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#6 Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling Hosts #3 Minnesota Golden Gopher Grapplers: Sunday January 29, 2012 Live Blog

The Tom Brands led Hawkeye wrestlers take the mat at 3 PM to face off against Minnesota. The Hawkeyes have dropped 2 straight dual meets, for the first time since the 2006 dual season. Happy Valley was not so happy for the Hawks last week, when they went into Penn State and the defending National Champs defeated the Black and Gold by a score of 22-12. The only bright spots from the meet were McDonough, Ramos, and Marion all getting victories over formidable opponents, with McDonough’s coming in sudden-victory, with a take down over Nicholas Megaludis. The Hawkeyes didn’t win another match after Ramos pinned, and Marion didn’t allow an offensive point to Pearsoll in a 7-3 decision. They will look to right the ship today against a 9-2 Gopher squad. Minnesota’s only losses coming to Cornell early in the year and Oklahoma State, who also defeated Iowa. The Gophers have won 6 in a row and will look to get a leg up on the Hawkeyes as the B1G Tournament and NCAA Tournament approach, the first week in March, just a short month of wrestling away.
The meet will begin in just under 45 minutes. Hawkeyes, Gophers, Live Wrestling, on 89.7 KRUI, Sports Blog!

Some Marquee Match-ups for today’s meet:
125. #1 Zach Sanders (Minnesota) vs. #2 Matt McDonough
133. #4 Tony Ramos (Iowa) vs. #7 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota)
141. #6 Montell Marion (Iowa) vs. #12 Nick Dardanes/Seth Lange (Minnesota)
165. #8 Mike Evans (Iowa) vs. #11 Cody Yohn (Minnesota)
174. #6 Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) vs. #9 Logan Storley (Minnesota)
HWT. #10 Bobby Telford (Iowa) vs. #4 Tony Nelson (Minnesota)
The referees for todays meet are Mike Hagerty and Kent Sesker

The lights have dimmed at Carver Hawkeye Arena and the music is pumping loud, the flags are in the air and the Hawkeye Wrestlers follow walking with what I call the “Wrestle Swagger”. Hood up, neck cocked, and ready to battle.
Today’s meet will start at 125 lbs. The marquee match-up of the day. McDonough gets a huge ovation from the crowd, and it will be a great atmosphere in here right away. We will have wrestling in just 5 short minutes

125. #2 McDonough (IA) vs. #1 Sanders (MN): Back and forth for the first period with each wrestler getting shots and recoveries, until McDonough scores the first take-down with :40 remaining in the period, and rides Sanders for :35, with the crowd going wild. Second period gets underway with Mac choosing down. Sanders rides too high and McDonough promptly gets the reversal with Sanders escaping quickly, 4-1 McDonough. McDonough scores another take-down with 20 second left in the 2nd and leads 6-1 going to the 3rd. Carver is absolutely electric right now. Sanders chooses down to start the 3rd. McDonough continues to dominate on top, now over 2:00 riding time. Sanders is called for stalling, and McDonough is called as well, much to the chagrin of the fans here. The clock expires and McDonough gets a huge victory, 7-1 over Sanders, after riding time. One of the most impressive, dominant performances of the grapplers career.
Iowa up 3-0

133. #4 Ramos (IA) vs. #7 C. Dardanes (MN): Not a lot of action early in the match, no score at the end of first period. Ramos escapes for the first score of the match 8 seconds into the 2nd. Ramos with a beautiful single leg, eventually advancing to the drive through and getting the take-down at the end of the period. 3-0 Ramos into the 3rd. Dardanes starts down and After just over a minute Dardanes gets the reversal, but Ramos scores quickly with the escape, 4-2 Ramos. No action for the final 20 seconds and Ramos gets the victory, 5-2.
Iowa leads Minnesota 6-0 after 2 matches

