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Big Ten Championships Recap: Iowa sits in third after bumpy Day 1

by:Tanner Lafever•about 17 hours•

TannerLafever

Stephen Buchanan
One of three Big Ten finalists for Iowa, Stephen Buchanan's undefeated season continued at 197 pounds. (Photo Credit: Iowa Wrestling Twitter)

As I’ve always said – especially to Iowa wrestling fans – much like the Invisible Man, I’m nothing if not transparent.

And so, as I recap Day 1 of the 2025 Big Ten Championships, I’ll just come right out and say it:

I’m not sure I watched a single Iowa bout from start-to-finish all day long.

Is this some sort of protest in the face of what I’ve gathered was a less-than-optimal Day 1 performance by the Hawkeyes? No.

The far-less-interesting truth is that both of today’s sessions in Evanston (IL) just so happened to directly coincide with Day 2 of the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships – where I was stationed live and in person to cover the Iowa women’s second-consecutive NCWWC title.

Needless to say, my attention was a bit all over the place while attempting to consume the veritable smorgasbord of wrestling going on around me.

So, here’s a quick-and-dirty summary of where things stand thus far for Tom Brands’ bunch, which currently sits in third place – an (expected) mile behind Penn State and a surprising 20.5 points behind Nebraska:

Three to the finals

A trio of Hawkeyes have reached Sunday afternoon’s finals. Each of them were expected to do so based on both their pre-tournament seeds and an eye-test of their wrestling acumen.

Drake Ayala (#1 at 133), Michael Caliendo (#2 at 165) and Stephen Buchanan (#1 at 197) all won a pair of Day 1 matches with relatively little issue.

Ayala fell behind twice in his opener against #8 Angelo Rini (Indiana) but responded in turn for a 13-9 win. He’d follow with an impressive semifinal showing, topping 2024 Big Ten champion Dylan Schawver (Rutgers) by 8-2 decision.

Takedowns in the first/third periods proved decisive against the athletic Scarlet Knight. Now, Ayala readies for a rematch against Illinois #2 seed Lucas Byrd – whom he bested 4-2 in mid-January when their teams dualed inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

At 165 pounds, Michael Caliendo cruised past both #10 Anthony White (Rutgers) and #6 Braeden Scoles (Illinois).

Now 19-1 during a stellar junior season, Mikey’s two tech. fall victories bring him face to face (once again) with Penn State nemesis Mitchell Mesenbrink.

And at 197, Stephen Buchanan did what Stephen Buchanan does.

The #1 wrestler in the country scored 12 points and allowed none en route to his first Big Ten final. An 8-0 major decision of #9 Seth Shumate (Ohio State) got things started, followed by a 4-0 decision over #5 Zac Braunagel to punch Buchanan’s finals ticket.

In both matches, the first-year Hawkeye used tough rides and turns for nearfall to salt away otherwise ‘close’ margins.

Buchanan’s finals opponent will be Michigan’s Jacob Cardenas, who emerged from the opposite half of the bracket as the #3 seed.

Buchanan last wrestled Cardenas in the third-place match at 2024 NCAAs. The now-Hawkeye (then at Oklahoma) defeated the now-Wolverine (then at Cornell) by 9-4 decision.

Surprising setbacks

There were a handful of costly setbacks for Iowa on Day 1 in Evanston.

And even if none (figure to) ultimately cost Hawkeyes NCAA bids – they’re still damaging to both this weekend’s team/individual finishes as well as potential seeding for the national tournament in two weeks.

In descending order, #5 seed Joey Cruz took a surprising 10-5 loss to #11 Caleb Weiland (Michigan State) after dropping to the consis at 125 pounds. That leaves the sophomore in a ‘mini ninth-place bracket’ – where he’ll need two wins on Sunday to nab the final Big Ten allocation.

Were he to fall short, (I think) Cruz would still be likely to get a wildcard bid to NCAAs.

Moving to 149, apparently history means nothing anymore.

In three previous meetings, Kyle Parco had beaten 2024 Big Ten champ Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) in one-takedown affairs. But on Saturday night it was all Lovett, jumping out to a 10-1 lead in an eventual 14-2 major decision victory.

Parco (seeded second) can now place as high as third in Sunday’s consolations.

Meanwhile, it was a pair of sudden victory setbacks for Iowa’s enigmatic 157-pounder, Jacori Teemer.

The returning NCAA runner up lost 4-1 to #5 Tommy Askey in the quarters – having beaten the Golden Gopher by the exact same margin back at their February dual meeting.

Then in the consolations, a bizarre 2-1 defeat came about when Teemer seemed to be called for taking injury time against #1 Ethen Miller (Maryland) in sudden victory.

Confusion ensued, and ultimately Miller was given choice – escaping from bottom to win the match, 2-1.

(Teemer has earned an NCAA allocation courtesy of his top-eight finish at 157.)

And finally, #4 Gabe Arnold lost in tiebreakers to #5 Jaxon Smith (Maryland), a reversal of their dual meeting one month ago.

Status quo

Iowa’s three remaining wrestlers have all competed to seed/expectation thus far.

174-pounder Patrick Kennedy teched his way to the semifinals, only for #1 Levi Haines (Penn State) to end his championship run via 10-3 decision.

It was a similar (shorter) story at heavyweight for #7 seed Ben Kueter.

The redshirt freshman won his opener before falling via first-period pin to reigning Big Ten/NCAA champ Greg Kerklviet (PSU) in the quarters. He’d respond with a pair of consolation victories to join Kennedy in Sunday’s consi semifinals.

Next up, both Hawkeyes will face Buckeyes in rematches with significant NCAA seeding implications.

For Kueter, can he back up his biggest win to date against #4 Nick Feldman (5-4 at January’s dual)?

And for PK, can he reverse a 7-3 dual loss to #2 Carson Kharchla?

Finally, Iowa’s lone wrestler to be eliminated was 141-pounder Cullan Schriever.

The 11th-seeded senior from Mason City went 1-2 in his one and only Big Ten Championships. Despite a game effort against tough Michigan #5 seed Sergio Lemley – including a nice second-period takedown – an 8-3 decision would ultimately end Schriever’s Iowa career.

He will not earn one of the seven Big Ten allocation spots, nor will he receive a wildcard berth at NCAAs (barring something crazy).

Short time

That’s a wrap on Day 1 at the Big Tens in as comprehensive a fashion as I could possibly muster.

I will be locked in from the get-go during Day 2 action – which gets underway at noon (CT) on Sunday.

So, expect a far more detailed chronicling of events to come Sunday evening once the tournament has reached its conclusion.

Till then, enjoy the wrestling!

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