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.

Don't be too quick to judge Cam Newton

(Kif's Corner is dedicated to the smaller sports at The University of Iowa, however, I wanted to take this chance to share my thoughts about the Cam Newton issue.)



I don’t know Cam Newton.

I’ve never shaken hands and looked Cam Newton in the eye.

I’ve never sat at a bar, shared a few cold ones and chatted about girls with Cam Newton.

For all I know, I’ve never even been in the same state at the same time as Cam Newton.

Because of all that I don’t know, I can wait before making an assumption about the man.


With all the allegations flying around right now, it is easy to assume Newton is guilty of something. But until I know the facts surrounding the latest pay-for-play scandal, I will hold off judgment. I don’t know the facts, and I don’t know the man.

As the old saying goes, where there’s smoke there’s fire, and right now Cam Newton has more smoke floating around him than a pile of burning leaves. But there is a more important saying out there: innocent until proven guilty. In this day of hyper-fast information, people have also turned to hyper-fast conclusions.

Maybe Cam Newton is guilty.

Maybe Cecil Newton, Cam’s father, really did demand thousands of dollars from Mississippi State for the services of his son.

But what if it’s not true? Then we have run the risk of completely assassinating the respectability and integrity of a tremendously talented young man without anything to back it up.

Back when Newton was arrested on serious charges of burglary, larceny and obstruction of justice, we knew what happened. To Newton’s credit, he manned up and admitted to wrong doing. After enrolling at Auburn, he went on talk show after talk show and confessed to making a dumb mistake. He bought a stolen computer and should have known better. He reacted in an extremely foolish manner when the police arrived at his apartment, but he has since paid his dues. And he has since owned up to issue.

I’m waiting for a recording of the alleged conversations in which Cecil Newton demanded money for Cam’s talents. I’m waiting for a confession by either Cam or Cecil, which is not likely to come anytime soon.

Although the burden of proof falls on those lobbing these allegations, Cam Newton has not helped his cause either. During a recent press conference, Newton chose to neither confirm nor deny the pay-for-play allegations. While it’s his right to act as he sees best, I think someone who knows they are innocent would quickly, fervently and repeatedly deny the allegations.

But maybe that’s just it. Maybe Cam Newton doesn’t know.

What if the demands for cash were made without any knowledge by Cam Newton himself?

Until we know for sure, stick with what we do know: Cam Newton is a great football player who has made mistakes in the past and owned up to those mistakes. He has worked his way back into a major NCAA program and lifted that team into the national spotlight. His play on the field has made him a front runner for the Heisman.

At this point, that’s all we know.

Wrestle-Offs Will Help Clear the Smoke on Iowa Hawkeyes

Intrasquad competition is usually a dull, go-through-the-motions event in which the teammates go against each other in friendly competition.

This is not the case for the Iowa Hawkeye wrestling team.

Starting on Thursday, Tom Brands will sick his team against each other in the annual Wrestle-Off, and a lot will be decided by the end of Saturday.



While the winners of the wrestle off will not automatically be named the starters, Brands will use the results to determine who has the fight, guts, and attitude to be a starter on the Iowa wrestling team.

Here’s how the 2010 Wrestle-Off will look:

Thursday’s Match-Ups
133 – Tony Ramos vs. Charlie Joseph
149 – Jeret Chiri vs. Ethan Sebert

Friday’s Match-Ups
133 – Nate Moore vs. Nick Trizzino
133 – Tyler Clark vs. winner of Ramos/Joseph
141 – Mark Ballweg vs. Joe Moore
141 – Josh Dziewa vs. Ethan Owens
149 – Dylan Carew vs. winner of Chiri/Sebert
149 – Jake Ballweg vs. Stew Gillmor
157 – Matt Ballweg vs. Nick Moore
157 – Michael Kelly vs. Derek St. John
165 – Jake Kerr vs. Joe DuCharme
174 – Mike Evans vs. Jeremy Fahler
184 – Tomas Lira vs. Vinnie Wagner
Hwt. – Bobby Telford vs. Jordan Johnson

Saturday’s Match-Ups
125 – Matt McDonough vs. Matt Gurule
133 – Winner of Nate Moore/Trizzino vs. winner of Clark/Ramos/Joseph
141 – Winner of Mark Ballweg/Joe Moore vs. winner of Dziewa/Owens
149 – Winner of Carew/Chiri/Sebert vs. winner of Jake Ballweg/Stew Gillmor
157 – Winner of Matt Ballweg/Nick Moore vs. winner of Kelly/St. John
165 – Aaron Janssen vs. winner of Kerr/DuCharme
174 – Ethen Lofthouse vs. winner of Evans/Fahler
184 – Grant Gambrall vs. winner of Lira/Wagner
Hwt. – Blake Rasing vs. winner of Telford/Johnson

Last year the Wrestle-Off did not carry as much weight, as the team had a majority of proven wrestlers returning to the lineup. This year, 9 out of 10 spots are up for grabs.

