No. 4 Iowa stops No. 8 Iowa State 18-14 in Cy-Hawk wrestling rivalry dual
No. 4 Iowa beats No. 8 Iowa State 18-14
There were moments in Sunday’s dual where Iowa’s undefeated Cy-Hawk winning streak under head coach Tom Brands looked to be in jeopardy, moments where Iowa All-Americans were nearly topped by young stars and moments where Hawkeye veterans almost gave up last-second takedowns.
For a brief stretch across the middleweights, Iowa looked to be in some real danger in a soldout Hilton Coliseum against a fiery Cyclone squad.
But, in the end, after ten bouts, this dual, just like the last 18 Cy-Hawk duals, belonged to the Hawks.
Iowa's success came as a result of coaching creativity, as head coach Tom Brands and Co. made the last minute decision to field 2023 NCAA qualifier Patrick Kennedy for his season debut at 174 pounds and bump up true freshman star Gabe Arnold to 184 pounds. The move proved critical, as Kennedy survived a determined MJ Gaitan 14-13 and Arnold pulled off his second win over an All-American, this time against Will Feldkamp, 3-2. Zach Glazier then sealed the win for the Hawks with his gritty 7-3 win over No. 24 Julien Broderson.
No. 17 Drake Ayala, No. 1 Real Woods and No. 2 Jared Franek also picked up wins for Iowa, but none of those results came easy. Woods, a 2023 NCAA finalist, looked to be in trouble against No. 19 Anthony Echemendia in the final seconds of the third period in his bout, though Echemendia couldn't quite finish his winning takedown, sending the dual into overtime where Woods picked up the win.
Franek, similarly, almost lost on a short-time takedown against former Hawkeye Cody Chittum, but Chittum's move came less than a second too late. Iowa will leave Ames with the Dan Gable Trophy, but the Cyclones should not be dismissed as the season progresses. This is a team capable of competing from a trophy in March, and it's a team that missed out on upsetting the Hawks by the smallest of margins.
WEIGHT |
WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT RESULT |
TEAM SCORE |
---|---|---|
125 |
No. 17 Drake Ayala over No. 19 Kysen Terukina 7-2 |
IOWA LEADS 3-0 |
133 |
No. 19 Evan Frost over No. 8 Brody Teske 8-1 |
IOWA AND IOWA STATE TIED 3-3 |
141 |
No. 1 Real Woods over No. 19 Anthony Echemendia 4-1 (SV) |
IOWA LEADS 6-3 |
149 |
No. 13 Casey Swiderski over No. 9 Victor Voinovich 6-3 |
IOWA STATE AND IOWA TIED 6-6 |
157 |
No. 2 Jared Franek over No. 18 Cody Chittum 4-2 |
IOWA LEADS 9-6 |
165 |
No. 2 David Carr over No. 5 Michael Caliendo 16-4 |
IOWA STATE LEADS 10-9 |
174 |
Patrick Kennedy over MJ Gaitan 14-13 |
IOWA LEADS 12-10 |
184 |
Gabe Arnold over Will Feldkamp 3-2 |
IOWA LEADS 15-10 |
197 |
No. 22 Zach Glazier over No. 23 Julien Broderson 7-3 |
IOWA LEADS 18-10 |
285 |
No. 6 Yonger Bastida over Bradley Hill 17-6 |
IOWA WINS 18-14 |
285 pounds: No. 7 Yonger Bastida bonuses Bradley Hill 17-6
THIRD PERIOD: Bastida chooses down to start the third and picks up another point via a quick escape. That's another takedown for the All-American on the edge. This has been a smart match from Bastida. He holds a 13-4 lead with 1:15 to go. He'll close with one out with a 17-6 major decision to give Iowa State four last team points in this year's high-paced, high-pressure rivalry dual.
No. 7 Yonger Bastida defeats Bradley Hill by major decision, 17-6!
— Iowa State Wrestling (@CycloneWR)
🌪🚨🌪
SECOND PERIOD: Hill chooses down to start the second period and escapes, but Bastida goes back on the attack and picks up another takedown almost immediately. The Cyclone leads 9-4 heading into the third period.
