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CHAMPAIGN, IL -- The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team won its final dual of the 2007-08 season Sunday afternoon, defeating #11 Illinois 21-12 in Champaign. The Hawkeyes earned the Big Ten regular season title outright with the win, going 8-0 in conference competition. Iowa ended the dual meet season on a 14-match winning streak and posted a 21-1 record. Illinois fell to 13-4, 5-3 in the Big Ten.

"We saw some good things today, and some not-so-good things," said Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands. "The impression we left with was positive, but we gave up the first takedown or first points in a match too many times. That can't happen. This team thrives on momentum. We are two weeks out from the Big Ten finals and we've got work to do."

Iowa opened the dual at 125 pounds with junior Charlie Falck beating senior Gabe Flores, 6-4 in sudden victory. Falck, who was 0-2 against Flores in his career, trailed 4-2 in the third period, but scored a takedown with 15 seconds left in regulation to force the match to sudden victory. He scored the winning takedown with 37 seconds left in sudden victory to post his sixth-straight win and improve to 26-2.

The Hawkeyes were on the losing end of the other marquee match-up of the day at 133. Iowa sophomore Joe Slaton (23-2) and Illinois sophomore Jimmy Kennedy (23-4) both entered the dual with undefeated Big Ten records and significant winning streaks. Kennedy posted the 8-4 win, handing Slaton his first conference loss and snapping the Hawkeye's 11-match winning streak.
Iowa responded with wins at 141 and 149 to take an 11-3 lead. Hawkeye sophomore Dan LeClere (141) posted his 20th season and career win when he beat Illinois freshman Ryan Prater, 6-5. Iowa sophomore Brent Metcalf dominated redshirt freshman Joey Kotowski at 149, scoring an 18-3 technical fall in 4:56. Metcalf is 8-0 in Big Ten duals and is on a 23-match winning streak. He has scored team bonus points in his last nine bouts.

Hawkeyes Beat Illinois, 21-12 :: Wrestlers earn Big Ten regular season title outright