Ohio
No. 2 Iowa 24, No. 4 Ohio State 13: Passing the Test
No. 2 Iowa 24, No. 4 Ohio State 13: Passing the Test
#2 Iowa wrestling entered Saturday afternoon’s dual meet with #4 Ohio State undefeated on the season, 8-0 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten competition. But the Hawkeyes hadn’t faced much significant competition yet — certainly no opponents of the caliber of the 4th-ranked Buckeyes, who brought ranked wrestlers at nearly every weight, including five ranked in the top-10, into an early afternoon showdown in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
How would the Hawkeyes fare against a quality Buckeye squad? Would they able to pass the test?
Short answer: yes. Longer answer: Iowa answered the challenge of the Buckeyes and came away 24-13 winners, claiming victories n seven of 10 bouts, including upset wins to bookend the dual at 125 and 285, plus a key win in sudden victory at 184 to firmly swing the meet in Iowa’s favor. The Hawkeyes also got bonus points at 165 and 197 and generally looked good against the strongest opponent they’ve faced yet this season.
The dual meet began with the first of two notable upset wins, with #28 Joey Cruz upsetting #16 Brendan McCrone by a 6-4 decision. Cruz was the aggressor in the match from the start and got to McCrone’s legs with ease. He used those attacks to notch one takedown and nearly had another on the edge of the mat as time expired in the period. He did get a second takedown in the second period, extending his lead to 6-2.
The third period was all McCrone as he went on top to try and turn Cruz or get a pin; Cruz wasn’t able to get escape and his efforts to stymie McCrone did lead to a pair of stalling points being awarded to McCrone — but he never got put on his back and he was able to hold on for a 6-4 win. Cruz has picked up a few nice wins now and helped solidify 125, which was one of the bigger holes in Iowa’s lineup early in the season.
133 was expected to be one of the matches of the dual, pitting #3 Drake Ayala and #10 Nic Bouzakis. Instead, neither Ayala nor Bouzakis took the mat, giving way to Keyan Hernandez and Ben Davino instead. Davino took full advantage of the start and ran through Hernandez, logging four takedowns before getting a four-point tilt in the second period to end the match.
141 was more of the same, with #1 Jesse Mendez dominating #31 Ryder Block from start to finish. He worked a takedown clinic on Block and got a turn as well, though he wasn’t able to get Block on his back for a pin. Mendez was utterly dominant, though, and looked the part of the #1 guy at 141 lbs. That blowout win gave Ohio State a 10-3 win after three matches and put Iowa in catch-up mode.
Iowa’s comeback began at 149, where #2 Kyle Parco posted a solid 8-3 win over #9 Dylan D’Emilio. Parco got a takedown in the first and then racked up almost two minutes of riding time to firmly take control of the match. He extended his lead with another takdown (and a bit more riding time) in the third, though he wasn’t able to get one final takedown for a major decision win.
157 saw an individual comeback, as #1 Jacori Teemer made his on-mat return after missing over two months of action. Teemer sustained a leg injury against Iowa State in November and has been rehabbing ever since, but he was finally fit enough to return to action. He made a strong return as well, showcasing the explosive attacking ability that’s quickly made him a fan favorite. Teemer notched a takedown in each period, including a really impressive blast double in the second period, to earn a 10-5 win over #17 Sammy Sasso.
The Iowa comeback continued after intermission at 165, where #2 Michael Caliendo earned a methodical 11-3 major decision win over #9 Paddy Gallagher. Caliendo used some sharp leg attacks to get two takedowns in the first period, as well as one more in the third period to secure a bonus point. Caliendo’s win gave Iowa a 13-10 lead in the dual, its first since a 3-0 lead after 125.
That lead was short-lived, though, as the top-10 showdown at 174 went in favor of Ohio State. #6 Carson Kharchla knocked off #5 Patrick Kennedy 7-3 with takedowns in the first and second periods. This match looked like a toss-up before the dual and it largely played out that way, with the key difference being Kharchla’s ability to finish his attacks. Kennedy wasn’t able to get through Kharchla’s defense here; he’ll need to figure out something should he see Kharchla again at the Big Ten or NCAA Tournaments.
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Kharchla’s win left the dual tied at 13-all heading into 184, which proved to be the tightest match of the afternoon. #5 Gabe Arnold was able to get to #19 Ryder Rogotzke‘s legs early and often in the match — but he wasn’t able to finish. Rogotzke showed some impressive defense and scrambling ability in wriggling free from Arnold and ultimately the match went to sudden victory after they traded escapes in the second and third periods. In overtime, neither wrestler could gain an advantage — until a poor foot-sweep attempt by Rogotzke allowed Arnold to counter and blast through for the winning score.