FIRST PERIOD: Iowa may have already clinched the team win in this dual, but that doesn't mean that Yonger Bastida won't try to go out and give the Cyclones something to cheer about. The All-American is strong, fast and tough, and he'll want to bury Bradley Hill in a statement last match. Takedown Bastida. Hill escapes, but the Cyclone leads 3-1. One minute to go. Bastida's takedown is the lone offensive point in the period as the clock ticks down to zero.
197 pounds: No. 22 Zach Glazier overpowers No. 24 Julien Broderson 7-3
THIRD PERIOD: Glazier chooses down to start the third period and escapes, though Broderson held him down just long enough to dip his riding time before 60 seconds. Less than 90 seconds to go. One minute. Glazier leads 7-3, so Broderson needs a takedown and more to pull out this win for himself and his team. Thirty seconds to go. Ten seconds. Broderson can't find a short time takedown, and Glazier will get a huge win 7-3 as Iowa seals the victory for the Hawks.
ZACH GLAZIER 🔒
— Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling (@Hawks_Wrestling)
197 | #22 Zach Glazier dec. #24 Julian Broderson, 7-3
Iowa 18, Iowa State 10
Iowa leads 18-10.
SECOND PERIOD: Broderson chooses down to start the second period, and escapes. Glazier leads 3-2 as a result of his first period takedown. One minute to go. Glazier notches another takedown with 30 seconds to go in the period. He now leads 6-2. What a critical move there for the Hawkeye. Mat return for Glazier. Escape Broderson, but Glazier hits exactly one minute of riding time.
FIRST PERIOD: The dual is on the line here, and Julien Broderson will need to notch a win to keep the Cyclone upset hopes alive. Takedown Glazier. The momentum has been all Hawks for the last few duals. Broderson escapes. Glazier holds a 3-1 lead. Thirty seconds. Shot from Broderson, and he nearly finishes, but Glazier survives the attack. He'll carry his 3-1 lead into the second period.
184 pounds: Gabe Arnold takes down No. 6 Will Feldkamp 15-10
THIRD PERIOD: Arnold holds his 3-2 lead with 45 seconds to go. Thirty seconds. Ten seconds. Arnold pushes Feldkamp to the edge. He takes the 3-2 win! That's the second All-American Gabe Arnold has beaten in as many weeks!
Big wins it's what he does...
— Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling (@Hawks_Wrestling)
184 | Gabe Arnold dec. #6 Will Feldkamp, 3-2
Iowa 15, Iowa State 10
Iowa leads 15-10 after eight bouts.
SECOND PERIOD: Feldkamp chooses down to start the second and picks up another quick escape. Arnold now leads 3-2. Thirty seconds. These guys are aggressive and fearless. Neither athlete scored offensive points this period, but the pace has been high, and the effort is there. Three more minutes in this bout. Let's go!
FIRST PERIOD: Gabe Arnold, the true freshman who beat No. 11 Travis Wittlake last week, is now up a weight at 184 pounds taking on All-American Will Feldkamp. What a week for Arnold. He's on the big stage now. One minute to go. Arnold is in on a leg, and he picks up a takedown on the edge in short time. Oh boy. Fourteen seconds to go. That's a statement move from the rookie. Arnold is warned for stalling, and Feldkamp scrambles away from the escape. Arnold heads into the second period with a 3-1 lead.
174 pounds: Patrick Kennedy beats No. 21 MJ Gaitan 14-13
THIRD PERIOD: Gaitan picks up a takedown to start the third, and he's back in this match! Kennedy holds his 13-7 lead with riding time, but he'll need something else to pick up bonus. One minute to go. Shot from Kennedy. Gaitan turns the scramble into a takedown of his own. Kennedy leads 14-10 with riding time. Gaitan with another takedown. It's 14-13! Gaitan ran down Kennedy's riding time, but the Hawk will get the win.
Season Debut for PK ➡️ Win
— Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling (@Hawks_Wrestling)
174 | #14 Patrick Kennedy dec. #21 MJ Gaitan, 14-13
Iowa 12, Iowa State 10
Iowa leads 12-10 after seven matches.
SECOND PERIOD: Gaitan chooses down to start the second period. He escapes, so the Cyclone now trails 9-3 to Kennedy. We're scrambling! Gaitan looked like he had Kennedy down for a moment, but Kennedy gets the three points to take a 12-3 lead and 1:17 of riding time and counting. Escape Gaitan! Thirty seconds. Gaitan, to his credit, has never stopped wrestling. He's fighting and battling with the veteran Hawk.
