennis and Erekson, as well as Matt McDonough (125), defending Big Ten champion Brent Metcalf (149), Jay Borschel (174), and Phillip Keddy (184) all could come away with individual titles.

“We can’t be yawning when we should be hammering,” Brands said. “We’ve got to be awake, and we’ve got to be full throttle.

— by Ryan Young

Semifinal Results:
125 — No. 2 Matt McDonough (I) major dec. No. 3 Zach Sanders (Minn), 8-0
133 — No. 2 Daniel Dennis (I) dec. No. 3 Franklin Gomez (MSU), 5-4
141 — No. 2 Mike Thorn (Minn) major dec. No. 3 Montell Marion (I), 12-3
149 — No. 1 Brent Metcalf (I) major dec. No. 4 Frank Molinaro (PSU), 12-3
157 — No. 1 Colton Salazar (Pur) dec. No. 4 Jake Kerr (I), 6-2
165 — No. 3 Colt Sponseller (OSU), dec. No. 2 Ryan Morningstar (I), 3-1
174 — No. 1 Jay Borschel (I) dec. No. 5 Jordan Blanton (Ill), 6-0
184 — No. 3 Phillip Keddy (I) dec. No. 2 Dave Erwin (PSU), 4-1
197 — No. 5 Sonny Yohn (Minn) dec. No. 1 Chad Beatty (I), 7-6 TB
HWT —No. 2 Dan Erekson (I) dec. No. 3 Cameron Wade (PSU), 5-2

By Ryan Young

ryan-c-young@uiowa.edu

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Jake Kerr’s first match of the Big Ten championships might as well have been a two-on-one tag-team bout inside Crisler Arena.

During his postseason debút against fifth-seed Sean Nemec of Ohio State Saturday morning, he spent most of the seven minutes wrestling with his mind.

“I worry about how I feel way too much,” he said. “I need to get over that.”

Fortunately for Kerr, his brain also helped him fight off Nemec for a 5-3 win.

But anxiety could be a much more difficult opponent to overcome later tonight, too, when Kerr takes on top-seeded Colton Salazar of Purdue in the championship semifinals.

During the pair’s January matchup, Salazar escaped with a 6-4 sudden victory win in West Lafayette, Ind.

Kerr admitted nerves and the electric tournament atmosphere played a part in his mind games, which seemed to translate into static offense.

After managing two first-period takedowns for an early 4-1 lead, the Oskaloosa, Iowa native tallied his last point against Nemec on an escape just as time expired in the second period.

Kerr’s stagnant legs also allowed the Buckeye to keep the match close, something that left Iowa head coach Tom Brands mildly disgruntled.

“There were points left out there,” the fourth-year headman said. “That’s not how you win national championships, or Big Ten championships, or matches. … You don’t give guys chances.”

A chance proved to be all Kerr needed to secure his first Big Ten championship win, though.

Brands’ belly might as well have been a Magic Eight Ball Friday morning when he chose Kerr over junior Aaron Janssen, who wrestled 12 bouts for Iowa at 157.

Kerr said Brands didn’t explain his “gut decision.” But even with his status in limbo throughout the week, he added, the wait wasn’t nearly as mentally draining as it had been at times during the regular season.

“I’ve been doing good in the wrestling room, so I mean I was a little bit more at ease,” he said. “But of course, it bothers me.”

The road to an undefeated regular season goes through Madison, Wis.

No. 1 Iowa crushed No. 4 Ohio State, 32-3, on Senior Night in front of an announced crowd of 9,149 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Friday. The Hawkeyes also extended their dual meet winning streak to 60 and remained undefeated at 22-0 overall (7-0 in the Big Ten).

All six of Iowa’s starting seniors earned wins, including Hawkeye heavyweight Dan Erekson and 174-pounder Jay Borschel, who managed bonus points in their bouts against the Buckeyes.

Meanwhile, Daniel Dennis (133), Brent Metcalf (149), Ryan Morningstar (165), and Phillip Keddy (184) recorded decisions in their final home matches.

Sophomore Montell Marion tallied Iowa’s lone defeat. Marion never led in his matchup against No. 2 141-pounder Reece Humphrey and eventually fell, 9-5.

The Hawkeyes travel to No. 13 Wisconsin on Feb. 21 in search of their third-straight Big Ten regular-season championship. The dual is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.

