There’s no shortage of Iowa ties at the 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships this week. In total, 12 Iowa natives will be competing this weekend. Nine…
There’s no shortage of Iowa ties at the 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships this week.
In total, 12 Iowa natives will be competing this weekend. Nine wrestle for the in-state programs — one at Iowa, four for Iowa State and another four at Northern Iowa. Three others qualified while competing for out-of-state teams.
Here, we offer a rundown of all the Iowa natives, organized by weight, along with their past schools, credentials and first-round matchups, as well as possible paths through the tournament.
Record: 14-10
First-round match: Old Dominion’s Michael McGee
Schwarm, a two-time state champion from Bettendorf, has been the Panthers’ starting 125-pounder for three years. The junior is making his second NCAA tournament appearance after a fifth-place finish at the Big 12 Championships.
Schwarm and McGee have never wrestled before. Win and it’s likely a matchup against Virginia’s Jack Mueller in round two. Lose and a wrestleback path likely includes Illinois’ Travis Piotrowski and, perhaps, N. C. State’s Sean Fausz.
Record: 15-14
First-round match: Iowa’s Spencer Lee
West won 210 matches and three state titles during four years at Highland (Riverside) and Solon. The redshirt freshman qualified for the NCAA Championships for the first time after taking third at the Mid-American tournament.
West and Lee wrestled at the Midlands Championships in December. Lee won by a 17-0 technical fall. If he pulls the upset Thursday morning, West would get the winner of Iowa State’s Alex Mackall and Fausz.
Record: 21-13
First-round match: Campbell’s Joshua Heil
Pohlmeyer won a state title in 2013 and reached the state finals in 2014 while wrestling for Johnston. After placing fifth at the Big 12 tournament, the junior qualified for his second national tournament. He is the only South Dakota State wrestler in this week’s field.
Pohlmeyer and Heil have never wrestled before. Win and he could likely face North Carolina’s Austin O’Connor in round two. Lose and a wrestleback path could include Penn State’s Brady Berge and Penn’s Anthony Artalona.
Record: 21-8
First-round match: Navy’s Jared Prince
Thomsen became Iowa’s 24th four-time state champion in 2015. He won 210 matches while competing for Union of LaPorte City. The 2017 All-American is making his third-straight trip to the NCAA Championships.
