Iowa will travel to Columbus, Ohio to take on #6 Ohio State on Friday at 7 PM. The meet will be televised live on BTN. As with any Big Ten dual meet every single match is important for seeds at the Big Tens and NCAA National Tournament.

There is only one weight with an option of more than one wrestler for Iowa. Both Austin DeSanto and Cullan Schriever are listed at 133. Jaydin Eierman is the only Hawkeye listed at 141 so we can expect his return to the mat after missing both dual meets last weekend.

Several matches really stick out to me. #18 Abe Assad will have an opportunity to improve his ranking and future seeds when he faces #7 Kaleb Romero at 184. #10 Max Murin will face Ohio State’s highest ranked wrestler in #2 Sammy Sasso at 149. #2 Michael Kemerer will face #7 Ethan Smith at 174.

There are always fireworks when Iowa and Ohio State compete and I am looking for an exciting dual meet. I expect the Hawks to have another impressive performance.

#2 IOWA HAWKEYES (10-0, 4-0 BIG TEN) 2021-22 Overall Wt. Rank^ Name Yr. Hometown/High School Record 

125 10 Drake Ayala Fr. Fort Dodge, Iowa/Fort Dodge 13-3 

133 3 Austin DeSanto Sr. Exeter, Pennsylvania/Exeter (Drexel) 11-0 -OR- Cullan Schriever *Fr. Mason City, Iowa/Mason City 15-5 141 

141 2 Jaydin Eierman Sr. Columbia, Missouri/Father Tolton (Missouri) 11-0 

149 10 Max Murin Sr. Ebensburg, Pennsylvania/Central Cambria 6-1 

157 12 Kaleb Young Sr. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania/Punxsutawney 9-5 

165 1 Alex Marinelli Sr. Miamisburg, Ohio/St. Paris Graham 14-0 

174 2 Michael Kemerer Sr. Murraysville, Pennsylvania/Franklin Regional 4-0 

184 18 Abe Assad So. Carol Stream, Illinois/Glenbard North 9-2 

197 4 Jacob Warner Sr. Tolono, Illinois/Washington Community 10-1 

285 5 Tony Cassioppi Jr. Roscoe, Illinois/Hononegah 9-2 

#8 OHIO STATE BUCKEYES (5-1, 1-1 BIG TEN) 2021-22 Overall

Wt. Rank^ Name Yr. Hometown/High School Record

125 18 Malik Heinselman Sr. Castle Rock, Ohio/Castle View 11-2

133 Will Betancourt Fr. Lancaster, Pennsylvania/Manheim Central 8-3

141 23 Dylan D’Emilio So. Curtice, Ohio/Genoa 13-4

149 2 Sammy Sasso Jr. Nazareth, Pennsylvania/Nazareth 13-1

157 Jashon Hubbard Jr. Steubenville, Ohio/Steubenville 9-3

165 7 Carson Kharchla So. Powell, Ohio/Olentangy Liberty 15-1

174 7 Ethan Smith Sr. Latrobe, Pennsylvania/Sparrows Point 11-3

184 7 Kaleb Romero Sr. Mechanicsburg, Ohio/Mechanicsburg 6-1

197 20 Gavin Hoffman So. Montoursville, Pennsylvania/Montoursville 7-4

285 12 Tate Orndorff Sr. Spokane, Washington/University 11-3

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

We are down to just five dual meets before the tournaments begin. Every single match is crucial for rankings at the National Tournament and Big Tens. As fans we are in for some great wrestling for the last two months of the season. The remaining five dual meets will provide matches with highly ranked opponents.

Jacob Warner is currently ranked #4 at 197. Warner will face the #1,2, and 3 ranked wrestlers at his weight along with two ranked up and coming opponents. We will see the top two ranked wrestlers at 174 in the Penn State meet with #2 Michael Kemerer vs. #1 Carter Starocci. #1 Alex Marinelli will face three opponents ranked in the top eight at 165.

I have been making comments on by blog for weeks now that Abe Assad is underranked at 184 at #18. We will soon find out with Assad facing the #1,7,10, and 11 ranked wrestlers in the country. What a great opportunity for Assad. 

