Sports Briefs
8 wrestlers earn medals
Eight current and former Hawkeyes earned medals in national and international competition at their respective weight classes over this past weekend.
Former Hawkeye Steve Mocco won the 120 kg (265 pounds) gold medal in men’s freestyle at the 2009 Pan American Senior Championships in Maracaibo, Venezuela. He was the only one of the seven-member United States men’s freestyle team to win a gold medal. Mocco pinned Canada’s Michael Neufeld in the first period of the championship match.
Another ex-Hawkeye, Eric Luedke, placed second at 84 kg (185 pounds), losing 2-0, 6-0 to R. Salas Perez of Cuba. Hawkeye junior Brent Metcalf went 3-1 to tie for a bronze medal at 66 kg (145 pounds).
The United States team was coached by former Hawkeye Bill Zadick and placed second with 62 points. Cuba was the champion with 68 points.
Junior Ryan Morningstar was among five Hawkeyes who competed at the ASICS University men’s freestyle national championships in Akron, Ohio, last weekend, placing second at 74 kg (163 pounds). He lost a 1-0, 4-2 decision to Lloyd Rogers, who was competing unattached, in the championship match. Redshirt freshman Jordan Johnson placed third at 120 kg, juniors Dan LeClere (66 kg) and Jake Kerr (74 kg) both placed sixth, and sophomore Matt Ballweg placed seventh at 70 kg.
— by Zach Smith
Weil honored again
Iowa senior pitcher Brittany Weil was named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week for the third time this season on Monday. It is the eighth time in her Hawkeye career she has won the award.
She picked up three wins last week in a Hawkeye victory over Northern Iowa and a sweep of Indiana. In 11 innings, two relief appearances and one start, Weil (22-7) allowed no runs while striking out 19 batters and giving up only four hits.
Northwestern’s Eileen Canney and Michigan’s Marissa Young are the only players to have garnered Pitcher of the Week accolades more times than Weil, both having received the honor nine times.
In 2008, Weil won the award four times, more than any Iowa pitcher in a single season.
She is seventh on the list of all-time strikeouts in the Big Ten, and she became Iowa’s career strikeout record holder earlier this month.
— by Mike Slusark
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