FIRST PERIOD: Patrick Kennedy! The NCAA qualifier at 165 pounds last year is back, and he's looking for a win here to give Iowa the lead once again. Gaitan nearly kicks Kennedy in the head as the Hawk picks up the first takedown of the match. Escape Gaitan! Kennedy leads 3-1. Gaitan with a shot, and Kennedy works back to the center and tries for a shot of his own. That's another three for Kennedy! He'll take a 6-1 lead with 1:12 to go. Escape Gaitan! Takedown Kennedy. Rinse and repeat. The Hawkeye now has a 9-2 lead and is accumulating riding time. Kennedy is looking for back points, but he'll run out of time, as the period ends.
165 pounds: No. 2 David Carr majors No. 5 Mikey Caliendo 16-4
THIRD PERIOD: Carr chooses down to start the third period. Caution on Carr. Escape. The Cyclone now has an 11-3 lead with riding time. He's in a position for bonus, assuming nothing changes. Carr's in on another shot, and that's three. Carr takes the 14-3 lead. He's looking for the technical fall. One minute to go. Caliendo escapes. It's 14-4. Calidendo hit with stalling again. Carr leads 15-4. Thirty seconds to go. Ten seconds. Carr almost picks up another takedown in short time, but he'll settle for the major decision 16-4.
Domination. No. 2 David Carr defeats No. 5 Michael Caliendo, 16-4!
— Iowa State Wrestling (@CycloneWR)
ISU 10, UI 9
🌪🚨🌪
Iowa State leads 10-9 after six bouts. The Cyclones are now favored in three of the next four matches. Let's see if they can pull off the team upset against the Hawks.
SECOND PERIOD: Caliendo chooses down to start the second period. Carr warned for caution. Escape Caliendo. Carr now leads 3-2. A second stall call against Caliendo gives Carr a 4-2 lead, but another takedown from Carr extends the lead even more, up to 7-2. One minute to go in the period as the refs stop the action for Blood Time again. Caliendo works to escape, and he gets out on the edge to narrow Carr's lead 7-3. Thirty seconds. Caliendo on a shot, but Carr counters. Caliendo scrambles, but that's three more points for Carr with his third takedown of the match. Bloodtime. Carr leads 10-3. Carr ends the period on top. This is some tough, tough wrestling from Carr in his soldout home gym.
FIRST PERIOD: David Carr is the leader and face of the Iowa State program this year. Let's see what he can do for the Cyclones now against No. 5 Mikey Caliendo of Iowa. BOOM. That's a quick three points for David Carr on a double leg early here in the first period. Escape Caliendo, but Carr is back on the attack. Blood time. That's the kind of energy Iowa State needs from Carr in the second half of this Cy-Hawk dual. Carr looks so calm and collected as he looks for another takedown in the final minute of the first period. He's wrestling with confidence and authority. Carr's aggression forces a stall call against Caliendo. Carr heads into the second period with a 3-1 lead.
157 pounds: No. 2 Jared Franek sneaks past No. 18 Cody Chittum 4-2
THIRD PERIOD: Franek chooses down to start the third period, and he nearly picks up the reversal but settles for the escape. He now leads 4-2 with 90 seconds to go. Chittum looks for something, but Franek now puts Chittum in another headlock, but Chittum scrambles out on the edge. One minute to go. Chittum with a shot, but Franek impresses with cat-like reflexes and stellar defense and avoids giving up any points. Stalemate. Fifteen seconds. Franek is hit with stalling. Takedown Chittum? The Cyclone nearly picks up the points on the edge. The refs will take a look.
This has been a dual of margins. No points. Iowa survives a narrow match as Franek earns the 4-2 victory.
Franek 🔨
— Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling (@Hawks_Wrestling)
157 | #2 Jared Franek dec. #18 Cody Chittum, 4-2
Iowa 9, Iowa State 6
The Hawks lead 9-6 at intermission.
SECOND PERIOD: Chittum chooses down to start the second period and escapes in under 20 seconds. That was a big-time escape for the freshman. Franek now leads 3-2. One minute to go. Franek has Chittum in a headlock, but Chittum refuses to give up anything else. He's battling tough against his All-American opponent from Iowa. Ten seconds. Neither wrestler has had too much control in this match so far, though Franek clearly has some strength that he's hoping to turn into another takedown as we head into the third.