As with Kemerer and Warner, every one of the five remaining opponents for Tony Cassioppi is ranked. Cassioppi will face the #4,8,11,12, and 30 ranked wrestlers at Hwt.

We are in for a very entertaining finish to the 2022 wrestling season for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Iowa travels to Ohio State Friday for a Big Ten dual meet at 7 PM.

All rankings by InterMat.

Remaining schedule for #2 Iowa:

Friday, January 21 – at #9 Ohio State  7PM

Friday, January 28 – #1 Penn State  8 PM

Saturday, February 5 – #22 Wisconsin  2:30 PM

Saturday, February 12 – at #4 Oklahoma State (Arlington, Texas)  6:30 PM

Sunday, February 20 – at #6 Nebraska  6 PM

Sat/Sun March 5-6 at Big Tens (Lincoln, Nebraska)

Th-Sat, March 17-19  at NCAA National Tournament (Detroit, Michigan)

165 – #1 Alex Marinelli

Ohio State – #7 Carson Kharchla

Penn State – #16 Brady Berge

Wisconsin – #8 Dean Hamiti

Oklahoma State – #5 Travis Wittlake

Nebraska – Unranked

174 – #2 Michael Kemerer

Ohio State – #7 Ethan Smith

Penn State – #1 Carter Starocci

Wisconsin – #22 Andrew McNally

Oklahoma State – #8 Dustin Plott

Nebraska – #5 Mickey Labriola

184 – #18 Abe Assad

Ohio State – #7 Kaleb Romero

Penn State – #1 Aaron Brooks

Wisconsin – Unranked

Oklahoma State – #10 Dakota Geer

Nebraska – #11 Taylor Venz

197 – #4 Jacob Warner

Ohio State – #20 Gavin Hoffman

Penn State – #2 Max Dean

Wisconsin – #22 Braxton Amos

Oklahoma State – #1 AJ Ferrari

Nebraska – #3 Eric Schultz

Hwt – #5 Tony Cassioppi

Ohio State – #12 Tate Orndorff

Penn State – #4 Greg Kerkvliet

Wisconsin – #8 Trent Hillger

Oklahoma State – #30 Luke Suber

Nebraska – #11 Christian Lance

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

InterMat released their new rankings today. 

Drake Ayala moved from 12 to 10 at 125 after two wins over ranked wrestles last weekend. Max Murin went from 12 to 10 at 149. Jacob Warner moved to 4 from 5 at 197.

(3) DeSanto, (2) Eierman, (12) Young, (1) Marinelli (2) Kemerer, (18) Assad, and (5) Cassioppi all stayed the same in the rankings. I will continue to put in my weekly statement that Assad is underrated. Abe Assad will be an All American this year.

In the team race Iowa remained at #2 22.5 points behind #1 Penn State compared to 20 points behind last week. Michigan remains at #3 and are now 4.5 points behind Iowa. Oklahoma State and Arizona State are now tied for fourth at 66.5 points.

In the Dual Meet Rankings it is Penn State, Iowa, Michigan, Oklahoma State for the top four. 

Iowa will be on the road this weekend at #8 Ohio State on Friday, January 21.

InterMat Rankings – January 18, 2022

Tournament Team Rankings/Points

1. Penn State  117.5
2. Iowa  95
3. Michigan  89.5
4. Oklahoma State & Arizona State  66.5

Dual Meet

1. Penn State
2. Iowa
3. Michigan
4. Oklahoma State

125  Drake Ayala – 10th

133  Austin DeSanto – 3rd

141 Jaydin Eierman – 2nd

149 Max Murin – 10th

157 Kaleb Young – 12th 

165 Alex Marinelli – 1st

174 Michael Kemerer – 2nd

184 Abe Assad – 18th

197 Jacob Warner – 4th

Hwt Tony Cassioppii – 5th

For the complete InterMat rankings:

https://intermatwrestle.com/rankings/college?

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

We are down to just five dual meets before the tournaments begin. These meets will all be at a high level of intensity and great entertainment for wrestling fans. The competition is going to go up a big notch from here on out. Every match will be a preview for Big Tens and/or the NCAA National Tournament. Every single match is crucial for seeds at the National Tournament.

