Austin DeSanto Named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week

[RobHowe]

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa junior Austin DeSanto has been named Big Ten Conference Wrestler of the Week, the league office announced Tuesday.


In a matchup of one versus two, DeSanto defeated Wisconsin’s Seth Gross, 6-2, in Iowa’s Big Ten opener on Dec. 1.


DeSanto scored one takedown in the first period and two more in the second to hand Gross his first loss at 133 pounds since the 2017 NCAA finals.


DeSanto, previously ranked No. 2 in the country, climbed to No. 1 in the latest polls.


The Big Ten Conference honor is the first for Iowa this season and the second of DeSanto’s career. He was named co-Wrestler of the week on January 22, 2019.


The top-ranked Hawkeyes return to the mat Sunday at No. 12 Princeton. The dual begins at 1 p.m. (CT) at Jadwyn Gymnasium in Princeton, New Jersey.

 

[ClintonIAfan]

 

[The Big LeHAWKski]

There was no doubt in his match vs Gross...he was the aggressor from the first whistle.
THE BEST thing about AD beating Gross?? - his improved maturity right after he won.
Great win young man!
- Congrats!

 

[Fryowa]

There was no doubt in his match vs Gross...he was the aggressor from the first whistle.
THE BEST thing about AD beating Gross?? - his improved maturity right after he won.
Great win young man!
- Congrats!

He’s got a long ways to go to prove he can keep his cool, if you notice in the match against gross he got frustrated while he was getting ridden and started getting chippy after the whistle. Caught himself, but Jesus H Christ how bad are his head wires crossed up that he can’t control himself after getting kicked out of a program, suspended, then getting a second chance at Iowa, and doing it again?

One part of me wants to like the kid because I want Hawk wrestling to win a title finally, but the other part of me watched him in high school and college try to hurt people intentionally, shove refs, and then the Nebraska meet in February was too fuckin much for me. If you watch his film previous to Iowa it’s unreal; I’ve never seen anyone lose it like this head case.

If a guy is such a loose cannon that he gets suspensions and kicked off of teams for not being able to control himself, I don’t know how much of that can be trained out of him. He’s got definite mental issues and this season will show if he can keep it under control. He’s eventually going to run into someone who’s going to get the upper hand and get under his skin, and I hope he doesn’t do something to jeopardize the program.

His high motor is part of what makes him a good wrestler, but this isn’t a sport where you can have a psychopath losing you match points or getting DQ’d

Personally, if he can go a full year without flipping out I’ll consider changing my view of the kid, but I can’t do it now.