2023 Michigan vs Iowa Audio Only

The 5 Most Important Storylines When Michigan Faces Iowa

The 5 Most Important Storylines When Michigan Faces Iowa

Michigan faces Iowa on Friday, February 10, during the final B10 wrestling dual of the season for the Hawkeyes.

Feb 9, 2023
The 5 Most Important Storylines When Michigan Faces Iowa

The B10 dual schedule concludes for Iowa this Friday when the Hawkeyes take on the Michigan Wolverines in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. There are several key matchups as both teams push toward conference and national titles. 

Iowa is favored, but Michigan is the reigning B10 tournament champion, and the Wolverines often give the Hawkeyes a tussle. Tom Brands’s squad defeated Minnesota last week, 18-13, with three starters out of the line-up. Sean Bormet’s crew was short-handed against Oklahoma State, but they fell 24-15 at the Bout at the Ballpark.

Both teams should have nearly full line-ups, although Iowa’s Abe Assad isn’t listed at 184 and Michigan has options listed at 141, 149, and 165. 

The meet is live on the Big Ten Network, or you listen to FloWrestling’s live radio broadcast. 

Below are five storylines to follow as two B10 powers collide this Friday. 

So You’re Saying There’s A Chance Against Max Murin?

Talk about good genetics! Chance Lamer is the son of two national champions. His father, Chad, was a three-time D2 NCAA champion for South Dakota State (1994-96) and his mother, Ann, also a Jackrabbit, was a six-time All-American who won the 10,000 meter run at the D2 track championships in 1994. 

Chad eventually became a member of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club and mowed lawns in Iowa City to make ends meet before he eventually became a chiropractor in Corvallis, Oregon. Tom Brands coached the elder Lamer during his freestyle career, so the two know each other well. 

Chance will need every bit of his father’s strength and his mother’s endurance when he faces a game Max Murin at 149 pounds. Murin’s grinding and methodical style will be tough to overcome — especially in front of a partisan Carver-Hawkeye Arena crowd. 

This is a crucial match for both wrestlers with the season winding down. Lamer suffered a 17-10 setback to Wisconsin’s Austin Gomez on January 15, so getting a win in front of a hostile Iowa crowd will carry weight with the B10 Championships on the horizon. Murin’s last loss was also to Gomez — a 5-3 setback on January 22. 

Seeding is on the line as both wrestlers can secure a much-needed win for their teams and for themselves. Murin never gets blown out. He’s been pinned three times during his college career but has never lost by major or tech. A win by either wrestler will be gritty.

There’s also a chance that Fidel Mayora gets the nod for Michigan. 

Free Spencer Lee

Remember when Spencer Lee was a true freshman during the 2017-18 season and the tagline was “Free Spencer Lee”? Fans wanted to see the prep phenom compete for Iowa as soon as possible — and the Hawkeye superstar delivered.

His first dual was a 46-second fall over Michigan State’s Rayvon Foley on January 5, 2018. Everyone quickly realized that you better be in your seat when Lee was on the mat since it could end in seconds. 

The Michigan dual marks the second-to-last time Spencer Lee will compete in an Iowa singlet at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Michigan has a solid team, so Iowa could use bonus points at 125 pounds. Lee will deliver if history has its say.

Just don’t blink. The most popular Iowa wrestler ever is down to his final matches as a Hawkeye. 

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Spencer Lee's Carver-Hawkeye Arena debut was a 46-second fall over Michigan State's Rayvon Foley

Tulsa King

There’s still something mythical about being the heavyweight champion of the world. That distinction is on the line when a loaded 285-pound field travels to Tulsa, Oklahoma, on March 16-18 for the American folkstyle title that matters most: the NCAA Championships. 

Michigan’s Mason Parris and Iowa’s Tony Cassioppi are serious contenders for the 2023 crown, which makes this the must-watch match of the night. Parris has had Cassioppi’s number so far, though. The two have faced off three times in college and Parris has won all three: two by fall and an 11-5 decision at last year’s NCAA tournament. 

Hold onto your hat if this match decides the final outcome of the dual. The Hawkeyes might need their star heavyweight to come through like he usually does, while Parris could deliver an upset blow for the Wolverines. 

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Mason Parris won the Cliff Keen-Las Vegas Invite with a 6-4 win over Northwestern's Lucas Davison in the finals

165-Pound Round Robin

The potential match between Michigan’s Cam Amine and Iowa’s Patrick Kennedy will complete a round-robin between three of the four best 165-pounders in the B10 conference. 

Penn State’s Alex Facundo has a tiebreaker win over Amine but has a tiebreaker loss to Kennedy. A win for Kennedy would be big since Amine has a win over Wisconsin’s Dean Hamiti and Hamiti has a win over Kennedy. 

It gets convoluted near the end of the season but here is a simple way to say it: Michigan needs Amine to win for the Wolverines to have a chance of knocking off the Hawkeyes. 

Styles Make Matchups

The 157-pound bout between Michigan’s Will Lewan and Iowa’s Cobe Siebrecht is a clash of styles. Lewan maintains solid position and keeps scoring to a minimum. Siebrecht’s go-for-broke style has made him a fan favorite with Hawkeye fans and many throughout the country. 

Which style will prevail? That's why you should tune in to find out.

#12 Michigan (9-3, 4-2) vs #2 Iowa (13-1, 6-1)
125: #22 Jack Medley (Michigan) vs #1 Spencer Lee (Iowa)
133: #11 Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) vs #13 Brody Teske (Iowa)
141: HM Cole Mattin or Pat Nolan (Michigan) vs #2 Real Woods (Iowa)
149: #16 Chance Lamer or Fidel Mayora (Michigan) vs #10 Max Murin (Iowa)
157: #9 Will Lewan (Michigan) vs #11 Cobe Siebrecht (Iowa)
165: #5 Cam Amine or Alex Wesselman (Michigan) or #9 Patrick Kennedy (Iowa)
174: Max Maylor (Michigan) vs #15 Nelson Brands (Iowa)
184: #8 Matt Finesliver (Michigan) vs Drake Rhodes (Iowa)
197: Brendan Yatooma (Michigan) vs #12 Jacob Warner (Iowa)
285: #1 Mason Parris (Michigan) vs #3 Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa)