Hawks Take Down #1 Penn State
It was a crazy environment inside Carver Hawkeye Arena as #3 Iowa beat #1 Penn State 22-16 in a dual meet on Friday
Cael Sanderson has still never won a dual meet in Carver-Hawkeye.
Iowa scored bonus points in two of their first three matches, including a pin by Tony Ramos at 133 pounds en route to a 22-16 win over #1 Penn State. The loss snapped Penn State’s 20-match win streak and gave Iowa some great momentum heading into their final two duals, the Big Tens and nationals in March.
The meet began at 125 pounds where Iowa’s top ranked Matt McDonough beat #2 Nico Megludis in overtime. McDonough fought off two takedowns to keep his perfect record intact. Then Ramos came out and was headed for bonus points when he turned Jordan Conway midway through the second period and scored the fall. Mark Ballweg scored some surprise bonus points with a 12-2 major decision at 141. #1 ranked Derek St. John scored a 4-3 decision over 5th ranked Dylan Alton, scoring late in that match.
#6 Mike Evans won on a late score as well, fighting off a seemingly sure takedown by Penn State’s #4 Matt Brown late in the third and turning it into a takedown of his own. The arena went crazy and it was one of the more remarkable turn of events from a desperate position on the mat that you will ever see. Iowa’s heavyweight Bobby Telford closed out the match with a convincing win. Had he lost that match by a normal decision, Penn State would have won the meet on criteria.
#3 IOWA 22, #1 PENN STATE 16
125 – #1 Matt McDonough (IA) dec. #2 Nico Megludis (PSU), 2-1 (TB1); 3-0
133 – #2 Tony Ramos (IA) pinned Jordan Conaway (PSU), 4:23; 9-0
141 – #9 Mark Ballweg (IA) major dec. Bryan Pearsall (PSU), 12-2; 13-0
149 – #8 Andrew Alton (PSU) major dec. Brody Grothus (IA), 18-8; 13-4
157 – #1 Derek St. John (IA) dec. #5 Dylan Alton (PSU), 4-3; 16-4
165 – #2 David Taylor (PSU) tech. fall #13 Nick Moore, 18-2; 16-9
174 – #6 Mike Evans (IA) dec. #4 Matt Brown (PSU), 4-3; 19-9
184 – #1 Ed Ruth (PSU) major dec. Grant Gambrall (IA), 21-10; 19-13
197 – #3 Quentin Wright (PSU) dec. #19 Nathan Burak (IA), 8-3; 19-16
285 – #6 Bobby Telford (IA) dec. #17 Jon Gingrich (PSU), 9-2; 22-16
I bet Tom spent about 30 seconds celebrating, then preached cold reality this is just the path we need to go. 149 pounds looks unsolvable this year. The perfection bar will continue to be preached.