Wrestling Mailbag: Rewatching Iowa-Penn State, Austin DeSanto, Alex Marinelli, Iowa State's Marcus Coleman and more

I rewatched last Friday’s Iowa-Penn State dual and had a few more observations from the Nittany Lions’ 19-13 win:

– Austin DeSanto was in on seven shots against Roman Bravo-Young, but didn’t finish any. From my vantage point, he was really only close to scoring on one of them. Over the final 55 seconds, he didn’t take a single shot. RBY, meanwhile, took just two true shots, and scored on one of them. Efficiency is key in matches like that.

– This was the first time Max Murin has ever wrestled in an Iowa-Penn State dual.

– Penn State scored 41 total match points, and 20 came in the third period or overtime. Drew Hildebrandt (125) and Max Dean (197) combined for 15 — Hildebrandt went reversal, turn for four nearfall, plus riding-time to beat Jesse Ybarra, Dean went escape, point for stalling, takedown, turn for four nearfall to beat Jacob Warner.

– As clutch as Jaydin Eierman was with that late takedown and rideout to force overtime, he had a few mental lapses. The first came when he attempted that chest wrap after the over-hook throw. The second came when he gave up a takedown on the edge late in the second period. The third was the weird shot in overtime. Each sequence resulted in takedowns for Nick Lee. Again, efficiency is key in matches like that.

► MORE: 'Little things, big difference': Close matches cost Iowa against Penn State

– A lot happened at 174 pounds.

Carter Starocci out-shot Michael Kemerer, by my count, 7-3. Kemerer showed some savvy defense through head-and-hands down-blocking, underhooks and leg passes. The issues with the scoreboard clock began late in the third period, and extended the rest of the way. They weren’t major issues, more minor, but you can’t have clock issues like that, especially with a match that big in a dual that big.

There are no good angles that I saw that showed Starocci with locked-hands, and Kemerer did not fully have the definitive merkle position during that scramble late in sudden victory. If he had laced Starocci’s right leg, he would’ve had two. He never laced the leg.

– Alex Marinelli’s first-period takedown against Brady Berge at 165 was the first first-period takedown of the entire dual. There were six total — one from Marinelli, two from Aaron Brooks, one from Jacob Warner and one each from Greg Kerkvliet and Tony Cassioppi. Marinelli, Brooks and Cassioppi all won, while Warner and Kerkvliet lost.

– Penn State scored more total takedowns than Iowa, 10-8, but the Hawkeyes actually scored more takedowns in the third period and overtime, 5-2.

– Kerkvliet tried twice to go upper-body with Cassioppi, a two-time Junior Greco-Roman national champion, and it ended badly both times. Makes you wonder how much of a different match that’ll be next time around.

– Speaking of Cassioppi, that win gives him the inside track to the 2-seed at the Big Ten Championships. If all else holds, the seeds should go: 1. Gable Steveson, 2. Cassioppi, 3. Kerkvliet, 4. Mason Parris.

If THOSE hold at the Big Ten tournament, then the NCAA seeds could look like this: 1. Steveson, 2. Cohlton Schultz, 3. Cassioppi, 4. Kerkvliet, 5. Parris, 6. Hendrickson.

There’s no guarantee this all holds, because who knows how the coaches rankings and RPI will go after February and the conference tournaments, but being on the opposite side of the bracket from Steveson at the NCAA Championships is huge for Cassioppi and Iowa’s team title chances. His win over Kerkvliet may have opened that door.

► MORE: Friday was just the beginning of the Iowa-Penn State wrestling fireworks

Now then, on to the Wrestling Mailbag. Northern Iowa and Iowa State both swept Oklahoma and Oklahoma State this weekend, and I just want it recognized that Iowa’s recent wresting dominance over Oklahoma started with Team Iowa’s 40-23 win over Team Oklahoma in the finals of the Junior National Duals last June.

Please give me a follow on Twitter and I’ll keep you up to date on all things wrestling in Iowa. Don't forget to tune into the Register's wrestling podcast, In the Room, each week. You can find the latest episodes below.

Thanks for your help here, and for reading.

