On several levels, the first-ever Soldier Salute event was a resounding success for the Iowa wrestling program. As a team, Iowa racked up 228 points and won championships at 8 of 10 weights; three weights featured Iowa-vs-Iowa matchups. The event was another nice showcase for the Xtream Arena in Coralville, IA. And the Iowa women's wrestling program also got to showcase some of its stars at the event; they claimed titles at three weights. Revenue from the event will go to United Service Oganizations as well as a fund to help continue the growth of high school girls wrestling.
On the other hand, the event, newly created this year, didn't provide a whole lot of competition for Iowa, in terms of variety or quality. The event featured wrestlers from Citadel, VMI, Army, Navy, Wyoming, Colombia, South Dakota State, Bellarmine, as well as unattached wrestlers from UNI, Iowa State, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. In practice, the event sort of turned into a dual meet triangular or quadrangular against Wyoming, South Dakota State, and Army/Navy. None of these teams featured many ranked wrestlers, either. If this event continues into the future -- and it seems like that's the plan -- Iowa is able to draw teams with some more ranked wrestlers to take part.
All of Iowa's best wrestlers won -- and largely dominated over the two-day event. Spencer Lee went 4-0 with four bonus point wins, including pins in his first and last matches -- the second coming in just 1:24 against teammate Drake Ayala. He still showed a few gas tank issues, but overall looked much like the dominant force that Iowa fans have come to know and love. Real Woods continued his high-flying start to his Iowa career, also going 4-0 with four bonus point wins, including two technical falls and a pin. He outscored his opponents 45-2, which is pretty alright. Max Murin went 5-0 at 149 lbs, recording three bonus point wins (two falls and a technical fall); his only non-bonus point wins came against teammates (an 8-3 win over Joel Jesuroga in the semis and a 7-4 win over Caleb Rathjen in the final. Solid stuff overall from Mad Max. Jacob Warner went 4-0 with three bonus point wins, including a fall, a technical fall, and a 10-2 major decision win over teammate Kolby Franklin in the finals. And Tony Cassioppi showed exactly why he's known as Tony Pins, going 4-0 with four pins, all in the first period. He was on the mat for less than eight minutes total for the entire event and has nine pins in his 11 wins this season. He's not Tony One-Point Decisions, OK?
A few of Iowa's other top wrestlers also won titles -- but had to sweat a bit more to do so. Patrick Kennedy went 4-0 at 165, but after breezing through the early rounds (two pins in less than two minutes combined), he had to engineer a 9-6 comeback over Wyoming's Cole Moody in the semifinal and then grind out a 10-5 win in the final against South Dakota State's Jack Thomsen. Wins are always good, but domination is even better -- hopefully the latter becomes more of a regular occurrence as Kennedy gets more reps. And Abe Assad also went 4-0 but after easy wins in the early going (a pin and a major decision), he had to grind out tough wins in the semifinal and final (a 6-4 overtime victory), too. We'll have to wait and see how Assad fares as the competition heats up in the Big Ten portion of the schedule.
