After all was said and done with the 2016 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, Iowa finished with two individual titles, nine placewinners, and a second place overall team title. While Iowa may have won a close three-way race for a second place team finish, Penn State ultimately ran away with the gold. The final team scores were as follows: Penn State 150.5, Iowa 127, Ohio State 126, Nebraska 117, Rutgers 106.5, Michigan 89.5, Illinois 88, Wisconsin 67.5, Minnesota 51.5, Purdue 34, Indiana 30.5, Northwesern 11.5, Michigan State 10.5, and Maryland 7.5.
Iowa had seven matches during session IV. The first was at 125 lbs where junior Thomas Gilman showcased his dominance over Nebraska’s Tim Lambert by posting five takedowns and a 12-4 final score. The major decision performance earned Gilman a 3rd place finish.
Next at 133 lbs, junior Cory Clark took Illinois’ Zane Richards into double overtime where he avenged his only loss of the season so far by riding Richards out to claim the gold. Then at 149 lbs, sophomore Brandon Sorensen gave up a first period takedown and got ridden out in the third period which resulted in him dropping the title match by decision to Penn State’s Zain Retherford 4-0.
Edwin Cooper Jr., the 157 lb Iowa grappler, lost in much the same way that Clark won. Cooper was ridden out in double overtime by Brian Murphy from Michigan causing Cooper to have to settle for a fourth place finish in the tournament. The Hawks found success again though at 174 lbs where junior Alex Meyer got a third period takedown and point for riding time to beat the Huskers’ Micah Barnes and take 5th place in his bracket.
The final two matches of the afternoon for the Hawkeyes were back on the middle, title mat. At 184 lbs, Iowa found success with junior Sammy Brooks as he revenged TJ Dudley, the Husker whom Brooks was pinned by during the regular season. Brooks won the match by decision, 6-4. Lastly, senior grappler, Nathan Burak gave up a first period takedown to Penn State’s Morgan McIntosh which he could not come back from. Burak’s perfromance during the tournament earned him 2nd place at 197 lbs.
Next for Hawkeyes is the NCAA national tournament which will begin on the 17th in New York City and will take place in Madison Square Garden.