► WRESTLING COVERAGE FROM THE DES MOINES REGISTER

• HS Wrestling: 14 things we learned from the CIML Tournament
• HAWKEYES: Penn State 19, Iowa 13, Instant Reaction!
• PANTHERS: UNI wrestling rallies to stun No. 4 Oklahoma State
• CYCLONES: Iowa State sweeps Sooners, Cowboys in Oklahoma roadtrip

Iowa's Austin DeSanto against Roman Bravo-Young and Daton Fix

He's shown that he's as close as he's ever been to knocking off the two guys in front of him.

He wrestled a great match against Daton Fix in the NCAA semifinals last March, dictating the pace and finding shots but still falling, 3-2. Virtually the same script unfolded last Friday against RBY — seven shots, but no finishes, and a 3-2 defeat.

DeSanto looked great on Friday, but it's a matter of finishing those opportunities. I said this at the top: Seven shots is great, but he was maybe only close to truly finishing one of them, and if memory serves, it was in the first period, when he was able to cut across for a double, but RBY had him in a chest wrap and that stopped DeSanto cold.

Then over the final 55 seconds, DeSanto didn't shoot at all. This is just my gut feeling, but I'd bet another good shot or two in that span might have warranted another stall call and forced overtime. From there, he'd still have to score to win, but then you're looking at DeSanto's gas tank against RBY's and I wonder how that goes for two more minutes.

The thing that stuck out about DeSanto taking seven shots against RBY is that a lot of them didn't come from that right-side inside-control tie that he loves. He found different ways to get to RBY's legs. That shows growth and versatility.

RBY holds his left arm back because, more often than not, that's what DeSanto uses for those quick fireman's dumps he hits all the time. His grip is insane, and the moment he gets ahold of that, he's comfortable, confident and goes quickly. That's why RBY holds his arm back. He did it again Friday, but DeSanto found ways to create opportunities.

The next step now is finishing those opportunities. That requires getting more comfortable with those different shots, and with more comfort comes more confidence, which will inevitably lead to quicker execution. The windows to score against a guy like RBY are few and far between. Again, efficiency is key in a match like that.

There's a real good chance they hit again at the Big Ten Championships, and possibly the NCAA Championships. I'll be curious to see what adjustments DeSanto makes and if he gets closer to finishing those scoring opportunities. 

Alex Marinelli's lasting impact on Iowa wrestling

He's as impressive as any wrestler I've covered, and we could go all the way back to the 2012-13 Iowa team from my years covering the Hawkeyes at The Daily Iowan.

Marinelli is an absolute menace on the mat. He's a two-time All-American and three-time Big Ten champion, with an 88-11 career record and a running bonus-point rate of 50% over the past five seasons. He was and will always be a fan favorite.

He's also the unquestioned heart and soul of the latest iterations of the Iowa wrestling team. He shows more emotion than most, especially when he wins. He's smack in the middle of the lineup, and can have the same impact after intermission that the 125-pounders do to start the dual. He recognizes that as an important responsibility.

I have always appreciated interviewing Marinelli because he's genuine. He sounds like Brands every now and again, sure, but they all do after a while. But Marinelli has always seriously considered each question asked and is thoughtful with his answers.

That Alex and Eli documentary was probably the first real look at Marinelli off the mat for a lot of people, and I think it impacted a lot of wrestling folks, especially non-Iowa fans. Ask most people in and around the wrestling community and they'll tell you that Marinelli is one of the easiest guys to root for (unless he's wrestling their guy).

His post-dual presser last Friday was illuminating, but it was also vintage Marinelli. He answered my question by not answering it, but he was still honest about how he felt — frustrated in the immediate aftermath of a team loss, sad for his teammates who lost, but still eager and motivated for the opportunities in front of them, all in about 150 words.

He's the same way when the cameras and recorders aren't on, too. We've talked a lot, just him and I, during big wrestling events and not, about wrestling and life, and he's the same guy at every turn. He isn't afraid to say what he feels, and you learn to appreciate that when you talk to someone as much as we've been able to talk to him. 

