Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling

Infobox College Wrestling Team
name = Iowa Hawkeyes
logo =
logo_size =
university = University of Iowa
conference = Big Ten Conference
conference_short = Big Ten
division =
city = Iowa City
stateabb = IA
state = Iowa
athletic director = Gary Barta
coach = Tom Brands
tenure = 2nd
arena = Carver-Hawkeye Arena
capacity = 15,500
nickname = Hawkeyes
current season = 2007–08
record = 21–1
conference finish = 1st
ncaa finish = 1st
update date = season's end.
color1 = Black
color2 = Gold
fontcolor =
hex1 = 000000
hex2 = ffd700
NCAAchampion = 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2008 [http://www.ncaasports.com/wrestling/mens/history History - Past Champions - NCAA.com ] ]
conference_tournament = 1958, 1962, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 ,1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2008The Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling program is one of the most storied in NCAA Division I athletics. Based in Iowa City, Iowa, the University of Iowa Hawkeyes are a member of the Big Ten Athletic Conference. The Hawkeyes are currently the reigning NCAA Wrestling Champions. Iowa is second in NCAA history with 21 national championships, all of which have come since 1975. "Sports Illustrated" recently named the Iowa program one of the top sports dynasties of the 20th century.

History

Wrestling at the University of Iowa began in 1911 when the first head coach, E.G. Schroeder, led the team in a dual against Nebraska. The Hawkeyes competed in the first Big Ten meet in 1926 under the direction of coach Mike Howard. Howard coached Iowa from 1921 until 1952. David McCuskey took over for Howard and coached the team until 1972 when Gary Kurdelmeier began a four season reign where his teams had an impressive 51-7-5 record. The great Dan Gable began his Iowa dynasty in 1972. He was the Hawkeyes head coach for 15 NCAA Championships and 21 consecutive Big Ten Championships. That included a streak of nine consecutive NCAA Team Championships, starting in 1978 and ending in 1986. Gable was so confident that his team would win their tenth straight championships that he had the Roman Numeral "X" put on their warm-up jackets to signify the tenth championships they thought they would win. However, they would finish as the runner-up at the 1987 NCAA Championships behind the Iowa State Cyclones, Gable's alma mater.

Gable retired after the 1997 season in which his team set the NCAA Tournament record with 170 team points and tied a record with 5 individual champions. He was replaced by Jim Zalesky, who had wrestled for Gable in the early eighties and had been his top assistant at Iowa for several years. Zalesky picked up right where Gable left off by winning the 1998 Big Ten and National championships. The following season, the Hawkeyes saw their 25-year Big Ten championship streak snapped by the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Nevertheless, Iowa was able to recover and defend their national championship. In 2000, Zalesky's Hawkeyes returned to Big Ten championship form and also won their third consecutive national title. However, the program would find itself struggling over the next six years, with Iowa winning only one Big Ten title (in 2004 and no national championships. The Zalesky era came to an end after the 2005-06 campaign, a season which found the Hawkeyes slipping to fourth place in the final Big Ten tournament standings. Iowa hired Tom Brands, another former Hawkeye who had wrestled and served as an assistant to Gable. Brands had been head coach at Virginia Tech prior to his return to Iowa City. In Iowa's first season under Brands, they would finish third in the Big Ten championships and eighth at the NCAA championships. The Hawkeyes rapidly returned to the national spotlight during the 2007-08 season, winning their first Big Ten championship in four years and their first NCAA championship in eight years and 21st national title overall.

Home meets

Home meets are held in the 15,500 seat Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. Several home matches each year are televised by Iowa Public Television or the Big Ten Network

Team championships

Iowa NCAA Wrestling team titles: 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2008 Iowa Big Ten Conference team titles: 1958, 1962, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 ,1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2008

NCAA individual champions

*Royce Alger 1987 1988
*Ed Banach 1980 1981 1983
*Lou Banach 1981 1983
*Leslie Beers 1928
*Terry Brands 1990 1992
*Tom Brands 1990 1991 1992
*Pete Bush 1982
*Chris Campbell 1976 1977
*Rico Chiapparelli 1987
*Jim Craig 1959
*Barry Davis 1982 1983 1985
*Kevin Dresser 1986
*Lee Fullhart 1997
*Duane Goldman 1986
*Richard Govig 1954
*Jim Heffernan 1986
*Dan Holm 1975
*Mark Ironside 1997 1998
*Eric Juergens 2000 2001
*Bruce Kinseth 1979
*Marty Kistler 1985 1986
*Kenneth Leuer 1956
*Randy Lewis 1979 1980
*Terry McCann 1955 1956
*Jeff McGinness 1995 1998
*Lincoln McIlravy 1993 1994 1997
*Brent Metcalf 2008
*Steve Mocco 2003
*Cliff Moore 2004
*Brad Penrith 1986
*Mark Perry 2007 2008
*Mark Reiland 1991
*Simon Roberts 1957
*Joe Scarpello 1947 1950
*Doug Schwab 1999
*Joel Sharratt 1994
*Dan Sherman 1973
*Brad Smith 1976
*Terry Steiner 1993
*Troy Steiner 1992
*Sherwyn Thorson 1962
*Daryl Weber 1996
*Jessie Whitmer 1997
*Joe Williams 1996 *1997 1998
*T.J. Williams 1999 2001
*Chuck Yagla 1975 1976
*Bill Zadick 1996
*Jim Zalesky 1982 1983 1984

2007–08 squad

*125 Charlie Falck
*133 Joey Slaton
*125/133 Lucas Magnani
*141 Dan LeClere
*149 Brent Metcalf
*157 Ryan Morningstar
*165 Mark Perry/Jake Kerr/Aaron Janssen
*174 Jay Borschel
*184 Phillip Keddy
*197 Chad Beatty/Rick Loera
*285 Matt Fields

Recruits for 2007–08

*Brodie Ambrose
*Jordan Johnson

References

External links

* [http://www.hawkeyesportsnews.com Hawkeye Sports News]
* [http://hawkeyesports.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/iowa-m-wrestl-body.html Hawkeye Wrestling website]
* [http://www.thewrestlingtalk.com/calendar.php/?24 Hawkeye Wrestling Schedule]
* [http://www.ncaasports.com/wrestling/mens The Official Wrestling site of the NCAA]