From the corner chair

Home again

The NCAA Wrestling Championships are over. Iowa State came up just short, but what a great effort by the Cyclones. Iowa never was in contention, the a foundations has been laid and the future looks bright.

Cael Sanderson, deservedly so, is the national coach of the year.

It was quite a year in college wrestling, quite a tournament. Minnesota didn't wrestle as well as expected, which left the door open for the Cylcones. Iowa State could squeeze through, but got a solid foot wedged in.

The good news is that Iowa and Iowa State will be better next year. The bad news is that so will many other teams, like Minnesota, Oklahoma State and many, many others. Parity is a real world in wrestling, which only makes the sport more fun to watch.

Pick up the pace

The first two champions have been crowned at the NCAA Wrestling Championships and somebody needs to pick up the pace. These two bouts - a 2-1 overtime win by Paul Donahoe of Nebraska at 125 and a 4-2 win by Penn's Matthew Valentia at 133 are the kind of matches that will turn off a national television audience on ESPN.

Pick up the pace, fellas, and give people a reason to watch your sport.

By the way, that is former Cedar Rapids Prairie and Iowa standout Lennie Zalesky in the chair in the 141 finals. Zalesky coaches at California-Davis and this is his first finalist and first all-American.

Now this is fun

Wrestling is fun again in the state of Iowa.

Iowa State, under the direction of rookie coach Cael Sanderson, is contending for a national title, althought it will be tough to hold off Minnesota tonight at The Palace of Auburn Hills in the NCAA Division I Championships.

Sanderson has done a remarkable job with the Cyclones this year and should be named rooke and overall coach of the year.

Although it's not as easy to see, Tom Brands also has done good work at Iowa. The Hawkeyes stumbled here, but Brands will use this shortfall as a lesson. Something like "I told you so.''

Good times are ahead for both of these programs.

Inconsistent again

Iowa's  up and down season is taking its toll on the Hawkeyes during the third session of the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Alex Tsirtsis, an all-American last year, and freshmen Ryan Morningstar and Phil Keddy all were eliminated in the first consolation round Friday morning, Morningstar and Keddy without scoring a point. Mario Galanakis joined them on the sidelines in the afternoon.

This is not how championship teams perform in championships. That is something Tom Brands and his staff will be focusing on this off-season.

Great start

Iowa State and Iowa got off to a great start at the NCAA Wrestling Championships today. The Cyclones won eight of 11 bouts, collecting four pins. Iowa won six of eight and got a tech fall and two majors -- nearly matching its bonus point outpoint from the Big Ten meet two weeks ago.

There's a lot of wrestling left and Minnesota doesn't appear ready to take a back seat to anyone on this day, it's an encouraging sign for the state's two biggest programs and their new coaches.

If Brad Penrith can get things cooking at Northern Iowa, the state could enjoy the success it had in the 1980s and early '90s.

Gallick the Great

So much for freshman jitters.

Iowa State freshman Nick Gallick pulled off the first big upset at the NCAA Wrestling Championships during the openining session Thursday. Unseeded, Gallick pinned No. 3 Adam Frey of Cornell with 19 seconds left in the first period. He also won by fall over Rob Tate of Gardner-Webb in the pigtails.

Another Cyclone freshman, former Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Iowa City West wrestler Mitch Mueller, also won in the first round.

Iowa won its first three bouts, getting bonus points in all three -- Charlie Falck by technical fall at 125, Mario Galanakis at 133 and Alex Tsirtsis at 141 by major.

The Cyclones are Hawk have come ready to battle.  

The Palace is regal

I'm here inside a building they call The Palace of Auburn Hills in, where else, Auburn Hills, Mich.

I really is a beautiful facility, home of the Detroit Pistons and, from looking at all the picutres of the walls, many of our country finest entertainers. Evan Brittany Spears.

Actually, the facility isn't unlike the ones in St. Louis and Oklahoma City.

The Palace, I'm told, will seat more than 15,000 for the first five sessions and more than 18,000 for the finals. It is expected to be filled Saturday night.

