Hawkeyes To Face Top-Ranked Oklahoma State
Sunday’s dual set for 1:30 p.m. (CT) in Gallagher-Iba Arena
Jan. 10, 2005
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THIS WEEK
Iowa (5-1) will face top-ranked Oklahoma State (6-0) Sunday at 1:30 p.m. (CT) in Stillwater, OK. The dual will be held at Gallagher-Iba Arena on the Oklahoma State University campus.
ON THE AIR
Radio – Morrie Adams and four-time Hawkeye all-American Mark Ironside will call the action live on AM-800 KXIC. To listen to the broadcast online, go to the wrestling schedule page on www.hawkeyesports.com. Broadcasts using Real One Player softward are available using the College Sports Pass, which can be purchased for $6.95 per month or $49.95 per year.
Video Webcast – Oklahoma State will offer a live video webcast of the dual through their web site, www.okstate.com. To view the webcast, go to www.okstate.com to order a Cowboy Virtual Pass monthly subscription for $9.95.
HEAD COACH Jim Zalesky
Jim Zalesky is in his eighth season as head coach at the University of Iowa. He has a school and career record of 111-23 (.828). Named National Coach of the Year in 1998 and 1999, and Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2004 and 2000, he has led the Hawkeyes to three NCAA (1998-00) and three Big Ten titles (1998, 2000, 2004). Zalesky has coached 10 NCAA Champions, 20 Big Ten Champions and 36 all-Americans at Iowa. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in June 2004, the University of Iowa Letterman’s Club Hall of Fame and the Iowa High School Athletic Association Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2002, and the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1994.
A three-time national champion and one of Iowa’s 15 four-time all-Americans, Zalesky was an assistant coach and head recruiter at Iowa under Dan Gable for seven seasons (1991-97). He was named Assistant Coach of the Year by the N.W.C.A. in 1992 and 1997. Undefeated as a junior and senior, Zalesky ended his career on an 89-match winning streak.
OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS
Oklahoma State is 6-0 on the season with wins over Tennessee-Chattanooga (37-6), Boise State (38-0), Minnesota (28-10), Oklahoma (21-16), Cal Poly (32-9) and Fresno State (34-6). The Cowboys will host Michigan State Thursday at 7 p.m. That match was rescheduled from last week due to bad weather.
Cowboy Head Coach John Smith is 205-25-3 in 13 seasons at Oklahoma State. The Cowboys return four all-Americans from the 2003-04 squad that went 17-2 and won Big 12 and NCAA team titles. Oklahoma State is led by four undefeated competitors in freshman Nathan Morgan (17-0 at 133), junior Zack Esposito (15-0 at 149), junior Jake Rosholt (15-0 at 197) and junior Steven Mocco (15-0 at heavyweight). Senior Chris Pendleton (174) and sophomore Johny Hendricks (165) are both 14-1 this season.
THE SERIES
Oklahoma State leads the series with Iowa, 20-16-1. The Cowboys have won the last four meetings and hold a 10-5-1 advantage in Stillwater.
HAVEN’T WE MET?
Following are the career results of potential Iowa-Oklahoma State matchups:
149 Ty Eustice (I) is 0-1 vs. Zack Esposito (OSU)
Esposito dec. Eustice, 4-1 at 2004 Iowa vs. Oklahoma State dual
157 Joe Johnston (I) is 1-0 vs. Kevin Ward (OSU)
Johnston maj. dec. Ward, 21-7 at 2004 Midlands
165 Mark Perry (I) is 0-1 vs. Johny Hendricks (OSU)
Hendricks dec. Perry, 7-5 sv at 2004 Kaufman-Brand Open
Hwt. Matt Fields (I) is 0-1 vs. Steven Mocco (OSU)
Mocco dec. Fields, 5-0 at 2004 Kaufman-Brand Open
LAST MEETING
Iowa lost a 30-10 decision to top-ranked Oklahoma State January 11, 2004, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. The Cowboys snapped Iowa’s 10-match winning streak in Carver-Hawkeye and handed the Hawkeyes their 10th and worst arena loss.
