Iowa beats Northwestern in Big Ten Conference wrestling dual

Real Woods, a transfer from Stanford, poses for a portrait during the Hawkeyes wrestling media day on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. (Geoff Stellfox/The Gazette)

IOWA CITY – Real fast. Real loud. Real good.

Simply, Real Woods.

University of Iowa’s 141-pound senior needed just 10 seconds to score, ignite the Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd and roll to a 17-2 technical fall over No. 6 Frankie Tal-Sharar, helping second-ranked Iowa to a 27-9 victory over No. 11 Northwestern Friday night.

The dual was Iowa’s 300th at CHA, giving the Hawkeyes a 274-26 all-time record here. Iowa won seven matches, including top-ranked Spencer Lee’s pin over No. 3 Michael DeAugustino to close the dual at 125.

Woods (7-0) captured an individual title at the Soldier Salute in December, but did not compete in Iowa’s two duals last weekend. He went right to work, taking down Tal-Sharar and going to work on top, riding him for the remaining 2:50 of the first period.

Woods nearly had the technical fall by the end of the first, securing three tilts for 12 nearfall points and a 14-0 lead before the first break.

Two escapes and a point for riding time was enough to give the Hawkeyes an early 5-3 edge.

Iowa (10-0, 3-0) received consecutive wins from Cobe Siebrecht at 157 and 165-pounder Patrick Kennedy. Siebrecht was impressive, racking up two takwdowns with exactly one minute of riding time and dropping No. 9 Trevor Chumbley, 6-3.

Nelson Brands continued Iowa’s streak after intermission. Brands led throughout, tallying a takedown in the first and two in the final minute for an 8-2 decision over Ankhaa Enkhmandakh. Iowa extended its lead to 14-6 with four weights left.

Abe Assad provided another bonus-point victory. He notched four takedowns in a 10-2 major decision over Evan Bates at 184.

Heavyweight Tony Cassioppi won a battle between ranked heavyweights. Third-ranked Cassioppi converted a high-crotch takedown with a little more than a minute to go and fended off a late scoring attempt to beat No, 4 Lucas Davison, 3-2.

Northwestern (2-1, 1-1) won one of the marquee matchup. The Wildcats’ No. 4 ranked Yahya Thomas and Iowa’s Max Murin, who is ranked as high as fourth in national polls, exchanged escapes before a late flurry.

Thomas was able to scored a takedown. Murin answered immediately with an escape, but suffered a 3-2 loss.