Iowa Dominates Michigan State Wrestling with Bonus-Point Barrage in East Lansing
EAST LANSING, Mich. - There’s no sugarcoating this one: Michigan State ran into a buzzsaw on Sunday afternoon as No. 8-ranked Iowa rolled into Jenison Field House and left with a commanding 40-6 victory in Big Ten wrestling action.
The Spartans, now 4-7 overall and 1-5 in conference duals, were simply overwhelmed by an Iowa squad that flexed its muscle from the opening whistle. The Hawkeyes, improving to 10-5 (3-3 B1G), put on a clinic in offensive wrestling, racking up bonus points in eight of the ten matches - including a staggering six tech falls.
Let’s break this one down.
From the Jump, Iowa Set the Tone
It started at 125 pounds, where sixth-ranked Dean Peterson kicked things off with a dominant 12-2 major decision over MSU’s Nick Corday. That opening salvo set the tone for what would be a relentless afternoon for the visitors.
At 133, Iowa’s Drake Ayala - ranked No. 9 in the nation - wasted no time piling on, securing a 21-5 tech fall over Caleb Weiand. Then came more of the same at 141, with Kale Peterson cruising to a 17-2 tech fall over Sean Larkin.
By the time Iowa’s 149-pounder, No. 18 Ryder Block, posted his own tech fall (21-6 over Clayton Jones), the score had ballooned to 19-0, and the Spartans were still searching for a foothold.
Voinovich, Caliendo, and Kennedy Keep the Pressure On
At 157 pounds, Victor Voinovich III gave Iowa its only decision win of the day - a 7-3 effort over Darius Marines that still felt like a control-the-mat type of performance.
Then came the heavy hitters.
Third-ranked Michael Caliendo (165) and Patrick Kennedy (174) both delivered textbook tech falls, with Caliendo dismantling DJ Shannon 22-4, and Kennedy overpowering Connor O’Neill 19-4. Iowa’s lead swelled to 32-0, and the Spartans' home crowd of 778 had little to cheer for outside of the occasional scramble.
Gabe Arnold Adds to the Onslaught
At 184, Gabe Arnold kept Iowa’s bonus-point train rolling with a 20-4 tech fall over Ryan Boucher. That made it seven tech falls for the Hawkeyes - a testament to their pace, precision, and positional dominance throughout the lineup.
MSU Finally Gets on the Board - via Forfeit
The lone bright spot for Michigan State came at 197 pounds, where redshirt junior Kael Wisler picked up a win by forfeit. It wasn’t how the Spartans drew it up, but it at least prevented the shutout and gave Wisler a notch in the win column.
Heavyweight Wraps It Up
In the final bout of the afternoon, Iowa’s eighth-ranked heavyweight Ben Kueter closed the door with an 8-1 decision over Josh Terrill, sealing the 40-6 final score.
What’s Next
Michigan State now turns its attention to another top-25 opponent, hosting No. 17 Rutgers next Friday night back at Jenison Field House. After a humbling afternoon against Iowa, the Spartans will be looking to regroup, reset, and find a way to compete more effectively across the board.
As for Iowa, this was the kind of performance that reminds everyone why they’re a perennial power. When the Hawkeyes are firing like this - with bonus points raining down from nearly every weight class - they’re a nightmare matchup for just about anyone in the country.