Bright spots for the Hawkeyes were wins by sophomore Joe Johnston (157) and seniors Luke Eustice (125) and Cliff Moore (133). Johnston scored a 5-3 decision over Oklahoma State’s Johny Hendricks at 157 pounds. Luke Eustice picked up Iowa’s second win of the day with his 10-4 win over Cowboy Cody Stites at 125. Moore closed out the dual with an 18-7 major decision over Oklahoma State’s Ronnie Delk at 141. Here are the match-by-match results:
Oklahoma State 30, Iowa 10
149 Zack Esposito (O) dec. Ty Eustice (I), 4-1
157 Joe Johnston (I) dec. Johny Hendricks (O), 5-3
165 Tyrone Lewis (O) pinned Mark Mueller (I), 1:17
174 Chris Pendleton (O) dec. Tyler Nixt (I), 8-5
184 Jake Rosholt (O) dec. Paul Bradley (I), 11-4
197 Rusty Blackmon (O) pinned Ryan Fulsaas (I), 1:24
Hwt. Will Gruenwald (O) dec. Ryan Fuller (I), 7-3
125 Luke Eustice (I) dec. Cody Stites (O), 10-4
133 Johnny Thompson (O) pinned Trent Goodale (I), 4:14
141 Cliff Moore (I) maj. dec. Ronnie Delk (O), 18-7
FAMILY TIES
Hawkeye redshirt freshman Mark Perry (165) is the nephew of Oklahoma State Head Coach John Smith. Perry’s mother, Cathy, and Smith are brother and sister. Perry’s father, Mark, was a two-time Big 12 Conference champion (1984-85) at 118 pounds and a three-year letterwinner (1983-85) for the Cowboys. He also served as an assistant coach on the Cowboy coaching staff for eight seasons (1992-99).
MEETING UP WITH MOCCO
Sunday will be the first dual meeting between Oklahoma State heavyweight Steven Mocco and his former Hawkeye teammates. Mocco was a two-time all-American at Iowa, winning Big Ten and NCAA titles in 2003 as a sophomore. He took an Olympic redshirt in 2003-04, and transferred to Oklahoma State for the 2004-05 school year. His career record at Iowa was 71-3 with 24 pins. The top-ranked junior has already faced one Hawkeye this season, defeating freshman Matt Fields, 5-0, at the 2004 Kaufman-Brand Open.
LAST WEEK
Iowa went 3-0 last weekend, defeating Virginia Tech (38-0) Friday in Iowa City, and then beating Fresno State (30-7) Sunday afternoon in Fresno, CA, and Cal Davis (26-9) Sunday night in Davis, CA.
Against Virginia Tech, Iowa scored its highest dual meet point total (38), recorded its first shut-out of the season, and improved to 3-1 with the win. Virginia Tech, coached by former Iowa assistant coach and NCAA Champion Tom Brands, fell to 8-3 with the loss.
Iowa scored team bonus points in three matches, en route to a 30-7 win over Fresno State. A crowd of 6,863, which is the second-highest dual meet attendance figure in Fresno State wrestling history, attended the dual.
The Hawkeyes picked up their second dual victory of the day with a 26-9 victory over Cal Davis. The crowd of 5,150 set a Cal Davis dual wrestling meet attendance record, and is the largest Pavilion crowd so far this season. The facility also hosts Aggie basketball, volleyball and gymnastics competitions. It was a Zalesky vs. Zalesky match-up as Hawkeye Head Coach Jim Zalesky faced Cal Davis Head Coach Lennie Zalesky, who is his older brother and was a three-time all-American and Big Ten Champion at Iowa. Jim Zalesky is now 2-0 in the brother series, picking up his first win in Iowa City in 2002-03 (36-3).
Going 3-0 for Iowa on the weekend were juniors Mario Galanakis (133), Ty Eustice (149) and Joe Johnston (157), redshirt freshman Mark Perry (165) and freshmen Charlie Falck (125), Alex Tsirtsis (141) and Matt Fields (Hwt.). Galanakis recorded two upsets, defeating sixth-ranked David Hoffman of Virginia Tech, 8-4, and beating top 20-ranked Derek Moore of Cal Davis, 5-4. Tsirtsis recorded a pin and two major decisions, Perry scored three major decisions, and Fields scored a major decision and two wins in sudden victory.
IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY
Iowa’s overall dual meet record is 779-198-30 (.788) in 93 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 20 national titles, including nine of the last 14, and 31 Big Ten titles. Iowa’s 47 NCAA Champions have won a total of 73 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 13 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes’ 99 Big Ten Champions have won a total of 180 conference individual titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 24 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa’s 124 all-Americans have earned all-America status 254 times, including 16 four-time, 27 three-time and 28 two-time honorees.
HAWK TALK WITH Jim Zalesky
KXIC Radio (AM-800) will air nine Hawk Talk with Jim Zalesky radio shows this season. The show will be live from LaCasa Mexican Restaurant in Iowa City from 6-7 p.m. Here are the show dates: January 18, 25; February 1, 15; March 1, 15
CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE
The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Jim Zalesky, Troy Steiner, Tim Hartung, Cliff Moore and Mike Zadick earned a total of seven NCAA titles, 12 Big Ten titles and 17 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 619-88-1 (.875), including four undefeated seasons.
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
The 75th NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will be held March 17-19 at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, MO. This will be the first time in tournament history that the meet will be held in the same venue back-to-back years. All-session tickets are $100 and are available at 877/722-1604 or www.stlsports.org/wrestling.
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