As per the 2024 Coaches Poll released earlier this year, Penn State and Iowa Hawkeyes reign supreme among the collegiate wrestling teams. Being one of the most successful NCAA Division I athletics programs, Iowa Hawkeyes features an astonishing record of 37 Big Ten Conference wins and 24 National Championships wins. Once again, Iowa Hawkeyes will be embarking on the road to add another Big Ten Conference win to their collection. But the Pre-seeding of the tournament is somewhat disappointing for the team.

Iowa is packed with powerful wrestlers in different weight categories. Despite that, none of them came out as top-seed. A recent post gave out the pre-seeding scenario that pointed to the outcome.

Big Ten Wrestling’s shocking lineup

Recently, Big Ten Wrestling released the conference tournament pre-seed ahead of the championships on Monday. To share the revelation for Iowa Hawkeyes’ lineup for the postseason, Wrestling Grind took it to their official Twitter account and posted a picture of pre-seed. Besides this, they also penned “174-285.”

As per the update, it has been confirmed that the true freshman Gabe Arnold (184) and Ben Kueter (285) are not among the starting 10. Barring any last-minute changes because of sudden injuries, both Arnold and Kueter will be retaining all four years of eligibility and are set to be red-shirted this season.

In the 184-pound weight category, Aiden Riggins will be the starter for the team as the 13th seed. Meanwhile, red-shirt freshman Bradley Hill, the seventh seed in the competition, will participate at heavyweight. On the other hand, at the 133-pound weight class, Brody Teske will earn a spot over Cullan Schriver and will be coming up as the 14th seed. However, all these lineups are temporary. One major reason for the anticipation in Iowa camp is Caleb Rathjen, Zach Glazier, Bradley Hill, and Aiden Riggins, who will debut at the upcoming event. Amid all this, there is a simmering discontent in Iowa’s camp.

What is the major attraction at Iowa Hawkeyes in the Big Ten?

The Iowa senior, Brody Teske, has obtained a 14 pre-seed status in the 133 pounds for the upcoming Big Ten Championships. But he seems to be unfazed by it. To express his disregard for the lower seedings, Teske explained, “I’ve prepared to be wrestling in championship season. That’s where we’re at. As far as the seeding and all that stuff goes. It’s championship season for a reason…when you get to come and just lay down, nobody’s everyone’s coming to fight. And so you’re ready to bring the fight and if you’re not, you probably should stay home.”

Tom Brands also has his take on the matter. “There’s funny things that go on,” Brands said, referring to this. Interestingly, Teske’s journey at Iowa has made him grapple with several weight classes such as 133 and 141, showcasing his adaptability and astonishing record of 5-3 in duals. However, the recent lineup is subject to change.

Read More: Watch: Maryland Wrestling Star’s Jaw-Dropping Maneuver on NCAA Finalist Earns a Well-Deserved Weekly Honor

According to the NCAA’s pre-allocations, the Hawkeyes will be automatically qualifying eight out of ten wrestlers if the seeds hold. Now, Teske and Riggins are either required to outperform their seeds or receive an at-large bid to secure their spots at the NCAA Championships this year. Interestingly, there are 47 at-large bids available across all ten weights to add an extra layer of complexity to their qualification process.

Also Read: 70% of the Wrestling World Crowns Iowa vs Iowa State As the Biggest NCAA Rivalry. But Why?