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Previewing The Enemy: Iowa Hawkeyes

Penn State could use a win in the BJC these days.

No. 1 Penn State wrestling will take on No. 2 Iowa on Friday night in the most anticipated dual of the season. With what could be 10 ranked matchups across all 10 weight classes, many of Friday night’s bouts could give an inside look at future championship contests in the Big Ten Championship or even the national championship.

Without further ado, let’s break down the matchup between these two historically great teams.

Coaching Breakdown

Tom Brands is the head coach for Iowa, a position that he has served in for the last 19 years. He is 236-27-1 all-time at the helm for the Hawkeyes with a 136-14 record in conference. In his previous 18 seasons as coach, Brands has led his team to four NCAA and six Big Ten titles, while coaching his wrestlers to 13 individual national championships and 26 individual Big Ten titles, including 104 All-American honorees. As a wrestler himself, Brands went 158-7-2 with three national championships.

Team Breakdown

In the history of these two wrestling powerhouses squaring off, the Hawkeyes hold the all-time record at 28-13-2. However, in the last ten years, Penn State holds a more dominant record of 7-3, winning the last three matchups in a row. The last time Penn State lost a dual match came at the hands of the Hawkeyes back in 2020.

Bout-By-Bout Breakdown

Note that all of these matchups are strictly based on past lineups and results. They are not guaranteed.

125 Pounds

At the starting weight, expect to see No. 7 Luke Lilledahl take on No. 23 Joey Cruz. This would be an ideal opportunity for the Nittany Lions to start the dual with a win. The freshman is looking for a bounce-back win, coming off his first collegiate loss, occurring last week at the hands of No. 10 Dean Peterson of Rutgers. The Nittany Lion sports a 9-1 record on the season with five tech falls. On the other hand, Cruz holds onto a 9-6 record on the season with two major decision victories.

133 Pounds

In a tougher match for the Nittany Lions, No. 7 Braeden Davis will likely take on No. 3 Drake Ayala. To begin, it is worth noting that Ayala did not compete in the Hawkeyes’ last match against Ohio State due to an undisclosed injury. It’s not currently certain if Ayala will compete against the Nittany Lions.

If he does, he will pose as stark competition for Davis, as Ayala boasts a dominant 11-1 record so far this season with over 50% of his matches being won with bonus points. On the other hand, Davis is 7-2 so far this season with his two losses coming at the hands of No. 1 Ryan Crookham and No. 15 Jacob Van Dee. In his victories, the Nittany Lion has achieved two tech falls and a major decision.

141 Pounds

The 141-pound weight class has offered some difficulties for the Hawkeyes this year, with no true wrestler locking up starting rights. However, no matter who Iowa decides to send onto the mat, they would be walking into the talented No. 3 Beau Bartlett. Bartlett, 12-0 on the season, has showcased a major jump in scoring so far this season, now reaching almost a 60% bonus point rate, around 20% higher than last season.

149 Pounds

Getting back to some real competition, 149 pounds marks the second of four matchups where the Nittany Lion will be ranked lower than their opponent. In this case, 149 pounds should see No. 4 Shayne Van Ness take on No. 2 Kyle Parco. These two wrestlers faced each other before at the 2023 NCAA Championships, a matchup that favored Van Ness with a 7-2 decision. However, after transferring to Iowa, Parco is a perfect 13-0 on the season and poised to give Van Ness a run for his money.

156 Pounds

In another Hawkeye-favored bout, No. 3 Tyler Kasak is slated to take on No. 1 Jacori Teemer. The Iowa wrestler suffered an early injury back in November, stunting his 3-1 record. Teemer finally returned to action last week with a 10-5 decision win over Ohio State’s Sammy Sasso. However, Kasak will try to keep his perfect record alive with a chance to spoil the Hawkeye’s return to fierce competition.

165 Pounds

In one of the most anticipated bouts in the lineup, No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink is predicted to face off against No. 2 Michael Caliendo. These two hammers faced each other three times last season, with the Nittany Lion coming out on top each time, winning with a 12-6 result, a 23-7 tech fall, and a 17-9 major decision, respectively. While both wrestlers sport an unblemished record so far this season, Mesenbrink’s knack for bonus points and favorable history against Caliendo may continue to be a major factor.

174 Pounds

In what may be a much closer match, No. 2 Levi Haines is expected to take on No. 6 Patrick Kennedy. Haines has made his mark in a new weight class so far this season, beating all of his opponents except two-time national champion Keegan O’Toole. However, Kennedy has made his living at the 174-pound weight class, posing the question if the veteran can hold true against the newcomer. You can expect this bout to be neck and neck for all seven minutes.

184 Pounds

In another highly anticipated bout, No. 1 Carter Starocci will step to the mat to face either No. 5 Gabe Arnold or Angelo Ferrari. Both Hawkeye wrestlers are undefeated so far this season, however, it has been Arnold who has wrestled the majority of the dual matches. Arnold is the same wrestler who called out Starocci last week. However, the four-time national champion didn’t seem too concerned and is preparing to face “the other guy” come Friday night. No matter, expect Starocci to be teetering on bonus points in this matchup.

197 Pounds

In what could be a major “prove it” moment for the Nittany Lion, No. 4 Josh Barr is expected to share the mat with No. 1 Stephen Buchanan. While the veteran Hawkeye has competed for three different schools and finished third twice at the NCAA Championships, Barr is running as hot as ever. In case you missed it, Barr scored 22 points across seven takedowns, all in the third period, in his last match against No. 17 Josh Pozanski of Rutgers. However, Buchanan is ranked No. 1 for a reason, so keep a close eye on this bout.

285 Pounds

It is not often when the top two wrestlers in a weight class are leaps and bounds better than those below them, but that may be the case at 285 pounds with Minnesota’s Gable Stevenson and Greg Kerkvliet. While the heavyweights won’t compete with each other until their inevitable clash in the late-season tournaments, No. 2 Kerkvliet should face little resistance from No. 11 Ben Keuter, despite the Hawkeye’s recent shining performances.

You can catch all of these must-see matchups live at 7 p.m. on Friday in the Bryce Jordan Center and on the Big Ten Network.

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About the Author

Brendan Wagner

Brendan is a senior majoring in print and media journalism. Born in Pittsburgh, he now lives in Mooresville, North Carolina. As a die-hard Pittsburgh sports fan, you can find him on Twitter, @brchwags, often complaining about the Pittsburgh Steelers and maybe Justin Fields, we will see.

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