After the drama at 184, #1 Stephen Buchanan ensured the dual meet win with a drama-free victory at 197. Buchanan blasted #17 Seth Shumate 18-1, opening up with a a pair of takedowns and a two-point tilt in the first period, adding another takedown in the second period, and then finishing the match with a takedown and another tilt in the third period. Buchanan has looked strong all season and Saturday’s match was an impressive showcase of his skill from neutral and on the mat.
The dual wrapped up with one final Iowa win, as #11 Ben Kueter added another upset win for the Hawkeyes by edging #6 Nick Feldman, 5-3, at 285. After a scoreless first period, the match sprung to life in the second period after a Kueter escape and takedown from a counter to one of Feldman’s attacks. Feldman was able to get a reversal on Kueter, though, before another Kueter escape made the match 5-2. Feldman added an escape in the third period but wasn’t able to get through Kueter’s hips or hand-fighting to pick up a takedown of his own. This was a key win for Kueter to prove his ability to defeat a top-10 heavyweight.
Overall, this was a strong performance by Iowa against a very credible opponent. Ohio State had a pair of technical fall wins, but one came against a backup (133) and the other involved OSU’s best wrestler and Iowa’s weakest weight (141). The only real disappointment for Iowa was Patrick Kennedy losing a close match at 174; Cruz and Kueter got strong wins, Caliendo and Buchanan dominated ranked opponents, Parco looked solid, Arnold got a dramatic victory, and Teemer looked strong in his return.
NEXT: The big-time duals keep coming, as #2 Iowa heads to Happy Valley to take on #1 Penn State (9-0, 3-0 Big Ten) on Friday night (6 PM CT, BTN).
How robots and AI are changing farming
Robotics and AI are reshaping how food is grown. An innovative robotics farm equipment company shares how AI is impacting the future of farming.
Bloomberg – Quicktake
A wind-swept blaze at an Ohio hog farm complex caused “catastrophic” damage and left thousands of pigs dead, fire officials said, marking another devastating barn inferno contributing to the deaths of millions of animals in recent years.
The massive fire occurred on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at Fine Oak Farms in Union Township, Madison County, located west of Ohio’s capital of Columbus, according to the Central Townships Joint Fire District. Fire crews received a report of a barn fire shortly before 12 p.m. local time.
The incident was later upgraded to a commercial structure fire after Chief Brian Bennington observed a “large column of smoke visible from a distance” and requested additional resources. Multiple local fire departments, along with several other emergency agencies, were called to the scene.
“What our crews encountered upon arrival was a very difficult and heartbreaking incident,” Bennington said in a statement on Feb. 26.
The fire chief described the facility as a large farm complex used for hog production consisting of five large agricultural buildings, including four that housed about 7,500 hogs. When crews arrived at the scene, they found two of the barns engulfed in flames, Bennington said.
Crews were challenged by windy conditions that significantly impacted fire suppression efforts, according to Bennington. Three barns were destroyed in the fire, and about 6,000 hogs and pigs were killed.
Firefighters saved one barn and about 1,500 hogs, the fire chief added. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Bennington highlighted the assistance of the farming community throughout Madison and Clark counties, as multiple farmers responded with water trucks to help with water supply efforts. “Rural Ohio’s agricultural community is tight-knit, and they truly step up when one of their own is in need,” he said.
The incident remains under investigation, and the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office will determine the fire’s cause and origin. Bennington said there is no suspicion of arson and no ongoing threat to the public at this time.
‘Rapidly changing fire behavior conditions’
Heavy smoke from the fire could be seen for miles, and Bennington said first-arriving units were met with fire conditions coming from the opposite side of the hog farm complex.
The fire chief noted that the incident required extensive water-shuttle operations due to rural water-supply limitations in the area. Crews attempted to cut the fire off by deploying multiple handlines and using an aerial device, but “faced extremely challenging conditions throughout the incident,” according to Bennington.
Sustained winds of about 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph accelerated the fire’s spread, Bennington said. The high winds made it “extremely difficult” to contain forward fire progression and created “rapidly changing fire behavior conditions” across the agricultural complex, he added.
After about four to five hours, the fire was contained by fire personnel from four different counties, according to the fire chief.
“Unfortunately, the fire resulted in catastrophic damage to the business,” Bennington said in an earlier statement on Feb. 25. “A significant portion of the agricultural structures were destroyed.”
Latest major fire to impact an Ohio hog farm
The incident at Fine Oak Farms is the latest major fire to cause significant damage to an Ohio hog farm in recent years.
In August 2024, about 1,100 pigs were killed in Versailles, a village about 50 miles northwest of Dayton, Ohio, according to data from the nonprofit Animal Welfare Institute. In March 2022, about 2,000 hogs died in a barn fire at Kenneth Scholl Hog Farm in Brown Township, just west of Columbus.
Before the fire at Fine Oak Farms, the Animal Welfare Institute reported that other barn fires in Ohio this year killed 162 sheep, horses, cows, chickens, and other animals.