The only proven wrestler in Matt McDonough at 125 and because of the damage that McDonough did all of last year, it’s a safe bet that he’ll be the starter even if he gets upset by Matt Gurule on Saturday.

At every other weight class will be up for the taking.

Particularly interesting will be the heavyweight competition. Brands has identified Blake Rasing as the front runner, which is why he gets the bye on Friday and will wrestle the winner of Telford v. Johnson on Saturday. Johnson and Rasing saw the starting lineup last year filling in for the injured Dan Erekson and both have a serious chance of grasping the starting spot. Throw Bobby Telford in the mix, and the heavyweight Wrestle-Off becomes a three way competition.

At 157, we have a four man mini-tournament. Last year Kerr and Janssen traded turns at 157, this year both are scheduled to wrestle in the Wrestle-Offs at 165. This frees up the spot for Derek St. John, who went 11-1 in unattached competition last year. If St. John wins this weekend, you can count on him starting this year. (On a previous post I had Kerr starting at 157 and Janssen at 165, now I may have to change that.)

The only weight class with no Wrestle-Off matches is 197, where Luke Lofthouse is favored to start. He saw the starting lineup last year due to injury, and 197 in now his spot to lose. And because the Hawkeyes only have one other wrestler, Brodie Ambrose, listed at 197, Brands probably elected to not risk an injury to either man.

At 133 you have five guys competing for one spot. Nate Moore is listed in the top 10 in various rankings is the favorite to start, but his 133 standing could be in jeopardy if he comes out poorly this weekend.

A lot of questions will be answered this weekend, but we still won't know everything until the Hawkeyes take the mat against Iowa Central on November 19th.

Trying to Make Sense of 2010-11 Wrestling Team

Complete Turnover.

That's how head coach Tom Brands describes his wrestling team. With nine out of ten spots up in the air, this year will be a roller coaster ride.


Here's how I see the wrestling spot shaking out, at least for the first meet of the season.


PROBABLE LINEUP:

125- Matt McDonough, SO (Last year: McDonough) – Most dual meets start with the 125 match, giving the Hawkeyes the chance to send out their only returning NCAA champion.

133- Nate Moore, SO (LY: Daniel Dennis) - Ranked #9 by Intermat, Iowa City West’s Nate Moore saw the starting lineup when Dennis was injured, going 9-6 in collegiate competition.

141- Mark Ballweg, SO (LY: Montell Marion) – One of three Ballweg brothers on the team, Waverly-Shell Rock product Mark Ballweg went 11-5 overall but only 0-2 in collegiate competition.

149- Dylan Carew, RSFR (LY: Brent Metcalf) Unranked Carew went 11-1 and won two tournaments wrestling unattached last year. Another IC West High product

157- Jake Kerr, SR (LY: Kerr/Aaron Janssen) Kerr went 13-11 and placed fourth in the Big Ten championships last year. RSFR Derek St. John, ranker #12 by Intermat, could replace Kerr by the end of the season.

165- Aaron Janssen, (LY: Ryan Morningstar) Janssen went 12-4 overall and 4-0 in Big Ten duals wrestling on and off last year as Brands tried to figure out the 157 spot.

174- Ethan Lofthouse, RSFR (LY: Jay Borschel ) Wrestling unattached, Ethan Lofthouse went 30-7, including 9 pins.

184- Grant Gambrall, SO (LY: Phil Keddy) The third IC West wrestler on my lineup, Gambrall was 15-5 in collegiate competition and 22-6 overall last year.

197- Luke Lofthouse, (LY: Chad Beaty) Ranked #13 by Intermat, Luke, the uncle of Ethan Lofthouse, went 19-13 wrestling for Iowa and 4-1 in Carver Hawkeye Arena in 2009-10.

HWT- Blake Rasing, (LY: Dan Erekson) Filling in for injured Erekson, the New Hampton native only won one dual match out of five. Rasing lost roughly 15lbs in the off season and will use athleticism and agility over brute strength this year.

By the end of the year, the lineup could be totally different: St. John could be a starter, Jordan Johnson could be the heavyweight, and a myriad of wrestlers could capture the 141 spot. For that matter, a myriad of wrestlers could capture any spot.

But probably not 125.

Iowa Soccer Send Seniors out with Something to Talk About

They finally did it!

The Iowa women’s soccer team finally got a Big Ten victory!

Iowa Women's Soccer head coach Ron Rainey (Photo via Hawkeyesports.com)

The only problem is that the first win took the entire Big Ten schedule, and the win didn’t come until the final game of the season.

For the victory, the Hawks had to dig deep against Purdue on Saturday night. Down 2-0, the Hawks rallied in the second half for a 3-2 victory over the Boilermakers.

What does this say about the team?

To me it says they never gave up on the season, which started out great (7-1) but fizzled around late September. From September 19th to October 31st, the Hawkeye soccer team went 0-8-3. It wasn’t until November 6th that Iowa finally got a win in Big Ten play.

