The math is not friendly.
Iowa’s upperclassmen-led lineup is broad and stacked. Most of their 10 qualifiers navigated their 5-dual season unscathed, and the Big Ten Tournament wasn’t much more of an impediment. The Hawks placed four Champs, two seconds, two thirds and one fourth. As such, they earned high seeds for this week’s National Tournament in St. Louis.
Penn State didn’t fare as well.
The young Lions contested six dual meets this season, but struggled to get their 125-pounder into the lineup early, and their heavyweight surprised everyone when he toed the line in the last dual of the season.