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Cowboy(s) downed: Iowa tops Oklahoma St as Angelo Ferrari stars

by:Tanner Lafever•02/24/25•

TannerLafever

Angelo Ferrari 2.0
Angelo Ferrari's upset win (and roar) was a huge part of a raucous Iowa victory on Sunday night. (Photo Credit: Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen)

“This (Iowa-Oklahoma State) dual has every element you could possibly ask for: top-ranked teams, historic rivals, wrestling icons and the potential for moments/surprises that could absolutely blow the roof off the premier venue in the sport.”

Those were my words two days ago while previewing Sunday night’s clash between the #3 Hawkeyes and the #2 Cowboys.

And while it may not have been some Nostradamus-like prediction to make, boy did it ever prove true.

In a dual that had more swings and surprises than you can shake a stick at, it was #3 Iowa (14-1, 7-1 B1G) who came out on top – knocking #2 Oklahoma State (13-1, 9-0 BIG 12) from the ranks of the unbeaten for the second consecutive season.

And a raucous, sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd got to witness every single second of it.

Iowa won 6/10 matches – including a trio of major decisions – but it was the last two wins that stood out the most.

Leading 14-11 with just three bouts to go, true freshman Angelo Ferrari and sixth-year senior Stephen Buchanan put the dual on ice. Each defeated a highly ranked foe – none bigger than Ferrari’s ‘upset’ of returning NCAA runner up, Dustin Plott.

Asked post-dual about coming through on the most electric stage in college wrestling the 19-year-old said this:

“It’s great. There’s nothing like it. It’s the best moment of my career, and I couldn’t be more thankful.”

One would imagine that 14,847 Iowa fans (living and dying with every match/moment) had a pretty good time and are pretty darn thankful, too.

Early swings

Competitors, but uncompetitive matches defined the start of the 58th all-time meeting between these historic powerhouses.

At 125 pounds, #16 Joey Cruz had every bit the trouble with #4 Troy Spratley he’d had in their lone previous meeting – a 19-2 tech. fall in 2023.

A 3-0 first period quickly gave way to an expanding deficit, albeit one not nearly as wide as it could’ve been. Spratley/OSU may’ve erred with some late tactics, and a ‘mere’ 17-3 major decision was the ultimate result.

Now down four, Iowa needed a response from a weight it was expected to win.

It got exactly that from #2 Drake Ayala, but against a total surprise of an opponent.

Rather than send out starter #21 Reece Witcraft – who’d been pinned in two previous trips to Carver and majored 17-6 by Ayala in 2022 – first-year OSU head coach David Taylor tabbed Rin Sakamoto instead.

A true freshman from Japan, Sunday was Sakamoto’s first-ever collegiate match in his first-ever season of folkstyle wrestling. And though the 2023 U20 World Championships seventh-place finisher fought hard, his Hawkeye opponent (and thunderous crowd) proved too much.

Ayala scored takedowns in all three periods, the last of which – with 0:18 left – secured a major decision (11-1).

Next, Tom Brands followed with a semi-surprise of his own.

Rather than one 141-pound Mason City native (Cullan Schriever) getting the nod it was another (Jace Rhodes).

Wrestling just his eighth match of the season, the sophomore nearly did enough to avoid bonus points against #5 Tagen Jamison. But two takedowns and three ride outs – the last of which came after Rhodes chose down in the third period – earned the Cowboy an 8-0 major decision.

After three bouts it was time to catch your breath – and perhaps (for fans) to grab a drink.

Momentum builds before intermission

Far from flashy but plenty gritty, Iowa would turn an 8-4 deficit in its favor with three-straight wins from 149-165 pounds.

There wasn’t much to write home about at 149, as #3 Kyle Parco and #18 Carter Young were scoreless through nearly five minutes. A second stall call (amidst a second-period ride out for Parco) put the first match point on the board.

