Huskers Visit Hawkeyes on Friday

After two conference victories this past weekend, the Nebraska wrestling team (6-2, 2-0 Big Ten) will hit the road and face Iowa on Friday in Iowa City. Action is slated to begin at 8 p.m. and will air on BTN.
 
The Hawkeyes (10-0, 3-0 Big Ten) will be the fourth ranked opponent the Huskers have faced this season. Iowa is fresh off a 27-9 win over Northwestern on Jan. 13, a meet which saw the Hawkeyes win eight of ten bouts, including five of the seven matchups featuring top-25 rated wrestlers from both schools.
 
NU’s dual against Iowa will potentially feature six matchups between ranked wrestlers. Six Huskers enter the weekend ranked in the top 25, including returning All-Americans No. 1 Peyton Robb (157) and No. 2 Mikey Labriola (174). The All-American duo boasts an undefeated dual meet record (16-0) and has scored 60 dual meet points for the Big Red this season.
 
Nebraska and Iowa meet for the 34th time in series history. The Hawkeyes lead the all-time series 25-7-1 and have won the last 13 matchups between the teams. The Big Red last defeated Iowa on Jan. 14, 2006 in Cedar Falls, Iowa, 24-13.

Last Time Out: Behind four major decisions, the Nebraska wrestling team claimed its second conference victory over the weekend, topping Northwestern 22-15 on Sunday afternoon.  

Up Next: The Huskers return home to face Wisconsin (6-4, 0-3 Big Ten) on Jan. 29 at 2 p.m. The meet will be streamed on B1G+.

Nebraska’s Projected Lineup*:

*InterMat rankings used        
 
Iowa’s (10-0, 3-0 Big Ten) Projected Lineup*: 

*InterMat rankings used 

Scouting the Hawkeyes:

• Iowa has won 13 consecutive duals dating back to the 2022-23 season.
• Senior Tony Cassioppi (285) is 14-0 this season with a career-high nine falls, all coming in the first period. Senior Spencer Lee (125) is currently on a 45-match winning streak dating back to the 2019 season.
• Last season, Iowa went 14-1 and 7-1 in conference place. At the NCAA Championships, the team finished third.
• Coached by Tom Brands (17th season at Iowa); Record: 260-24-1

Back Points
Quick Notes

• Nebraska won its fifth Cliff Keen Invitational team title in program history on Dec. 3.
• On Tuesday, Cronin claimed his first Big Ten and NCAA Wrestler of the Week honor of his career, when the conference and the NCAA announced its award winners.
• Labriola was named the NCAA Wrestler of the Week and the USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week honor, when the award winners were announced last month.
• In this week’s Intermat NCAA Wrestling Rankings, Husker junior Robb takes the top spot at 157 pounds. Senior Labriola and redshirt sophomore Hardy join Robb in the top five rankings as Labriola sits in second at 174 pounds and Hardy is in fifth at 141 pounds. Additionally, Cronin (125) is ranked #3, Pinto (184) is ranked #16 and Allred (197) is #22.
• Last month, the Big Red finalized its 2023 recruiting class. Weston Dalton, Ethan DeLeon, Cooper French, Tanner Frothinger, Hampton Kaye-Kuter, Alan Koehler, Kael Lauridsen, Camden McDanel, Matthew Moore, Griffin Ray, Ethan Stiles and Dominic Thebeau will be joining the team for the 2023-24 season.
• Team leaders by category among starters:

  • Dual Record: Robb/Labriola (8-0)
  • Dual Points: Robb/Labriola (30)
  • Dual Takedowns: Labriola (32)
  • Pins: Hardy (6)
  • Technical Falls: Robb (5)
  • Major Decisions: Hardy/Labriola/Pinto (6)
  • Quickest Pin: Cronin (0:30)