I broke down the first five weights of 125-157 to show who the upcoming opponents will be. You get a sense of how tough the Big Ten really is. The top five ranked wrestlers at 141 are in the Big Ten. The top three, six of the top ten, and ten of the top twenty-two ranked teams in the country are in the Big Ten.

I will have a blog for 165-Hwt tomorrow.

All rankings by InterMat.

Remaining schedule for #2 Iowa:

Friday, January 21 – at #8 Ohio State  7PM

Friday, January 28 – #1 Penn State  8 PM

Saturday, February 5 – #22 Wisconsin  2:30 PM

Saturday, February 12 – at #4 Oklahoma State (Arlington, Texas)  6:30 PM

Sunday, February 20 – at #6 Nebraska  6 PM

Sat/Sun March 5-6 at Big Tens (Lincoln, Nebraska)

Th-Sat, March 17-19  at NCAA National Tournament (Detroit, Michigan)

125 – #10 Drake Ayala

Ohio State – #18 Malik Heinselman

Penn State – #9 Drew Hildebrandt

Wisconsin – #13 Eric Barnett

Oklahoma State – #6 Trevor Mastrogiovanni

Nebraska – #25 Liam Cronin

133 – #3 Austin DeSanto

Ohio State – Unranked

Penn State – #1 Roman Bravo-Young

Wisconsin – Unranked

Oklahoma State – #2 Dayton Fix

Nebraska – #27 Kyle Burwick

141 – #2 Jaydin Eierman

Ohio State – #21 Dylan D’Emilio

Penn State – #1 Nick Lee

Wisconsin – #33 Joe Zargo

Oklahoma State – #18 Carter Young

Nebraska – #9 Chad Red

149 – #10 Max Murin

Ohio State – #2 Sammy Sasso

Penn State – #19 Beau Bartlett

Wisconsin – #10 Austin Gomez

Oklahoma State – #14 Kaden Gfeller

Nebraska – #4 Ridge Lovett

157 – #12 Kaleb Young

Ohio State – #26 Bryce Hepner

Penn State – Unranked

Wisconsin – #33 Garrett Model

Oklahoma State – #13 Wyatt Sheets

Nebraska – #5 Peyton Robb

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Two months from today, March 17, is not only St. Patty’s Day but the opening day of the 2022 NCAA Wrestling Championships. The Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan will be packed for the opening round that begins at 11 AM CST. 

For starters Iowa Wrestling fans there is a lot of living to be done between now and then.  A lot. Let’s take a step back and take a look at where Iowa Wrestling is right now and what they have coming up.

The internet has been an absolute buzz about Iowa Wrestling since the official news came out on New Year’s Day that Spencer Lee was having season ending surgery. As a fan of course it was a blow but an expected one for me.  Lee did not look himself at the Rokfin Duals so I was expecting to hear the news of his season being over.

I have never seen that type of online attention given to an Iowa Wrestling team when they were not even on the mat. We of course now live in the internet era and Spencer Lee has dominated the news cycle since that announcement on January 1. 

Maybe because it was not a surprise to me about Lee or that I keep looking at all that Iowa Wrestling has on this 2022 team that has allowed me to move forward. The great performance by Drake Ayala, a true freshman from Ft. Dodge, Iowa at 125 has certainly softened the blow of losing Lee. Ayala is making Iowa Wrestling fans look forward to his next match. Wins over four straight nationally ranked wrestlers (#7,5,7,and 26) has me looking forward to how many points Ayala will score for us at the NCAA’s this year.

With Ayala in the lineup Iowa still has a lot of potential to crown 10 All Americans at the NCAA National Tournament. That is anything but a stretch because every one of the other nine members in the starting lineup have been an All American in the past. Now when you have that type of firepower in a lineup I of course believe there is a lot to be excited about in the form of a team title.

