OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Two-time defending champion Iowa took the early lead over Oklahoma State in the NCAA wrestling tournament Thursday, with nine of 10 Hawkeyes advancing to the second round of the championship bracket.
“It’s very premature,” Hawkeyes coach Tom Brands said. “We just have to keep marching forward and doing what we’re about. Any time you put a string together of 9 for 10, good things are going on.”
Iowa led Oklahoma State 21.5 to 16 after the first round. Central Michigan, Lehigh and Wisconsin were tied for third place with 15 points apiece.
The Hawks won their first eight matches before Oklahoma State’s Alan Gelogaev upset ninth-seeded Chad Beatty 4-2 on a tiebreaker.
Iowa prevailed in a couple of close matches.
Oklahoma State had seven wrestlers make it through the first round — No. 2 seeds Jamal Parks (141) and Jared Rosholt (285), No. 4 Jordan Oliver (133), No. 5 Clayton Foster (184), No. 6 Mike Benefiel (174), No. 10 Alex Meade (184) and Gelogaev (197).
Two Cowboys — No. 10 Chris Notte (125) and No. 11 Robert Erisman (157) — were upset.
Central Michigan thrust itself into the team race on the strength of four upsets by unseeded wrestlers.
Iowa State, which has been in the top five three straight years, won five of 10 first-round matches.
