Illinois @ Iowa

Iowa Men's Wrestling picked up a 28-6 win over Illinois Men's Wrestling at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City on January 17, 2025. The Hawks piled up the bulk of their points with bonus victories, while Illinois managed a handful of decisions that were not enough to counter Iowa’s extra-team-point output.

The biggest individual result came at 165 pounds where Michael Caliendo overwhelmed Braeden Scoles, posting a 20-4 technical fall that supplied five team points and put Iowa well in control. That technical fall was the single most consequential margin of victory on the night and created separation Illinois never overcame.

Joey Cruz at 125 and Stephen Buchanan II at 197 each added major decisions, Cruz winning 13-3 and Buchanan II taking a 13-2 decision, worth four team points apiece. Those three bonus wins accounted for 13 of Iowa’s team points and defined the dual, giving the Hawks the cushion they needed to cruise to the final margin.

With Iowa racking up multiple bonus results and Illinois unable to match them, the meet never tightened after those finishes. The 28-6 final reflects Iowa’s ability to turn dominant individual outcomes into a decisive dual victory at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.