The news story for Iowa Wrestling has gone from Lee being out for the year to speculation as to why Austin DeSanto and Jaydin Eierman have been out of the lineup recently.  I will admit that I have now idea and I do not have to.  It is mid January and injuries happen. Eierman is a gamer that likes the bright lights and spotlight and I am confident of his potential to score a lot of points at the National Tournament.  DeSanto is tough even by Iowa Wrestling standards and I will count on DeSanto being in the lineup at Big Tens on Saturday, March 5 at 11 AM CST until I hear otherwise from Tom Brands.

There was a lot of talk about Michael Kemerer being done for the year and he just had two first period pins over the weekend and is looking very tough. Real tough considering supposedly his wrestling career was over.

I am not in a big hurry to get through these next two months. I want to soak in every last moment that this 2022 edition of Iowa Wrestling has to offer.  What a great team. Iowa Wrestling is my entertainment.  We are coming up on two years since this world of ours has been turned upside down. I look to Iowa Wrestling to entertain me more than ever and they indeed do just that.

I already miss Alex Marinelli and Michael Kemerer and their careers are not even over yet.  As a fan I still have two months and two days to watch Marinelli and Kemerer take the mat as one of my favorite 1-2 duos in my career as an Iowa Wrestling fan.

I am also enjoying the dominant wins that Iowa wrestling has going. After a disappointing showing against Minnesota to get the new year started the Hawks have ripped off three straight impressive performances over nationally ranked Big Ten teams by the score of 36-4, 33-6, and 36-3. Not bad for a team with as many as three out of ten original starters out of the lineup. Only Iowa Wrestling is even close to having the depth to pull that off.

My focus as a fan right now is Iowa going on the road to take on #9 Ohio State at 7 PM Friday night.  The match at 184 is the one that I really want to see. I am looking forward to Iowa Wrestling entertaining us fans in that big dual meet.

Iowa has an experienced coaching staff and the most experienced team in the history of Iowa Wrestling.  This coaching staff and team know how to win the NCAA National Tournament. I am confident that they got this and we are in for one hell of a National Tournament in a great way. Until then, I am going to enjoy the next two months of Iowa Wrestling leading up to the National Tournament and go from there.

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Snow forced some changes in Iowa for the wrestling tournaments this weekend. Waverly-Shell Rock changed plans and went to the Solon Invitational where both Aiden Riggins and Ryder Block won titles. 

Ben Kueter won the title at 220 lbs. at the J-Hawk Invitational at Cedar Rapids Jefferson. Kueter was named for the Wyatt Schultz Outstanding Wrestler award. Wyatt was from west Cedar Rapids and a supporter of Jefferson Wrestling. Wyatt was the number one source for high school wrestling in Iowa as the owner of The Predicament for decades. Our friend Wyatt is dearly missed.

Brad Hill was 4-0 with two pins, a tech fall, and an injury default at the Bettendorf Midwest Shootout. Easton Fleshman picked up two pins and a forfeit at the Harrisburg Duals in Harrisburg, South Dakota. Drake Rhodes was 4-0 at the Border Wars in Sheridan, Wyoming with three first period pins and a tech fall.

Jace Rhodes, Joel Jesuroga, Nate Jesuroga, Carter Martinson, Carson Martinson, Mickey Griffith, Kolby Franklin, and Gabe Arnold did not compete this weekend.

I will do my best to bring you results this season for all of our incoming recruits right here on my blog. 

The future looks great for Iowa Wrestling.

Recruiting Class of 2022

Jace Rhodes – Mason City, Iowa (138 lbs.)

Saturday, Jan 15 at Bob Sharpe Invitational (Ankeny)

Cancelled.

Joel Jesuroga – Southeast Polk HS, Iowa (145 lbs.)

No competition scheduled.

Carter Martinson – Southeast Polk HS, Iowa (152 lb.)

No competition scheduled.

Carson Martinson – Southeast Polk HS, Iowa (160 lbs.)

No competition scheduled.

Aiden Riggins – Waverly-Shell Rock HS, Iowa (160 lbs.)

Saturday, Jan 15 at Solon Invitational

Quarterfinal – Aiden Riggins (Waverly-Shell Rock) won by fall over Fischer Harrison (Solon) (Fall 1:07)

Semifinal – Aiden Riggins (Waverly-Shell Rock) won by tech fall over Jace Tippet (North Scott) (TF-1.5 2:04 (15-0))

1st Place Match – Aiden Riggins (Waverly-Shell Rock) won by medical forfeit over Robert Poyner (Waverly-Shell Rock) (M. For.)