The wrestlers are warming up getting ready for the biggest day, the biggest weekend, of their season.

Let's wrestle!

Sites and sounds from a palace

It's the eve of the NCAA Wrestling Championships and wrestlers and coaches old and new were streaming through the Palace of Auburn Hills outside Detroit today.

Former Hawkeye Greg Randall, a native of Mount Vernon, just stuck is head in the door. Now the head coach at Boise State, he's not thrilled to have just two wrestlers competing this weekend.

Another former Iowa wrestler, Steve Martin, joins the conversation. He's the head coach at Old Dominion and also upset with his low numbers here, but is excited about having nine freshmen back next year.

Then there is Jim Zalesky, the forme Cedar Rapids Prairie and Iowa great who coached Iowa to three NCAA titles in nine seasons. He was fired last year after the program continued to slide, but landed on his feet at Oregon State. The Beavers won the Pac-10 title and have seven wrestlers here. Things are good for Zalesky these days. He said he doesn't miss the Iowa winters.

That, in a nutshell, is one of the best things about the NCAA Championships, seeing the athletes and coaches you've met over 20-plus years, sharing a laugh, a handshake and, sometimes, even an interview.

NCAA time

It's time for another trip to Michigan - this time for the big one in college wrestling, the NCAA Championships.

As I leave Cedar Rapids, I can't help but think about what this weekend's holds. Minnesota is a heavy favorite to end Oklahoma State's run of national titles. But if the Gophers stumble, look for Iowa State to move into contention.

On the other hand, the Cyclones will have to rely on a bunch of freshmen. They are talented and strong, but freshmen get get overwhelmed at this tournament.

Iowa looked great on the final day of the Big Ten tournament and if the Hawkeyes can keep that momentum heading into this weekend, they could bring home a trophy.

Still, it's Minnesota's championships to lose.

By the way, if you're a big fan you'll love what TV is offering this year. ESPNU will carry both Friday sessions and Saturday's early session. The finals will be on ESPN. This is great news for college wrestling.

Barry and Jimmy

Barry Davis isn't the only former Prairie Hawk turned Iowa Hawk who did a fine coaching job over the weekend.

While Badgers were finishing second to powerful Minnesota at the Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich., (see related blog), Jim Zalesky, a former temmate of Davis' at Prairie and Iowa, was directing Oregon State to the Pac-10 title -- its first Pac-10 title since 1994.

Zalesky called it a "big step for this program'' at www.osubeavers.com

Zalesky, fired after last season at Iowa, showed he still knows a thing or two about wrestling. Known as a top-notch technician during his days at Iowa (under Dan Gable and as head coach), Zalesky has OSU fans excited again about wrestling. It was great to see Jimmy land on his feet after his firing and it's equally great to see him having success. I said at the time, it was a great move for Zalesky and OSU.

Kudos for Barry

And here I thought Wisconsin was just a solid dual meet team. Heck, I even said so out loud  after the Badgers struggled the first day of the Big Ten Championships on Saturday.

But Barry Davis' Badgers proved me and many others wrong here on Sunday. Wisconsin finished second to Minnesota, its best finish Davis' 14 years as head coach. It's ties the school's best finish ever in this tournament.

So give Davis, the former Prairie and Iowa Hawk, a pat on the back. He and Bart Chelesvig, another former Iowa standout, have done a wonderful job this season. Davis is one of the nicest guys in the coaching business and it's great to see him getting the job done.

Speaking of getting the job done, Iowa had a terrific day Sunday to finish third. Mark Perry became Iowa's first Big Ten champ in three years and the Hawks won nine of 12 bouts Sunday.

Close, and usually, not good enough

An old wound was exposed again on the Iowa wrestling team Saturday during the first day of the Big Ten Championships in East Lansing, Mich. The Hawkeyes no longer are kings of the close matches.

A staple of the program during its NCAA Championship years was snatching victory from defeat. When things got tough, Iowa got tougher.

The Hawks lost 12 of 23 matches Saturday and stood in fifth place. Five of those losses were by two points or less, another four by four points.

