Iowa will compete at the 2007 Big Ten Championships, Saturday and Sunday at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, MI. The meet will be broken into three sessions. Session I will start Saturday at 10 a.m. (CST), Session II will start Saturday at 5 p.m. and Session III will start Sunday at 11 a.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Following is the Big Ten Championships event schedule. Times are Central Standard.
Session - Day - Time (CST) - Competition
Session I - Saturday - 10 a.m. - Through quarterfinals and consolation first round
Session II - Saturday - 5 p.m. - Through the championship semifinals and up to the consolation semifinals
Session III - Sunday - 11 a.m. - Consolation semifinals will be followed by seventh place matches. Championship, third, and fifth place matches for each weight classs will start at 1 pm.
ON THE AIR
Radio - Hawkeye fans can hear Big Ten wrestling action on AM-800 KXIC and AM-1630 KCJJ. Steven Grace and two-time Hawkeye NCAA champion and four-time all-American Mark Ironside will call the action live on KXIC, while Roger Beyhl, Bob Dane and Ed McGinness will call the action live on KCJJ. To listen to the KXIC broadcast online, go to the wrestling schedule at www.hawkeyesports.com, click on the event and click on the Listen link. Broadcasts are available using the Hawkeye All-Access subscription ($6.95/month or $49.95/year) or the CSTV XXL Premium subscription ($99.95/year).
Television - CSTV (College Sports Television) will air a tape-delayed broadcast of Sunday's competition. The airing dates are Wednesday, March 7 at 7 p.m. (CST), Wednesday, March 7 at 10 p.m. (CST) and Friday, March 9 at 6 a.m. (CST).
TICKET INFORMATION
All-session tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for students. Sunday's final session tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students, while Saturday's single session tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Michigan State University's Ticket Office at 517/355-1610.
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS
Updated brackets and team standings will be available throughout the tournament at www.bigten.org and www.msuspartans.com.
NCAA QUALIFIERS
The Big Ten Conference is alloted 72 qualifiers for the 2007 NCAA Championships, scheduled for March 15-17 in Auburn Hills, MI. The top seven placewinners in each weight class will automatically advance to the national tournament. Big Ten coaches will select two wild cards after the meet. The Hawkeyes advanced eight qualifiers in 2006.
BIG TEN RECORDS
Iowa holds records in five of seven Big Ten Championship categories. The Hawkeyes hold records for most individual champions in one tournament (9 in 1983), most consecutive team titles (25 from 1974-98), most falls by a team in one tournament (12 in 1979), largest victory margin (118.5 points in 1983) and fastest fall in all matches (Bart Chelesvig's 23-second pin over Illinois' Keith Bolman in 1992).
The Hawkeyes have won the most Big Ten team titles (31) and crowned the most individual champions (180). Seven of the Big Ten's 10 four-time conference champions were Hawkeyes, and Iowa has had 18 of the conference's 46 three-time champions.
BIG TEN HONORS
The Iowa wrestling team has earned several individual Big Ten honors since they were initiated in 1986. Twelve Hawkeyes have been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, seven have been named Wrestler of the Championships and four have been named Freshman of the Year. Two of Iowa's former head coaches earned conference Coach of the Year honors a combined five times. Following is the list of Iowa's Big Ten award winners:
Big Ten Wrestler of the Year
Royce Alger - 1987, 1988
Terry Brands - 1992
Tom Brands - 1989
Mark Ironside - 1996, 1997, 1998
Eric Juergens - 2001
Lincoln McIlravy - 1995
Steve Mocco - 2003
Brad Penrith - 1986
Troy Steiner - 1993
Big Ten Freshman of the Year
Tom Brands - 1989
Jeff McGinness - 1994
Lincoln McIlravy - 1993
Steve Mocco - 2002
Big Ten Coach of the Year
Dan Gable - 1993, 1995, 1996
Jim Zalesky - 2000, 2004
Big Ten Wrestler of the Championships
Terry Brands, 1992
Tom Brands, 1989
Jamie Heidt, 1998
Mark Ironside, 1997
Jeff McGinness, 1998
Luke Moffitt, 2002
Jody Strittmatter, 2000
Former Hawkeyes Ed Banach (1983) and Barry Davis (1985) were named Jesse Owens Big Ten Conference Male Athlete of the Year. A total of six wrestlers have been named Iowa's Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year and eight were named Iowa's Conference Medal of Honor winners. Following is the list of honorees:
Iowa's Big Ten Medal of Honor Award Winners
Ed Banach, 1983
Dan Glenn, 1980
Jeff McGinness, 1998
Gary Meyer, 1958
Wilbur Nead, 1939
Daniel Sherman, 1973
Ralph Thomas, 1951
Carl Voltmer, 1927
Iowa's Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year
Ed Banach, 1983
Tom Brands, 1992
Barry Davis, 1985
Jim Heffernan, 1987
Eric Juergens, 2001
Daryl Weber, 1996
2006 BIG TEN REVIEW
The Hawkeyes scored 86 points to place sixth at the 2006 Big Ten Championships in Bloomington, IN. It was Iowa's lowest conference tournament placing since finishing eighth in 1967. Minnesota won its ninth team title with 138 points.