Drake Rhodes – Billings West HS, MT (160 lbs.)

Saturday Jan 15 at Border Wars (Sheridan, WY)

Drake Rhodes won by tech fall over Terran Grooms (Sheridan) 15-0

Drake Rhodes won by fall over Feliz Lentsch (Worland) 1:32

Drake Rhodes won by fall over Deyton Johnson (Thunder Basin) 1:29

Drake Rhodes won by fall over Logan Ketterling (Gillette) :48

Mickey Griffith – Des Moines Lincoln HS, Iowa (182 lbs.)

Saturday, Jan 15 at Bob Sharpe Invitational (Ankeny)

Cancelled.

Kolby Franklin – Wyoming Seminary, Pennsylvania (Hwt)

No competition scheduled.

Brad Hill – Bettendorf, Iowa (195 lbs.)

Saturday, Jan 15  Bettendorf Midwest Shootout

Champ. Round 1 – Bradley Hill (Bettendorf) won by injury default over Braydon Chance (Newton) (Inj. 0:00)

Quarterfinal – Bradley Hill (Bettendorf) won by fall over Mason Thies (Waukee) (Fall 0:17)

Semifinal – Bradley Hill (Bettendorf) won by fall over Nolan Simpson (Burlington) (Fall 1:41)

1st Place Match – Bradley Hill (Bettendorf) won by tech fall over Jackson Brinker (Johnston) (TF-1.5 4:41 (19-3))

Easton Fleshman – West Lyon HS, Iowa (Hwt)

Saturday, Jan 15 at Harrisburg Duals (Harrisburg, SD)

Easton Fleshman (West Lyon) over Josh Larsen (Harrisburg) Fall 2:18

Easton Fleshman (West Lyon) over Zach Carlson (Sioux Falls O`Gorman) Fall 0:27

Easton Fleshman (West Lyon) Forfeit over Sioux Falls Washington

Recruiting Class of 2023

Nate Jesuroga – Southeast Polk HS, Iowa (126 lbs.)

No competition scheduled.

Ryder Block – Waverly-Shell Rock HS, Iowa (138 lbs.)

Saturday, Jan 15 at Solon Invitational

Quarterfinal – Ryder Block (Waverly-Shell Rock) won by fall over Gehrig Kirst (North Scott) (Fall 1:18)

Semifinal – Ryder Block (Waverly-Shell Rock) won by fall over Nate Wood (North Cedar) (Fall 4:32)

1st Place Match – Ryder Block (Waverly-Shell Rock) won by decision over Cade Siebrecht (Lisbon) (Dec 11-7)

Gabe Arnold – Wyoming Seminary (PA) (170 lbs.)

No competition scheduled.

Ben Kueter – City High HS, Iowa (220 lbs.)

Saturday, Jan 15 at J-Hawk Invitational (Cedar Rapids)

Quarterfinal – Ben Kueter (Iowa City, City High) won by fall over Liam Glasgow (Davenport North) (Fall 1:17)

Semifinal – Ben Kueter (Iowa City, City High) won by tech fall over Daniel Sokolik (Fort Madison) (TF-1.5 3:22 (21-6))

1st Place Match – Ben Kueter (Iowa City, City High) won by fall over Evan Franke (Muscatine) (Fall 2:21)

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!  

The Hawks will roll into #18 Illinois for a Big Ten dual meet on Sunday at 3 PM. The Iowa-Illinois dual meet will be televised live on BTN. Iowa looked impressive in a 33-6 win at #11 Northwestern on Friday night and have looked very good the last two dual meets against nationally ranked teams.

The highest ranked wrestler for Illinois is freshman #6 Lucas Byrd at 133. #3 Austin DeSanto has not competed in the last two dual meets. Freshman Cullan Schriever pulled his redshirt and competed against Northwestern where he dropped a 4-3 decision to #9 Chris Cannon. It sounds as though we will see Schriever in the lineup against Byrd. 