We've talked a lot about Spencer Lee and his impact on the present and future of the Iowa wrestling program, but guys like Marinelli and Michael Kemerer and all the others matter, too. Marinelli, specifically, is the voice inside the locker room to which the whole team listens, and has been critical in Iowa's success, on and off the mat, in recent years.

He's got two months left as an official Hawkeye wrestler. Enjoy him while he's here.

Update on Iowa wrestler Drake Ayala

Brands provided this update on Drake Ayala after Friday's dual:

"The status of him is he’s ready to go when he’s ready to go. Medical, coaches, and more importantly, Drake Ayala will be the one who makes that call. Love him in our program, I can tell you that. Our team is good with him in there."

Clearly it's an injury. My guess is we may not see Ayala again until the Big Ten Championships, March 5-6 at Nebraska. Again, only a guess, since the Hawkeyes have just three duals left:

• vs. No. 16 Wisconsin in Iowa City this weekend
• vs. No. 5 Oklahoma State in Texas next weekend
• vs. No. 7 Nebraska in Lincoln on Feb. 20

If Ayala came back for any of those, that means matchups against No. 7 Eric Barnett, No. 8 Trevor Mastrogiovanni and either Jeremiah Reno or Liam Cronin, respectively. So we'll see.

Get ready for Jesse Ybarra through the rest of the regular season, but as with anything, you all will know when I know.

Why don't Iowa and Northern Iowa wrestle each other anymore?

I'm not sure on the specifics as to why Iowa and Northern Iowa haven't wrestled since 2011, and I'm not sure what it'll take to make it happen.

I will say this: It shouldn't take a big dual win from Northern Iowa to get this conversation going, but more often than not, that's really the only time people make a fuss of it.

It happened again this weekend when the Panthers rallied to beat Oklahoma State, 19-15, at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater. Northern Iowa also beat the Sooners, 17-15, for a complete sweep of the state of Oklahoma. Iowa State did the same, which leads to two thoughts:

— Oklahoma State is now in danger of losing to all three of Iowa's Division I schools in the same season for just the second time ever. The only other time it happened was during the 1985-86 season:

• Dec. 28, 1985: Northern Iowa 23, Oklahoma State 15, in Cedar Falls
• Jan. 25, 1986: Iowa State 21, Oklahoma State 12, in Ames
• Feb. 14, 1986: Iowa 30, Oklahoma State 9, in Stillwater

— That Northern Iowa-Iowa State dual in two weeks is going to be bonkers.

It'll be at the McLeod Center, which holds 7,018. I know the Panthers love the West Gym — I do too! — but with the success the two schools are having this season and the potential matchups that night, there's no reason at least 5,000 people shouldn't be in Cedar Falls that night for that dual.

Check out these potential matchups:

• 125: #13 Brody Teske vs. #27 Kysen Terukina
• 133: #19 Kyle Biscoglia vs. #33 Ramazan Attasauov
• 141: #23 Cael Happel vs. #9 Ian Parker
• 149: #33 Colin Realbuto vs. #22 Jarrett Degen
• 157: Derek Holschlag vs. #1 David Carr
• 165: #9 Austin Yant vs. #32 Isaac Judge
• 174: #21 Lance Runyon vs. #18 Joel Devine
• 184: #4 Parker Keckeisen vs. #8 Marcus Coleman
• 197: John Gunderson vs. #16 Yonger Bastida
• 285: Tyrell Gordon vs. #21 Sam Schuyler

On paper, Iowa State has the edge at 141, 149, 157, 197, and Northern Iowa is favored at 125, 133, 165. Then 174, 184 and 285 are toss-ups. I think 125, 133 and even 141 could all be considered toss-ups, too. It will be imperative for Northern Iowa to win as many toss-ups as they can, because Iowa State has big bonus potential at 157 and 197.

But your question was about a possible Iowa-Northern Iowa dual. Again, I don't know all the specifics, but if wrestling fans really want that dual to happen (count me among them), then they shouldn't wait for a big Northern Iowa dual win to talk about it.

