The second-ranked Iowa wrestling team enters its Sunday home dual against #8 Iowa State with a 5-0 record and a lineup with three undefeated Hawkeyes who have scored bonus-point victories in each outing. 

Leading the way is senior heavyweight Tony Cassioppi (5-0 with four falls and a major decision) and sophomore 165-pounder Patrick Kennedy (4-0 with two technical falls and two major decisions). Also included on that list of perfection is 157-pounder Cobe Siebrecht. 

Against Penn on Saturday, Siebrecht improved to 4-0 and his dramatic fall over #10 Anthony Artalona capped Iowa’s 26-11 victory in front of 14,853 after the Hawkeyes raced to a 17-0 lead at intermission (the dual started at 165).

“I think he made a lot of Hawkeye fans real excited,” Iowa coach Tom Brands said of Siebrecht, who was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week and moved up to #21 in the national rankings at 157. 

The Iowa state high school champion from wrestling-rich Lisbon entered his junior season at Iowa with a 7-3 career record. 

Siebrecht’s path to his fourth win wasn’t easy. He found himself in a 9-1 hole after Artalona threw him with a headlock. But there was no panic from the first-time regular to Iowa’s lineup.

“I probably shouldn’t have been there,” Siebrecht said. “I was just trying not to get pinned…I was waiting for an opportunity to roll him through just to get off my back.”

“He fought, fought, fought,” Brands said.

Siebrecht rallied in a big way. He countered with a roll-through, and in the process, caught Artalona’s wrist and elbow and returned the favor by driving the previously-undefeated Quaker to his back. The difference? Siebrecht kept him there, winning by fall in 3-minutes, 40-seconds.

 “I don’t really like talking about being on my back, but I got put there,” Siebrecht said. “I did what I had to do to get off and put the match away.”

In the process, he continued a hot start to his season. Siebrecht opened with a fall over Joey Mora of California Baptist, then won by back-to-back 8-0 major decisions against Nate Lukez of Army and Noah Grover of Buffalo (at 165).

Siebrecht’s heroics were a highlight for Iowa in a dual that saw Penn dominate the first three bouts after intermission. It took a takedown by Max Murin in sudden-victory at 149 to put the result out of reach for the Hawkeyes.

“Gutsy. Gutsy at the end,” Brands said of wins by Murin and Siebrecht. He used the same adjective to describe an 11-10 decision by second-ranked Jacob Warner at 197 and a 5-1 win by Nelson Brands at 174. Warner took an 8-1 lead into the second period before Cole Urbas used two four-point nearfalls to grab a 9-8 edge heading in the final period. Nelson Brands made his season debut after overcoming collarbone and elbow injuries.

For Murin, he felt at an advantage when his match against #10 Doug Zapf went overtime.

“We’re the most in-shape team in the country, so I felt good going in there,” he said, after improving to 5-0 on the season and 28-22 all-time against ranked opponents. “Once I got in on the leg, just patience. We go over that every day in practice — fundamental finishes, and that’s what I did.”

Then Murin couldn’t resist looking ahead to the next opportunity.

“I’m ready for Iowa State,” he said. “It is going to be packed, loud, and a good environment.” 

Despite Iowa’s undefeated start with three victories coming away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the degree of difficulty ramps up with Iowa State (5-0) coming to town Sunday.

“We have to find a better lineup,” said Brands, who has coached Iowa to 5-0 starts in all 17 seasons as head coach. “We have got to get better and that’s where we’re at.”

The Hawkeyes have won eight straight duals dating back to the 2021-22 season. They are 67-16-2 all-time against Iowa State with 16 straight wins in the series.