2019 Chattanooga vs Iowa | Big Ten Wrestling

Iowa's Probables For UTC Raise More Lineup Questions

Iowa's Probables For UTC Raise More Lineup Questions

Iowa released their probable lineup for their first competition of the season against Chattanooga, and it raises more questions than it answers.

Nov 14, 2019 by Andrew Spey
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Iowa released their probable lineup for their first competition of the season against Chattanooga, and it raises more questions than it answers.

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Iowa enters this season as one of Penn State's few preseason rivals for the team title. Those expectations came with a few lineup question marks, chief among them being who would start at 133 and 141, now that Gavin Teasdale joined the team. On Friday morning the Hawkeyes released their probable lineup for the Sunday afternoon dual meet, yet that question remains as unanswered as before.

Earlier this week we went weight-by-weight to let you know what to expect at this event, but the probables released by Iowa, and reposted below, did little to clarify the situation at the lower weights. 


As you can see, Austin DeSanto is frustratingly listed as both a potential 133-pounder and a 141-pounder. There were offseason rumors that DeSanto could be bumping up, but that would mean displacing NCAA bloodrounder Max Murin. All-Americans Pat Lugo, Kaleb Young, and Alex Marinelli return at 149, 157, and 165, which would preclude Murin or anyone else from bumping up to the middleweights. 

What was also unclear during the offseason was if Teasdale would be ready to compete in the first semester. Gavin being in the probables would suggest he is, but the Hawkeyes listing three potential competitors at 133 additionally confuses any attempts to read the tea leaves. With Paul Glynn in the mix, it's possible we don't see either DeSanto nor Teasdale at 133. 

It is also a surprise is that neither Murin nor Vince Turk is listed as an alternate to DeSanto at 141. Of course, this is just the first dual meet of the season, and there will be ample opportunities for both Murin and Turk to compete.

One consolation is that it appears Michael Kemerer is sufficiently recovered from the injury that kept him out of the entire 2018-19 season and is ready to wrestle, as he is the only 174-pounder listed in the probable lineup. Furthermore, Spencer Lee will be juggling freestyle events with his collegiate schedule during his quest for a third consecutive NCAA title and will have to miss some Hawkeye competitions. This Chattanooga dual meet won't be one of them, however, as Spencer is the only 125-pounder on the list.  

We'll have to wait two more excruciating days to see who eventually takes the mat at 133 and 141 against the Mocs. Until then, the speculation continues.