Hot Streak Continues for Tom Brands as Iowa Hawkeyes Walk Off With Another Cleansweep in NCAA Arena

Tom Brands’ journey as the Hawkeyes’ wrestling coach has paid off successfully so far. In his tenure with the Hawkeyes, the wrestling program has won more than 200 titles. The wrestling sensation, Spencer Lee, is one of his notable trainees. Tom Brands himself was quite successful in wrestling for both his university programs and in national color. However, the wrestling legend still eyes for achieving larger glory and looks like he is on the right path ahead.

The Sunday wrestling clash against the in-state rival, Iowa Cyclones, posed as another success story of Tom Brands. But in the post-match press briefing, Brands expressed many statements that his pupils, as well as the wrestling fans, might remember as lessons. 

Tom Brands calls for improvement in Hawkeyes’ performance 

In the AMES arena, the Sunday duel between the no. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes and no. 8 Iowa Cyclones proved to be a stellar show of wrestling. Despite clinching 18 duals previously against the same opponent, the faceoff never felt like a cakewalk for the Hawkeyes. Head coach Tom Brands accepted this truth in the post-match press briefing. There, the former Olympic champion declared, “We were beat up in the stall call department and so we have a lot of work to do. That’s where I’m at.” Incidentally, the 18-14 victory in favor of the Hawkeyes showcases the hard-earned win against the Cyclones. 

In the IG post, the Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling has posted the clipping of the press brief with the caption,“Credit to our guys. Onward”. However, in that brief, Tom Brands accepted the wrestlers’ grit and determination to make a comeback in the match. Praising the Hawkeyes, the 55-year-old coach added,“We’re moving forward. This is important… Glory to God, credit to our guys, and we’re moving on.” However, without the mastermind of Brands, it might have been difficult for the Hawkeyes to come up with a triumph.

The tactical moves of Tom Brands in the duel

Despite mentioning the ‘Improvement’ call or the praising of his trainee wrestlers, Tom Brands made some mindful tactics in the Sunday match. Initially, the clash tilted towards the Hawkeyes camp as some back-to-back wins advanced Tom Brands’ team in the series. But in some parts of the middleweights, the Hawkeyes faced a steeper challenge from the Cyclones. At that moment, Tom Brands’ input played effectively. 

Read more: Ahead of Iowa Wrestling Derby, Watch Former World Champion Reminisce About the Almost Brawl Between ISU and Hawkeyes

In the final lineup, Tom Brands added the 2023 NCAA qualifier, Patrick Kennedy, at 174 pounds as a debutant. Due to that, Gabe Arnold shifted to 184 pounds. That posed a rippling factor as with Patrick and Gabe, Zach Glazier clinched victory in his 197 pounds category. 

Due to those tactical moves, the Hawkeyes gathered extra points that came as a difference between both teams. Now, if Tom Brands calls for an improvement for his team, that might not go unheard. 

What do you think are the chances of Hawkeyes this season? Let us know in the comments down below.

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