Jesse Mendez after his final home match as a Buckeye. Ohio State defeated Iowa on senior night at the Covelli Center Friday. Credit: Dominic Ferraro | Lantern Photogtapher
Inside the sold-out Covelli Center, filled to the top with white shirts, the once lively crowd shifted uneasily as Ohio State dropped its third straight bout.
Tension filled the air.
Then Dylan Fishback walked to the mat.
While seven regulation minutes weren’t enough for a victory, an overtime video review determined Fishback beat Gabe Arnold by a split-second to secure a takedown to win the Buckeyes first bout.
From that moment on, the Buckeyes never looked back.
No. 2 Ohio State continued its undefeated season by winning the last seven bouts to beat No. 5 Iowa 24-9 Friday night on senior night.
“People come to these events ready to explode,” Coach Tom Ryan said. “That was great and the eruption that really brought the place to life.”
Iowa struck first at 157, where Victor Voinovich defeated Maddox Shaw 5-1 to give the Hawkeyes an early 3-0 lead.
At the 165, the Hawkeyes doubled their lead, as No. 3 Michael Caliendo defeated E’Than Birden in an 8-2 decision after getting two early takedowns in the first period.
The early deficit continued in the top five-matchup at 174, as No. 3 Patrick Kennedy outlasted No. 5 Carson Kharchla in a 2-1 decision, digging the Buckeyes into a 9-0 hole as they searched for a spark.
“Carson does a really good job of when the lows get lows figuring out how to get his feet back under him,” Jesse Mendez said. “I have no doubt that even with a loss tonight he’s going to bounce back and it’s a good thing it doesn’t matter until March.”
Then Fishback flipped the script.
From there on, momentum carried into 197, where No. 10 Luke Geog controlled the pace. He scored an early takedown in the first period, added another in the second, and two more in the third, defeating Brody Sampson by major decision, 13-4. Ohio State trailed just 9-7 at the break.
The Buckeyes took their first lead at heavyweight as No. 3 Nick Feldman edged Ken Kueter 3-2.
At 125, No. 2 Nic Bouzakis continued the surge. He scored a takedown and four nearfall points within the first minute against No. 6 Dean Peterson, building a 7-1 lead and winning 9-5 to push Ohio State ahead 13-9.
No. 2 Ben Davino followed at 133, earning an escape and takedown in the second period against No. 9 Drake Ayala. Davino held on for a 4-2 decision, extending the lead to 16-9.
In his final home dual, No. 1-ranked Jesse Mendez delivered the clincher at 141. He scored two takedowns in the first period, added more offense in the second and sealed a 21-3 technical fall with a takedown and four-point nearfall.
“I was a little emotional today,” Mendez said. “It’s tough knowing this was my last one. I’m just so grateful to have ended up at Ohio State.”
At 149, No. 7 Ethan Stiles capped the night with a sudden-victory win over No. 18 Ryder Block, securing the 24-9 final.
Ohio State travels to Rec Hall next Friday to face No. 1 Penn State in a matchup that will decide the Big Ten regular-season title. The dual is scheduled for 7 p.m.