The senior transfer continued to press the action during the final frame, finally paying off with a takedown on the edge with just 17 seconds to go. Another stall point plus riding time gave Parco a 7-1 win – capping an undefeated (albeit brief) career at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

He was followed by former Arizona State teammate, Jacori Teemer. And early on it sure looked like the third-ranked 157-pounder had his mind set on bonus points.

Teemer blasted through #14 Caleb Fish right off the opening whistle, then scored again a minute later. The latter takedown could’ve (and perhaps should’ve) earned near fall points as well.

But that was quickly forgotten when shortly thereafter Teemer appeared to aggravate an upper body injury that already had him wearing a hefty shoulder brace to start the match.

The graduate transfer scored one more takedown but was also hit three times for stalling as the bout ultimately came to a 10-6 end.

Without Teemer, Iowa probably doesn’t win this dual. Even so, perhaps the greatest concern is that a thus far snakebitten season with injuries may not conclude in the way he’d originally hoped for.

(But we can cross that bridge if/when we get to it.)

Mikey Major + on-brand (Nelson) Brands

Having taken its very first lead (10-8) into the break, Iowa didn’t let up let up on the other side.

Coming into the dual, that may not have been the outside expectation – at least in the fashion it happened.

#2 Michael Caliendo and #6 Cam Amine wrestled a pair of sudden victory matches at last year’s Big Ten Championships. Caliendo won both against the former Michigan Wolverine, but on Sunday had far less dramatics on his mind.

After early injury time (knee) taken by the Cowboy halted action, Caliendo closed the first period with an escape and takedown for the 4-0 lead.

Things slowed from there, however, as only a pair of traded escapes hit the scoreboard until Amine was dinged for stalling (again) to make it 6-1 with time winding down in the third.

With 0:39 to go, Caliendo hit an explosive hi-crotch takedown, then rode Amine out for good measure.

There was no sudden victory necessary this time around. Instead, Mikey had a (10-1) major decision on his mind – extending Iowa’s team score lead to six.

Next up at 174 pounds came another semi-surprising decision by Iowa, going with senior Nelson Brands rather than #11 Patrick Kennedy against OSU’s #3 Dean Hamiti.

Hamiti – a sizable favorite against either – had twice previously defeated PK back in 2023 (4-3 and 9-6).

On this night, Brands – a 2023 All-American – found himself in trouble, stuck under Hamiti with a major decision inching closer every second.

But rather than cower under the adversity – just the latest of which he’s faced during his Iowa career – he rose to overcome it once again.

Brands gritted out an escape, then gamely defended for the final 48 seconds to preserve the regular decision.

Was it the ‘sexy’ result? No. But it was important/impressive all the same.

Ferrari does the damn thing

I hinted at the possibility (read: expectation) of Angelo Ferrari making an appearance in my dual preview. And 95 minutes before go-time Iowa confirmed that suspicion (this week’s ‘probable lineup’ be damned):

When he finally took the mat at 184 pounds, the energy was practically palpitating throughout Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

If it affected the true freshman in any way, it was strictly positive. Ferrari was the obvious aggressor, holding center and dictating all of the action against a foe in #3 Dustin Plott who’d bonus’d his way to the NCAA finals not 11 months ago.

It’d finally pay off in the second period, as Ferrari chased down a low single leg to take the lead.

A 3-2 margin entering the third, Plott had yet to even sniff an offensive threat of his own. But Ferrari chose to go underneath anyway and was ultimately ridden out despite several near-escapes as time expired. The effort by Plott earned him a riding time point to tie the bout at three-apiece.

A once seeming victory now very much up in the air, the freshman gritted his teeth and got it done anyway.

Asked post-dual about Ferrari’s ability to meet the moment, Tom Brands offered this brief anecdote:

“It was said very well earlier this week, he won’t lose.”

“He got ridden. And then he went to overtime. And then he was in some scrambles. He probably didn’t feel really good out there, but he had a lot of guts. So, he made it go his way. He made it go his way. That’s a good example for a wrestling room.”

He did indeed make it go his way, and in the process made the dual one firmly there for Iowa’s taking.