#12 Drake Ayala continues to impress at 125 where he defeated #7 Austin DeAugustino of Northwestern, 6-5. Ayala will now face #26 Justin Cardani of Illinois. The best matchup of ranked wrestlers will be at 184. #18 Abe Assad will take on #19 Zac Braunagel. This match will provide Assad an opportunity to show where he is at in the national rankings. I believe Assad is a lot better than #18.

As with every conference dual meet every single match is important for seeds at the Big Tens and NCAA Tournament.  I am expecting another real good performance by the Hawks in this dual meet.

*InterMat Rankings

#2 IOWA HAWKEYES (8-0, 2-0 BIG TEN) 2021-22 Overall Wt. Rank^ Name Yr. Hometown/High School Record 

125 12 Drake Ayala Fr. Fort Dodge, Iowa/Fort Dodge 11-3 

133 3 Austin DeSanto Sr. Exeter, Pennsylvania/Exeter (Drexel) 11-0 -OR- Charles Matthews *Fr. San Mateo, California/Junipero Serra 4-5 

141 2 Jaydin Eierman Sr. Columbia, Missouri/Father Tolton (Missouri) 11-0 -OR- Drew Bennett Jr. Fort Dodge, Iowa/Fort Dodge (Northern Iowa) 2-4

149 12 Max Murin Sr. Ebensburg, Pennsylvania/Central Cambria 4-1 -OR- Cobe Siebrecht So. Lisbon, Iowa/Lisbon 5-2 

157 12 Kaleb Young Sr. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania/Punxsutawney 7-5 

165 1 Alex Marinelli Sr. Miamisburg, Ohio/St. Paris Graham 12-0 

174  2 Michael Kemerer Sr. Murraysville, Pennsylvania/Franklin Regional 2-0 -OR- Brennan Swaff ord Sr. Mediapolis, Iowa/Mediapolis (Graceland) 12-6 184 

184 18 Abe Assad So. Carol Stream, Illinois/Glenbard North 7-2 197 

197 5 Jacob Warner Sr. Tolono, Illinois/Washington Community 8-1 

285 5 Tony Cassioppi Jr. Roscoe, Illinois/Hononegah 6-2 -OR- Aaron Costello Sr. Dubuque, Iowa/Western Dubuque 11-2

#2 in Tournament Rankings

#2 in Dual Meet Rankings

#18 ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI (2-0, 0-0 BIG TEN) 2021-22 Overall Wt. Rank^ Name Yr. Hometown/High School Record 

125 26 Justin Cardani So. Champaign, Illinois/Centennial 9-2 

133 6 Lucas Byrd *Fr. Cincinnati , Ohio/La Salle 10-1 

141 We Rachal So. Chicago, Illinois/Washington 8-8 

149 Christian Kanzler Sr. Fox Lake, Illinois/Lincoln College 8-5 

157 Joe Roberts Fr. Aurora, Illinois/Monini Catholic 9-7 

165 27 Danny Braunagel So. Belleville, Illinois/Althoff Catholic 7-5 

174 DJ Shannon So. Madison, Illinois/Christian Brothers 4-4 

184 19 Zac Braunagel So. Belleville, Illinois/Althoff Catholic 6-2 

197 29 Matt Wrobleewski Jr. Mt. Prospect, Illinois/Prospect 4-2 

285 17 Luke Luffman So. Urbana, Illinois/Urbana 10-2

#18 in Tournament Rankings

#15 in Dual Meet Rankings

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Incoming Iowa wrestling recruits will be hitting the mats this weekend. Jace Rhodes, Mickey Griffith, Aiden Riggins, and Ryder Block will be at the Bob Sharpe Invitational in Ankeny on Saturday. Ben Kueter will be competing at the J-Hawk in Cedar Rapids. Brad Hill will be competing at home at the Bettendorf Midwest Shootout. Drake Rhodes will be at the Border Wars in Sheridan, WY and Easton Fleshman will be at the Harrisburg Duals in Harrisburg, SD.

Several of our recruits do not have anything scheduled for this weekend. After this weekend we are looking at a full slate as we approach conference tournaments and then the tournaments begin to become a state champion. 

