Several University of Iowa Athletic teams were in action over the weekend. Here are your major storylines after a busy weekend in Iowa sports.
Iowa Baseball dominates Rutgers in their first Big Ten series
Iowa Baseball opened Big Ten play on a strong note. The Hawkeyes traveled to New Jersey over the weekend to take on Rutgers in a three-game series. Iowa dropped the opening game 5-4, but dominated the Scarlet Knights in the final two games.
The Hawkeyes took game two 16-0 after an offensive explosion. They hit six home runs in the game en route to the victory. Junior Aaron Savary got the start and pitched a shoutout through five innings, striking out six.
Savary improved to 3-0 on the season after the win and was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week after his performance.
Iowa took the series finale 12-6 with another offensive explosion. They accumulated nine hits, including three home runs in their second straight blowout victory.
The Hawkeyes head home for their next game on Tuesday, March 11, at 4:30 p.m. Central Time.
Iowa Men's Basketball knocks off Nebraska in Lincoln
It took until the final game of the regular season, but the Iowa Hawkeyes Men's Basketball team punched their ticket to the Big Ten Tournament on Sunday. The Hawkeyes got the job done against rival Nebraska in a winner-take-all game.
Iowa went into Lincoln on the verge of missing the Big Ten Tournament and pulled off a stunning 83-68 win.
Payton Sandfort led the Hawkeyes with 22 points and eight rebounds. His brother, Pryce Sandfort, added 16 points and 11 rebounds, his first double-double of the season. Josh Dix also added 15 points.
Iowa will travel to Indianapolis on March 12 for its next contest. The 15-seed Hawkeyes will take on the 10-seed Ohio State Buckeyes at around 5:00 p.m. Central Time.
Iowa Women's Wrestling wins back-to-back National Titles
Iowa Women's Wrestling was crowned National Champions for the second straight year following a dominating performance. They scored 201.5 total points, 20.5 more points than second-place finisher, North Central.
Top-ranked Macey Kilty (145 pounds) and Kylie Welker (180 pounds) dominated their matchups, winning championships in each weight class. Welker became the first Hawkeye to win back-to-back titles.
Junior Kennedy Blades (160 pounds) was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler as she dominated her weight class en route to a perfect season.
The Hawkeyes finished with three individual champions, and all 15 wrestlers were named All-Americans.
Iowa Men's Wrestling finishes third at the Big Ten Tournament
Iowa Men's wrestling finished their weekend at the Big Ten Tournament in disappointing fashion. Top-seeded Drake Ayala (125 pounds) and Stephen Buchanan (197 pounds) came up short in their championship matches and finished as runners-up.
Second-seeded Michael Caliendo dropped his match 4-1 in the 165-pound championship match. He was defeated by No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink of Penn State
Second-seeded Kyle Parco dropped his third-place match 13-0 at 149 pounds. He was defeated by No.1 Shayne Van Ness of Penn State.
Seven-seed Ben Kueter upset three-seed Joshua Heindselman in the third-place match for the heavyweight division. He won with a 2-1 decision.
The Hawkeyes will attempt to put their bad Big Ten Tournament behind them as they travel to Philadelphia for the NCAA Championships on March 20.