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MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team came back with a strong performance Sunday to win its 32nd Big Ten team title at the conference championships in Minneapolis, MN. The Hawkeyes scored 127 points, while runner-up Minnesota tallied 112.5.

Sophomore Brent Metcalf became Iowa's 101st Big Ten Champion when he won the 149-pound title, and the Hawkeyes qualified nine wrestlers to the upcoming NCAA Championships. It is the first time that Iowa has advanced nine competitors since 2004 when it qualified its entire 10-man lineup.

Iowa nearly swept the post-meet team awards as Metcalf was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships and Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, and Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands was named Big Ten Coach of the Year. Metcalf is the third Hawkeye to earn both honors in the same season. Former Hawkeyes Tom Brands (1989), Terry Brands (1992) and Mark Ironside (1997) also accomplished that feat. Brands is the third Hawkeye coach to earn the annual Big Ten honor, as former head coaches Dan Gable (1993, 1996) and Jim Zalesky (2000, 2004) each earned the honor twice.

"We had a good (first) session, then a not-so-good (second) session and ended with a good (third) session, which is what you want," explained Brands. "We won the team title and had a lot of fans at the arena. We also had a lot of guys stay tough in the wrestlebacks." Metcalf, who is the nation's top-ranked wrestler at 149 pounds, earned his first Big Ten title when he defeated two-time Big Ten champion and two-time all-American Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota, 5-3. It was the first collegiate meeting between the two. The Hawkeye sophomore scored his 30th season and career win and extended his winning streak to 27 matches with the decision over Schlatter, who is ranked third in the country. Schlatter scored the first takedown, but Metcalf countered with two escapes to tie the score at 2-2 after two periods. Schlatter escaped to start the third period, but Metcalf was awarded a point when the Golden Gopher junior was given his second stall warning of the match to tie the match at 3-3. Metcalf secured the win by scoring a takedown with 11 seconds remaining in the bout.


"Brent Metcalf did an outstanding job." said Brands. "He is a great example of what I want all our guys to aspire to. Duplicate Brent Metcalf."

Metcalf, Hawkeyes Win Big Ten Titles :: Hawkeyes advance nine wrestlers to NCAA Championships