A Few Iowa Wrestlers Continue on Path to Greatness
Two-time Big Ten and NCAA wrestling champion Brent Metcalf recently earned a spot on the U.S. World team after winning the 145.5-pound title at the World Team Trials inside the Mid-America Center.
“This is the peak. This is the top,” Metcalf told the Des Moines Register. The title made Metcalf is the youngest member of the U.S. freestyle team.
In addition to his World Championship qualifying, Metcalf, a recent graduate, also recently received a significant academic honors by being named Iowa's male Big Ten Medal of Honor winner.
Metcalf will join former Hawkeye Mike Zadick to compete in the September World Championships in Moscow. It is the third time Zadick has qualified for a U.S. World team.
Iowa's Montell Marion Suspended Indefinitely
Head Coach Tom Brands already had his hands full for next year trying to replace a senior class that helped Iowa earn three NCAA wrestling championships.
Now, he has to find a replacement for his 141-pounder.
Following a drunk driving arrest early Tuesday morning, star wrestler Montell Marion has been suspended indefinitely from all activities related to Iowa's wrestling program. Marion was pulled over for failure to use a turn signal, then submitted a breath test which resulted in a .151 blood alcohol content – almost twice Iowa's legal limit of .08.
Marion, a sophomore, was the 2010 NCAA runner-up at 141 pounds. He had a 37-9 record in two seasons as a Hawkeye. Before that, he was a four-time finalist in high school, winning the state title twice.
Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling wins 2010 NCAA Championship
The Iowa wrestlers won their third-straight NCAA Championship over the weekend, and they did so in a dominate fashion.
Iowa earned eight all-AMerican honors and three individual national championships on the way to the school's 23rd national championship in wrestling.
The Hawkeyes ended up with 134.5 team points. As the IC Press CItizen points out, it was the most points for Iowa squad at the NCAA Tournament since 1997, when they set the all-time record (170).
Matt McDonough became the first Hawkeye to win an NCAA title as a freshman since Lincoln McIlravy in 1993.
McIlravy is arguably one of the best wrestlers in the history of Iowa. Brent Metcalf thinks McDonough could be that good, and spent more time talking about McDonough's match at 125 in the post tournament press conference than his own national championship at 149.
Metcalf avenged his loss in the Big Ten Tournament to Ohio State's Lance Palmer, and finished his Iowa career with a 108-3 record. At one point, it appeared as though Metcalf was about to break Palmer in half.
Senior Jay Borschel finished the season undefeated. He faced an undefeated Mack Lewnes of Cornel, who had not given up an offensive point all season. Borschel won 6-2, and made it look easy.
Eight Hawkeye wrestlers advance to NCAA Quarterfinals
It shouldn't surprise anyone that after the first day of competition, the Iowa Hawkeye wrestlers are in the lead for the 2010 NCAA team title.
The Hawkeyes won 18 of their 20 matches and scored team bonus points in six. They currently have the lead with 34.5 points, and is the only school with all ten wrestlers still alive in the tournament.
"We had a very good round today, and now the key is to keep the intensity up and keep improving with every match," said head coach Tom Brands. "We are favored in five of our eight quarterfinal matches tomorrow, and we need to have another good round to have a good shot at winning this title.
That coming from the man who recently pondered, "there are 10 weight classes. Why shouldn't the goal be to win 10 championships?"
Brands seems to agree, eight out of ten is nothing to shake your head at.
Friday Morning Hawkeye News
Spring superlatives: Iowa [ESPN] - The Hawkeyes are especially strong at defensive line, safety and the offensive skill spots, but they need to reload at offensive line and linebacker.
Four downs with the secondary [Marc Morehouse] - Spievey’s departure obviously blows a hole in the secondary. He was as lock down as any cornerback in Ferentz’s 11 seasons as Iowa’s coach.
Iowa Takes Down Wichita State [Hawkeye Sports] - The women's tennis team improves to 9-2 on the season following a 6-1 win Thursday.
UI battling declining basketball revenue [IC Press-Citizen] - "Iowa budgeted $2.3 million for men's basketball income this fiscal year. The final number may come in far lower, given that attendance set an all-time low."
Alexander Featured On ESPN.com [Hawkeye Sports] - ESPN.com women's basketball columnist Graham Hays is officially on the Kachine Alexander bandwagon.
Links on potential Iowa candidates; Keno out? [Scott Docterman]
Tennessee coach Pearl dodges Iowa question [QC Times] - Pearl said during the interview that recruiting seems to be at the crux of Iowa's recent struggles in the Big Ten.
Tuesday Morning Hawkeye News
Most talked-about match of the weekend: Palmer defeats Metcalf at Big Tens - In a weekend chock-full of conference championships, the NAIA Wrestling National Championships, and the 2010 NCAA Division III Championships, one match stands out among the hundreds wrestled: Ohio State's Lance Palmer defeating Iowa's Brent Metcalf in the 149 pound finals at the 2010 Big Ten Conference Championships Sunday in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Hawkeyes Win 34th Big Ten Title [Hawkeye Sports] University of Iowa seniors Jay Borschel (174) and Dan Erekson (Hwt.) wrestled their way to conference titles Sunday afternoon at the 2010 Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, MI.
