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Champs! Iowa claims team national title in wrestling

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

The Iowa wrestling team is bringing a national championship back to Iowa City.

On Saturday, the Hawkeyes clinched the 2021 NCAA national championship following the medal round of the tournament. They edged out Penn State and Oklahoma State, creating enough separation on Saturday afternoon to claim the title.

Iowa’s national championship is the 24th in program history. It’s the fourth title under head coach Tom Brands.

“We were one for three in the finals. There is a lot of processing going on here,” said head coach Tom Brands, per HawkeyeSports.com. “I think it’s time to enjoy. That’s hard for me to say but as a leader of the program I have to steer it that way because our fan base has craved this. This isn’t automatic. This was earned.”

This year’s championship is Iowa’s first since 2010.

“It’s been 11 years since a real important trophy has been in Iowa City,” Brands said. “And this team, the 35 guys back in that wrestling room and these 10 guys here, and this coaching staff and administration, brought a trophy back that is important to our fan base. That has got to be said. Is there relief, not really, but there is joy.”

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB