No. 2 Ohio State Wrestles Past No. 8 Iowa, 24-9
Despite a strong start, the eighth-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team suffered a 24-9 defeat at the hands of No. 2 Ohio State Friday night at the Covelli Center. The Buckeyes ultimately proved too strong, capitalizing on key opportunities to secure the victory in front of a crowd of 4,749.
Iowa initially surged ahead, demonstrating early dominance in several weight classes. Victor Voinovich III opened the dual with a 5-0 decision over Maddox Shaw at 157 pounds, establishing an early 3-0 lead for the Hawkeyes. The momentum continued at 165 pounds, where Michael Caliendo, ranked third, defeated e’Than Birden with an 8-2 decision. At 174 pounds, No. 3 Patrick Kennedy further extended Iowa’s advantage, earning a 4-1 decision over No. 5 Carson Kharchla.
However, Ohio State began to mount a comeback. No. 8 Dylan Fishback secured the Buckeyes’ first win of the night at 184 pounds, defeating Gabe Arnold in a hard-fought sudden victory match, 4-1. Ohio State then bolstered their score with bonus points at 197 pounds, as No. 10 Luke Geog delivered a dominant 13-4 major decision over Brody Sampson. Despite this surge, Iowa entered the intermission with a narrow 9-7 lead.
The turning point came after the break. No. 3 Nick Feldman edged past No. 8 Ben Kueter with a 3-2 decision at heavyweight, giving Ohio State their first team lead at 10-9. The Buckeyes continued to build their lead at 125 pounds, with second-ranked Nic Bouzakis securing a 9-5 decision over No. 6 Dean Peterson, utilizing a significant seven-point move in the opening period. At 133 pounds, No. 2 Ben Davino defeated No. 9 Drake Ayala 4-2, further extending Ohio State’s advantage.
Ohio State effectively sealed the dual’s outcome at 141 pounds. Top-ranked Jesse Mendez delivered a commanding performance, recording a 21-3 technical fall over Kale Petersen to push the score to 21-9. The Buckeyes closed out the competition with a 4-1 sudden victory win by No. 7 Ethan Stiles over No. 18 Ryder Block at 149 pounds.
Following the match, a senior official emphasized the importance of capitalizing on scoring opportunities. “Voinovich, we can probably break that one open,” they stated. “Caliendo going for bonus points, have to tack them down. Kennedy won a tough match, and I think we can score there. He had a lot of looks and opportunities, and we have to capitalize on those. Kennedy was on the right side of it, and Arnold was on the other side of it. Kueter was on the other side of it. Ayala was in three times, that was progress.”
The loss underscores the need for the Hawkeyes to refine their ability to convert opportunities into points as they move forward in the season.
Officials: Jeron Quincy, Reynaldo Santiago
Attendance: 4,749