It was the second straight year that Iowa did not crown an individual Big Ten champion. The last time the Hawkeyes went more than one season without an individual champion was 1965-67. Iowa crowned at least one champion every year from 1970-2004.
Sophomore Mark Perry (174) was Iowa's lone finalist. He was pinned (4:02) in the finals by Northwestern's Jake Herbert. Iowa's other placewinners were sophomore Alex Tsirtsis (3rd-141), senior Ty Eustice (3rd-149), junior Eric Luedke (4th-165), junior Lucas Magnani (125-6th), senior Joe Johnston (6th-157), freshman Dan Erekson (6th-197) and senior Paul Bradley (7th-184).
IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY
Iowa's overall dual meet record is 809-214-30 (.783) in 95 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 20 national titles, including nine of the last 16, and 31 Big Ten titles. Iowa's 47 NCAA champions have won a total of 73 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 13 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes' 99 Big Ten champions have won a total of 180 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 24 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa's 129 all-Americans have earned all-America status 263 times, including 16 four-time, 27 three-time and 32 two-time honorees.
IOWA LEADS THE NATION IN DUAL MEET ATTENDANCE
The Hawkeye wrestling team leads the nation in dual meet attendance for the 2006-07 season, recording the highest home dual meet season average (6,740) and largest single meet crowd (13,732 vs. Iowa State on Dec. 3). Oklahoma State was a distant second with a 3,749 average and 7,014 largest single meet crowd (vs. Oklahoma). The 13,732 Iowa-Iowa State figure ranks 11th in the nation's top 25 largest dual meet crowds ever. Iowa hosted 20 of the top 25 and was the visitor for the other five - including the record-holding 15,646 set at Minnesota on Feb. 1, 2002.
HAWKEYES SIGN TWO
Iowa signed two student-athletes to national letters of intent in the early signing period. Jordan Johnson of Bettendorf, IA and Brodie Ambrose of Eldridge, IA, are Tom Brands' first signings as Iowa's head coach.
Johnson won the 2006 Class AA Illinois state heavyweight title at Naperville North High School. He moved to Bettendorf, IA, and placed third at the 2007 state tournament at heavyweight.
Ambrose placed third at 189 pounds at the 2007 state tournament for North Scott Eldridge. He placed third at 171 at the 2006 state meet. Ambrose is a projected 197-pounder for the Hawkeyes. He is also a 189-pound Fargo freestyle all-American.
CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE
The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Tom Brands, Dan Gable, Wes Hand, Doug Schwab and Mike Zadick earned a total of two Olympic gold medals, seven NCAA titles, 10 conference titles and 15 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 605-84-2 (.877), including three undefeated seasons.
IOWA WRESTLING ON JEOPARDY!
Former Hawkeye wrestlers Luke and Ty Eustice were featured in a clue of the category "Iowa" December 8th, and in several clues of the category "Wrestling" January 8th on the TV game show JEOPARDY! Jimmy McGuire and Kelly Miyahara of the JEOPARDY! Clue Crew taped clues at Carver-Hawkeye Arena featuring the Eustice brothers in August.
The Eustice brothers are natives of Blue Earth, MN. Luke was an all-American and NCAA finalist at 125 pounds in 2002, lettering for the Hawkeyes from 2001-04. Ty was a two-time all-American at 149 pounds, competing in the NCAA finals in 2006. He lettered for the Hawkeyes from 2003-06. They are the 10th set of brothers to wrestle together in the Hawkeye varsity lineup since the 1950s.
THE INTERNET
Press releases, meet results, audio broadcasts and dual livestats are available on the University of Iowa's website, www.hawkeyesports.com. To access live dual scoring, go to the wrestling schedule page, select the event and click on the Livestats link. Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 77th NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will be held March 15-17 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, MI. Tickets are only sold in three-day, six-session packages. All-session ticket packages are $150, $130, and $120. Ticket prices include on-site parking with unlimited in/out privileges. To order tickets, please call the Palace of Auburn Hills Box Office directly at 248-377-0100.
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