FIRST PERIOD: Just thirty seconds into this match, and these two athletes are already showing off their physicality. Chittum takes the first real shot, but Franek works out it. Stalemate. Franek shoots, and he picks up the first takedown. Chittum escapes. That exchanged happened so fast, and we're back to neutral. Stalemate. One minute. Franek will head into the first period with the 3-1 lead after his critical takedown.
149 pounds: No. 14 Casey Swiderski tops No. 9 Victor Voinovich 6-3
THIRD PERIOD: Swiderski chooses neutral, so one takedown from Voinovich would tie the bout. One minute to go. Thirty seconds. Voinovich needs something, and he needs something fast. Twenty seconds. Fifteen seconds. This match is getting chippy. Ten seconds. One second. Voinovich pushes Swiderski away, but the Cylone will take this one 6-3 and give his team critical team points.
No. 14 Casey Swiderski takes care of business against No. 9 Victor Voinovich III, 6-3!
— Iowa State Wrestling (@CycloneWR)
ISU 6, UI 6
🌪🚨🌪
Iowa State leads Iowa 9-6 after four bouts.
SECOND PERIOD: Voinovich chooses down to start the second period, and he's out quickly. He closes the score gap, slightly, now trailing 6-3. Swiderski is still driving the pace. One minute to go. Thirty seconds to go. Voinovich is looking to power his way to some offense, but he can't convert that force into any attacks. The Hawk is hit with the stall call to end the period, and Swiderski ends to the third with a 6-3 lead.
FIRST PERIOD: Swiderski is on the board quick after an ankle pick against Voinovich! The Hawkeye escapes, and he trails Swiderski 3-1. Voinovich is sporting a substantial knee brace, but he's looking mobile. Swiderski with the ankle pick again, and he's in a good position, and that's it, he picks up another three. Wow! This has been the most action-packed period we've seen so far in this dual. Swiderski leads 6-2 heading into the second period.
141 pounds: No. 1 Real Woods survives No. 19 Anthony Echemendia 4-1
OVERTIME: Woods with the first shot! He's in a good position, and that's three for Real Woods after just avoiding the upset at the end of the third period. Echemendia just moved ever too slowly after his huge flurry in the third period. Woods takes this one 4-1.
Iowa takes the 6-3 lead.
THIRD PERIOD: Echemendia chooses neutral to start the third period. Woods leads 1-0 with the lone escape. If he holds off Echemendia's attacks, he'll take the win. Real Woods hit with a stall warning. One more stall warning, and Echemendia will tie the bout. One minute remaining. Thirty seconds. Short time. Echemendia on a shot, and he picks up the second stall call. Echemendia goes upperbody, and Woods gets out of it. But, wait, is that a takedown? He nearly has control, but the refs call no takedown. Iowa State does not challenge the call. We're heading to overtime!
SECOND PERIOD: Woods chooses down to start the second period and escapes quickly! One minute to go. Echemendia has done well slowing down Woods in this high-pressure match. Thirty seconds.
FIRST PERIOD: Anthony Echemendia, the winner of Iowa State's wrestle-off at 149 pounds, is facing his biggest test of the season now down at 141 pound against Woods, and his strength is visible. He's looking big and strong out there on the mat against NCAA finalist Real Woods. Both athletes are scoreless through the first two minutes. The Cyclone looks to be feeling out Woods and makes a few, short-lived attempts to go upper body. There's a shot for Echemendia! Woods sprawls out it to hold off Echemendia to end the period 0-0.
133 pounds: No. 19 Evan Frost upsets No. 8 Brody Teske 8-1
THIRD PERIOD: Teske chooses down to start the third and final period. Frost looks tough on top, but Teske gets out with 90 seconds to go in the period. Takedown Frost! He pulls ahead 4-0. One minute to go. This is a big moment for the Cyclones. Frost may just be a freshman, but he is looking every bit like a veteran on the mat right now against Teske. Four back points for Frost now too. He leads Teske 8-1 with 15 seconds to go. Ten seconds. That's an 8-1 upset win for Evan Frost of Iowa State.
