Where: Minneapolis (Williams Arena)
When: Saturday-Sunday
Schedule:
Session I - Saturday, 11 a.m. - Through quarterfinals and consolation first round
Session II - Saturday, 6 p.m. - Through championship semifinals and up to the consolation semifinals
Session III - Sunday, noon - Consolation semifinals will be followed by seventh-place matches. Championship, third, and fifth place matches for each weight classs will start at 2 pm.
Follow it: Updated brackets and team standings will be available throughout the tournament at www.bigten.org and www.gophersports.com.
Hawkeye notes:
Top-ranked Iowa will try for its 32nd conference crown, but first since 2004.
Defending 165-pound national champion Mark Perry and Brent Metcalf earned No. 1 seeds for the tournament, while Charlie Falck at 125, Joey Slaton at 133 and Jay Borschel at 174 are second seeds.
Perry will be defending his 165-pound crown as he became Iowa's 100th Big Ten champion last year.
Minnesota won last year, with Wisconsin second and Iowa third.
The Big Ten gets 72 qualifiers for the NCAA championships. The top seven placewinners in each weight class automatically advance to the national torunament.
Big Ten coaches will select two wild-cards after the meet.
Iowa advanced eight wrestlers a year ago.
Iowa's lineup:
125 - Charlie Falck (26-2), jr.; 133 - Joe Slaton (23-3), so.; 141 - Dan LeClere (20-7), so.; 149 - Brent Metcalf (26-1), so.; 157 - Ryan Morningstar (18-10), jr.; 165 - Mark Perry (13-2), sr.; 174 -Jay Borschel (24-3), so.; 184 - Phillip Keddy (21-7), so.; 197 - Chad Beatty (10-10), so.; Hwt. - Matt Fields (23-5), sr.
Quoting the Hawkeyes:
"I think the difference between this team and other Iowa teams I've been on is we're not looking at it like we need somebody to come through, wrestle a good tournament and get third or fourth," said Perry. "I think everybody is going into the tournament expecting to win it, and along those lines that would make it a lot easier to win the team title."
- Mark Perry
"It is important to have 10 weight classes representing themselves to the best of their ability and beyond that. From the outside looking in, that means wrestling above your seed. And if you are a No. 1 seed, doing it in dominating fashion. If you have 10 weight classes doing that, the team title takes care of itself."
- Head coach Tom Brands
- Compiled by Jim Nelson, Courier Sports Writer
Posted in Local on Friday, March 7, 2008 12:00 am
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