IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa’s wrestling team will start the season without Mario Galanakis, one of the Hawkeyes’ top performers last season.
Coach Jim Zalesky said he could not comment on Galanakis’ academic status but confirmed he was not enrolled for the current semester. He could try to re-enroll for the second semester.
“We’d like to have him back,” Zalesky said.
Galanakis, who would have been a senior, faces a second-degree burglary charge from an incident last summer. Police said he forcibly entered a home in Creston over the Fourth of July weekend.
Last season, Galanakis went 22-9, finished fifth in the Big Ten championships at 133 pounds and competed in the NCAA tournament. He was a junior college All-American at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls before transferring to Iowa.
Galanakis finished 154-9 during his high school career at Greenfield Nodaway Valley.
Iowa started practice Monday. Zalesky said he’s proceeding as if Galanakis won’t compete this season.
“Somebody else will have to step up there,” the Iowa coach said. “We might be inexperienced.”
Trent Goodale, a 2004 NCAA qualifier, and Gabe Ruhkala return at 133. Zalesky said one of his 125-pounders, Charlie Falck or Lucas Magnani, could move up.
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