Michigan State wrestling continued its homestand in a packed Jenison Fieldhouse against No. 8 Iowa but was unable to build off last week’s win over Northwestern, falling 40-6. It was the first meeting between the schools since 2020. With the loss, the Spartans fell to 4-7 overall and 1-5 in Big Ten duals. Michigan State now holds a 15-41-2 all-time record against the Hawkeyes and has not beaten Iowa since 2005.
Iowa made their ranking clear showing nothing but dominance from the opening match through the end of the dual. The Hawkeyes got a remarkable 6 of their 9 wins by technical fall, a victory that ends a match immediately when a wrestler gains a 15-point advantage over their opponent.
One of the matchups everyone had their eyes on was a ranked battle at 133 pounds between No. 8 Drake Ayala, last year’s NCAA runner-up and Big Ten Championship second-place finisher for Iowa, and No. 32 Caleb Weiand of Michigan State. The match started close, as Weiand was taken down but quickly escaped to earn a point back. He was unable to sustain the momentum, however, as Ayala scored multiple takedowns to secure a 21-5 victory.
No one left early despite the lopsided score, as attention turned to the heavyweight matchup between Iowa’s No. 9 Ben Kueter and Michigan State’s No. 30 Josh Terrill, who entered the bout on a four-match winning streak. In a tightly contested match, Kueter earned a 7-1 decision, snapping Terrill’s unbeaten run.
No. 33 Darius Marines never found his rhythm and was upset by unranked 157-pounder Victor Voinovich III after Iowa elected to send him out instead of No. 16 Jordan Williams, holding a 19-0 lead entering the bout. Voinovich III earned a low-scoring 7-3 decision, fighting through multiple stoppages caused by bleeding.
Iowa followed the 157-pound match with back-to-back performances from No. 3-ranked wrestlers Michael Caliendo and Patrick Kennedy, both of whom delivered technical fall victories. Caliendo was last season’s NCAA tournament runner-up and Big Ten champion at 164 pounds. Kennedy is coming off top five finishes at the NCAA and Big Ten tournaments and was named the program’s most improved wrestler after last season.
Clayton Jones had an impressive opening period against No. 13 Ryder Block, keeping the match within reach. Block took over early in the second period, however, scoring multiple takedowns to secure a 21-6 technical fall before the period ended.
Despite having four wrestlers ranked individually, Michigan State earned just one victory, as No. 23 Kael Whisler won by forfeit against unranked Brody Sampson with Iowa leading the dual 37-0 at the time.
MSU wrestling returns to action Friday, Feb. 13, against Rutgers at Jenison Fieldhouse.
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