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Iowa Men's Wrestling: Mid-season Report Card

by:Tanner Lafever•01/07/25•

TannerLafever

Stephen Buchanan hand raised
Arguably Iowa's top performer so far this season, #2 Stephen Buchanan has been a force for the Hawkeyes at 197 pounds. (Photo Credit: Iowa Wrestling Facebook page)

Put your pencils and paper down, class, it’s time to hand out mid-season grades for Iowa men’s wrestling.

Now is as good a time as any – with two months down and the start of Big Ten competition just on the horizon (Sunday afternoon at Wisconsin).

The #2 Hawkeyes are undefeated in dual competition (6-0) and are coming off a strong showing at the Soldier Salute.

And yet, several questions remain for Tom Brands and company:

  • What’s the health status of top-ranked 157-pounder Jacori Teemer?
  • Which capable option will be left on the bench and/or in redshirt at 174 and 184?
  • Can anyone capably fill the void(s) at 125 and 141 pounds?
  • How many national contenders are in the lineup?

As a matter of principle, I try not to be too reactionary (positively or negatively) in my wrestling coverage. So, in that vein, we’re going back to my elementary school roots for this ‘report card’ format.

There’s no need to condemn a wrestler for eternity with this mid-year evaluation. Thus, the grades will be as follows:

M = meeting expectations

P = progressing

N = needs work

I feel like each designation is pretty self-explanatory. That said, as we go weight-by-weight I’ll elaborate as necessary upon what Iowa can do to maintain/improve its standing at each of the 10 spots in the lineup as the postseason draws nearer by the day.

So, let’s get to it.

125 pounds = N (needs work)

Not exactly a hot start, is it?

Now two months into the 2024-25 schedule, 125 remains an uncharacteristic question mark for the Hawkeyes.

The days of Matt McDonough, Thomas Gilman, Spencer Lee and Drake Ayala – national champions/finalists all – feel like a bit of a distant memory.

Instead, the two contenders for this year’s spot – Joey Cruz (12-6) and Kale Petersen (5-2) – are just 17-8 between them.

That record drops to 14-8 when you exclude a trio of forfeit/no contest results. And it’s just 11-8 after removing three wins by Cruz against NAIA/Division III opponents at the Grand View Open.

Further complicating matters was the surprise entry at 133 pounds by Petersen at last week’s Soldier Salute tournament. Though he did reach the finals, losing 20-5 to teammate Drake Ayala, that result clearly showed his lone path to a starting spot is at 125.

(Subtract Petersen’s 3-1 foray at 133 and he and Cruz are just 8-7 in contested matches at 125 this season.)

At this point, Iowa needs to worry more about who can qualify the weight for the national tournament rather than who might be able to score a few team points there.

Unranked in the latest Intermat rankings, Cruz would seem(?) to have the inside track at present. But if pressed, I’d still wager Petersen winds up the pick come postseason time – if he’s at 125.

“Some things (are) best kept private,” said Tom Brands post-Salute regarding Petersen’s surprise appearance at 133.

However, long-time club and current Iowa teammate Drake Ayala sounded a bit more definitive when asked about Petersen going forward:

“Kale Petersen’s a 25-pounder, and he’s gonna do some damage,” said Ayala.

Whomever the guy is for Iowa, they’d do the fans’ nerves well to stake their claim sooner than later.

133 pounds = M (meeting expectations)

I cautioned folks not to overreact after Drake Ayala lost his home opener to Stanford’s Tyler Knox in early November.

I’m not about to take a victory lap by any means, but I do feel somewhat validated in my patient approach as opposed to some of the fretting I heard in the initial aftermath.

Not only has Ayala – currently ranked #4 – won eight-consecutive matches since, but it turns out Knox (ranked #10) is no slouch himself.

Drake’s winning streak has included going-away decisions versus #8 Evan Frost (Iowa State) and #28 Ethan Berginc (Army). Of the other six victories, five came via bonus points – including three technical falls.

The redshirt junior sure seems to be settling into his new weight class. We’ll know for sure in the next few months, though.

Between now and the postseason, Ayala could face each of the following ranked 133-pounders in dual competition:

  • #2 Lucas Byrd (Illinois)
  • #5 Braeden Davis (Penn State)
  • #9 Nic Bouzakis (Ohio State)
  • #11 Tyler Wells (Minnesota)
  • #14 Braxton Brown (Maryland)
  • #18 Reece Witcraft (Oklahoma State)
  • #19 Jacob Van Dee (Nebraska)
  • #24 Zan Fugitt (Wisconsin)

Like I said, you should feel pretty good about where Drake’s at right now.

But the upcoming dual schedule will do a whole lot for any certainty/uncertainty as to whether he’s in form for another deep run at NCAAs this March.

141 pounds = N (needs work)

Similar to 125, Iowa has yet to find an answer at 141 this season, much less a good one.

Sixth and fourth-place finishes from senior Cullan Schriever (3-5) and sophomore Jace Rhodes (4-2) at the Soldier Salute were hardly the most confidence-inspiring performances.

