Published Dec 1, 2023
Preview: No. 4 Iowa wrestling at Penn
Ross Binder  •  Hawkeye Beacon
Managing Editor

WHO: Penn Quakers (0-0)
WHEN: 6:00 PM CT (Friday, December 1, 2023)
WHERE: The Palestra (Philadelphia, PA)
TV: ESPN+ ($)
RADIO: AM 800 KXIC (Steven Grace, Mark Ironside) | YouTube
MOBILE: espn.com/app
ONLINE: espn.com/watch
FOLLOW: @IowaAwesome | @Hawks_Wrestling | @IowaonBTN

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The Hawkeyes head back on the road this weekend -- in an odd quirk, three of Iowa's first four dual meets are away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena. This week's trip is out to Philadelphia to take on the Penn Quakers in The Palestra, one of the iconic venues for college basketball in the nation.

This will be the Quakers' first dual meet of the season -- they've previously only wrestled in the Journeyman Collegiate Classic and the PRTC Keystone Classic and haven't wrestled at all in two weeks. Iowa is coming off an emotional -- and eventual -- win over in-state rival Iowa State on Sunday.

This week's dual is being broadcast on ESPN+ at 6 PM CT on Friday, December 1.

#4 Iowa vs Penn projected starters
All rankings via InterMat.
WTIOWAVSPENN

125

#15 Drake Ayala (SO, 7-1)

vs

Ryan Miller (JR, 5-2) or
#19 Max Gallagher (FR, 5-1)

133

#9 Brody Teske (SR, 4-2)

vs

#13 Michael Colaiocco (SR, 5-3) or Alex Almeyda (FR, 7-0)

141

#1 Real Woods (SR, 3-0)

vs

#11 CJ Composto (JR, 8-0)

149

#15 Victor Voinovich III (SO, 6-2) or Caleb Rathjen (SO, 5-1)

vs

#24 Kelly Dunnigan (SO, 7-1) or
Jackson Polo (SO, 5-2)

157

#2 Jared Franek (GR, 8-0)

vs

Lucas Revano (SR, 4-4) or
#26 Jude Swisher (FR, 6-2)

165

#6 Michael Caliendo (SO, 7-1)

vs

Kaya Sement (SO, 4-3)

174

#14 Patrick Kennedy (JR, 1-0) or Drake Rhodes (rFR, 8-2)

vs

#10 Nick Incontrera (JR, 6-1)

184

Aiden Riggins (rFR, 6-1)

vs

#38 Maximus Hale (JR, 6-2)

197

#22 Zach Glazier (SR, 7-0)

vs

Cole Urbas (SR, 4-3) or
#26 Martin Cosgrove (FR, 7-2)

285

Bradley Hill (fFR, 5-3)

vs

John Stout (SR, 5-2)

Penn could field a lineup tonight with eight ranked wrestlers -- albeit five of them being ranked 19th or lower. Penn's strength is in the lower weights, where Michael Colaiocco is ranked 13th at 133 and CJ Composto is ranked 11th at 141, and 174, where Nick Incontrera is ranked 10th. Colaiocco is a three-time NCAA qualifier whose best finish at NCAAs is the Round of 16; still he's a talented wrestler and he's facing Brody Teske, who's had a very up-and-down season thus far.

Composto was an All-American at 141 back in 2022 (finishing 8th) before sitting out last year to train with the Penn RTC. He also has the misfortune at that weight of facing Iowa's top wrestler in #1 Real Woods.

Incontrera is a two-time NCAA qualifier who has yet to place on the podium. His only loss this season was to Penn State national champion Carter Starocci and five of his six wins have included bonus points this season (two tech falls, two major decisions, one pin). He should be a pretty good test for either Patrick Kennedy or Drake Rhodes at that weight -- particularly if Kennedy is still experiencing the gas tank issues that almost did him in against Iowa State last week.

Overall, this looks like a dual that should tilt in Iowa's direction if the Hawkeyes wrestle with an attacking mindset from the opening whistle. That wasn't always evident in last week's win against Iowa State and they need to show improvement in that area in this dual meet.