Hundreds of thousands of animals killed in barn fires each year
Data from the Animal Welfare Institute shows that hundreds of thousands of animals are killed in barn fires across the country each year. Since 2013, over 9 million farm animals have been killed in barn fires, according to the organization.
As of Feb. 26, the Animal Welfare Institute reported that 118,738 farm animals have died in U.S. barn fires this year, including the incident at Fine Oak Farms. The majority of farm animals killed were chickens in separate incidents in North Carolina and Georgia in January, and another incident in Missouri earlier this month.
“Most fatal barn fires occurred in colder states, particularly the Upper Midwest and the Northeast. New York, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Illinois had the highest number of barn fires, respectively,” according to the organization. “The amount of cold weather a state experienced appeared to be a greater factor in the prevalence of barn fires than the intensity of a state’s animal agriculture production.”
In an updated report on farm animal deaths due to barn fires in 2025, the Animal Welfare Institute said more than 2.53 million farm animals were killed in barn fires from 2022 to 2024. The organization noted that the high death toll was “driven primarily” by fires at large operations that housed several thousand to over 1 million farm animals.
The majority of deaths in these incidents during that period, over 98%, were farmed birds, such as chickens and turkeys, according to the Animal Welfare Institute. But in 2023, a massive fire at a west Texas dairy farm became the single deadliest event involving livestock in the state’s history and the deadliest cattle fire in America in at least a decade.
18,000 head of cattle perished in the fire at the South Fork Dairy farm near Dimmitt, Texas. At the time, Roger Malone, who is the former mayor of Dimmitt, called the incident “mind-boggling.”
“I don’t think it’s ever happened before around here. It’s a real tragedy,” Malone said.
Contributing: Rick Jervis, USA TODAY; Shahid Meighan, Columbus Dispatch
Trump announces ‘War on Fraud’ at State of the Union 2026
President Donald Trump announced a “War on Fraud” during his State of the Union address, saying it’d be spearheaded by Vice President JD Vance.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose discussed voter fraud and Ohio’s efforts to prevent it during a recent radio appearance.
LaRose appeared on “The Bill Cunningham” radio show, where he defended the state’s efforts to minimize voter fraud. A clip posted on X shows audio of LaRose arguing that policies aimed at preventing voter fraud are necessary even though cases are rare.
Here’s what to know.
Secretary of State Frank LaRose says voter fraud in Ohio is rare, compares prevention efforts to TSA security
In the clip, LaRose says that Democrats claim voter fraud is rare, and should be ignored.
“The left claims that voter fraud is rare, so we should just ignore it,” he said. “Well, airplane hijackings are also rare — we don’t abolish the TSA. The reason why we keep voter fraud rare in states like Ohio because we do these very things that they’re trying to take away from me.”
LaRose announced the inaugural meeting of the new Ohio Election Integrity Commission, which replaces what he called the flawed Ohio Elections Commission, in January 2026. The new committee, he says, will be used in “enforcing Ohio’s election laws, reviewing alleged violations, and ensuring accountability in matters relating to voting.”
In October 2025, LaRose said that he forwarded more than 1,000 cases of voter fraud to the U.S. Department of Justice. The cases involved 1,084 noncitizen individuals who appear to have registered to vote unlawfully in Ohio, and 167 noncitizens who appear to have also cast a ballot in a federal election since 2018.
In February 2026, President Donald Trump said Republicans should “nationalize” elections. He also accused Democrats of bringing migrants into the United States to illegally vote, a claim that is not backed by evidence, USA TODAY reports.
Voter fraud in the U.S. is considered rare nationwide, according to NPR, but there are still debates from both political sides on how frequently it occurs.
What is voter fraud?
Electoral fraud is defined as illegally interfering with the process of an election, according to Ballotpedia. This includes in-person voter fraud, absentee or mail ballots and illegal voter suppression.
Criminal penalties can include fines or imprisonment for up to five years, according to U.S. code. In Ohio, election interference can carry a felony of the fourth degree, according to Ohio Code.
Voter fraud is often a topic of debate among Democrats and Republicans, where organizations such as the conservative Heritage Foundation maintains a database claiming to show nearly 1,500 cases of election fraud since the year 2000.
Meanwhile, research by law professor Justin Leavitt published in 2014 found 31 cases of in-person voter fraud among billions of ballots cast from 2000–2014, according to Ballotpedia.
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Olivia Olson scored a career-high 31 points and hit the game-winning jumper as No. 8 Michigan edged No. 13 Ohio State 88-86 in overtime in a Big Ten classic in Columbus, Ohio.
Olson also had nine rebounds while Syla Swords added 22 points for the Wolverines (23-5, 14-3 Big Ten), who moved ahead of Iowa for second place in the conference behind UCLA.
Swords’ 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in regulation seemed to decide it, but a foul by Brooke Daniels with no time left saved the Buckeyes. Jaloni Cambridge (22 points) sank three straight free throws to force the extra session.
Ohio State (23-6, 12-5) then forged an eight-point lead with 1:40 left in overtime before the Wolverines came all the way back.
Macy Brown scored eight straight for Michigan, including two triples, to tie it 86-all with 15 seconds remaining and set up Olson’s game-winner.
Horizon League men
Oakland 86, (at) IU Indy 74: Oakland (16-14, 12-7 HL) picked up its 12th conference win of the season and defeated IU Indy (7-23, 3-16 HL).
Oakland maintained a steady performance, scoring 43 points in both halves and dominating the paint with 60 points, never trailing at any point of the game.
“The first seven minutes of this game, we played really good basketball,” head coach Greg Kampe said. “We needed to get that confidence back in ourselves, playing good again right into March. Today we were really good.
“We guarded really well, we guarded with physicality today, we guarded with energy, we flew through the passing lanes. And the big thing is, we followed the game plan.”
Senior Brody Robinson led the way with 19 points, including two three-pointers from beyond the arc, and recorded a career-high 13 assists, to land him in the program’s top-10 in a single game in the Division I era.
As losses mount, Bulls ‘move forward’
The Chicago Bulls look to avoid matching the third-longest losing streak in franchise history when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.
Chicago has dropped 10 straight games this month since last winning against the Miami Heat on Jan. 31.
The Bulls are 0-4 on a seven-game homestand as the Charlotte Hornets ran roughshod at Chicago with a 131-99 victory Tuesday.
Chicago revamped its roster at the trading deadline with players like Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Kevin Huerter going to new destinations.
Roles have changed and the club is without recent acquisitions Jaden Ivey (left knee) and Anfernee Simons (fractured left wrist) due to injuries. Collin Sexton also was acquired during the flurry of activity.
“The trades happened. You’ve got to move forward and you’ve got to figure it out,” second-year forward Matas Buzelis told reporters. “I know we are capable when we are on the same page. We have to come in every day ready to work and try to get better. When you trade half the team and bring in new guys, it’s tough. But it’s no excuse.
“When we control the things we can control, we are going to be a great team. (Coach) Billy (Donovan) always says you get 10 guys who are on the same page and ready to fight and you can win anything.”
Buzelis exploded with a career-best 32 points during the loss to the Hornets. He knocked down six 3-pointers – his second most of the season – while topping 20 points for the third time this month.
The 21-year-old from Lithuania is averaging 15.3 points while starting all 59 games.
“I am going to be what the team needs me to be,” Buzelis said. “If that’s scoring, that’s what it’s going to be. I try to figure out during the game what the team needs.”
Local schedules
Men
Wednesday
▶ Oakland 86, IU Indy 74
▶ Robert Morris 73, Detroit Mercy 62
Thursday
▶ Michigan State at Purdue, 8
▶ Ferris State at Grand Valley State, 7:30
▶ Parkside at Michigan Tech, 7:30
▶ Roosevelt at Northern Michigan, 7:30
▶ Lake Superior State at Wayne State, 7:30
▶ Saginaw Valley State at Purdue Northwest, 8
Friday
▶ Michigan at Illinois, 8
▶ Miami at Western Michigan, 6
Saturday
▶ Parkside at Northern Michigan, 3
▶ Roosevelt at Michigan Tech, 3
▶ Ferris State at Davenport, 3
▶ Saginaw Valley State at Wayne State, 3
▶ Lake Superior State at Purdue Northwest, 4
▶ Central Michigan at Buffalo, 2
▶ Detroit Mercy at Oakland, 3
Women
Wednesday
Michigan 88, Ohio State 86 (OT)
Western Michigan 58, Buffalo 43
Miami 78, Eastern Michigan 60
Central Michigan 68, Toledo 64
Youngstown State 72, Detroit Mercy 60
Northern Kentucky 84, Oakland 59
Thursday
Ferris State at Grand Valley State, 5:30
Parkside at Michigan Tech, 5:30
Roosevelt at Northern Michigan, 5:30
Lake Superior State at Wayne State, 5:30
Saginaw Valley State at Purdue Northwest, 6
Saturday
Maryland at Michigan, 2:30
Roosevelt at Michigan Tech, 1
Parkside at Northern Michigan, 1
Ferris State at Davenport, 1
Saginaw Valley State at Wayne State, 1
Lake Superior State at Purdue Northwest, 2
Massachesetts at Western Michigan, noon
Central Michigan at Kent State, 1
Eastern Michigan at Northern Illinois, 2
Northern Kentucky at Detroit Mercy, 1
Oakland at Cleveland State, 2
Sunday
Ohio State at Michigan State, noon
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