— by Ryan Young

No. 1 Iowa 32, No. 4 Ohio State 3
133 — Daniel Dennis (I) dec. Ian Paddock (OSU), 3-2
141 — Reece Humphrey (OSU) dec. Montell Marion (I), 9-5
149 — Brent Metcalf (I) dec. Lance Palmer (OSU), 3-1
157 — Aaron Janssen (I) dec. Sean Nemec (OSU), 5-2
165 — Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. Colt Sponseller (OSU), 1-0
174 — Jay Borschel (I) major dec. Dave Rella (OSU), 9-0
184 — Phillip Keddy (I) dec. Mike Pucillo (OSU), 3-2
197 — Luke Lofthouse (I) dec. C.J. Magrum (OSU), 6-1
HWT — Dan Erekson (I) pinned Corey Morrison (OSU), 2:52
125 — Matt McDonough (I) major dec. Ian Paddock (OSU), 9-1

Northwestern barely stood a chance against No. 1 Iowa Friday night in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Hawkeyes tallied five falls and improved their dual meet winning streak to 58 with a 49-0 win over the Wildcats.

Freshman Matt McDonough (125) and senior Jay Borschel (174) both managed a first-period pin. Meanwhile, Brent Metcalf (149), Ryan Morningstar (165), and Dan Erekson (HWT) each secured falls in the second period.

At 184, freshman Grant Gambrall made his season debút in place of senior Phillip Keddy, winning a 9-3 decision against Northwestern junior Aaron Jones.

Iowa head coach Tom Brands said Keddy’s absence was “no big deal.”

“It’s part of the plan,” Brands said. “Periodically, you rest guys, and we’re getting him ready.”

— by Ryan Young

No. 1 Iowa gave Cael Sanderson a rude welcoming Friday night.

With the Iowa City crowd relentlessly harassing the first-year Penn State head coach throughout the meet, the Hawkeyes took eight of 10 bouts from the No. 12 Nittany Lions in a 29-6 thumping

Iowa seniors Daniel Dennis (133) and Jay Borschel (174) posted major decisions over unranked freshman, and two-time defending Big Ten champion Brent Metcalf (149) recorded a pin against No. 5 Penn State sophomore Frank Molinaro in 3:56.

At 157, junior Jake Kerr managed possibly the biggest victory of his collegiate career.

The Oskaloosa, Iowa native downed No. 5 Nittany Lion Cyler Sanderson — younger brother of Cael Sanderson — on a reversal and a two-point near fall early in the third period for the 4-2 upset.

Meanwhile, No. 5-ranked Iowa sophomore Montell Marion fell to Penn State senior Adam Lynch (6-9) in controversial fashion at 141.

Down 4-6 with under a minute remaining in the match, Marion scored a tying takedown at the 18-second mark to bring the bout into overtime. But 20 seconds into sudden victory, officials signaled a Lynch takedown that left the Des Moines native stunned and the Iowa coaches fuming.

Look for more Iowa wrestling coverage in Monday’s edition the Daily Iowan, and be sure to follow DI wrestling reporters Ryan Young and J.T. Bugos on Twitter @rcyou and @jtbugos during the Hawkeyes’ dual meet with Michigan State on Sunday.

— by Ryan Young

Iowa 29, Penn State 6
125 — McDonough (I) dec. Pataky (PSU), 7-2
133 — Dennis (I) major dec. Pearsall (PSU), 17-7
141 — Lynch (PSU) dec. Marion (I), 8-6 SV
149 — Metcalf (I) pin Molinaro (PSU), 3:56
157 — Kerr (I) dec. Sanderson (PSU), 4-2
165 — Morningstar (I) dec. Vallimont (PSU), 2-0
174 — Borschel (I) major dec. Ortega (PSU), 14-2
184 — Erwin (PSU) dec. Keddy (I), 6-4
197 — Lofthouse (I) dec. Steadman (PSU), 5-2
HWT — Erekson (I) dec. Wade (PSU), 6-1

No. 1 Iowa posted its fifth shutout of the season Friday night against Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. Winning all 10 weights, the Hawkeyes tallied four major decisions and a technical fall en route to a 36-0 victory.

All-American heavyweight Dan Erekson did not make his season debut against the Wolverines. Instead, Iowa’s Blake Rasing took the mat and closed out the dual with a 6-1 decision over Ben Apland.

Daniel Dennis won his bout at 133 for the Hawkeyes, shutting down Zac Stevens, 2-0. Meanwhile, two-time defending Big Ten champion Brent Metcalf posted the lone technicall fall in 6:47 with a 22-7 win.

At 165, Ryan Morningstar edged Michigan’s Aaron Hynes, 6-4, in sudden victory. And Luke Lofthouse upset Michigan’s No. 9-ranked 197-pounder Anthony Biondo, 9-6.