Iowa and Iowa State are now tied 3-3.
EVAN FROST!!!! He takes out #8 Brody Teske, 8-1!!
— Iowa State Wrestling (@CycloneWR)
ISU 3, UI 3
🌪🚨🌪
SECOND PERIOD: Frost chooses down to start the second period, and Brody Teske works to rack up some riding time. Frost scrambles out with just under a minute of riding time for Teske giving the Cyclone a critical escape. Thirty seconds to go. Frost goes in for a shot, but Teske responds, secures Frost's leg and works for the first takedown of the match. Three seconds. Frost holds him off as the time ticks down in the period. The Cyclone will hold a 1-0 lead going into the third period.
FIRST PERIOD: Scoreless.
125 pounds: No. 17 Drake Ayala takes down No. 8 Kysen Terukina 7-2
THIRD PERIOD: Ayala chooses down to start the third period. Ayala escapes. He now holds a 4-2 lead with 1:50 to go. One minute to go. That second period takedown from Ayala is the difference-maker here right now. Ayala attempts a slideby but just misses. Eighteen seconds. Stalling against Ayala. Terukina with a push. Seven seconds. Ayala has a leg, and he picks up three more to seal the win 7-2. What a match to open this dual.
Iowa takes the lead 3-0.
BOOOOOM 💥
— Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling (@Hawks_Wrestling)
125 | #17 Drake Ayala dec. #8 Kysen Terukina, 7-2
SECOND PERIOD: Terukina chooses down and gets out early. Neutral again. Let's see what these guys can do on their feet. Terukina looks for an ankle, but Ayala fights him away and goes in for a shot of his own. He picks up Terukina's right leg, and he nearly picks up the takedown on the edge. Three points for Iowa! That's a key takedown for Ayala with 18 seconds on the clock in the second period. Terukina escapes to end the second period, and Ayala will enter the third period with a 3-2 lead.
FIRST PERIOD: In front of a SOLD OUT Hilton Coliseum, we're off and running at 125 pounds with Iowa's No. 17 Drake Ayala vs. Iowa State's No. 8 Kysen Terukina.
The first 90 seconds are scoreless, but the pace has been high. Ayala goes in for the leg and works for action on the edge, but Terukina fights out. We're neutral again in the center. Now it's Terukina in on the offensive, but Ayala shows off his defense on the edge as well. Stalemate. Back to the middle. Thirty seconds to go. That's the end of the first period — scoreless after those opening three minutes.
Weigh-in Sheets
Today's dual will start at 125 pounds. These weigh-in sheets suggest we might see some lineup surprises this afternoon.
Today in lazy journalism. I give you the bout sheets for the dual between #4 Iowa (2-0) and #8 Iowa State (3-0). This one promises to be a humdinger!
— K.J. Pilcher (@kjpilcher)
How to watch No. 4 Iowa vs. No. 8 Iowa State
ESPN will broadcast this year's Cy-Hawk dual at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 26, and the dual has the potential to break viewership records as the first regular season dual featured on the channel in history.
ESPN will feature more than 200 events during the '23-'24 season
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR)
Sunday, No. 4 faces No. 8 in the CyHawk dual - the 1st regular season college wrestling meet to air on ESPN
More:
Iowa enters Sunday with a 2-0 dual record after picking up wins over California Baptist and Oregon State by scores of 40-0 and 25-11, respectively. Iowa State similarly boasts an undefeated record, most recently shutting out then-No. 18 Wisconsin 42-0 to earn NCAA Team of the Week honors.
Date: Sunday, Nov. 26
Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN
Weight-by-Weight Preview
125: No. 17 Drake Ayala vs. No. 8 Kysen Terukina
The 125-pound weight class has historically been a tone-setting weight for the Hawks, particularly in the Spencer Lee era.
Us vs. Them
— Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling (@Hawks_Wrestling)
Redshirt sophomore Drake Ayala now steps into that role as he looks to rebound for last week's loss against All-American Brandon Kaylor of Oregon State and bring some energy in his match against Kysen Terukina. Iowa State's Terukina, however, has momentum on his side, as he spent last weekend majoring then-No. 5 Eric Barnett of Wisconsin to surge in the rankings.
