ST. LOUIS — With a team championship out of reach, Iowa wrestled on Saturday to salvage some self-respect.
Sure, Friday night at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships was a gigantic letdown, with top-ranked Thomas Gilman getting upset and stars Brandon Sorensen and Sam Brooks ending the semifinals on their backs.
But instead of ducking for cover, the Hawkeyes decided to leave Scottrade Center with their heads held high. Gilman, Sorensen and redshirt freshman Michael Kemerer claimed the top consolation prizes, and it pushed Iowa into team trophy territory.
“I don’t know the last time I got pinned,” Sorensen said Saturday afternoon after his third-place finish at 149 pounds.