The emergence of Iowa State wrestler Marcus Coleman

No. Not even a little bit surprised. You even said it yourself in your question, "Kind of what we all thought he'd be coming out of high school."

Marcus Coleman has always had this kind of potential, and always had the natural ability to become a great college wrestler. He was a three-time Class 3A state champ, a Cadet freestyle national finalist, a Junior folkstyle All-American and a top-100 recruit when he graduated from Ames in 2017.

What really sticks out is that Coleman has just finally settled into his best weight.

He's wrestled three different weights while in college. He started at 174, through his redshirt and redshirt freshman seasons, then bumped to 184 in 2019-20, then wrestled 197 last year, and is now back down at 184.

One college wrestling coach told me a while back that jumping weights in college is not as easy as jumping weights in high school, and that most guys almost have to re-learn how to wrestle at different weights. Every weight has different speeds, strengths, opponents and even techniques that you have to learn and master to be successful.

Now that he's settled into 184, he's become more consistent. He's a hammer on top, gets out quickly from bottom and is efficient with his attacks on his feet. He's utilizing his speed and horsepower along with improved technique, a nasty combination. He's savvier too, and has done really well thinking and wrestling through in-match situations.

The results: a 12-1 record with six bonus-point wins, including four in his last six matches, two of which have come against guys ranked in the top-20 nationally by InterMat. His only loss was an 8-4 decision to Northern Iowa's Parker Keckeisen in November. He'll get another crack at him next week and again next month.

Iowa State coach Kevin Dresser shared a funny story about Coleman recently. The Cyclones wrestled at Wyoming on Jan. 14, and Coleman beat 16th-ranked Tate Samuelson, 4-2. Dresser talked to Coleman afterward and asked what he changed to make these jumps.

"He said, 'Coach, I just got tired of … losing,'" Dresser said, emphasizing the pause and then continuing with: "He threw an adjective in there, but I won't say it here."

Sometimes it's as simple as getting tired of bleeping losing.

Yonger Bastida's potential for Iowa State wrestling

The short answer: sky high.

The slightly-longer answer: He's clearly figured out a lot about collegiate folkstyle wrestling over the last year-and-a-half, enough to have beaten a lot of top-tier guys (Jacob Warner, Thomas Penola, Owen Pentz) and compete with others (Stephen Buchanan, Jake Woodley).

What I want to see now is how he handles tournaments. It's one thing to plan match strategy for duals that are a week apart, or gameplan for a Friday-Sunday doubleheader and focus only on a few things heading into a weekend. Tournaments reveal overall readiness, because win or lose, you've got to wrestle again in an hour or two.

How does he handle a big quarterfinal win? How does he handle a tough second-round loss? What does he do with that hour or two to recalibrate and get ready for his next match? Can he wrestle 4-6 collegiate folkstyle matches in the span of two days and have the same level of success he's had in duals this year?

That's what makes the Big 12 Championships so intriguing for Yonger Bastida. We'll learn a lot about him during that first weekend in March, and it will tell us a lot about his potential at the NCAA Championships two weeks later in Detroit.

The guy clearly knows how to wrestle and can score on anybody. But tournaments are different beasts than weekly duals. That's what I'll be watching for come March. His performance will be the key for Iowa State to finally break into the top 10 at the national tournament this year (no pressure, or anything).

One more short answer: Bastida could make the Big 12 finals or take fifth, and finish as an All-American or lose in the Round-of-16, and none of those results would surprise me. 

This week, I'm grateful for my parents.

They came to visit me this weekend, during one of my busiest weekends, and watched a lot of wrestling with me. They came to Iowa City for the Iowa-Penn State dual Friday and watched the Northern Iowa-Oklahoma State dual with me while at dinner Saturday night.

I'm not always super present with my family during wrestling season, and I've been blessed with patient parents who understand and appreciate how much energy I pour into my job — and who actively root for me when I bust out my computer to write a gamer or commitment story while at dinner (that's happened twice this year).

That doesn't always work for everybody, but it works for us, and I'm very thankful for that.

Cody Goodwin covers wrestling and high school sports for the Des Moines Register. Follow him on Twitter at @codygoodwin.