Ayala is 4-0 in his career against Iowa State, though he's never faced Terukina, especially not this healthy, strong, dynamic version of Terukina.
CY-HAWK HISTORY: Everything you need to know about the origins of the wrestling rivalry
A two-time national qualifier, Terukina holds a 100% bonus rate heading into this match, and while Ayala, also a national qualifier, will come in as the underdog based on rankings, he's capable of competing against the Cyclone. A win here for Iowa would quiet Hilton Coliseum and give Iowa the kind of start it expects from its 125-pounder. But a win here for the Hawks will be no easy task.
133: No. 8 Brody Teske vs. No. 19 Evan Frost
Unlike 125 pounds, the 133 pound weight class favors the Hawks, based on rankings, though Iowa State's No. 19 Evan Frost is not someone Iowa's Brody Teske should overlook. Frost, a redshirt freshman, earned his starting spot for the Cyclones when he beat teammate Garrett Grice 9-3 in the Iowa State wrestle-offs, and he then showed why he was the right choice for the spot when he majored his first two dual opponents before beating Nic Rivera of Wisconsin last weekend.
At 133 pounds, No. 18 Evan Frost defeats Nicolar Rivera, 12-6. He racked up over 2 minutes of RT.
— CycloneFanatic.com (@cyclonefanatic)
What makes Evan impressive is his ability to fearlessly take shots. Sure, he gave up some reversals when trying a few things but he was able to keep his lead and try a few things…
Teske, on the other hand, is in his second year as a starter for the Hawks, after two seasons for Northern Iowa and two years on the Penn State roster. He comes into this meeting with significantly more experience than Frost and has finished as high as the Round of 12 at the NCAA tournament. If he's looking to become an All-American in his final season, he'll need to notch wins over top-20 athletes like Frost.
The Hawkeye took the first step towards this goal when he secured his first key ranked win last weekend by outscoring Gabe Whisenhunt of Oregon State by major. This win is particularly notable after Whisenhunt beat Virginia Tech two-time All-American Sam Latona two weeks prior. Frost awaits, and, with the team dual on the line, stakes will be high.
141: No. 1 Real Woods vs. No. 19 Anthony Echemendia
For as strong as these two programs are, there's only one starter across the lineups of Iowa and Iowa State who enters this dual as the top-ranked guy at his weight class: No. 1 Real Woods. A 2023 NCAA finalist, Woods is 22-1 in his Hawkeye career, and Iowa will be depending on their transfer star to carry this team through what is expected to be yet another hyper-competitive Cy-Hawk dual. Woods has bonused both of his opponents this year, most recently earning an 18-3 technical fall over No. 21 Cleveland Belton of Oregon State, and he's someone that has only jumped levels since arriving in Iowa City last year.
CY-HAWK RESULTS: Here's how Iowa topped Iowa State 18-15 last year
Now he'll take on freestyle specialist Anthony Echemendia, a transfer from Ohio State who is also undefeated on the year with 100% bonus. Echemendia's story is unique, as he was originally born in Cuba but came to the United States in 2018 to pursue personal and athletic goals. Echemendia originally committed to Iowa State before decommitting and enrolling at Ohio State before transferring back to the Cyclones.
As a Buckeye, he wrestled seven matches, posting a 6-1 record before competing unattached for year while accumulating a 13-2 record. The Cuban is a Cyclone again, and he'll have his chance against the best of the best when he competes against a tough top wrestler and an elite-level tilter in Woods.
149: No. 9 Victor Voinovich vs. No. 14 Casey Swiderski
On paper, 149 pounds favors the Hawks as No. 9 Victor Voinovich holds the rankings advantage, but Iowa State's Casey Swiderski is someone that wrestles close matches, regardless of the competition. The young Cyclone star nearly gave Woods a scare in last year's dual after taking down the All-American, but also giving up two escapes, a stall and a riding time point to Woods in his 4-2 loss. Swiderski's opponent this year will be another top-10 Hawk, as he's set to meet Voinovich, a transfer from Oklahoma State who went 17-13 last year on his way to a Round of 16 finish at the NCAA tournament.
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Voinovich is 6-1 on the season this year with his lone loss coming against unattached Iowa commit Anthony Ferrari, and he needed sudden victory to earn his win against Nash Singleton last weekend, 6-3. Swiderski also lost to a teammate earlier this year, as he dropped to Echemendia in the Iowa State wrestle-offs. Echemendia has since dropped down to 141 pounds, making room for Swiderski up at 149 pounds.
