Intermat's national duals semi-finals preview:
InterMat Wrestling - 2012 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals Preview
Iowa vs. Minnesota
Big Ten rivals Iowa (13-3) and Minnesota (12-3) meet for the second time this season. The Hawkeyes edged the Gophers, 19-17, in their meeting Jan. 29 in front of 9,511 fans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The two teams split 10 matches in the dual meet, and bonus points proved to be the difference.
Weight-by-Weight Breakdown
125: No. 1 Matt McDonough (Iowa) vs. No. 2 Zach Sanders (Minnesota)
McDonough, a two-time NCAA finalist and 2010 NCAA champion, has owned the series against Sanders, winning all five meetings in college. McDonough's last four victories over Sanders have been by six or more points, with the most recent being a 7-1 victory. Sanders was able to get to McDonough's legs in the last meeting, but couldn't convert against the longer McDonough. Sanders is a three-time All-American and will go down as one of Minnesota's greats, but has not been able to solve the McDonough puzzle to this point.
133: No. 3 Tony Ramos (Iowa) vs. No. 8 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota)
Ramos and Dardanes, both Illinois natives, are very familiar with each others' styles. They have both beaten each other throughout their careers. Dardanes had a win over Ramos at the FILA Junior Nationals (freestyle) in 2010. Ramos, though, won their only collegiate meeting this season, 5-2, by making the most of his scoring opportunities.
141: No. 5 Montell Marion (Iowa) vs. No. 8 Nick Dardanes (Minnesota)
Marion, a two-time All-American, needed just one takedown to edge Dardanes, 3-2, in their last meeting. Dardanes was in deep on a double leg attack in that match, but Marion used great hip action to avoid getting taken down. Look for Dardanes to try to turn this match into a high-scoring affair, unlike the last meeting, while Marion will look to slow Dardanes down and pick and choose his shots carefully. Both have been wrestling well. Dardanes scored 27 points in two matches last weekend, while Marion defeated then-No. 4 Mike Mangrum of Oregon State this past Sunday.
149: Michael Kelly (Iowa) vs. No. 10 Dylan Ness (Minnesota)
Ness, who is currently ranked 10th, registered a major decision over Kelly, 15-7, in their last meeting, which was highlighted by a spectacular leg sweep throw by the Gopher redshirt freshman. Ness can score a lot of different ways, and like older brother Jayson, is dangerous with his high half nelson series. Kelly, a redshirt freshman, had a nice Midlands, placing fifth, but has struggled since then, going 2-7 over his last nine matches. Ness is the prohibitive favorite in this match and will be looking for bonus points again.
157: Nick Moore (Iowa) vs. Danny Zilverberg or Alec Ortiz (Minnesota)
This is the only match in the dual meet featuring a pair of unranked wrestlers. Indications are that Moore will go for Iowa with Derek St. John battling a knee injury that could put him on the shelf. Minnesota will counter with either Zilverberg or Ortiz. Zilverberg, a starter last season at 149 pounds, has seen limited action this season. The Gophers used both Ortiz and Zilverberg at the regional last weekend. Moore already owns a major decision victory over Ortiz this season, so the Gophers may turn to Zilverberg, who is coming off a close loss to Drake Houdashelt of Missouri.
165: No. 6 Mike Evans (Iowa) vs. No. 14 Cody Yohn (Minnesota)
Evans, a redshirt freshman, pinned Yohn in last month's dual meet, which helped propel the Hawkeyes over the Gophers. Evans is wrestling with a lot confidence right now. He was dominant in his last four matches, picking up two pins and two shutout victories. He is strongest in the top position and has improved tremendously on his feet. Yohn, a two-time NCAA qualifier, has battled through ups and down this season. He was a runner-up at the Southern Scuffle, where he picked up some quality wins. But he had a tough stretch in January, where he went 2-5. Yohn had a nice showing last weekend, picking up wins over two NCAA qualifiers.
174: No. 8 Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) vs. No. 5 Logan Storley (Minnesota)
Storley came from behind to beat Lofhouse, 5-3, in their meeting last month. The Gopher true freshman has not suffered a defeat since the Southern Scuffle, where he lost to Penn State's Matt Brown. He is currently 21-3 and ranked No. 5. Lofthouse, a redshirt sophomore, has been dominant since losing to Storley, picking up three straight bonus point victories. His only losses in 2012 are to No. 2 Ed Ruth of Penn State, No. 3 Chris Perry of Oklahoma State, and Storley.
184: Grant Gambrall (Iowa) vs. No. 7 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota)
Steinhaus, like Storley, has not lost since the Southern Scuffle. He went 8-0 in Big Ten dual meet competition and picked up bonus points in six of those victories. The only non-bonus point victories came over Penn State's Quentin Wright and Nebraska's Josh Ihnen. Last weekend Steinhaus outscored his two opponents 22-1. Gambrall, a returning All-American at 184 pounds, has only competed at 197 pounds this season, so he will be making his season debut at 184 pounds. He comes in with a 7-7 season mark. These two wrestlers met twice last season, with Steinhaus winning both meetings.
197: Tomas Lira or Vinnie Wagner (Iowa) vs. No. 7 Sonny Yohn (Minnesota)
Yohn, a two-time All-American, beat Gambrall the last time these two teams met. With Gambrall down at 184 pounds, Yohn will likely face either Tomas Lira or possibly Vinnie Wagner. Yohn has had a few bumps in the road this season, including a 10-0 loss last weekend to Missouri's Brent Haynes, but comes in with a 20-4 record. Lira is coming off four straight losses, including two last weekend. Wagner has gone 9-8 competing at 184 pounds. He was a seventh-place finisher at the Midlands Championships.
285: No. 14 Bobby Telford or Blake Rasing (Iowa) vs. No. 4 Tony Nelson (Minnesota)
Nelson, who earned All-American honors last season as a freshman, has reeled off 15 straight victories since losing to Oklahoma State's Alan Gelogaev on Dec. 4. He has six wins over ranked wrestlers, but has had some close calls lately. Nelson has needed overtime in two of his last three wins, including last weekend against Kent State's Brendan Barlow. Nelson beat Rasing in the dual meet last month, which was his first win over the Hawkeye senior in four career meetings. Rasing and Telford have split time as the starter this season, but lately Telford has been getting the nod. Telford, a Midlands runner-up, comes in with a 20-5 season record.
Predictions
Semifinals
Oklahoma State 22, Illinois 10
Minnesota 17, Iowa 16
Third Place
Iowa 21, Illinois 9
Championship
Minnesota 17, Oklahoma State 15