That would be less concerning if it weren’t for the ongoing absence of redshirt freshman, #28 Ryder Block.

Block – a highly-credentialed recruit – entered this season as a guy I had my eye on for a splashy debut.

He was given the nod in each of Iowa’s first four duals (going 2-2) but has yet to appear since November 23 against Iowa State.

Tom Brands indicated pre-Soldier Salute that it could be an injury-related issue for Block. That’s not ideal in any circumstance, but especially for Block, given it’s his first season back after a 2023 mid-summer ACL tear.

That’s not to suggest any potential recent injury is related to and/or as severe as the former. It merely compounds the effects of time off the mat for a talented young wrestler.

I don’t know what Block’s ceiling is in 2024-25, but it sure feels as though it’d be the best possible option for Iowa at 141.

First, the Hawkeyes need to get him back in action and start to find out.

149 pounds = M (meeting expectations)

I’m almost tempted to violate my grading designations when it comes to 149 pounds.

That’s how impressive #4 Kyle Parco has been during his first two months as a Hawkeye.

Perhaps that’s underselling how good the Arizona State transfer – a four-time All-American – was prior to his arrival in Iowa City. Even so, I could argue he’s exceeded the hopes of Iowa fans during his 10-0 start to the season.

Half of Parco’s victories have come versus ranked opponents, including a trio of past All-Americans. And 60 percent of those have included and/or approached bonus points.

That 60 percent figure also represents Parco’s current bonus rate this season (five technical falls, one major decision). It’s still early, but his previous career-best mark was 33.7 percent back in 2021-22.

Suffice it to say, he’s been all Iowa could’ve hoped for (and then some) stepping in at 149.

Like most Hawkeyes, there’s plenty of meat left on the bone in Parco’s remaining regular season schedule.

Top-five matchups with #2 Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) and #5 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) – especially the former – will say a lot about how high up the NCAA podium Parco could potentially climb this March.

Final Note:

I’ve also been quite impressed with freshmen 149-pounders Miguel Estrada (12-2) and Kael Voinovich (12-4). Both youngsters have had close losses to high-level collegians, while dominating lesser competition.

157 pounds = TBD

OK, so I am going to break my rules here.

I’m not sure what alternative exists, given this grade depends entirely on the performance (and therefore, health) of one Jacori Teemer.

Everyone saw the Arizona State transfer exit his Cy-Hawk match early with an apparent leg injury. That put a halt to the initial stages of what had been an excellent Iowa debut thus far.

In the 44 days since that injury, we’ve seen/heard little from Teemer himself – though he was in the building cheering on his teammates during the Soldier Salute finals.

We have, however, gotten a couple of positive updates from Iowa coaches.

Back in early December, before Iowa’s double dual at the Journeymen event down in Missouri, associate head coach Terry Brands used words like “immaculate” and “divine” to describe Teemer’s overnight progress from the injury.

More than three weeks later, head coach Tom Brands had this response to a direct question about Teemer’s status:

Bottom line, there’s a reason Teemer is ranked #1 in the country at 157 pounds.

If he’s healthy and in-form come March, he’s as/more likely than anyone to win the national title.

We just won’t know whether things are trending in that direction or not until we see him back out on the mat again (hopefully sooner than later).

165 pounds = M (meeting expectations)

Many people had Michael Caliendo pegged as a tier of his own coming into this season at 165 – below Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink and above everybody else.

Despite a few nervy moments against returning All-American Hunter Garvin (early) and #9 Andrew Sparks (late), the second-ranked Hawkeye has done nothing to dispel that notion.

At 10-0 through the month of December, Caliendo has a bonus-point rate of 70 percent.

And just as before this season began, there’s not a single 165-pounder I’d pick against him other than Mesenbrink.

Mikey’s been looking just fine, you guys.

174 pounds = P/M (progressing toward meeting expectations)

As I fudge the rules (a little) on grading yet again, you guys know the characters in Iowa’s ongoing saga at 174 pounds.

Nelson Brands was a 2023 All-American (fifth) at 174.

#5 Patrick Kennedy was a 2023 Big Ten finalist at 165 and reached the blood round at NCAAs in 2024 after a mid-year bump up to 174.

Either could conceivably (and effectively) represent the Hawkeyes this coming postseason. But only one of them will.

Like Ryder Block at 141, it’s been a minute since we saw Brands in action (December 6). And like Brock, (Tom) Brands suggested pre-Soldier Salute that may be injury related as it pertains to his nephew, Nelson.

(Tom) Brands also said recently that he’s in no rush to make a final decision at 174.

So, instead of rehashing anything else regarding this yet-to-be-determined decision, I’ll leave you with this (awesome) Patrick Kennedy interview snippet from the Soldier Salute – which crystallizes the situation better than I ever could:

184 pounds = P/M (progressing toward meeting expectations)

Similar story, different weight class as we move to 184.

