First-semester mat exams have concluded and second-ranked Iowa boasts a 7-0 record, despite fielding seven different dual lineups that featured 20 different Hawkeyes.

“We were tested with a limited lineup,” Iowa head coach Tom Brands said. “Did we pass all tests? We may have passed them, but I don’t how good our grade point would be.”

There is a new challenge on Iowa’s radar. Over the years, the Hawkeyes have competed and dominated in venues like the Field House, Carver-Hawkeye Arena, and even on the turf of Kinnick Stadium. On Thursday and Friday, Iowa will move off campus when it participates in the inaugural Soldier Salute inside Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. A traditional entrant in the Midlands Championships, the fact that tournament was canceled in 2020 and 2021 was a major factor in why the Hawkeyes will compete closer to home this weekend. 

“We want to make sure we have a place to wrestle,” Brands said. “That’s not a shot at anybody, that’s just how we have to operate to make sure we’re in a good place when it comes to holiday wrestling tournament season.” 

The Soldier Salute will recognize and honor former, current, and future service members. It is hosted by the Iowa City Area Sports Commission and will include a women’s and men’s division. All of the tournament proceeds will be split between the United Service Organizations and a development fund targeted toward the growth of high school girls wrestling. Teams expected are Army, Citadel, Virginia Military Institute, Navy, Northern Iowa, Iowa State, Wisconsin, Columbia, Bellarmine, South Dakota State, Wyoming, and Minnesota. 

It will be 20 days between competitions for Iowa, which defeated Chattanooga in its most recent outing on the road Dec. 10. Since the Chattanooga dual, the Hawkeyes participated in a finals week training phase followed by a week off for the holidays. Brands said that stretch was loose in structure and individual in nature.

“We’re excited to be [back] on campus (starting Dec. 26), that is important,” Brands said. “There is a lot of wrestling coming up in the next two months and three weeks.” 

In the past, the Hawkeyes used the Midlands Championships to solidify their dual lineup for when the calendar flipped to a new year. Brands said the lineup that will be on the mat when Big Ten competition opens Jan. 6 against Illinois has essentially worked itself out, but it wouldn’t be set in stone if the Hawkeye staff sees “eye-popping” results from other individuals at the Soldier Salute. 

“If somebody comes in and has a great performance, we would love that,” Brands said. 

During the first seven duals, only junior Abe Assad at 184 pounds and senior Tony Cassioppi at 285 were mainstays in the lineup. Competing in six of the duals were sophomore Cullan Schriever (133), senior Max Murin (149), junior Cobe Siebrecht (157), sophomore Patrick Kennedy (165), and senior Jacob Warner (197).

“Health is always #1, and we haven’t always been the healthiest as everyone knows,” Brands said. 

Two of Iowa’s highest-ranked wrestlers — seniors Spencer Lee at 125 pounds (ranked #1) and Real Woods at 141 (ranked #3) — are a combined 3-0. Both competed against Iowa State and Woods returned to the mat a week later at Chattanooga. Other Hawkeyes ranked in the top eight are Cassioppi (third), Warner (seventh), Murin (eighth), and Assad (eighth).

 “There is always room for improvement, never satisfied, those are real things our guys march to, they always want to do better,” Brands said. “They are learning as they go, getting better every day, and having fun doing it.”

Lee and Woods are two of the 29 Hawkeyes expected to compete at the Soldier Salute. 

The first session of the Soldier Salute will begin at 10 a.m. on Thursday. Friday’s finals are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.