Between our recruits in high school and the Hawks, the wrestling season will be at its best for the next two plus months. 

I will do my best to bring you results this season for all of our incoming recruits right here on my blog. 

The future looks great for Iowa Wrestling.

Recruiting Class of 2022

Jace Rhodes – Mason City, Iowa (132 lbs.)

Saturday, Jan 15 at Bob Sharpe Invitational (Ankeny)

Joel Jesuroga – Southeast Polk HS, Iowa (145 lbs.)

No competition scheduled.

Carter Martinson – Southeast Polk HS, Iowa (152 lb.)

No competition scheduled.

Carson Martinson – Southeast Polk HS, Iowa (160 lbs.)

No competition scheduled.

Aiden Riggins – Waverly-Shell Rock HS, Iowa (160 lbs.)

Saturday, Jan 15 at Bob Sharpe Invitational (Ankeny)

Drake Rhodes – Billings West HS, MT (160 lbs.)

Saturday Jan 15 at Border Wars (Sheridan, WY)

Mickey Griffith – Des Moines Lincoln HS, Iowa (182 lbs.)

Saturday, Jan 15 at Bob Sharpe Invitational (Ankeny)

Kolby Franklin – Wyoming Seminary, Pennsylvania (Hwt)

No competition scheduled.

Brad Hill – Bettendorf, Iowa (195 lbs.)

Saturday, Jan 15  Bettendorf Midwest Shootout

Easton Fleshman – West Lyon HS, Iowa (Hwt)

Saturday, Jan 15 at Harrisburg Duals (Harrisburg, SD)

Recruting Class of 2023

Nate Jesuroga – Southeast Polk HS, Iowa (126 lbs.)

No competition scheduled.

Ryder Block – Waverly-Shell Rock HS, Iowa (138 lbs.)

Saturday, Jan 15 at Bob Sharpe Invitational (Ankeny)

Gabe Arnold – Wyoming Seminary (PA) (170 lbs.)

No competition scheduled.

Ben Kueter – City High HS, Iowa (220 lbs.)

Saturday, Jan 15 at J-Hawk Invitational (Cedar Rapids)

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

The Iowa Hawkeyes will be on the road this weekend with a dual meet at #11 Northwestern on Friday and at #18 Illinois on Sunday. Every single match is important for seedings at the Big Ten Tournament. First up is Iowa-Northwestern at 7 PM Friday that will be streamed live on BIGt.

Iowa has two wrestlers listed at five weights for both dual meets. I do not believe I have ever seen that before in a Big Ten dual meet for Iowa. #3 Austin DeSanto and Charles Matthews are both listed at 133. DeSanto did not wrestle Sunday against Purdue. #2 Jaydin Eierman and Drew Bennett are both listed at 141. #12 Max Murin and Cobe Siebrecht are listed at 149. #2 Michael Kemerer and Brennan Swafford are at 174 and #5 Tony Cassioppi and Aaron Costello at Hwt.

Northwestern has a ranked wrestler listed at eight of the ten weights. There are potential matchups of #12 Drake Ayala – #7 Michael DeAugustino at 125, #3 Austin DeSanto – #9 Chris Cannon at 133, #12 Max Murin – #5 Yahya Thomas at 149, and #12 Kaleb Young – #2 Ryan Deakin at 157. 

Depending on who Iowa puts out on the mat Northwestern may be favored in as many or even more matches than Iowa. Northwestern has the higher ranked wrestler at 125, 149, and 157 regardless of who Iowa puts out there. Should Iowa not put their #1 guy on the mat in any of the other weights we could have a very competitive dual meet.