(NOTE: I don't know why no Iowa wrestlers competed at 157 lbs, or why Nelson Brands did not wrestle at 174 lbs. Presumably there was some injury management involved.)
125
Spencer Lee (4-0, 1st place)
R1: W, FALL (0:54) Damian Ryan (Bellarmine)
QF: W, TECH FALL (19-1) Charlie Farmer (Army)
SF: W, MAJ DEC (15-5) Jore Volk (Wyoming)
FIN: W, FALL (1:24) Drake Ayala
Drake Ayala (3-1, 2nd place)
R1: W, MAJ DEC (20-6) Trevor Anderson (UNI - unattached)
QF: W, TECH FALL (23-8) Jack Parker (Bellarmine)
SF: W, DEC (5-2) Ethan Berginc (Army)
FIN: L, FALL (1:24) Spencer Lee
Charles Matthews (0-3*)
R1: L, TECH FALL (16-0) Jore Volk (Wyoming - unattached)
CON: L, DEC (4-0) Blair Orr (Citadel)
CON: W, MED FFT Tony Burke (VMI)
CON: L, MAJ DEC (12-1) Trevor Anderson
133
Cullan Schriever (4-0, 1st place)
R1: W, DEC (9-2) Derrick Cardlinal (South Dakota State)
QF: W, DEC (7-4) Rich Treanor (Army)
SF: W, DEC (8-2) Ryan Franco (Army)
FIN: W, DEC (5-2) Angelo Rini (Colombia)
Jace Rhodes (4-2, 4th place)
R1: W, DEC (6-3) Aidan Noonan (Wyoming)
QF: L, DEC (9-6) Brendan Ferretti (Navy)
CON: W, DEC (6-4 SV) Derrick Cardinal (South Dakota State)
CON: W, DEC (6-2) Dylan Coy (Wisconsin - unattached)
CON: W, DEC (5-2) Ryan Franco (Army)
CON: L, DEC (6-4) Brendan Ferretti (Navy)
Jesse Ybarra (0-2)
R1: L, FORFEIT George Rosas (Citadel)
CON: L, FORFEIT Dylan Coy
141
Real Woods (4-0, 1st place)
R1: n/a
R2: W, TECH FALL (16-0) Shane Percelay (Army)
QF: W, TECH FALL (17-1) Connor Thorpe (UNI)
SF: W, MAJ DEC (12-1) Caleb Gross (South Dakota State)
FIN: W, FALL (2:43) Julian Sanchez (Army)
Drew Bennett (4-2, 5th place)
R1: n/a
R2: W, FALL (3:45) Jason Garay (Citadel)
QF: L, DEC (3-2) Julian Sanchez (Army)
CON: W, DEC (9-5) Kainalu Estrella
CON: W, DEC (3-1 SV) Darren Green (Wyoming)
CON: L, DEC (8-6 SV) Caleb Gross (South Dakota State)
CON: W, MAJ DEC (14-5) Jager Eisch (Minnesota - unattached)
149
Max Murin (5-0, 1st place)
R1: W, FALL (2:31) Ryan Vigil (VMI)
R2: W, FALL (2:59) Adam Allard (UNI)
QF: W, TECH FALL (20-4) Alek Martin (South Dakota State)
SF: W, DEC (8-3) Joel Jesuroga
FIN: W, DEC (7-4) Caleb Rathjen
Caleb Rathjen (3-1, 2nd place)
R1: n/a
R2: W, MAJ DEC (18-5) Logan Brown (Army)
QF: W, DEC (3-0) Chase Zollman (Wyoming)
SF: W, DEC (4-3) Anthony Echmendia (ISU - unattached)
FIN: L, DEC (7-4) Max Murin
Joel Jesuroga (2-3, 6th place)
R1: n/a
R2: W, DEC (3-1 SV) Zac Cowan (Bellarmine)
QF: W, DEC (3-1) Danny Fongoro (Colombia)
SF: L, DEC (8-3) Max Murin
CON: L, DEC (8-1) Will Guida (UNC)
CON: L, DEC (2-1 OT) Danny Fongoro (Colombia)
Leif Schroeder (2-2, 9th place)
R1: n/a
R2: L, DEC (3-1) Alek Martin (South Dakota State)
CON: L, FALL (3:34) Chase Zollman (Wyoming)
CON: W, MED FFT Gable Fox (UNI)
CON: W, DEC (10-3) Matthew Williams (Army)
Cade Siebrecht (2-3)
R1: L, DEC (3-2) Aiden Medora (Wisconsin - unattached)
CON: L, DEC (7-2) Zac Cowan (Bellarmine)
CON: W, DEC (5-3) Aiden Medora (Wisconsin - unattached)
CON: W, DEC (4-3) Carson DesRosier (Citadel)
CON: L, MAJ DEC (13-0) Logan Brown (Army)
165
Patrick Kennedy (4-0, 1st place)
R1: W, FALL (1:19) Raheem Rahamatulla
QF: W, FALL (0:30) Cole Nance (Bellarmine)
SF: W, DEC (9-6) Cole Moody (Wyoming)
FIN: W, DEC (10-5) Jack Thomsen (South Dakota State - unattached)
Drake Rhodes (4-2, 5th place)
R1: W, DEC (7-3) Braxton Lewis (VMI)