At the Iowa soccer complex Saturday night, Iowa finally got the ball rolling in the second half after playing a less than impressive first.

Now the Hawkeyes go into the winter season with a better-than-bitter taste in their mouths. Although they Hawkeyes finished 8-9-3 overall and 1-7-2 in Big Ten play, it’s got to feel a lot better to know that they sent the seniors out on a W, and a dramatic W at that.

Sure, it’s a losing record.

Sure, it’s a one win season in conference play and there will be no NCAA Tournament for the Hawkeye soccer team.

But ending the season with not only a win, but a scrappy come-from-behind win, means that the team can go into the off season feeling good, not hanging their heads.

More importantly, the seniors who will hang up their cleats can leave the Iowa soccer team, which they have poured their souls into over the last four seasons, thinking of proud memories, not sulking on a winless Big Ten campaign.

Seniors Kali Feiereisel, Amanda Martin, Keli McLaughlin, Jenna Aleo, Mandy Hiemann and Stephanie Swanson will move on. But eventually they will return to The University of Iowa, and most likely they will recall the dramatic win over Purdue, not some pithy record or meaningless stat sheet.

Now head coach Ron Rainey needs to retool for the 2011 season. The self described grinder will look to the future, as all good coaches do, and find a way to improve on a season that was all at once disappointing and invigorating.

WOMENS BASKETBALL SET TO TAKE CENTER STAGE THS WINTER

Last year Lisa Bluder took the Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team to the championship game of the Big Ten Tournament. While the Hawkeyes gave the top seeded Ohio State Buckeyes a whirl, they were unable to come away with a Big Ten Tournament title.

Still, when you consider how banged up the Hawkeyes were, losing their only senior before the season started and playing without high-energy Kachine Alexander during seven games of the regular season, a three seed and second place finish in the tournament was dynamite.

Now the Hawkeyes enter the 2010-11 season with all kinds of preseason expectation. AP has them ranked #22 and the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll has the Hawkeyes pegged at 25th.

The Hawkeyes are returning every single one of their starters from last season. Here is what the starting five should look like this season.

PROBABLE STARTERS:

KACHINE ALEXANDER- Guard: First of all, the Hawkeyes are returning “Little-Miss-Hustle”, Kachine Alexander for her senior season. Alexander, listed at all of 5-9, led the Big Ten in rebounds, was named to the all-Big Ten defensive team, first team coaches all-Big Ten,and Big Ten Tournament all-tournament team. Expect an outstanding leadership year from Alexander, and as always, expect her to be the hardest working player every time the Hawkeyes take the court. I said repeatedly last year that she was the most entertaining winter-sports athlete to watch. That includes the entire women’s and men’s basketball team, and, anyone on the national champion wrestling team. You want entertainment this winter, go check out Kachine Alexander.

KAMILLE WAHLINE- Guard: The Hawkeyes also return a 3rd team all-Big Ten selection in Wahline. Another 2010 all-Big Ten Tournament selection, Wahline has become a regular face for the Hawkeyes over the past two seasons. As a freshman in 2008-09, Wahline played in all 32 games, and started the final 14. As a sophomore, she was third team all-Big Ten and academic all-Big Ten. During 2009-10, Wahline’s 84 treys tied the team record for three points made in a season and set the school record for threes by a sophomore.

MORGAN JOHNSON- Center: Want defense? Last year Johnson not only led the Big Ten in blocks, she broke both the school and freshman record for blocks in a season with 79. She set a school record for blocks in a game against Minnesota, and led Big Ten freshmen in rebounds, field goals, and..uh…BLOCKS!!! Expect a heavy dose of NOT-IN-MY-HOUSE from Johnson in year two.

KELLY KREI- Forward: Yet another all-Big Ten tournament team selection and all Big Ten academic. Krei (pronounced Cry) was named the Hawkeyes Most Improved Player for 2009-10. As role player who fits well into coach Bluder’s aggressive, kick out based system; Krei played an important role in ball movement and helping the exterior player find open looks. Aggressive defender, Krei also led the team in steals.

JAMIE PRINTY: Guard: Bluder’s fast paced style usually features three starting guards, which allowed Printy to step up last year and capture Big Ten freshman of the year . Printy set school freshman records for points(501), and three points made(99). Probably even more important, Printy also set a school freshman record for assists, which probably makes coach Bluder sleep well at night. (If coaches actually slept.) With her skills as a passer and a scorer, Printy will play a big role in her second year at Iowa.

BENCH:

Guards Trisha Nesbitt, Megan Considine and Theairra Taylor all saw significant time last year, and will be expected to contribute again in 2010-11.

Senior forward Kelsey Cermak played in all 34 games last year, including two starts. As a veteran in Bluder’s system with a few solids performances last year, she will be expected to fill in again to give Krei and Johnson a breather.