From the corner chair

Metcalf to the rescue

Like he's done much of the season, Brent Metcalf stopped the Hawkeye bleeding in the second session of the Big Ten wrestling tournament.

Iowa had lost four in a row before Metcalf took the match and dominated Penn State's Bubba Jenkins, 15-3.

Metcalf now has two pins and a major on the first day of this tournament.

Ryan Morningstar, on the next mat, lost, however, and will be going for seventh today. He has to place seventh to be assured an NCAA berth.

Ouch

After starting the Big Ten wrestling tournament with seven straight wins and winning 11 of 13 first-session bouts, the Hawkeyes are taking a hit.

After Ryan Morningstar's win in consolation, Iowa lost three in a row - including second seeds Charlie Falck at 125 and Joe Slaton at 133. Both started slow, again, and couldn't come back. Slaton came close, down 7-2 going into the third period and losing 10-8 to Michigan State's Franklin Gomez.

Hawks rolling

Iowa won 11 of its first 13 matches during the first session of the Big Ten wrestling championships in Minneapolis, collecting four pins and two major decisions along the way.

There were no upsets, but Iowa dominated when it was supposed to, getting a pair of falls from top-seeded Brent Metcalf at 149 pounds and two wins from Metcalf, Joe Slaton and Matt Fields.

Fields also has a pin and dominated Illinois' John Wise, a wrestler who has given him fits in the past, with three late takedowns to move into the semifinals at heavyweight.

Chad Beatty lost at 197, but had second-seeded Phil Davis of Penn State on his back when the final buzzer sounded. Davis pinned Beatty earlier in the season and won 14-6 today.

All in all, it was a great start for the Hawkeyes.

Perry's back

Mark Perry left no doubt is inactive since early January wasn't going to affect his performance at the Big Ten wrestling tournament.

Perry opened defense of his 165-pound title today by pinning Grant Pasweall of Illinois with 30 seconds left in the first perid.

Perry was up 4-0 at the time, looking like his old self.

So far, Iowa has won eight of its first nine bout. Ryan Morningstar is the only loser, falling to second-seeded Dan Vallimont of Penn State, 3-2.

Live from the Big Tens!

Hey, I know it's been a while since I've posted here. Too long, really. No excuses.

I'm sitting in press row at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. Iowa is off to a good start in its quest to get the Big Ten title back in Iowa City.

The Hawkeyes went 3-o in the preliminary round, getting pins from Brent Metcalf and Matt Fields (he was up 12-4, too), and Charlie Falck and Joe Slaton started the quarterfinal with come-from-behind wins.

Slaton is 2-0 here.

More later. I promise.