*InterMat Rankings

#2 IOWA HAWKEYES (8-0, 2-0 BIG TEN) 2021-22 Overall Wt. Rank Name Yr. Hometown/High School Record 

125 12 Drake Ayala Fr. Fort Dodge, Iowa/Fort Dodge 11-3 

133 3 Austin DeSanto Sr. Exeter, Pennsylvania/Exeter (Drexel) 11-0 -OR- Charles Matthews *Fr. San Mateo, California/Junipero Serra 4-5 

141 2 Jaydin Eierman Sr. Columbia, Missouri/Father Tolton (Missouri) 11-0 -OR- Drew Bennett Jr. Fort Dodge, Iowa/Fort Dodge (Northern Iowa) 2-4

149 12 Max Murin Sr. Ebensburg, Pennsylvania/Central Cambria 4-1 -OR- Cobe Siebrecht So. Lisbon, Iowa/Lisbon 5-2 

157 12 Kaleb Young Sr. Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania/Punxsutawney 7-5 

165 1 Alex Marinelli Sr. Miamisburg, Ohio/St. Paris Graham 12-0 

174  2 Michael Kemerer Sr. Murraysville, Pennsylvania/Franklin Regional 2-0 -OR- Brennan Swaff ord Sr. Mediapolis, Iowa/Mediapolis (Graceland) 12-6 

184 18 Abe Assad So. Carol Stream, Illinois/Glenbard North 7-2 197 

197 5 Jacob Warner Sr. Tolono, Illinois/Washington Community 8-1 

285 5 Tony Cassioppi Jr. Roscoe, Illinois/Hononegah 6-2 -OR- Aaron Costello Sr. Dubuque, Iowa/Western Dubuque 11-2

#2 in Tournament Rankings

#2 in Dual Meet Rankings

#11 NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS (2-2, 0-2 BIG TEN) 2021-22 Overall Wt. Rank Name Yr. Hometown/High School Record 

125 7 Michael DeAugustino Sr. Palm Coast, Florida/Flagler Palm Coast 2-0 

133 9 Chris Cannon So. Oceanport, New Jersey/Blair Academy 8-1 

141 32 Frank Tal Shahar So. Delray Beach, Florida/American Heritage 4-4 

149 5 Yahya Thomas Sr. Chicago, Illinois/Mount Carmel 7-2 

157 2 Ryan Deakin Sr. Broomfi eld, Colorado/Legacy 6-0 

165 Erich Byelick Jr. Orlando, Florida/Lake Highland Prep 0-2 -OR- 32 David Ferrante So. Huntley, Illinois/Huntley 6-4 

174 28 Troy Fisher So. Garden Plain, Kansas/Goddard 10-5 

184 Jon Halvorsen So. Park Ridge, Illinois/Maine South 1-3 -OR- Jack Jessen Jr. Villa Park, Illinois/Willowbrook 1-4 

197 28 Andrew Davison Sr. Chesterton, Indiana/Chesterton 7-4 

285 14 Lucas Davison Jr. Chesterton, Indiana/Chesterton 12-3

#11 in Tournament Rankings

#19 in Dual Meet Rankings

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!

Pat Lugo of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club will compete at the Henri Deglane Grand Prix in Nice, France. Lugo will be competing at 65 kg/143 lbs. on Friday, January 21.

Lugo, originally from Homestead, Florida, was a two-time All American for the University of Iowa in 2019 and 2020.

I will post a follow up blog with results.

2022 HENRI DEGLANE GRAND PRIX

at Nice, France 

*****Times listed are CST.

Friday, Jan. 21

3:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. – Qualification rounds and finals (MFS 57, 65, 74, 86, 97, 125 kg)

Saturday, Jan. 22

3:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. – Qualification rounds and finals (MFS 61, 70, 79, 92 kg)

U.S. men’s freestyle roster

61 kg: Daniel Deshazer (Titan Mercury WC)

65 kg: Tony Tolbert (Beat the Streets Philadelphia)

65 kg: Yianni Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat WC/Titan Mercury WC)

65 kg: Pat Lugo (Hawkeye WC/Titan Mercury WC)

70 kg: Austin Headlee (Tarheel WC/Sunkist Kids)

74 kg: Chance Marsteller (Titan Mercury WC)

79 kg: Devin Skatzka (Spartan Combat WC/Titan Mercury WC)

79 kg: David McFadden (Pennsylvania RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

86 kg: Andrew Morgan (Spartan Combat WC)

86 kg: Mark Hall (Pennsylvania RTC/Titan Mercury WC)

86 kg: Owen Webster (Gopher WC RTC)

125 kg: Hayden Zillmer (Gopher WC RTC)

It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!