(Oh, and Carver went absolutely berserk.)

Buchanan brings it home (again)

While Ferrari may (rightfully) garner Sunday’s headlines, the ‘lead dog’ for this 2024-25 Iowa team all year long has been Stephen Buchanan.

The top-ranked, undefeated graduate transfer been all the Hawkeyes could’ve hoped for in what will be his lone season for the program at 197 pounds.

The Wisconsin native merely added to his growing legacy on this night, cementing the dual result for Iowa with yet another sterling performance.

Facing #6 Luke Surber, whom he defeated (6-2) last March at the Big 12 Championships, Buchanan was ever calm and ever composed in building a 5-1 advantage through two periods.

And when Surber chose bottom in the third, those two C’s shone brightly once again, along with a third – a display of sheer confidence.

Rather than simply ride out the last 20 seconds for a decision victory, Buchanan put an exclamation point on proceedings with a Spencer Lee-esque roll-through tilt.

The four near fall points capped off a 10-1 major decision and perfectly exemplified what has made Buchanan such a stalwart from the moment he stepped into the Iowa room.

“Solid” was the word used by Tom Brands to describe his 197-pounder.

Meanwhile, Angelo Ferrari was effusive in his praise of one of his daily practice partners:

“He’s a huge role model for me (Buchanan) – not only on the mat but off the mat,” said the freshman. “He lives the right lifestyle in everything he does, and I try to mimic that. He’s been a great influence on me.

“I’m going with him probably 80% of the practices. He really pushes me, and I push him too, I think.”

On this evening, Buchanan ‘pushed’ Iowa to a massive rivalry win – doing so in front of a home crowd that will never forget him.

Short time

The dual result in hand – leading 21-11 – Ben Kueter’s latest experience with a superfreak heavyweight was thankfully of no consequence to the team outcome, nor could it put a damper on a Senior Night celebration of seven invaluable members of the Iowa program.

Because of the efforts of all 10 Hawkeye wrestlers and all 14,847 Hawkeye fans cheering them on, Nelson Brands (Iowa City, Iowa), Stephen Buchanan II (Loyal, Wisconsin), Charles Matthews (San Mateo, California), Kyle Parco (Danville, California), Cullan Schriever (Mason City, Iowa), Jacori Teemer (Long Beach, New York) and Jesse Ybarra (Tucson, Arizona) all got to end their home career(s) win a team win/moment that’ll last a lifetime.

And now – as is the wrestling mantra – it’s on to the next thing.

The regular season is officially over, and the postseason has thus officially begun.

Sunday’s victory (team and individual) won’t count for extra as the Hawkeyes seek to attain Big Ten/NCAA Championship glory.

That said, it sure counts for plenty right here and now for everyone in the Iowa wrestling community.

We entered this dual with every element present for a wildly entertaining event. Somehow it gave us even more than that.

And isn’t that why we’re all here in the first place?

Full dual results

#3 Iowa – 21, #2 Oklahoma State – 16

125 – #4 Troy Spratley (O) major dec. #16 Joey Cruz (I), 17-3

133 – #2 Drake Ayala (I) major dec. Rin Sakamoto (O), 11-1

141 – #5 Tagen Jamison (O) major dec. Jace Rhodes (I), 8-0

149 – #3 Kyle Parco (I) dec. #18 Carter Young (O), 7-1

157 – #3 Jacori Teemer (I) dec. #14 Caleb Fish (O), 10-6

165 – #2 Michael Caliendo (I) major dec. #6 Cameron Amine (O), 10-1

174 – #3 Dean Hamiti Jr. (O) dec. Nelson Brands (I), 8-1

184 – Angelo Ferrari (I) dec. #3 Dustin Plott (O), 6-3 SV1

197 – #1 Stephen Buchanan (I) major dec. #6 Luke Surber (O), 10-1

285 – #3 Wyatt Hendrickson (O) tech. fall #11 Ben Kueter (I), 18-3

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