Digging for a Team

In 2007, Cindy Frederick was released as head coach of The University of Iowa volleyball team. Mallory Husz, a recruit from Council Bluffs, had committed to Iowa, and was left in the dark until Iowa finally hired Sharon Dingman. For three months, Husz was forced to find her own answers, and try to figure out what she should do: stick with Iowa, or go somewhere with stability. Somewhere else almost happened.



Mallory Husz' Unusual Recruiting Experience

Iowa Grapplers Blank UNI in Cedar Falls

The University of Iowa Hawkeye wrestling team hit the road last night for Cedar Falls, and the meet couldn’t have gone much smoother for the Hawks, as they blanked the Panthers 39-0.


Tony Ramos started the meet with four take downs and a major decision over Ryan Jauch of the Panthers. Ramos, who has started at the 133 spot since getting the nod on November 26th against Cornell College, is 4-0 on the season. Ramos’ four wins include three major decisions and a tech fall.

Jeret Chiri finally got things going for himself when he pinned UNI’s Jamal Lawrence in 5:59. This is exactly what Chiri needed to stay in the starting lineup as Last weekend Chiri was defeated by major decision twice, and reports were circulating that Chiri could be replaced by Matt Ballweg until starter Dylan Carew returns from injury.

At 165, Aaron Janssen took the mat for a 4-0 decision. The 165 spot has been up in the air all season, as Janssen and Jake Kerr have gone back and forth, and but neither one has stepped up and fully grasped the spot.

In the only match between two ranked wrestlers, Iowa’s heavyweight Blake Rasing plodded his way to a 2-0 victory over Panther wrestler Christian Brantley. After a scoreless first, Brantley chose to go down but was unable to escape from underneath Rasing. An early escape from Rasing in the third left the Hawkeye heavyweight with a bonus riding time point and a 2-0 victory.

Star wrestler Matt McDonough picked up his first pin of the season as he took out Terrance Young in the first period. McDonough is ranked number one in every major poll and is a favorite to win a repeat championship at collegiate wrestling’s lightest weight.

#7 Iowa 39, Northern Iowa 0

133 – Tony Ramos (Iowa) maj. dec. Ryan Jauch (Northern Iowa), 12-3

141 – Mark Ballweg (Iowa) dec. Aaron Senzee (Northern Iowa), 3-0

149 – Jeret Chiri (Iowa) pinned Jamal Lawrence (Northern Iowa), 5:59

157 – Derek St. John (Iowa) dec. David Bonin (Northern Iowa), 8-4

165 – Aaron Janssen (Iowa) dec. Nick Pickerell (Northern Iowa), 4-0

174 – Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) maj. dec. Brice Wolf (Northern Iowa), 16-5

184 – Grant Gambrall (Iowa) dec. Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa), 4-2

197 – Luke Lofthouse (Iowa) maj. dec. Joe Johnson (Northern Iowa), 19-7

Hwt. – Blake Rasing (Iowa) dec. Christian Brantley (Northern Iowa), 2-0

125 – Matt McDonough (Iowa) pinned Terrance Young (Northern Iowa), 1:12

Now the Hawkeyes are left with 20 days off before traveling to Evanston for the Midlands Championships. The Hawkeyes have won three Midlands titles in a row, and were a second place finish in 2006, just under Iowa State.

Iowa Takes Annual ISU Dual, waits for new Dan Gable Trophy

The Iowa Hawkeyes beat the Iowa State Cyclones in the annual wrestling dual 22-13 Friday night in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and now await a freshly announced traveling prize: The Dan Gable Trophy.

Iowa won six out of the ten matches, and took advantage of four major decisions to build a comfortable lead.

Iowa head coach Tom Brands watches as Derek St. John (top) wrestles against ISU's Trent Weatherman (photo: Benjamin Roberts/ Press-Citizen)

Iowa head coach Tom Brands disscusses his team’s performance vs. ISU

ISU head coach Kevin Jackson after Friday’s loss to Iowa

Iowa 141 lb wrestler Mark Ballweg after his upset of all-American Chris Drouin

The Dan Gable Trophy itself has not been built yet; it actually hasn’t even been designed yet, but as soon as it’s finished, it will be delivered to the Hawkeye trophy case for winning the yearly grudge match between two of the top wrestling programs in the country. The trophy be awarded annually to the winner of the Iowa-Iowa State wrestling dual meet.

The Highlight of the night for the Hawkeyes came from sophmore Mark Ballweg (141), who upset senior wrestler and previous All-American Chris Drouin by a 3-1 margin. Ballweg was down 1-0 to start the third period, but took advantage of an early escape and a takedown with 11 seconds left to defeat the Arizona State transfer. Ballweg moves to 5-0 on the season, including three pins and a tech. fall.

The meet started at the 197 wieght class, where Luke Lofthouse was unable to stave off Jerome Ward in overtime. Ward had a one point lead with three seconds left but was given his third stall warning, forcing overtime. Ward would bounce back, scoring a takedown in sudden victory overtime.

