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Iowa starts fast, fades from there in 24-9 loss at #2 Ohio State

by: Tanner Lafever02/07/26TannerLafever

A night that began with so much positivity ended on a progressively sour note for Iowa men’s wrestling.

And in the end, the #8 Hawkeyes left the Covelli Center as the recipient of a 24-9 loss at the hands of #2 Ohio State.

Iowa won the first three bouts of a dual that started at 157 pounds and was initially awarded a fourth – in sudden victory at 184.

But an Ohio State challenge reversed the result of Gabe Arnold’s match with #8 Dylan Fishback, and the Hawkeyes wouldn’t win again.

With the result, Iowa (9-5, 2-3) matches its most losses in a single season since 2006-07 – the year Tom Brands first took over as head coach.

Ironically, Friday’s 15-point margin was identical to the prior meeting between these teams at National Duals back in November. This, despite plenty of lineup alterations for both.

I guess as the saying goes, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”

And that’s the last thing fans of this proud, historic program want to hear right now.

But it’s the truth – at least in this specific instance. And the Hawkeyes will have to sit with that knowledge as they pack up and regroup for the back half of their road trip – coming Sunday afternoon at Michigan State.

Here’s the quick and dirty of what started right and ended so very wrong in Columbus.

Buckeyes’ choice of starting weight backfires

I mentioned this dual started at 157 pounds – which, according to Tom Brands on the pre-dual radio broadcast, was Ohio State’s choice.

This, despite the Buckeyes being without top-ranked Brandon Cannon.

And so, Iowa took advantage, with Victor Voinovich III scoring the lone takedown, then holding on for a 5-1 win over true freshman Maddox Shaw.

Michael Caliendo made it two-in-a-row with an 8-2 decision over e’Than Birden – albeit a (non-bonus-point) result that visibly frustrated the senior after he’d scored two early takedowns to jump in front.

And when Patrick Kennedy used two escapes to defeat #5 Carson Kharchla – the first after Kharchla took injury time for his knee – Iowa found itself leading 9-0.

Sure, those were three of the most winnable matchups for Iowa on paper, but the Hawkeyes were taking care of business, nonetheless.

And that’s when things went awry.

One reversed call, a total reversal of fortunes

I’ll cut right to the chase; after a largely defensive seven minutes of regulation Gabe Arnold and #8 Dylan Fishback ventured into sudden victory at an absolute deadlock.

Midway through the extra period, eight seconds of action nearly made up for it.

The call in question (see below) was initially awarded as a takedown for Arnold – who scrambled out of a Fishback attack for the match-winning score of his own:

But upon review, the call (and outcome) was reversed in the Buckeye’s favor.

Look, I’m not enough of a wrestling technician to break down the intricacies of this sequence – nor argue for a call one way or another.

Based on some social media replies I’ll say that folks in my mentions largely disagreed with the call. So too, did the Iowa radio broadcast – whereas the Big Ten Network crew seemed 50/50 on the final decision.

Regardless, what was briefly a 4-0 Iowa start to the dual – and a 12-0 team lead – was reversed in breakneck fashion. And for the first time all night, the Covelli Center had a jolt of life.

Do I think that altered the ultimate course of the dual? Probably not. Iowa lost by 15 points, remember.

But at that moment, it certainly felt big. And with each proceeding bout (and loss) it loomed larger and larger in the background.

From bad to worse

As for momentum rolling in the wrong direction, it started picking up steam in the last bout before intermission, as #10 Luke Geog ran down a major decision thanks to two late takedowns of an otherwise game Brody Sampson.

Just like that, Iowa’s lead was down to two points (9-7) at the break.

The second half of the dual got off to an inauspicious start when Ben Kueter took the first loss of his career to third-ranked Buckeye heavyweight, Nick Feldman.

A second-period takedown was the difference in a 3-2 decision – especially as Kueter didn’t attempt a real shot until the final 20 seconds of the match.

And while inaction defined heavyweight, early action was the theme (and doom) for Dean Peterson as the lineup turned over to 125 pounds.

Just like his previous meeting against #2 Nic Bouzakis, Peterson found himself on his back in the first period. This time, he managed to avoid the pin – but a 7-0 deficit was too much to overcome as he fell 9-5.

Now trailing 13-9 in the team score, Iowa all but had to get a win at 133.

#8 Drake Ayala got pretty darn close – far closer than his decisive loss to #2 Ben Davino at National Duals – but he couldn’t convert any of several scoring chances in a 4-2 loss to the undefeated redshirt freshman.

An anticipated bludgeoning at 141 – albeit with some laudable resistance by Kale Petersen – sealed the dual’s outcome, leaving one last (sudden victory) loss at 149 to merely pour salt on Iowa’s wounds.

Turning the page

A Sunday matinee in East Lansing certainly isn’t going to earn any Hawkeyes a boost in their seed at the NCAA Championships. So, the most Iowa can do is take out some frustration on the Spartans instead.

From there, this team needs to look in a mirror and decide how it wants to finish its season. Because make no mistake, there are other losses out there if it fails to bring its best – losses far less respectable than the one it took on Friday night.

These wrestlers and coaches know that, of course. And it’s why my uttering the sentiment is more so an acknowledgement to Iowa fans and their boiling frustrations with the current state of things.

The Hawkeyes are now a five-loss team for the first time in 19 years. And only once since 1968 have they exceeded that tally in a single season.

Given their current trajectory, that’s the sort of history they’re headed for if something doesn’t change real soon.

All I know is that I certainly don’t have the magic solution that so many are yearning for after this latest losing effort.

Full dual results

#2 Ohio State – 24, #8 Iowa – 9
157 – Victor Voinovich III (I) dec. Maddox Shaw (O), 5-0 
165 – #3 Michael Caliendo (I) dec. e’Than Birden (O), 8-2
174 – #3 Patrick Kennedy (I) dec. #5 Carson Kharchla (O), 2-1
184 – #8 Dylan Fishback (O) dec. Gabe Arnold (I), 4-1 SV1
197 – #10 Luke Geog (O) major dec. Brody Sampson (I), 13-4
285 – #3 Nick Feldman (O) dec. #8 Ben Kueter (I), 3-2
125 – #2 Nic Bouzakis (O) dec. #6 Dean Peterson (I), 9-5
133 – #2 Ben Davino (O) dec. #9 Drake Ayala (I), 4-2
141 – #1 Jesse Mendez (O) tech. fall Kale Petersen (I), 21-3
149 – #7 Ethan Stiles (O) dec. #18 Ryder Block (I), 4-1 SV1

Officials: Jeron Quincy, Reynaldo Santiago
Attendance: 4,749

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