Swiderski's known for his aggression and intensity, and his match against Voinovich will be a good test for both athletes as they strive to break through and earn All-American honors in March for the first time in their careers.
157: No. 2 Jared Franek vs. No. 18 Cody Chittum
Iowa will be leaning on a number of transfer athletes within their lineup to elevate them over the Cyclones, and 157 pounds will be one of those key matches. But not only is this a match where Iowa will be looking for new Hawkeye Jared Franek to score big, it will also be a match with an even bigger storyline, as Iowa State's No. 18 Cody Chittum, who spent the last year training with Iowa, will now take on his former team in a bout that could determine the outcome of the dual.
Chittum, a Tennessee native, came out of high school as the top prospect in his class and initially committed to the Hawks in 2022 before flipping his commitment to the Cyclones this summer. He's now 2-0 for the Cyclones with majors against Wisconsin and Davidson. His match against Franek, though, will be his first contest against an All-American, a proven name at the weight and someone who could compete for a title this year.
Franek finished fourth last year behind Austin O'Connor, Levi Haines and Josh Humphreys, though only Haines returns this year, hence Franek's No. 2 national ranking. Since moving from North Dakota State to Iowa, Franek is 7-0 with 71.43% bonus. He's competing for a program that has put a wrestler in the national finals every year since 1990, and he's primed for another podium run. Getting past Chittum, though, will be a more immediate task and one that would make a big contribution to his new team.
165: No. 5 Mikey Caliendo vs. No. 2 David Carr
This match has the potential to be the turning point for the Cyclones, as Iowa is favored in four of the first five matches, but Iowa State has the edge in four of the last five bouts. David Carr, a 2021 NCAA champion and the current face of the Cyclone resurgence, will want to roll into this bout, make a statement and set up the momentum for his team to pull off the team upset.
Iowa's Caliendo will be responsible for stopping that effort, or, at least preventing Carr from earning bonus points. These two have never met in collegiate competition, despite wrestling in the same conference last year when Caliendo was at North Dakota State. Carr has wrestled Caliendo's teammate, Jared Franek, six times, winning all six times but earning bonus points just once. Carr will unquestionably be the favorite, but Caliendo has beaten former NCAA champions in his career before — notably topping 2021 NCAA champion Shane Griffith in the North Dakota State vs. Stanford dual last year.
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Carr's already been tested this year too, as he took on No. 4 Dean Hamiti last weekend and notched a 2-0 win. He's a man on a mission this season as he looks for one last national championship honor, but first, he'll have to get past Iowa All-American Mikey Caliendo.
174: Gabe Arnold/Aiden Riggins vs. No. 21 MJ Gaitan
The only weight where the Hawks (or the Cyclones) have more than one probable starter listed comes at 174 pounds, where Iowa included both true freshman Gabe Arnold and redshirt freshman Aiden Riggins as potential starters against Iowa State's MJ Gaitan. The decision may come at the 11th hour too.
NCAA Wrestler of the Week
— NCAA Wrestling (@NCAAWrestling)
Gabe Arnold beat All-American No. 11 Travis Wittlake in his first dual as a true freshman for the Hawks. x
Arnold, who made his varsity debut last weekend against Oregon State in a win over All-American Travis Wittlake, can wrestle up to five regular season duals without burning his redshirt. His performance against Wittlake suggested that he's a podium contender in a deep weight, if he competes this year, and the question will be whether Iowa chooses maintain Arnold's redshirt and use him in just five appearances, potentially including this Cy-Hawk dual, or redshirt him and give Riggins the start longterm. While the Hawks have several big duals later in the schedule where Arnold could be helpful, he might be needed for the Hawks in this dual if Iowa wants to maintain its undefeated streak against the Cyclones in the Tom Brands era.