Hawkeye Coach Tom Brands said it better than I can. Great teams, he said, when those close matches and win them all of the time. Maybe "all of the time" is a bit of a stretch, but certainly 75 percent of the time, maybe even 90. These Hawkeyes have failed to win these matches with any regularity this season.

Another problem for the Hawks Saturday was bonus point. Iowa did not record a pin in its 11 wins and had three major decisions, two from finalist Mark Perry. Big wins, too, were a staple during the glory years.

Brands and his staff need to fix a lot of things - but winning big and winning small seem to top the list.

Trouble in pig-tails

University of Iowa wrestling assistant Dan Gable said prior to Saturday's "pig-tail'' round that the Hawkeyes needed someone to step up, someone for the team to rally around. The Hawks still are waiting.

Alex Grunder at 149 pounds, Phil Keddy at 184 and Dan Erekson at 197 all lost first-round matches Saturday morning, Erekson by a 7-5 count to Illinois' Patrick Bond in the second overtime series.

This is not what Iowa needed to make a run at Minnesota over this two-day tournament. The Hawkeyes' past was built on wrestlers performing above their seed, beyond their expectations. That hasn't happened with this team yet this year and, if the first round in East Lansing is an indication, it might not happen this weekend.

Gable said it takes one person to get the team on track. He said it will happen - maybe Saturday, maybe Sunday, maybe at the NCAA Championships in two weeks.

Hawkeye fans, like the team, still are  waiting. 

Bye, bye, bye

After something like eight hours and many, many miles on the road, Bill Bails and I arrived in East Lansing, Mich., late Friday afternoon, ready for some wrestling. Bails is the athletics director at North Cedar High School and a big wrestling fan. His company was appreciated on the long drive through snow, rain, sleet, slush and more snow upon our arrival.

The pairings for the Big Ten Championships came out later Friday. Iowa wrestling coach Tom Brands thought all 10 of his Hawkeyes could have first-round bouts in the meet, which starts Saturday at Michigan State's Breslin Center. It turns only only three -- Alex Grunder at 149 pounds, Phillip Keddy at 184 and Dan Erekson at 197 -- will have "pigtail" bouts on Saturday.

 All three have uphill battles. Grunder meets second-seeded Josh Churella of Michigan, a 13-5 winner over the Hawkeye earlier this season. Keddy also gets at Wolverine, fourth-seeded Tyrel Todd, who owns a 5-2 win over the Hawk freshman. Erekson, in his first bout since hurting his shoulder in a dual against Oklahoma State, gets third-seeded Patrick Bond of Illinois. The two have never met.

Although it's only three bouts, it's three important bouts for the Hawks if they want to challenge Minnesota for the Big Ten title. While upsets from Grunder and Keddy are unlikely, Erekson has a great opportunity establish himself as more than an average 197-pounder and give his team a big boost.

Busy time on the wrestling mats

If you're a wrestling fan, you'll love this weekend.

The high schoool season wraps up Saturday (pending another winter storm) with the state duals at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids.

College action kicks off Friday with the NCAA Division III Championships in Dubuque. Wartburg, as usual, is among the favorites to bring home the title. Jim Miller has made the Knights what the University of Iowa used to be in Division I.

Speaking of the Hawkeyes, Tom Brands takes his first team into the Big Ten Championships Saturday and Sunday in East Lansing, Mich. I'll follow Iowa to Michigan State and update this blog during the tournament. So check back from time to time to see what's happening in the Breslin Center.

Also on Saturday, Northern Iowa is hosting the West Regional for the last time. The Panthers, who have won 21 straight West Regional titles, move into a wrestling conference next year.

Last, but certainly not least, Iowa State travels to Missouri for the Big Five (I mean Big 12) tournament. The Cyclones are the best team in the state right now and should win their first Big 12 title (that's right, it's been nearly 20 years since ISU won a conference title of any kind).

Check out this Web site and the Gazette each day to get the latest news on all the wrestling action.