Dean Peterson has adjusted to life in Iowa after growing up in New Jersey.

“In New Jersey, everyone's kind of mean to you a little bit,” said the Hawkeyes’ 125-pounder, smiling as he talked about his home state. “I would say everyone in Iowa was a lot nicer than the average citizen in New Jersey.”

Peterson can even see it on Iowa’s roads.

“It's a lot more calming than seeing people doing the ‘Jersey slide’ at seven o'clock in the morning,” he said, referring to the move where a driver cuts across several lanes of traffic with one move. “It's a lot different.”

“Iowa nice,” Peterson said, “seems like a real thing.”

Peterson has slid into a position at the top of the Hawkeyes’ lineup. The senior, who transferred from Rutgers, is 5-1 and ranked seventh nationally.

It’s a good start, Peterson said, but he knows he can do better.

“Obviously, I'd love to get to my offense a little bit more,” he said. “My matches haven't been super high scoring, but on the positive side, I've had pretty good defense, and when I do get to my attacks, when I do get to the legs, I do score. So overall, I'm happy with my performance, but there's definitely room for improvement.”

Peterson, a three-time NCAA qualifier at Rutgers, knows he is in a weight class that holds some significance for the Hawkeyes in recent seasons, given the historic run of Spencer Lee as well as the success of others.

“There’s no pressure that comes along with it,” he said. “I know, obviously, Iowa’s been historically great at 125, and I want to keep that going.”

“He’s used to a certain way of wrestling,” Iowa coach Tom Brands said. “And as he grows, his wrestling will grow, and he is growing, and his wrestling is growing. And I can tell you that he is a popular guy in that room. Coaches love him. His teammates love him.”

Peterson is coming off a 4-2 win over Iowa State’s Stevo Poulin in the November 30 dual in Ames, avenging a loss to Poulin, who was at Northern Colorado last season, in the blood round at the NCAA championships last March.

“It meant a lot,” Peterson said. “Obviously, I would have loved to get the team win alongside of it. That was one I've had circled since I saw that he transferred to Iowa State, knowing that I'd already transferred to Iowa, I knew he was going to be in the lineup. And that was one that I really wanted to get. So it meant a good amount. It's a good test early on in the season.”

Bouncing Back 

Iowa, ranked fourth in this week’s NWCA coaches’ poll, is coming off its second loss of the season, a 20-14 defeat at Iowa State on November 30.

Brands liked the way his team responded to the defeat.

“Here’s the thing — we have great guys on this team,” he said. “They do get back to work the right way. They go about things the right way. First of all, they've been doing this a long time, so they know that one event doesn't define them. And then secondly, what are you after? And the mission is still there.

“We left work undone and got our nose bloodied a little bit, and we have guys that will fight coming back. So that’s what I’m excited about.”

Peterson said the mood of Brands and his brother, Terry, in the wrestling room didn’t change with the loss.

“They're the exact same people,” he said. “There's no, ‘We're gonna dwell on this loss.’ You look forward to the next event and get it done when you need to get it done.”

Wrapping Up December

The Hawkeyes get their last two duals before the Christmas break on Friday, when they wrestle Chattanooga and Utah Valley in the Journeymen Wrestling at Hannibal (Mo.) High School.

“We have some things that are solidifying themselves,” Brands said. “We also have some questions that we want to answer, and that’s what we’ll use the weekend for. That’s where we’re at.”

Asked what were the questions he hoped to answer, Brands said, “Who wants the spot?”

Open Opportunities

The Hawkeyes had four champions among eight top-five finishes at the Jim Koch Wisconsin Open last weekend, an event that Brands considers valuable.

“Opens have become less, probably, of a focus point of Division I programs, especially with Division II or Division III schools running opens, just because of the ranking process where only Division I wins matter,” he said. “But that doesn't diminish the importance of competition. I say, keep doing them. They're getting fewer and farther between.”

Keyan Hernandez won the 125-pound title for the Hawkeyes, going 4-0 with a major decision. Kale Petersen won the 141-pound title with two technical falls and two decisions. Gabe Arnold won the 184-pound title with two technical falls and a pin. Harvey Ludington won at 197 with a technical fall, a pin, and a major decision.

Brands said a tournament like this showed Iowa’s depth

“I can think of 125 where I think a lot of people maybe think that Joey Cruz is the number two guy, and all of a sudden he gets knocked off, and Keyan Hernandez is on the other side, and all of a sudden he's in the finals, and then beats the guy that beat Joey Cruz,” Brands said. “So, you know, that stings for Joey Cruz, and that's good progress maybe for Keyan Hernandez. So it keeps you hungry.”