141. #6 Marion (IA) vs. N. Dardanes (MN): The first minute goes by with no real action, but Dardanes gets deep in a double-leg, and in Montell Marion fashion, the Hawkeye wrestler sprawls down and out of it. Marion will need to start wrestling here, not a lot of effort to score in the first. no score, start of the second. Dardanes starts on bottom and promptly pops out to take a 1-0 lead. Both wrestlers are doing just enough to not get called for stalling. A couple half-hearted shots here and there. Both guys are battling for position. Marion will start down in the 3rd. These two have spent all of 5 total seconds on the mat in this match. scores tied at 1, unless someone scores we will see our first OT of the afternoon. As I write that, Marion gets in on a gorgeous single leg, switches over to the other and gets the 2. 3-1 Marion, :43 left. Dardanes escapes and makes it 3-2. Marion gets warned for stalling at the edge of the mat, with Dardanes doing all the work, and Marion recoiling. Not enough time on the clock for Dardanes to get a take-down and Marion is victorious, 3-2.
Iowa leads Minnesota 9-0, 3 matches wrestled

149. Kelly (IA) vs. #11 Ness (MN): Ness gets a quick take-down to lead early. Kelly gets the escape, gets a scramble take-down, and then Ness escapes, score tied at 3. Another great scramble by Kelly to get a take-down. This match is by far the most action we have seen out of both grapplers in this meet thus far, this afternoon. Ness gets the escape, score is now 5-4, end of the first period. Ness starts down and gets his escape to knot the score at 5. Ness gets a very nice, strong take-down and Kelly can’t recover in time, a cross face by Ness and the Gopher leads 9-5 after a couple of near fall points. The 3rd starts with Kelly coming up and Ness capitalizing with a slam back down to the mat, Kelly, ends up on his back and 3 more back points are awarded. Ness leads 12-5. Kelly will need to escape to prevent the major decision as Ness has 1:46 and counting in riding time. Iowa gets a point on an illegal hold on Ness. I guess that’s another way to avoid the major. Ness lets Kelly up and gets the take down, to get the win anyway 15-7.
Iowa leads 9-4, after 4 matches

157. Moore (IA) vs. Ortiz (MN): This is the only match today featuring two unranked wrestlers. Moore the freshman and Ortiz the sophomore. Moore gets the take-down to go up 2-0. Moore, the four time state champ from Iowa City West is following his brother Nate, and Uncle Cliff’s footsteps coming to Iowa. Ortiz gets an escape with just under a minute remaining in the period. Moore drops Ortiz straight to his back getting the take-down and 3 near fall points, going up 7-1. The crowd at Carver is loving it! Second period has Ortiz take bottom. Moore has eclipsed 2 minutes of ride time for the match, still leading 7-1, end of 2. Moore is really showing some quality riding right now, but he will begin the 3rd on the bottom, as is customary. He gets a rapid escape to go up 8-1. A take-down all but solidifies the major decision for Iowa, which they need going forward this afternoon. Moore gets a nice take-down with just under a minute left, 10-1. Ortiz gets an escape, but it’s too little, too late, Moore wins the major decision. 11-2
Hawkeyes lead 13-4 at the intermission, 5 matches wrestled.

165. #8 Evans (IA) vs. #11 Yohn (MN): Evans boasts an 18-4 record while Yohn is just 13-5. This is a big match for the Hawks to win to set the pace of the second half of the dual. Evans records an escape point to go up 1-0 in the first period after Yohn recorded a lot of blood time, that the Hawk fans didn’t really like. Evans sneaks into a gorgeous single leg, getting the kick take-down, now up 3-0. Second period will have Evans down, and he gets the escape, 4-0, Evans leads. Stalling warning on Yohn at the edge of the mat, but he responds well, with a good shot. Evans recoils and gets a shot of his own, but his reaps the take-down. 6-0. Yohn gets called for stalling again and the point is awarded, 7-0, start of the 3rd. Evans turns Yohn and Pins him! That puts Iowa up 19-4! The crowd here is going absolutely crazy!!!!!!