Kampman joins Aplington-Parkersburg teammate Meester with Jaguars [Mike Hlas] - Former Iowa Hawkeye Aaron Kampman, who has carved out an awfully nice NFL career for himself as a defensive end, has taken his talent to Jacksonville to be a Jaguar.
Four downs with the QBs [Marc Morehouse]
Safety Recruit Tanner Miller Could Make an Impact [The Hawkeye Recruiter] - The 6-foot-2, 200-pound basketball, track and football athlete out of Mid Prairie High School (Wellman, Iowa) was holding on to preferred walk-on offers from Iowa State and Nebraska, an 80-percent scholarship offer from Northern Iowa and full ride offers from South Dakota and South Dakota State.
Sunday Morning Hawkeye News
Hawkeyes, Cyclones eager to wrestle - "The Big Ten Championships can't get here a moment to soon for the Hawkeyes, who are ready to defend their Big Ten title and continue their quest for a third straight national championship."
Spartans fall to Iowa, 59-54, in Big Ten semifinals - The Spartans were outrebounded by seven and allowed Iowa to turn 15 offensive rebounds into 19 points as the Hawkeyes sent the Spartans packing, 59-54, at Conseco Fieldhouse.
Hawks' Fuller shoots down rumors [QC Times] - Aaron Fuller insists that the only place he is going during the offseason is to the gym to prepare for his junior season at Iowa.
Hawkeyes advance to Big Ten semifinals with 82-75 win over Penn State [Daily Iowan] - The Iowa women’s basketball team (18-12) defeated sixth-seeded Penn State (17-13), 82-75, in a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal game at Conseco Fieldhouse on Friday.
Wednesday Morning Hawkeye News
Hawkeye football ticket prices spiking up for 2010 [The Herald] - Not sure I would label a $3 increase a spike. This does make you wonder if maybe they aren't trying to make up for basketball's poor performance.
Football Ticket Prices for 2010 Up Slightly [Hawkeye Sports]
Hawks Trying to Pull '11 Michigan O-Lineman - Despite him being a Michigan lean, Iowa jumped into the recruiting competition for Anthony Zettel last week with a scholarship offer. Hawkeye Insider caught up with the 2011 guard on Sunday to find out his opinion of the Hawkeyes and catch up on his recruitment.
Wrestling seeds set for wrestling tourney - Wrestlers from six different Big Ten schools are represented as No. 1 seeds. Iowa leads all schools with three grapplers seeded at the top of their respective weight classes, while Indiana and Minnesota each have two. Illinois, Ohio State and Wisconsin each have one wrestler seeded No. 1.
Hawks seeded high for tourney - Tom Brands stressed to his top-ranked wrestling team throughout the season that the work Iowa did from November through February would put the Hawkeyes in a better position in March.
Sunday Morning Hawkeye News
40 years ago today, Hawks overcame record effort to win Big Ten [Hawkmania] - The greatest performance by a Big Ten basketball player wasn’t enough to deny the Iowa basketball program one of its greatest victories ever.
Kaeding opening new restaurant [IC Press Citizen] - The restaurant hasn’t been named yet, but the plan is for a morning coffee shop, full-service lunch and dinner menus and Sunday brunch, Kaeding said.
Tradition remains strong after century of Hawkeye wrestling [CR Gazette] - We've always got wrestling.
Live chat with Dan Gable, J.R. Ogden and others - Legendary Coach Dan Gable will be participating in a live chat next Wednesday, March 3 at 11:30 a.m., with Gazette staff members, including Sports Product Planner (fancy name for Sports Editor) J.R. Ogden as part of the company’s celebration of a 100 years of Iowa Hawkeye wrestling.
Gazette Communications Top 10 Hawkeyes of all-time [CR Gazette] - The list may vary from each Hawkeye fan, but here is the Gazette's list of Top 10 Hawkeye Wrestlers.
Hawkeye Wrestlers continue to dominate the Big Ten
The Iowa Hawkeye Wrestlers finished their second consecutive undefeated dual season at 23-0 with a 31-6 smashing of the Wisconsin Badgers, capping off an amazing record-breaking season. It was Iowa's 61st straight dual win and the 30th Big Ten victory for Iowa head coach Tom Brands.
Seniors Brent Metcalf, Jay Borschel and Dan Erekson, and redshirt freshman Matt McDonough all posted wins against Wisconsin to remain undefeated. In case you didn't read that correctly, let me spell if out a little different...
FOUR HAWKEYE WRESTLERS FINISHED THE REGULAR SEASON UNDEFEATED.
Wow.