Iowa has a pair of great options – young ones in this instance – in #6 Gabe Arnold and Angelo Ferrari. Only this time, an extra gadget in the decision ‘utility belt’ exists in a possible redshirt for Ferrari.

I shared some thoughts on the situation in the aftermath of Arnold’s medical forfeit to Ferrari in the Soldier Salute final.

Meanwhile, asked post-tournament about Arnold’s medical forfeit, Tom Brands again echoed a version of the phrase, “Some things you keep private.”

Soon after, he’d expound much further upon the overall thought process behind eventual decisions at 174 and 184 pounds:

Brands is right, of course.

Iowa doesn’t “have to make a decision on Ferrari’s redshirt – or who the guy’s going to be there – right now.”

The only ‘final deadline’ for a decision is the week of the Big Ten Championships (March 8-9).

However, also at play are Ferrari’s two remaining competition dates that he can utilize whilst maintaining his redshirt status.

Whichever route Iowa chooses, the Hawkeyes will have a bona fide All-American contender at the weight.

Ferrari (10-0) has yet to taste collegiate defeat. And Arnold’s only contested loss came last year in Stillwater, Oklahoma, when he bumped up to face eventual NCAA finalist Dustin Plott, losing 5-1.

I don’t believe either dramatically alters Iowa’s (slim) team title odds compared to the other. And that’s why I’m still of the opinion that Arnold will ultimately get the nod.

Not only can Gabe climb high on the podium, but he’d allow Ferrari to maintain all four years of eligibility and come out of the gates blazing in 2025-26 with a serious chance at an individual title as a redshirt freshman.

But what the heck do I know?

197 pounds = M (meeting expectations)

I said a few paragraphs back that I was tempted to assign Kyle Parco a better designation than ‘meeting expectations.’

Well, I would really like to do so for #2 Stephen Buchanan.

The Oklahoma transfer (by way of Wyoming) has been nothing short of phenomenal as a Hawkeye this season.

10 matches into his Iowa career, Buchanan is putting up a gaudy 80 percent bonus rate – including six pins/technical falls.

His only ‘failures’ to do so came against a two-time Oregon State All-American and a powerhouse Oklahoma State freshman. In both instances, Buchanan closed with an exceptional third period to salt away the victory.

I don’t think there’s a single Hawkeye wrestling better than the 197-pounder right now. And if asked to predict Iowa’s most likely NCAA champion this season (pending the health of Jacori Teemer), Buchanan would be my runaway choice.

285 pounds = P (progressing)

The curious case of Benjamin Kueter is how I’d (unoriginally) refer to 2024-25 thus far for the Hawkeye heavyweight.

In some ways, perhaps that’s a bit of a letdown considering I’d been driving the preseason ‘hype train’ as much as anyone just a few months ago.

It’s not that Kueter has been bad by any means. After all, an 8-1 record and #12 national ranking are certainly nothing to sneeze at.

But the expectations of many were for the Iowa City native to hit the ground dominating more than he has thus far.

The two-time U20 World finalist has struggled to get to and/or convert his offense in several instances this season. One of those such instances was in the Soldier Salute final – a 1-0 win over 2024 NCAA qualifier Bennett Tabor. Afterwards, Iowa head coach Tom Brands said the following of his talented, albeit frustrated young heavyweight:

“Kueter was not happy with himself. You know, you want to represent yourself better than that, but you win a tough match – and so that’s where you build from.”

Continuing to build should remain Kueter’s exact focus, rather than worrying about how the outside world perceives his performance(s).

While the schedule will only grow tougher entering Big Ten competition, I think that could play somewhat in his favor.

Better heavyweights will be more likely to take the fight to Kueter. And in doing so, they may expose themselves to more scramble/counter-offense situations that play into his athletic strengths.

Look, it’s still a long way until March, and with Gable Steveson’s return the entire heavyweight field is realistically battling for second place.

Can Kueter climb that high? I don’t know.

But I’m not about to write off an impressive All-American finish for the redshirt freshman just yet.

Final assessment

To be frank, I can’t remember if my elementary school report cards concluded with some sort of comprehensive grade.

All I remember is feeling a mixture of pride/relief at each ‘M’ I saw. That emotion turned to moderate shame whenever a ‘P’ cropped up somewhere. And thankfully, I can’t recall a dreaded ‘N’ ever making an appearance.

However, that final notion may just be the result of me suppressing some traumatic childhood memories.

The point is (I think?), it’s still too early to draw firm conclusions about the 2024-25 Iowa men’s wrestling season.

Lineup mysteries at 174/184 aside, and assuming a return to health for Jacori Teemer, I feel really good about seven spots in Iowa’s lineup. Add in my continued (though somewhat more cautious) optimism at heavyweight and only 125/141 remain.

How either of those turn out is anyone’s guess.

One thing is for sure, we’ll learn a lot more about the Hawkeyes between now and March.

As of now, though, I think this team can be proud enough of its mid-season report card to stick it to the ‘refrigerator’ at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

We’ll see if I feel the same way in two-plus months when it’s time to hand out final grades for the 2024-25 season.

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