– by Ryan Young

No. 1 Iowa 36, Michigan 0
125 – Matt McDonough (I) maj. dec. Sean Boyle (M), 14-3
133 – Daniel Dennis (I) dec. Zac Stevens (M), 2-0
141 – Montell Marion (I) maj. dec. Mark Weber (M), 19-6
149 – Brent Metcalf (I) tech. fall Mark Boyer (M), 22-7 in 6:47
157 – Aaron Janssen (I) maj. dec. Dave Johnson (M), 12-4
165 – Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. Aaron Hynes (M), 6-4 SV
174 – Jay Borschel (I) dec. Justin Zeerip (M), 6-0
184 – Phillip Keddy (I) maj. dec. Erich Smith (M), 10-2
197 – Luke Lofthouse (I) dec. Anthony Biondo (M), 9-6
HWT – Blake Rasing (I) dec. Ben Apland (M), 6-1

Iowa junior offensive lineman Bryan Bulaga has chosen to forgo a final season with the Hawkeyes by becoming eligible for the 2010 NFL draft.

Bulaga, the 2009 Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, issued the following statement Wednesday:

“After much deliberation and careful consideration, I have decided to forgo my fourth year of college eligibility and enter the upcoming NFL draft. This was not an easy decision since my Iowa experience has been very positive and rewarding.

“The illness I was faced with at the beginning of the 2009 season made me realize how important football is in my life and how quickly it can be taken away. … I will always be a Hawkeye and will carry that with me proudly wherever my future takes me. Thanks to everyone for the support you’ve always given me.”

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz released the following statement:

“Bryan has been a valued team member, well beyond his outstanding play on the field. I’m very appreciative of his efforts on the team’s behalf. I am confident Bryan will do very well in the years to come and again be a valuable asset to his future team. We wish him the best and continued success.”

— by Ryan Young

No. 1 Iowa remained undefeated Thursday night, improving to 9-0 after a 48-3 win over Northern Iowa in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Hawkeyes opened with four straight falls, beginning with a second-period pin by redshirt freshman Matt McDonough at 125.

Iowa City native Nate Moore (133), sophomore Montell Marion (141), and two-time Big Ten champion Brent Metcalf (149) followed suit to give Iowa a 24-0 lead.

However, junior 157-pounder Aaron Janssen ended the Hawkeyes’ streak with a 11-1 major decision against Panther redshirt senior Tyson Reiner.

Seniors Ryan Morningstar (165) and Jay Borschel (174) tallied back-to-back pins to increase Iowa’s already overwhelming score.

A 15-5 major decision by both 184-pounder Phillip Keddy and 197-pounder Chad Beatty put the Hawkeyes ahead, 48-0.

Despite several late shots, Iowa heavyweight Blake Rasing couldn’t keep the Hawkeyes’ shutout hopes alive, dropping a 3-2 decision to UNI’s No. 17 big man Christian Brantley.

— by Ryan Young

Thursday’s dual results:

Iowa 48, Northern Iowa 3
125 — No. 10 Matt McDonough (I) pinned Caleb Flores (UNI), 4:38
133 — Nate Moore (I) pinned Ryan Jauch (UNI), 2:42
141 — Montell Marion (I) pinned Trent Washington (UNI), 3:28
149 — No. 1 Brent Metcalf (I) pinned Trevor Kittleson (UNI), 3:49
157 — Aaron Janssen (I) major dec. Tyson Reiner (UNI), 11-1
165 — No. 5 Ryan Morningstar (I) pinned David Bonin (UNI), 5:32
174 — No. 2 Jay Borschel (I) pinned Jarion Beets (UNI) 4:44
184 — No. 6 Phillip Keddy (I) major dec.  Andy O’Loughlin (UNI), 15-5
197 — No. 10 Chad Beatty (I) major dec. Dustin Bauman (UNI), 15-5
HWT — No. 17 Christian Brantley (UNI) dec. Blake Rasing (I), 3-2

The dominance continues inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

No. 1 Iowa shut down Iowa Lakes Community College, 52-0, during the Hawkeyes’ third meet of the Iowa City Duals on Friday.

Six Iowa grapplers posted pins against the Lakers, with sophomore heavyweight Jordan Johnson capturing his the quickest in 57 seconds.

Iowa redshirt freshman Matt McDonough opened with a first-period (1:06) pin against Tim Francisco at 125 pounds.

Senior 149-pounder Brent Metcalf followed suit two weights later, locking up Iowa Lakes freshman Victor DeJesus for a fall in 1:46.

At 157, Hawkeye junior Jake Kerr seized his second pin of the day, sticking Lakers freshman Austin Lindsay to the mat in the third period (5:35).

Seniors Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) both picked up pins as well. Borschel tallied his third straight in 2:21, while Keddy notched his first early in the second period.

Dan LeClere at 141 managed a technical fall over Matt Catalano.

Meanwhile, seniors Daniel Dennis (133), Ryan Morningstar (165), and Chad Beatty (197) each tallied major decisions.

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 Ryan Young