QF: L, DEC (12-9) Jack Thomsen (South Dakota State - unattached)
CON: W, FALL (6:07) Aidan Lenz (Citadel)
CON: W, DEC (4-0) Geno Quodala (Navy)
CON: L, DEC (8-7) Cole Moody (Wyoming)
CON: W, DEC (2-0) Aidan Riggins
Aiden Riggins (2-3, 6th place)
R1: L, DEC (6-4 TB1) Dalton Harkins (Army)
CON: W, DEC (8-4) Cole Nance (Bellarmine)
CON: W, DEC (8-3) Braxton Lewis (VMI)
CON: L, DEC (5-2) Dalton Harkins (Army)
CON: L, DEC (2-0) Drake Rhodes
Carson Martinson (2-3)
R1: QF: L, MAJ DEC (10-1) Dalton Harkins (Army)
CON: L, MAJ DEC (14-5) Geno Quodala (Navy)
CON: L, DEC (6-4) Cole Nance (Bellarmine)
CON: W, MED FFT Raheem Rahamatulla
CON: W, FALL (1:41) Alex Riviera (Bellarmine)
Joe Kelly (0-2)
R1: L, DEC (5-2 OT3) Christian Minto
CON: L, DEC (5-4) Aidan Lenz (Citadel)
174
Brennan Swafford (2-0*)
R1: W, DEC (5-4) Devan Hendricks (Bellarmine)
QF: W, DEC (9-6) Nick Fine (Colombia)
SF: L, MED FFT Benjamin Pasiuk (Army)
CON: L, MED FFT Devan Hendricks (Bellarmine)
CON: L, MED FFT Graham Calhoun (Wisconsin - unattached)
184
Abe Assad (4-0, 1st place)
R1: W, MAJ DEC (14-4) Guillermo Escobedo (Wyoming)
QF: W, FALL (1:29) Micah Dicarlo (Citadel)
SF: W, DEC (9-6) Roman Rogotzke (South Dakota State)
FIN: W, DEC (6-4 SV) Bennett Berge (South Dakota State - unattached)
Aidan McCain (1-3)
R1: L, FALL (1:09) Roman Rogotzke (SDSU)
CON: W, TECH FALL (18-3) Isaac Dolph
CON: L, FALL (1:47) Guillermo Escobedo (Wyoming)
CON: L, DEC (7-3) Micah Dicarlo (Citadel)
Mickey Griffith (3-3)
R1: W, FALL (4:54) Kennedy Wyatt (Bellarmine)
QF: L, DEC (4-3) Quayin Short (Wyoming)
CON: L, DEC (5-3) Guillermo Escobedo (Wyoming)
CON: W, FALL (0:24) Jai Sodhi
CON: W, MAJ DEC (12-1) Kennedy Wyatt (Bellarmine)
CON: L, INJ DEF Eric Vermillion (Ind Tech)
197
Jacob Warner (4-0, 1st place)
R1: n/a
R2: W, FALL (1:15) Tyce Raddon (Wyoming)
QF: W, TECH FALL (17-2) Adam Ahrendsen (UNI)
SF: W, DEC (4-1) Wyatt Voelker (UNI - unattached)
FIN: W, MAJ DEC (10-2) Kolby Franklin
Kolby Franklin (3-1, 2nd place)
R1: n/a
R2: W, DEC (11-4) Javen Javoro (Columbia)
QF: W, DEC (6-4 SV) Nick Casperson (South Dakota State)
SF: W, DEC (4-3) Zach Glazier
FIN: L, MAJ DEC (10-2) Jacob Warner
Zach Glazier (4-1, 3rd place)
R1: n/a
R2: W, MAJ DEC (12-4) Jose Valdez (UNI - unattached)
QF: W, DEC (6-3) Jake Lucas (Navy)
SF: L, DEC (4-3) Kolby Franklin
CON: W, FALL (2:00) Tyler Mousaw (VMI)
CON: W, MAJ DEC (12-3) Wyatt Voelker (UNI - unattached)
285
Tony Cassioppi (4-0, 1st place)
R1: n/a
R2: W, FALL (1:58) Ben Stemmet (Citadel)
QF: W, FALL (1:12) Brooks Empey (Wisconsin - unattached)
SF: W, FALL (2:17) Luke Rasmussen (South Dakota State)
FIN: W, FALL (2:11) Ryan Catka (Navy)
Bradley Hill (4-2, 5th place)
R1: n/a
R2: L, DEC (9-4) Ryan Catka (Navy)
CON: W, DEC (5-1) Josh Evans (VMI)
CON: W, DEC (11-4) Kade Carlson (Army)
CON: W, DEC (3-2) Terren Swartz (Wyoming)
CON: L, DEC (9-5) Gannon Rosenfeld (Wisconsin)
CON: W, DEC (9-8) Jonathan Chesser (Citadel)
Easton Fleshman (1-3)
R1: L, MAJ DEC (10-0) Mason Ding (Wyoming)
CON: L, DEC (9-2) Terren Swartz (Wyoming)
CON: W, DEC (3-1) Jonah Schmidtke
CON: L, DEC (3-1) Thad Huff (Bellarmine)
Gage Marty (2-3)
R1: L, DEC (2-0) Austin Kohlhofer (Army)
CON: W, DEC (9-6) Jonah Schmidtke (Wisconsin - unattached)
CON: W, DEC (8-4) William Muckler
CON: L, DEC (6-0) Mason Ding (Wyoming)
CON: L, DEC MED FFT Dan Conley (Colombia)