WEEK THREE RECAP: Iowa tops Oregon State, Iowa State blanks Wisconsin
InterMat has not ranked Arnold yet, though the young Iowa star is ranked 17 by WIN Magazine and 18 by Flo, which would give him the advantage on paper over a tough MJ Gaitan, who is 3-0 on the year. Gaitan is also a new starter for his program, as he redshirted last season and posted a 9-5 record that year with his best win coming against NCAA qualifier Lance Runyon of Northern Iowa. Gaitan will have the home mat advantage regardless of who Iowa sends out as a starter at 174, but if Brands elects to wrestle Arnold, this match will be even more interesting as Arnold will have a chance to take on his second ranked opponent in as many weeks as a true freshman for the Hawks.
184: No. 30 Brennan Swafford vs. No. 6 Will Feldkamp
None of the 10 matches slated to happen in this year's Iowa State vs. Iowa dual happened last year, and this particular bout at 184 pounds, in fact, is one that few would have predicted heading into this season.
Let's start with Iowa State's No. 6 Will Feldkamp. The former Clarion All-American was one of the biggest additions to the Cyclones in the offseason, as Feldkamp finished seventh last year with tournament wins over Gavin Kane, Isaiah Salazar, Colton Hawks, Lenny Pinto and Jacob Nolan. He did end up dropping a bout to former Iowa State 184-pounder Marcus Coleman, but, following Coleman's graduation and Feldkamp's transfer, the former Clarion star is now a Cyclone. Feldkamp is 1-0 on the season with a fall against Wisconsin, and he'll be favored to put up a similarly dominant result against Brennan Swafford.
Iowa's Swafford, also a transfer, is filling in a spot left behind by Hawkeye national qualifier Abe Assad and starts the year 6-1 with his lone loss coming against Trey Munoz last weekend by tech fall. Rebounding against Feldkamp will be tough, but if Swafford can avoid bonus, he'll do his part to keep the Hawks alive in this rivalry dual.
197: No. 22 Zach Glazier vs. No. 24 Julien Broderson
Every bout in this dual is going to matter, and Iowa's best chance to stop the Iowa State expected upperweight momentum comes at 197 pounds with Zach Glazier. A junior for the Hawks, Glazier is in his first year as a starter, and he's doing everything he can to fill the big shoes left behind by previous Iowa starter five-time All-American Jacob Warner. Glaizer is 6-0 on the year with a major decision win against Oregon State, and he'll now wrestle veteran starter for the Cyclones, Julien Broderson, who boasts a 39-25 career record as a varsity wrestler in his Iowa State career.
Glaizer is favored in the rankings, but his advantage is slim. Broderson is 2-0 on the season and will strive to qualify for the NCAA tournament for the first time in his career this season. A win over Glazier would help him inch up the rankings ever so slightly, but, more significantly, would hold off the Hawks from picking up team points.
285: Bradley Hill vs. No. 7 Yonger Bastida
If the dual comes down heavyweight, Iowa State will be in a good spot. All-American Yonger Bastida anchors the Cyclones, and he’s looking stronger than ever this year, wrestling up a weight class from last year at 285 pounds. His expected opponent from the Hawkeyes, Bradley Hill, a 5-2 redshirt freshman who is coming off a 4-1 loss to NCAA qualifier Boone McDermott from Oregon State. Yonger and Hill have never wrestled in their collegiate careers, as Hill wrested 285 pounds as a redshirt and Bastida finished in the Round of 12 last year at 197 pounds after earning a 5th place finish at the weight the year before.
Since bumping up to 285 pounds, though, Bastida has teched all three of his opponents. He’ll be looking for bonus points against the Hawkeyes, so Iowa will need to have at least four points in their favor to have any comfort at all coming into this last weight class.
Sunday's Probables
Let’s take a look at the probable lineups for each team:
WEIGHT | NO. 4 IOWA | NO. 8 IOWA STATE |
---|---|---|
125 | No. 17 Drake Ayala | No. 19 Kysen Terukina |
133 | No. 8 Brody Teske | Evan Frost |
141 | No. 1 Real Woods | Anthony Echemendia |
149 | No. 9 Victor Voinovich | Casey Swiderski |
157 | No. 2 Jared Franek | Cody Chittum |
165 | No. 5 Michael Caliendo | No. 2 David Carr |
174 | Gabe Arnold OR Aiden Riggins | MJ Gaitan |
184 | No. 30 Brennan Swafford | Will Feldkamp |
197 | No. 22 Zach Glaizer | No. 23 Julien Broderson |
285 | Bradley Hill | No. 6 Yonger Bastida |