174. #6 Lofthouse (IA) vs. #9 Storley (MN): Lofthouse gets in on a single leg and scores first. 2-0, Ethen Lofthouse. Lofthouse starts the second period on bottom, getting cautioned. He escapes to extend the lead to 3-0. Lofthouse gives up a take-down at the end of the period and is getting a ear full from coach Brands. Lofthouse is cautioned on top here. Lot’s of action happening and Storley gets the reversal, putting him up 4-3. Lofthouse is winded and not able to get up in the 3rd. He is called for stalling and takes the loss, 5-3.
Iowa leads Minnesota 19-7 with 3 wrestlers remaining

184. Wagner (IA) vs. #8 Steinhaus (MN): Wagner is 6-7 on the year and will need a big upset here of the ranked Storley to soldify the Hawkeyes win. Wagner gets a great shot and leg pull, but can’t finish after making the mistake to go to the head of Steinhaus and Steinhaus capitalizes and gets the take-down himself, Steinhaus leads 2-0. Wagner gets the escape. Steinhaus gets another take-down and a couple escapes from Wagner. Score 6-2 Minnesota. The second period starts with a Steinhaus escape, as he continues to dominate the match, 7-2. Another take-down, 9-2. That remains the score at the end of the 2nd. Wagner will need to escape and hang on or get a take-down to avoid the major decision. Wagner gets his escape, 9-3. Take-down, Steinhaus, escape Wagner. After the point for riding time, the major decision for Steinhaus is accomplished and the score now sits at Iowa 19, Minnesota 11

197. Gambrall (IA) vs. #6 S. Yohn (MN): Yohn has an unbelievable leg sweep and gets the take-down. Gambrall gets an escape at the end of the period, score is 2-1, Yohn. Gambrall chooses to start neutral in the second. The choice pays off and Gambrall gets a nice sweeping single leg, which he is able to finish nicely. He hangs on for dear life and Yohn attempts a couple rolls and reversals. 3rd period starts with Gambrall on top. Yohn escapes, and Gambrall gets a nice shot, but Yohn is able to defend with the sprawl. Yohn jumps off the line before the whistle, is cautioned and this match is shaping up to be one of the best we have seen this afternoon. Lots of emotion in the arena here. A win in this match and the Hawkeyes are victorious on the day. Nothing doing at the end of the period until a very controversial take-down is awarded to Sonny Yohn at the edge of the mat.
Minnesota has won 3 matches straight and now only trails 19-14 with the final match coming up.

HWT. Rasing (IA) vs. #4 Nelson (MN): Nelson will need to acquire a technical fall of a pin to win the meet for Minnesota. The coaching move here for Brands is wrestling Rasing instead of #10 Telford hoping that Rasing’s experience will help him in this final bout. Rasing is warned for stalling and the fans here don’t like it one bit. Nelson goes down in the second and promptly escapes. He gets in on a single leg, and despite the whizzer from Rasing, gets the score. 3-0 Nelson. Both wrestlers have been cautioned on top. Rasing gets his escape and is on the board. Rasing has a beautiful shot at the edge but ran out of room. Nelson is not doing anything on the mat right now and the Hawkeye coaches and fans are letting the refs know that they see it. The 3rd starts with Rasing getting the escape. Score is now 3-2, Nelson. Nelson has been warned for stalling now. Rasing gets in on a single leg, but Nelson is able to sprawl out and get around for the 2. Nelson gets another point for Rasing locking hands on bottom. The match ends, 6-2 in favor of Nelson, but the Hawkeyes are victorious on the day, winning 19-17 at Carver Hawkeye Arena.

The Hawkeyes get a much needed victory over the #3 ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Gophers drop their first meet in their last 7. Up next for Iowa is Wisconsin on February 5th. Minnesota will face Nebraska on the 5th as well. Your final here, Iowa 19, Minnesota 17.
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