Iowa Falls to Missouri, 18-12, in NWCA Finals
The
University of Iowa wrestling team dropped an 18-12 decision to
second-ranked Missouri on Sunday in the finals of the EAS/NWCA National
Duals tournament. The top-ranked Hawkeyes got wins from
Cory Clark (133), Nick Moore (165), Mike Evans (174), and Bobby Telford
(285), but lost four one-point decisions and six-of-10 bouts overall to
suffer their first loss of the season. "They rode tough on
top and they control tied us to death. They weren't rides where they
have tricks. They are hard, driving forward type rides. They came in to
beat us and they did at six weights,” said UI head coach Tom Brands. Five
matches featured two wrestlers ranked sixth or better, and Missouri won
four of the six, starting at 125 where second-ranked Alan Waters
reversed fifth-ranked Thomas Gilman in the first tiebreak to win 5-4. Cory Clark evened the match, 3-3, with a 7-2 decision at 133, but Missouri won the next three bouts to open a 12-3 lead. Fifth-ranked
Lavion Mayes defeated sixth-ranked Josh Dziewa, 13-6. Fourth-ranked
Drake Houdashelt used a second-period rideout to defeat second-ranked
Brandon Sorensen, 2-1, and 12th-ranked Joseph LaVallee handled
16th-ranked Michael Kelly, 6-1. Iowa chipped into the lead
with consecutive wins at 165 and 174. Nick Moore pulled Iowa within
12-6 with a 3-2 win against Mike England, and Mike Evans used a
takedown in the final minute to defeat fifth-ranked John Eblen, 4-1.
Evans finished the weekend with a pin and two wins against ranked
opponents. "Personally I think it was okay,” was how Evans described his final event at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. “The
two tough matches I had, I let those guys stay in the matches, and I
think I've got more fire power to open up those matches. Not just in
the third or second period, but get to that leg in the first and
finish, with a minute left, a minute thirty left." Evans’ win pulled Iowa within three points, 12-9, but Missouri clinched the dual with consecutive wins at 184 and 197. Alex
Meyer filled in for Sammy Brooks at 184 and led 14th-ranked Willie
Miklus, 5-3, with 1:23 left in the match. Miklus tied the score with a
takedown at 0:47 and used riding time to earn a 6-5 decision. Riding
time was again the difference at 197, where top-ranked J’Den Cox used
1:34 on top to defeat sixth-ranked Nathan Burak, 4-3. Missouri
led 18-9 before Bobby Telford stepped on the mat at 285. Telford was
the only Hawkeye to score more than one takedown. He scored on the edge
in the opening period and added second takedown in the third to defeat
16th-ranked Devin Mellon, 6-3. “I know that we've got to
do more,” Brands said, “and if you don't do more the result you're
looking at right now is going to repeat itself." "It's not
the end of the year,” said Evans. “It's not the end of the season.
There's another next competition so you've got to focus on that. “I want to wrestle on the raised platform, so that's what I'm looking forward to." The
Hawkeyes (17-1) return to action at the Big Ten Championships in
Columbus, Ohio, on March 7-8. The NCAA Championships are March 19-21 in
St. Louis. NOTES: Attendance was 6,846… Telford
improves to 10-2 against ranked opponents… Iowa placed runner-up at the
National Duals for the fourth time… Evans finished his Carver-Hawkeye
Arena career with a 33-2 record… Meyer wrestled at 184 for the first
time since 2013, he wrestled at 197 against Michigan State. #1 IOWA 12, #2 Missouri 18 125 - #2 Alan Waters (MIS) dec. #5 Thomas Gilman (IA), 5-4 TB1; 0-3 133 - #6 Cory Clark (IA) dec. Zach Synon (MIS), 7-2; 3-3 141 - #5 Lavion Mayes (MIS) dec. #6 Josh Dziewa (IA), 13-6; 3-6 149 - #4 Drake Houdashelt (MIS) dec. #2 Brandon Sorensen (IA), 2-1; 3-9 157 - #12 Joseph LaVallee (MIS) dec. #16 Michael Kelly (IA), 6-1; 3-12 165 - #9 Nick Moore (IA) dec. Mike England (MIS), 3-2; 6-12 174 - #3 Mike Evans (IA) dec. #5 John Eblen (MIS), 4-1; 9-12 184 - #14 Willie Miklus (MIS) dec. Alex Meyer (IA), 6-5; 9-15 197 - #1 J’Den Cox (MIS) dec. #6 Nathan Burak (IA), 4-3; 9-18 285 - #4 Bobby Telford (IA) dec. #16 Devin Mellon (MIS), 6-3; 12-18
Championships Match #2 Missouri 18, #1 Iowa 12 125 - Alan Waters (Missouri) over Thomas Gilman (Iowa) TB-1 5-4 133 - Cory Clark (Iowa) over Zach Synon (Missouri) Dec 7-2 141 - Lavion Mayes (Missouri) over Josh Dziewa (Iowa) Dec 13-6 149 - Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) over Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) Dec 2-1 157 - Joseph LaVallee (Missouri) over Mike Kelly (Iowa) Dec 6-1 165 - Nick Moore (Iowa) over Mike England (Missouri) Dec 3-2 174 - Michael Evans (Iowa) over John Eblen (Missouri) Dec 4-1 184 - Willie Miklus (Missouri) over Alex Meyer (Iowa) Dec 6-5 197 - J`Den Cox (Missouri) over Nathan Burak (Iowa) Dec 4-3 285 - Bobby Telford (Iowa) over Devin Mellon (Missouri) Dec 6-3 3rd/4th Place Consolation Match #5 Cornell 22, #11 Lehigh 15 125 - Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) over (Lehigh) Forf 133 - Mason Beckman (Lehigh) over Mark Grey (Cornell) Dec 6-2 141 - Randy Cruz (Lehigh) over Dylan Realbuto (Cornell) Dec 8-6 149 - Christopher Villalonga (Cornell) over Drew Longo (Lehigh) Maj 11-2 157 - Brian Realbuto (Cornell) over Mitchell Minotti (Lehigh) Dec 5-3 165 - Dylan Palacio (Cornell) over Marshall Peppelman (Lehigh) Dec 6-4 174 - Santiago Martinez (Lehigh) over George Pickett (Cornell) Dec 2-1 184 - Gabriel Dean (Cornell) over Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh) Dec 7-2 197 - Jace Bennett (Cornell) over Elliot Riddick (Lehigh) Dec 4-1 285 - Douglas Vollaro (Lehigh) over (Cornell) Forf
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