The 2023 NCAA Wrestling Event is over and, sadly, it didn’t finish on a excessive notice for Iowa wrestling. The Hawkeyes positioned one wrestler in Saturday night time’s last session, #1 Actual Woods at 141 lbs. Woods was dealing with #2 Andrew Alirez of Northern Colorado within the night time’s solely matchup of unbeaten wrestlers. Sadly, Woods was not capable of turn into an NCAA champion, struggling a slender 6-4 defeat within the last.

The primary interval featured a whole lot of circling and a whole lot of hand-fighting. Woods typically managed the middle of the mat and regarded for low-angle assaults, however neither wrestler was capable of create many really threatening assaults. The interval ended 0-0.

Alirez selected the down place to begin the second interval, which was an fascinating alternative, given Woods’ potent abilities from the highest place. Woods has been efficient at each using opponents to build up using time this season and (extra importantly) getting tilts to attain close to fall factors. Woods’ tilt approach is similar to the trapped arm tilts that Spencer Lee has mastered down at 125 lbs, and simply as efficient.

Woods was capable of put his prime recreation abilities to make use of within the second interval. He rode Alirez exhausting and racked up over 90 seconds of using time. Close to the top of that experience, he additionally lastly managed to tilt Alirez for 2 near-fall factors, after Alirez had blocked a number of earlier makes an attempt. These swipes put Woods up 2-0, however as he was going for extra, Alirez was capable of pressure a reversal when Woods went for a physique lock as a substitute of conceding the escape.

Alirez was not solely capable of get a reversal, he was additionally capable of expose Woods’ again to the mat for near-fall swipes of his personal. The official initially mentioned he received simply two swipes, which was challenged by the Northern Colorado coaches, who argued that he ought to have obtained 4 near-fall factors. The problem led to a prolonged video evaluation by the centralized evaluation panel on the NCAA Event.

The evaluation course of took virtually so long as the match itself (it was over six minutes) and in the end resulted within the name on the mat being overturned and Alirez being awarded 4 near-fall factors. Was that the proper name? It regarded very shut. Alirez could have had Woods’ again uncovered for 4 counts, however it additionally appeared like Woods was repositioning himself close to the top of the rely. Regardless, the four-count was given, which made the rating 6-2 in favor of Alirez with beneath 30 seconds remaining within the interval.

Woods received a fast escape after the restart, however was unable to transform any assaults earlier than the interval ended. Trailing 6-3 getting into the third interval, Woods selected the down place. He received an escape to chop Alirez’s result in 6-4, although it got here after his using time benefit had been erased. Nonetheless, a takedown and a ride-out can be sufficient for Woods to win the match — and the NCAA title. Sadly, Woods spent an excessive amount of time in underhooks and tied up with Alirez and he was unable to get to his opponent’s legs and rating a takedown.

Alirez did not make any notable assaults within the third interval, and obtained no stall warnings, although most of Woods’ tried assaults had been half-shots, which is never sufficient to generate a stall name from the officers. Woods additionally trailed by two factors, so a single stall level would nonetheless have left him down a degree within the match.

Woods’ power all season got here from racking up massive level totals early in matches. He was glorious at getting no less than one first-period takedown, and he usually managed to get near-fall factors off tilts after these takedowns. That gameplan did not work on this match as Woods wasn’t capable of get to Alirez’s legs within the first interval and could not end any assaults.

It was a disappointing method for Woods’ season to finish, however it was nonetheless an excellent season general. Woods, who transferred from Stanford after final season, wrestled brilliantly this season, gained a Massive Ten championship, and had his best-ever end on the NCAA Event. Now the mission is to take a step up the rostrum subsequent season and turn into an NCAA champion. Congratulations to Woods on a powerful season, and this is hoping for a fair higher one subsequent 12 months.

The remainder of the NCAA Event wrapped up on Saturday morning, with the medal matches. Iowa had 5 wrestlers within the comfort bracket to enter the day, though solely 4 wrestled. Spencer Lee medically forfeited each of his comfort spherical matches and completed in sixth place. He was reported to be in attendance on the BOK Heart and cheering on his teammates within the comfort semifinals and finals.

When it comes to these outcomes:

And within the third and fifth place matches:

After a superb comfort spherical session final night time (6-0), this morning’s matches had been extra of a wrestle. Tony Cassioppi was the one Iowa wrestler to win his semifinal and put himself into the third place match, choosing up a cushty 4-0 determination win over Missouri’s Zach Elam. Cassioppi did not fare as properly within the third place match, the place he turned the most recent foe to get caught by Air Pressure‘s Wyatt Hendrickson, one in all school wrestling’s most prolific pinners this season (17 complete).

Max Murin had a tough morning, dropping each the comfort semifinal and the fifth place match, however he ought to nonetheless maintain his head excessive for deservedly incomes All-America honors. He wrestled properly at this match and some losses on the finish of the comfort bracket do not change that.

Nelson Manufacturers and Jacob Warner had been capable of finish their NCAA Tournaments with victories and fifth place finishes. Manufacturers used a powerful assault in extra time to knock off Oklahoma State’s Dustin Plott, whereas Jacob Warner bounced again from an early 2-0 deficit to document a straightforward 7-3 victory because of a pair of escapes, a takedown, a two-point close to fall, and an escape level. Job properly achieved to each Manufacturers and Warner, who far exceeded their seeds with their finishes at this 12 months’s NCAA Event.