Other notable matches include the 157 match, where Derek St. John racked up 5 takedowns and 2:40 of riding time in route to a 12-3 major decision. At 165 pounds, two wrestlers in the top 25 by AWN and Intermat rankings squared off, but Jake Kerr for the Hawkeyes was unable defeat Andrew Sorenson of ISU, 4-1. Sorenson scored two point in the second period and Kerr’s only point came off a third period escape.

#6 University of Iowa 22, #14 Iowa State University 13
197 – Jerome Ward (ISU) dec. Luke Lofthouse (I), 5-3 SV *
Hwt. – Blake Rasing (I) dec. Kyle Simonson (ISU), 2-0
125 – Matt McDonough (I) maj. dec. Patrick Hunter (ISU), 14-4
133 – Tony Ramos (I) maj. dec. Brandon Jones (ISU), 14-5
141 – Mark Ballweg (I) dec. Chris Drouin (ISU), 3-1
149 – Nate Carr, Jr. (ISU) maj. dec. Jeret Chiri (I), 13-3
157 – Derek St. John (I) maj. dec. Trent Weatherman (ISU), 12-3
165 – Andrew Sorenson (ISU) dec. Jake Kerr (I), 4-1
174 – Jon Reader (ISU) dec. Ethen Lofthouse (I), 6-1
184 – Grant Gambrall (I) maj. dec. Cole Shafer (ISU), 12-3

Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling Team Prepares for First Real Test of the Season

As a team, the 4-0 Iowa Hawkeyes have yet to be tested. November wins over Central College, Coe, Cornell College and Chattanooga have resulted in a 40-0 match record and an overall point difference of 179-0. That was November.

Now it’s another December, and another annual Iowa vs. Iowa State wrestling meet. Iowa State comes in 4-0 and ranked #14. The Cyclones will potentially put six ranked wrestlers on the mat. Iowa will likley put out eight ranked wrestlers.

Here’s what to expect on Friday night: (ISU Wrestlers listed first)

125: Ryak Finch (Fr) vs. #1 Matt McDonough (So)

133: Brandon Jones (Fr) vs. #9 Nate Moore (So)

141: #11 Chris Drouin (Sr) vs. Matt Balweg (So)

149: #15 Nate Carr (Sr) vs. Jeret Chiri (So)

157: Trent Weatherman (Fr) vs. #9 Derek St. John (Fr)

165: #16 Andrew Sorensen (Jr) vs. #15 Jake Kerr (Jr)

174: #3 Jon Reader (Sr) vs #20 Ethan Lofthouse (Fr)

184: Cole Schafer (Fr) vs #7 Grant Gambrall (So)

197: #13 Luke Lofthouse (Sr) vs. #12 Jerome Ward (Jr)

Hwt: #15 Blake Rasing (Jr) vs #20 Matt Gibson (So)


While these matchups are not all certain, you can see a few likely big brawls in the works.

Luke Lofthouse will get a chance to prove his worth against some serious competition in Jerome Ward. Ward has a history of Wrestling well against Iowa, beating Phil Keddy twice last year.

Another key matchup for the Hawkeyes will come at 133, where Matt Balweg will get a chance at a highly ranked and veteran wrestler. Balweg has recorded 3 pins and a tech fall in four matches.

Brands Releases Probable Lineup with a few Surprises

The Iowa Hawkeye wrestling office released it’s probable lineup in a press release this morning, and while most of the names won’t surprise anybody, one name on the lineup might catch the attention of Iowa fans.

Head coach Tom Brands and the Iowa wrestling team will start the 2010-11 campaign Friday against Iowa Central (Brian Ray/ SourceMedia Group News)

Brands talks about filling the roster with 9 new starters


Nick Trizzino, a redshirt freshman out of Bettendorf, appears to have been given the nod by Tom Brands at 133. This is a big surprise because Trizzino lost both of his matches in the annual Wrestle Off last week, and was not in most of the conversation surrounding the 133 spot. It seemed that this weight class would come down to Nate Moore, who is ranked in the top 10, or Tyler Clark, who pinned Moore in the Wrestle Off. The third guy seemed to be Tony Ramos, who Brands said was working hard and showing potential during the off season.

At 149, both Dylan Carew and Jeret Chiri are listed at potential starters. The favorite there is Carew, and if he gets the nod, Iowa will likely send out four redshirt freshmen on Friday.

The 141 spot was also up for grabs, but it appears that Mark Balweg had made the jump into the starting lineup.

Outside of those positions, the rest is pretty cut and dry. Returning NCAA champion Matt McDonough will hold down 125, and junior Jake Kerr will move up one wieght class and start at 165.

The only senior in the lineup is Luke Lofthouse, who saw the starting lineup last year when Chad Beatty was injured.

#7 Iowa Hawkeyes

Wt. Name Yr. Hometown Last School

125 Matt McDonough So. Marion, IA Linn-Mar HS

133 Nick Trizzino *Fr. Bettendorf, IA Bettendorf HS

141 Mark Ballweg So. Waverly, IA Waverly HS

149 Dylan Carew *Fr. Tiffin, IA Iowa City West HS

OR Jeret Chiri So. New London, IA New London HS

157 Derek St. John *Fr. Parnell, IA Iowa City West HS

165 Jake Kerr Jr. Oskaloosa, IA Oskaloosa HS

174 Ethen Lofthouse *Fr. Avon, UT Mountain Crest HS

184 Grant Gambrall So. Iowa City, IA Iowa City West HS

197 Luke Lofthouse Sr. Avon, UT Mountain Crest HS

HWT Blake Rasing Jr. New Hampton, IA New Hampton HS

* – redshirt freshman

The Iowa Hawkeye wrestling team completed the annual Wrestle Off this weekend, and while questions still remain about the starting lineup, a few Hawkeye wrestlers established themselves as favorites at their weight classes.




TYLER CLARK LOOKS TO BE READY TO WRESTLE FOR THE HAWKEYES AFTER TRANSFERRING FROM ISU IN 2008

First of all, Tyler Clark found a way to pin Nate Moore, making the 133 spot an even bigger question mark. Last year Moore was the man to fill on for Daniel Dennis when Dennis suffered an injury mid-season. Clark sat out a year after transferring from Iowa State but is now in the lineup and looking more and more like the man for the job. Moore, who is ranked #9 by Intermat, but will need some outstanding work in practice to be named the starter by Friday.

Dylan Carew must have really been sick of the Wrestle Off, because he ended the three day intrasquad competition with a 9 second pin over Joe Moore. While it would have been nice to see Carew wrestle a full match, a win in 9 seconds will definitely get the attention of the coaching staff.

While pins look really nice on the stat sheet, but a better sign of domination over an opponent is a technical fall. Three Hawkeyes recorded tech falls, starting with Tony Ramos, who beat freshman Charlie Joseph 20-4 on Thursday night. Although Ramos is not going to be the starter this year, head coach Tom Brands will surly notice a big win in points.

On Friday, freshman Ethan Owens picked up a tech fall over sophomore Joe Moore at 141, but was unable to keep the pace when he lost to Mark Balweg. Balweg has likely secured his spot in the starting lineup, but as Owens develops over the season, the 141 spot could change places this year.

And finally, to no one’s great surprise, Matt McDonough posted a 20-3 tech fall over Matt Gurule. As the only returning All-American this year, McDonough will be expected to score in bunches while the rest of the team tries to figure out a lineup. Bonus points will be expected from McDonough this year, and it looks like he’s ready to deliver.

Jake Kerr defeated Aaron Janssen in a battle for 165 by a final of 9-3. Kerr and Janssen went back and forth last year for 157, and I was a little surprised to see both of them move up. Keer got the nod from Brands to represent the Hawks at 157 last year, and with the win is the all-out favorite for 165.

With the absence of both Kerr and Janssen, Derek St. John seems to have stepped up and put the 157 spot in a front headlock. St. John cruised through both of his matches, strong wins by seven and four points.

Other noteworthy matches include the final for heavyweight, where Blake Rasing defeated Jordan Johnson in sudden victory. After a 1-1 tie, Rasing was able to takedown Johnson for two points, the win, and an almost certain spot in the starting lineup on Friday.

Only One Win, but Hawks May Have Turned the Corner

If you need something to take your mind off the devastating loss to Northwestern by the Hawkeye football team this weekend, take a peek at The University of Iowa volleyball team, who found a way to pick up a win over #16 Michigan on Saturday night.



This win couldn’t have come at a better time for the Hawkeyes, as they have been reeling in Big Ten play. Before Saturday, Iowa hadn’t won a match in Big Ten play since October 1st. They had lost 12 in a row in the conference, and the young team simply needed a positive.

At the point the Hawkeyes were at, playing well against Michigan would have been enough. Hanging around with Michigan, even taking a set or two would have been satisfying. But the Hawkeyes did me one better: they upset a top 25 team in Big Ten play, and gave the youthful Hawks a sense of pride another reason to keep fighting.

Throughout the month of October I kept saying “just wait, this team will jump up and bite someone.” I was beginning to doubt myself, but the Hawks did finally bite someone.

Team effort was the name of the game for the Hawkeyes, as Becky Walters and Rachel Bedell led the team with 11 kills each.

Also, the Hawkeyes finally won in close sets, which has been a problem all season. The Hawkeyes won one set by three, and two sets by two points. Consistently this season, Iowa has lost close set after close set, making the wins-losses look pretty bad when the competition has actually been closer.

But before I get ahead of myself, it is important to note that this is one win we’re talking about. The Hawkeyes are still 2-14 in the Big Ten, and 7-18 overall.

This has still been a weak season, but at least the Hawks can point to a win late in the season as proof of what they can do when they play team volleyball and keep fighting.