Iowa men dominate Soldier Salute with seven champions, with UNI in second
by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
CORALVILLE, Iowa – No. 2 Iowa had a dominant performance in its back yard, winning the Soldier Salute team title by 121.5 points, led by seven individual champions.
Individual champions for Iowa included Drake Ayala (133), Kyle Parco (149), Michael Caliendo (165), Patrick Kennedy (174), Angelo Ferrari (184), Stephen Buchanan (197) and Ben Kueter (285).
Two of the finals were Iowa vs. Iowa battles. Ayala dominated teammate Kale Petersen in a 20-5 technical fall. The anticipated battle between Ferrari and Gabe Arnold never happened, as Ferrari won by medical forfeit.
Three of the Hawkeye victories in the finals were close matches with respected opponents. Parco defeated Lachlan McNeil of North Carolina, 7-5. Caliendo edged Andrew Sparks of Minnesota, 7-6. Kueter stopped Bennett Tabor of Minnesota, 1-0.
Kennedy scored a 6-2 victory over Danny Wask of Navy. Buchanan dominated heralded Missouri freshman Aeoden Sinclair of Missouri in a 15-4 major decision.
Iowa finished with 248 points. Northern Iowa rallied in the consolation rounds to finish in second with 126.5 points, with Minnesota in third with 125 points. South Dakota State was fourth with 99 points.
UNI did not have a finalist but had 10 wrestlers who placed in the top eight. Three UNI wrestlers were third, Trevor Anderson (125), Colin Realbuto (149) and Jared Simma (174).
Minnesota finished with three runners-up and a total of eight placewinners. South Dakota State had no finalists but came home with 11 placewinners.
Other individual champions were Kysen Terukina of Iowa State (125), Josh Koderhandt of Navy (141) and Daniel Cardenas of Stanford (157).
Terukina edged Missouri freshman Mack Mauger, 5-4. Koderhandt stopped Minnesota’s Vance Vombaur, 4-2. Cardenas defeated Wyoming’s Jared Hill, 5-1.
SOLDIER SALUTE
At Coralville, Iowa, December 29-30
Men’s medal matches
125
1st – Kysen Terukina (Iowa State) dec. Mack Mauger (Missouri), 5-4
3rd – Trever Anderson (UNI) dec. Garret Rinken (UNI), 5-1
5th – Adrian Meza (Iowa State) dec. Joey Cruz (Iowa), 4-1
7th – Ethan Perryman (Iowa State) maj dec. Jack Parker (Bellarmine), 17-6
133
1st – Drake Ayala (Iowa) tech fall Kale Petersen (Iowa), 20-5
3rd – Logan Swensen (South Dakota State) dec. Stockton O’Brien (Wyoming), 10-5
5th – Julian Farber (UNI) maj dec. Cale Seaton (South Dakota State), 15-1
7th –Andrew Crapps (Missouri) med. fft. Garret Grice (Iowa)
141
1st - Josh Koderhandt (Navy) dec. Vance Vombaur (Minnesota), 4-2
3rd –Tyson Peach (South Dakota State) dec. Jace Rhodes (Iowa), 9-3
5th – JulianTagg (South Dakota State) dec. Cullan Schriever (Iowa), 7-2
7th – Caleb Gross (South Dakota State) maj. dec. Owen Uhls (Missouri), 13-4
149
1st – Kyle Parco (Iowa) dec. Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina), 7-5
3rd – Colin Realbuto (UNI) tech fall Gabe Willochell (Wyoming), 21-6
5th – Adam Allard (UNI) dec. Avery Allen (South Dakota State), 5-3
7th – Kael Voinovich (Iowa) med. fft. Kane Naaktgeboren (Iowa State)
157
1st – Daniel Cardenas (Stanford) dec. Jared Hill (Wyoming), 5-1
3rd – Tommy Askey (Minnesota) dec. Jonathan Ley (Navy), 4-2
5th – Sloan Swan (Wyoming) maj. dec. Cael Rahnavardi (UNI), 17-5
7th – Charlie Evans (Navy) med. fft. Laird Root (North Carolina)
165
1st – Michael Caliendo (Iowa) dec. Andrew Sparks (Minnesota), 7-6
3rd – Blaine Brenner (Minnesota) dec. Marcus Espinoza-Owens (South Dakota State), 4-2
5th – Cooper Voorhees (Wyoming) dec. Dylan Elmore (Navy), 8-5
7th – Manny Rojas (Iowa State) dec. Collin Carrigan (North Carolina), 7-3
174
1st – Patrick Kennedy (Iowa) dec. Danny Wask (Navy), 6-2
3rd – Jared Simma (UNI) dec. Joshua Ogunsanya (North Carolina), 4-1
5th – Clayton Whiting (Minnesota) no contest Ethan Riddle (Minnesota)
7th – Nick Fox (UNI) maj dec. Ethan Ducca (Wyoming), 10-2
184
1st – Angelo Ferrari (Iowa) med. fft. Gabe Arnold (Iowa)
3rd – Jersey Robb (Oklahoma State) dec. Brock Fettig (South Dakota State), 7-2
5th – Burk Blasius (South Dakota State) med. fft. CJ Walrath (UNI)
7th – Devan Hendricks (Bellarmine) maj. dec. Keenan Wyatt (Bellarmine), 12-0
197
1st – Stephen Buchanan (Iowa) maj. dec. Aeoden Sinclair (Missouri), 15-4
3rd – Cody Merrill (Oklahoma State) dec. Isaiah Salazar (Minnesota), 4-2
5th – Payton Thomas (Navy) med. fft. Kalob Runyon (UNI)
7th – Sawyer Bartelt (Iowa State) dec. Thomas Dineen (South Dakota State), 8-3
285
1st – Ben Kueter (Iowa) dec. Bennett Tabor (Minnesota), 1-0
3rd – Daniel Herrera (Iowa State) dec. Spencer Lanosga (Navy WC), 5-0
5th – Daulton Mayer (Bellarmine) pin Adam Ahrendsen (UNI), 1:04
7th – Ryan Catka (Virginia) dec. Cody Donnelly (South Dakota State), 13-6
Men’s Standings
1. No. 2 Iowa, 248
2. No. 10 Northern Iowa, 126.5
3. No. 7 Minnesota, 125
4. No. 14 South Dakota State, 99
5. Navy, 95.5
6. No. 13 Iowa State, 92.5
7. Wyoming, 89.5
8. No. 23 North Carolina, 77.5
9. Bellarmine, 57.5
10. No. 19 Missouri, 47.5
11. No. 15 Stanford, 29
12. No. 3 Oklahoma State, 28.5
13. Navy WC, 22
14. Virginia, 11
15. North Dakota State, 9.5
16. Oregon State and Illinois, 5
18. Tarleton State, 4
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