OT wins power Hawkeye victory
Falck, Galanakis roll in extra time to give Iowa win over Badgers.
By DAN McCOOL
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Iowa City, Ia. – Charlie Falck kept believing, Mario Galanakis kept digging and Iowa kept its string of wrestling success against Wisconsin Sunday.
Falck and Galanakis won consecutive overtime victories at 125 and 133 that helped the ninth-ranked Hawkeyes beat the 13th-ranked Badgers, 19-14, before an announced crowd of 5,403 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Iowa (6-2) has a 31-meet winning streak against Wisconsin, which is coached by Barry Davis, a three-time NCAA champion at Iowa. Davis would have been the first former Iowa wrestler to beat the Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena if it wasn’t for Falck and Galanakis.
Falck trailed, 9-6, after two periods against Wisconsin’s Collin Cudd, but a takedown, a reversal and a point for Cudd’s stalling enabled the freshman to tie the meet, 11-11. Falck got the winning takedown with 25 seconds remaining in the 1-minute overtime period.
“I knew I was going to win the whole time, “said Falck, who had to fight off his back and Cudd’s three-point near fall in the opening period. “When you start doubting yourself, that’s when you get beat.”
Galanakis had an apparent ankle pick takedown waved off at the end of the first period against Wisconsin’s Tom Clum, who had a 4-1 lead midway through the first period. Galanakis kept the move in his head and used it again with 20 seconds left in overtime to win and effectively ice the outcome.
“Any takedown would have worked, “Galanakis said, “but I felt really confident with that takedown in overtime because it worked so good in the first period.”
Galanakis was in the hallway getting ready for his match, so he did not see Falck’s big finish. He let the crowd noise tell him what was happening.
“That got my adrenaline going pretty good, “Galanakis said. “I started off slow and gave up two takedowns, but I had full confidence I could come back and win the match.”
Davis, a prep standout and teammate of Iowa coach Jim Zalesky at Cedar Rapids Prairie before coming to Iowa, said Sunday was a painful, yet valuable, lesson for the Badgers.
“We didn’t have enough offense, “Davis said about the key matches at 125 and 133.
Davis remained upbeat after the close battle Sunday. He and the Badgers return to Carver-Hawkeye March 5-6 for the Big Ten Conference tournament, which is two weeks before the NCAA tournament in St. Louis.
“This was a dual meet, March is when it all counts, “Davis said. “I told (the team) we’ll be back here in March, we’ll walk out the same tunnel, weigh in in the same room and we’ll be back.”
By then, the Badgers might have an answer for how Galanakis gets his ankle pick.
“I kind of fake with the boot scoot (takedown) and lift on their elbow, “Galanakis said.
Wrestling Gear
