Wrestling: Iowa wraps up team crown, places five in the finals

It was a high five Iowa wrestling fans won’t soon forget.

All five Hawkeye semifinalists earned the right to climb onto the elevated mat for Saturday night’s national championship matches with victories on day two of the three-day competition at Qwest Center Omaha.

Iowa clinched its third straight NCAA crown and 23rd overall before Friday’s semifinals were completed and holds a commanding 105.5-64.5 advantage over second-place Cornell. Ohio State (56.5), Iowa State (53) and Minnesota (49) round out the top five.

The Hawkeyes have three other wrestlers going for seventh on Saturday. Iowa coach Tom Brands said it was gratifying to wrap up the team title before the final day of competition.

“It shows that you’re in control. It shows that you’ve wrestled well as a team,’’ he said. “I don’t think it lessens the urgency of winning five titles and three sevenths. But it’s flexing your muscles, you know?’’

Iowa’s finalists are third-seeded freshman Matt McDonough at 125, second-seeded senior Daniel Dennis at 133, sixth-seeded sophomore Montell Marion at 141, second-seeded senior Brent Metcalf at 149 and second-seeded senior Jay Borschel at 174.

McDonough won 14-3 by major decision over unrated Cashe Quiroga of Purdue. Dennis scored the winning takedown with 37 seconds left in the one-minute sudden-victory period for a 5-3 win over third-seeded Franklin Gomez of Michigan State.

Marion trailed 10th-seeded Tyler Nauman of Pittsburgh in the second period, but took a 7-5 lead on a reversal with 1:32 left in regulation, and held on for a 7-6 win.

Metcalf set up Saturday’s anticipated showdown with top-seeded Lance Palmer of Ohio State with a 6-2 win over third-seeded Kyle Terry of Oklahoma.

And Borschel saved the best for last, rallying from a 9-3, second-period deficit for a thrilling 10-9 win over third-seeded Christopher Henrich of Virginia.

Iowa had one finalist and no champions a year ago in winning its second straight national title. Brands said the difference might be found in a stronger daily consistency of effort.

“I think it’s how these guys live their everyday life, maybe,’’ Brands said. “Where some things from the outside became factors maybe? I don’t know. Just too much emphasis on things that are outside of your wrestling and your academics and your social life. There has to be a balance there. Maybe there wasn’t enough balance.’’

With five more wins on Saturday, Iowa can match its most national champions in a season since 1997.

At 149, Metcalf (35-1) gets a rematch with Ohio State’s Palmer (31-2). Palmer beat Metcalf two weeks ago at the Big Ten championships.

“I’m excited. It’s an opportunity to correct a wrong,’’ Metcalf said. “I’ve been waiting for the past two weeks to get to this point. We both had to do our jobs and we have, and it’s time to go out and compete.’’

At 141, Marion has had several scrapes with the law during the past few years. He’s also had to battle for most of this season to even secure his spot in the lineup.

“I’m not a perfect person,’’ Marion said. “I’ve made some mistakes in my past. But I think I’m at a time in my life where it’s time to leave all childish things behind me and start becoming a man. Just making sure that everything I do is representing Iowa in a positive way.’’

With the score tied at 5 early in the third, Marion was almost taken to his back. He squirmed out of danger and quickly turned it into a reversal that gave him the lead against Nauman. He gave up an escape but held on for the win.

“I’ve been dreaming about this for a very long time,’’ Marion said. “This keeps me up at night. I knew I had it in me. Right now is the time to peak.’’

At 133, Dennis beat Gomez, a defending national champion, for the third time in three tries this season. Dennis trailed 2-1 but tied it with an escape. He went ahead 3-2 after Gomez was penalized a stalling point, but Gomez tied it with an escape, sending it to overtime.

Dennis executed his takedown early in the sudden-victory period to advance to the finals.

“This is what my college career has culminated to,’’ Dennis said. “Even go back further, when my parents put me in wrestling, when they allowed me to participate in the sport. ... It’s been a long time coming for this opportunity.’’

At 125, McDonough, a Linn-Mar (Iowa) graduate, will face fellow Iowa State redshirt freshman and native Iowan Andrew Long of Creston. McDonough won all three matches during the season, by scores of 13-7, 9-7 in sudden victory and 9-8.

“He’s going to come out wanting blood,’’ McDonough said. “Every other guy that I’ve wrestled this year has wanted to beat me, too. They’re all the same, and you can’t look at it any different.’’

Contact the writer:

444-1055, kevin.white@owh.com

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