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Hawkeyes tame Wildcats to close B1G schedule in blowout fashion

by:Tanner Lafever•02/16/25•

TannerLafever

Nelson Brands
The return (and bonus points) of Nelson Brands were among the top storylines for Iowa in Sunday's 37-3 blowout of Northwestern. (Photo Credit: Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen)

39 hours after arguably its best dual performance of the season, the Iowa Hawkeyes kept a good thing going on Sunday afternoon against Northwestern.

In so doing, #3 Iowa improved to 13-1 (7-1 B1G) and kept head coach Tom Brands’ undefeated record against the Wildcats – now at 16-0 – firmly intact.

In total, the home team won 9/10 bouts – losing only the opener at 157 pounds. Iowa also registered bonus points in six different matches – including five-in-a-row from 165-285 pounds.

This was expected to be a lopsided dual on paper and the Hawkeyes made it so with a focused effort from start to finish.

Now, attention turns squarely toward next Sunday’s showdown against #2 Oklahoma State.

(But we’ll get to that later this week.)

First, here’s a recap of the dual that was against the Wildcats (4-7, 2-6 B1G).

Once again, it’s time for ‘The Good, The Best, The Rest.’

The Good

A pair of upperclassmen both achieved noteworthy firsts on Sunday afternoon.

At 133/141 pounds, Iowa seniors Jesse Ybarra and Cullan Schriever each recorded their first home dual victories of the season.

Ybarra – an Arizona native – scored takedowns in the first and second period to build a lead, then showcase some slick defense from a standing single leg position to maintain his advantage in a 7-3 win over Northwestern’s Massey Odiotti.

For Schriever – out of Mason City (IA) – it was two takedowns plus a whole bunch of time on top that proved decisive in a 9-0 major decision versus Luis Bazan.

Neither of the two once highly touted recruits may have had the Iowa career that they’d envisioned. However, it was great to see them capitalize on one of the last opportunities they may have to wrestle at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Also of note, Iowa’s ‘other’ lightest wrestler to compete on Sunday capped a strong weekend of his own.

At 125 pounds, #26 Joey Cruz followed up his upset win over Minnesota’s #13 Cooper Flynn with a 6-1 decision against Dedrick Navarro.

The pair of victories upped Cruz’s record to 14-8 this season (6-2 B1G). They may have also done some serious good for his seeding at the Big Ten Championships in early March.

The Best

Bonus points and early scoring were major hallmarks for the Hawkeyes on Sunday.

Iowa wrestlers scored first-period takedowns in all nine of their individual wins – two-thirds of which preceded an eventual bonus-point effort.

Nowhere was that more so the case than at the upper weights.

At 165, #2 Michael Caliendo blitzed through (another) ranked opponent – this time #18 Maxx Mayfield. The junior recorded a half-dozen takedowns in less than 3.5 minutes of a 19-4 tech. fall.

Following Caliendo, senior Nelson Brands made his return to action for the first time since December 6th. He’d do so in fine form, too.

The seventh-year senior kept a high pace from the opening whistle and steadily picked apart Aiden Vandenbush with a variety of takedowns to earn the 21-5 early termination win.

What, if anything, does his return signal about Iowa’s strategy at 174 pounds for the postseason? We’ll have to wait and see.

Up next, Gabe Arnold kept things rolling and perhaps gave himself a nice confidence boost in the process.

The eighth-ranked redshirt freshman hadn’t scored a takedown in regulation since January 17th – including none in a hard-fought 4-1 defeat on Friday night against the #4 wrestler in the country at 184 pounds.

On Sunday, Gabe got to his offense consistently to pull away for the 13-2 major decision.

#1 Stephen Buchanan reinforced his top ranking at 197 pounds next, walloping #14 Evan Bates, 18-2. The graduate transfer continues to do nothing but look like the best wrestler in America at his weight class.

And finally, there may have been no greater disparity than between the two matches #11 Ben Kueter wrestled this weekend.

Rather than taking his medicine from an Olympic champion it was Kueter dishing out the punishment on Sunday – steamrolling Dirk Morley via second-period technical fall (20-4).

The Rest

Iowa’s lone defeat of the afternoon came in the dual’s opening bout.

For the fourth time this season – and the third during Big Ten competition – freshman Miguel Estrada had an opportunity to match wits with a top-10 opponent at 157 pounds.

And for the fourth time the California native lost in a tight, one-takedown match.

On Sunday, it was #9 Trevor Chumbley who bested the young Hawkeye.

After almost no scoring opportunities in regulation sans a near go-behind from Estrada on the edge in the third period, Chumbley finally converted his lone chance in sudden victory – reattacking off an errant shot attempt by Estrada for the winning takedown.

This was hardly some poor showing by the freshman, who in truth is probably a 149-pounder anyway.

That said, in his post-dual radio interview Tom Brands lamented today as a “missed opportunity” for Estrada – who in many ways had nothing to lose in what figures to be his final match of the season.

Regardless, you’d figure the freshman has learned plenty of valuable lessons from both this match/season that can benefit him as his career progresses with the Hawkeyes.

Last but not least, Iowa’s final match of the afternoon was also a bit of a ‘downer’ (and I use that term in the loosest of manners).

At 149 pounds, #3 Kyle Parco had worked hard to extend his lead against a stingy, 25th-ranked Sam Cartella. His reward was a would-be major decision thanks to a pair of third-period takedowns.

However, seemingly unaware of the margin, Parco cut Cartella with 11 seconds remaining. That escape point would turn a 9-1 lead into a mere 9-2 advantage – costing the Hawkeye the major.

(These are the nits we pick in a 37-3 blowout.)

Short time

Look, not every dual can be a top-10 showdown (even though it seems like most on Iowa’s schedule are these days).

The Hawkeyes were massive favorites entering Sunday afternoon and they performed to that standard against Northwestern.

With the victory, Iowa concludes it’s 2024-25 Big Ten slate alone in second place (7-1) behind undefeated Penn State.

And now – as mentioned in the open – all eyes shift toward next Sunday’s rivalry showdown.

It’ll be #3 Iowa versus #2 Oklahoma State. It’ll be in prime time at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. And it’ll be the regular season finale and Senior Night all wrapped up into one raucous environment in Iowa City.

Stay tuned to Hawkeye Report throughout the week as we get you prepared for it all – as well as regional qualifying for the top-ranked Iowa women’s team.

It’s that special time of year, folks. From this point onward, it’s ‘bangers only’ when it comes to Iowa wrestling.

And I for one, cannot wait.

Full dual results

#3 Iowa – 37, Northwestern – 3

157 – #9 Trevor Chumbley (N) dec. Miguel Estrada (I), 4-1 SV1

165 – #2 Michael Caliendo (I) tech. fall #18 Maxx Mayfield (N), 19-4

174 – Nelson Brands (I) tech fall. Aiden Vandenbush (N), 21-5

184 – #8 Gabe Arnold (I) major dec. Jon Halvorsen (N), 13-2

197 – #1 Stephen Buchanan (I) tech. fall #14 Evan Bates (N), 18-2

285 – #11 Ben Kueter (I) tech. fall Dirk Morley (N), 20-4

125 – #26 Joey Cruz (I) dec. Dedrick Navarro (N), 6-1

133 – Jesse Ybarra (I) dec. Massey Odiotti (N), 7-3

141 – Cullan Schriever (I) major dec. Luis Bazan (N), 9-0

149 – #3 Kyle Parco (I) dec. #25 Sam Cartella (N), 9-2

Officials: Peter Mankowich, Jay Cox

Attendance: 12,807

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