University of Iowa wrestling team | facebook.com/universityofiowa/photos
University of Iowa wrestling team | facebook.com/universityofiowa/photos
As Iowa and Penn State have been jostling for the top spot in the collegiate wrestling rankings, Friday promises a clash of the undefeateds.
The dual match will go a long way to showing whether the voters, who have in recent weeks favored the Nittany Lions – 12 first-place votes to Iowa’s two last week – are underrating the Hawkeyes or whether Penn State is as good as promised.
“There's a difference there with the territory that we're going to the next couple of weeks,” Iowa Wrestling coach Tom Brands said in a video posted to Twitter on Jan. 19, referring to upcoming matches against Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin.
Iowa heads into Friday’s contest coming off a 21-12 victory over Ohio State.
The Hawkeyes won six of 10 matches. Ohio State won its four by a total of 6 points.
“We were not sharp,” Brands said, according to Hawkeye Sports. “You have to put those matches away with more building. More attacking.”
One of the matches won by decision involved Michael Kemerer, who scored takedowns against Ethan Smith in the first and second periods to win the battle of two highly ranked foes. Kemerer is ranked second in the 174-pound weight class, while Smith is seventh.
Kemerer has his work cut out for him Friday, when he takes on top-ranked Carter Starocci, a freshman who has held his own on the mat this season, with a 13-0 record.
The Hawkeyes host the Nittany Lions at 8 p.m. CST in a match that will be televised on BTN.
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