Busy weekend results in four wins for ninth-ranked wrestlers

Scott Johnson

The Iowa State wrestling team had a busy weekend knocking off four teams in two days in the Cyclones’ final showing at home this season.

The ninth-ranked Cyclones downed BYU, 31-10 and Missouri, 30-6 on Saturday. They dominated Truman State, 40-4 and Wisconsin, 25-9 on Sunday.

Cody Sanderson went a perfect 3-0, as did Dwight Hinson and Zach Thompson. David Maldonado finished 3-1. ISU’s Matt Mulvihill and Brad Horton came out of the weekend undefeated, tallying two victories apiece at 177.

Cody Sanderson, ninth-ranked, is now 21-6. Hinson, who holds the nation’s second slot, upped his record to 22-2. Thompson, ninth-ranked at 190, improved his record to 23-6.

“With the wrestlers that won, I have no complaints, they wrestled well,” Coach Bobby Douglas said. “This was an opportunity for our kids to get some matches and they really focused well.”

Cody Sanderson, Hinson and Frank Kisley gave the Cyclones an early 13-0 lead against BYU before Cougar Collin Robertson was able to trip up Cole Sanderson 7-4.

Cyclones Maldonado, Matt Patitz and Horton all recorded major decisions. Patitz just missed earning a technical fall, winning 14-0. Perry Parks was defeated by a major decision and ISU heavyweight Brody Kellogg was nipped 3-2.

Cole Sanderson came up with one of the biggest victories in the weekend competition against Missouri by upsetting No. 8 Mike Harp 3-2. Hinson, Mulvihill and Trent Hynek at heavyweight all recorded major victories.

Maldonado, Ben Perkins and Thompson all earned decisions, while Kisley and Parks lost to their Tiger competitors.

ISU came up with three first- period pin falls in the last four matches to blow out Truman State.

Patitz got things going at 167 by pinning Ken Gawronski in just 1:04. After Horton earned a 15-2 major decision, Thompson pinned Don Cumming in 1:38 and Hynek pinned James LeMay in 1:21.

“I think we’re really starting to peak,” Thompson said. “We wrestled well, and we looked technically sound. We are finally gaining some experience in match situations. The more matches we have the more our confidence will grow.”

Cody Sanderson once again got things going for the Cyclones downing Division II All-American Karega Scott 11-6.

Frank Kisley, Cole Sanderson and Maldonado all earned major decisions and Parks won 11-7 against their respective Truman State foes.

Brad Kieffer came up with the Bulldogs’ only victory, a 13-1 major decision over freshman Andy Wollner.

Against Wisconsin, ISU continued to wear the crown on the mat in the lower weights, jumping out to a 12-0 lead. Sanderson and Hinson both earned decisions with Wollner getting a forfeit to Wisconsin’s No. 3 Eric Jetton.

Wisconsin was able to come up with two consecutive overtime victories. Dusty Coufal beat Cole Sanderson 5-3, while Don Pritzlaff nipped Maldonado 9-7. But Parks came up with a three-point near fall in the final period to earn an 8-7 victory to stop the bleeding.

Ben Perkins came out and gained an 11-7 win at 167 while Mulvihill dominated Steve Alf, 7-2 in his last appearance at Hilton, along with Hinson.

Thompson wrapped up the Cyclone scoring with a 14-6 major decision, before Hynek fell 3-1 at heavyweight.

ISU wraps up its regular season Feb. 20 at Iowa and Feb. 22 at UNI before heading into the Big 12 Championships in Norman, Okla., on March 7.