No. 2 Ohio State Completes Home Season Undefeated, Down No. 5 Iowa, 24-9

Friday, February 6

Columbus, Ohio

8 p.m.

Ohio State

University of Iowa

Photo by: Ohio State Athletics

Photo by: Ohio State Athletics

Photo by: Jay LaPrete

Photo by: Ohio State Athletics

Photo by: Jay LaPrete

No. 2 Ohio State Completes Home Season Undefeated, Down No. 5 Iowa, 24-9

2/6/2026 10:37:00 PM | Wrestling

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17-0 start best in program history

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No. 2 Ohio State (17-0, 6-0) concluded the home portion of the 2026 season Friday with a 24-9 win against No. 5 Iowa (9-5, 2-3) at the sold out Covelli Center (4,749).

Ohio State completed the home schedule undefeated (7-0) at the Covelli Center for the first time. The 17-0 overall start to the 2025-26 season is the best in program history.

Starting at 157 pounds, Iowa took a 9-0 lead with three wins by decision. Ohio State then scored 24-unanswered points for the victory.

Thank you to our five seniors, who are leaving an incredibly special legacy here at Ohio State! We are extremely proud to be able to call them Buckeyes for life ???????#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/VvPoavTrm7
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) February 7, 2026

157 - Victor Voinovich III (IOWA) def. Maddox Shaw (OSU), D, 5-1
The first period ended scoreless. Voinovich got the first score with an escape to start the second. He added a takedown for a 4-0 advantage midway through the period to lead after five minutes. Shaw escaped to begin the third to make it 4-1 Hawkeyes. With a point for riding time, Voinovich got the win by decision, 5-1.

165 - (3) Michael Caliendo (IOWA) def. e'Than Birden (OSU), D, 8-2
Caliendo opened with a takedown. Birden scored with an escape. Caliendo added a takedown to lead 6-1 after the first three minutes. Caliendo added an escape to open the second for a 7-1 lead after two periods. Birden added an escape to make it 7-2 Iowa. With a point for riding time, Caliendo got the win by decision, 8-2.

174 - (3) Patrick Kennedy (IOWA) def. (5) Carson Kharchla (OSU), D, 2-1
Neither wrestler was able to put points on the board in the opening three minutes. Kharchla chose down to start the second and got the escape point for a 1-0 lead. The match stopped briefly for a Kharchla injury timeout and after the break, Kennedy tied the match with an escape. Kennedy chose bottom to open the third and escaped for a 2-1 lead. Kharchla got in on an attack but did not get the takedown to fall by decision, 2-1.

184 - (7) Dylan Fishback (OSU) def. Gabe Arnold (IOWA), SV, 4-1
Arnold scored with an escape to start the second after a scoreless opening period. Fishback evened the match at 1-all with a third period escape. The match then went to sudden victory where Arnold got a takedown. The call was reviewed and it was determined that Fishback got the takedown first for the win by decision, 4-1

197 - (10) Luke Geog (OSU) def. Brody Sampson (IOWA), MD, 13-4
Geog put three on the board after 30 seconds with a takedown. Sampson added an escape to make it 3-1. Geog opened the second with an escape for a 4-1 advantage. Geog earned another takedown for a 7-1 lead. Sampson escaped to make it 7-2 Buckeyes after two periods. Sampson chose bottom to start the third and escaped. Geog added two more takedowns to get the 13-4 win by major decision.

??????#GoBucks https://t.co/0DOdPJlUBG pic.twitter.com/KAY4I45EkK
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) February 7, 2026

HWT - (3) Nick Feldman (R-Jr.) def. (8) Ken Kueter (IOWA), D, 3-2
The second half of the match started with a scoreless opening period between the heavyweights. Kueter opened the second period with an escape before a Feldman takedown and Kueter escape made it 3-2, Feldman. There was no scoring in the third for a 3-2 win by decision for the Buckeyes.

125 - (2) Nic Bouzakis (OSU) def. (6) Dean Peterson (IOWA), D, 9-5
Bouzakis put Peterson on his back for a takedown and four-point nearfall for a 7-1 lead after a Peterson escape. Bouzakis escaped to open the second. Peterson scored with a takedown to make it 8-4 Buckeyes. Bouzakis escaped for a 9-4 lead going to the third. Peterson added an escape point but Bouzakis got the win by decision, 9-5.

133 - (2) Ben Davino (OSU) def. (9) Drake Ayala (IOWA), D, 4-2
Davino opened the scoring in the second period with an escape and takedown for a 4-1 lead following an Ayala escape. Ayala added an escape to open the third. That was the end of the scoring in a 4-2 Davino win by decision.

141 - (1) Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. Kale Petersen (IOWA), TF, 21-3
In the final home dual of his career, Mendez got the first takedown for a 3-1 lead. Another takedown made it 6-1 Mendez after three minutes.From down, Mendez added an escape and takedown for a 10-1 advantage after five minutes. Petersen escaped before getting a stall called against him. . Mendez added a takedown for a 14-3 lead. Mendez added another takedown and a four-point nearfall in a 21-3 win by technical fall.

Baddest. Man. Alive. #GoBucks https://t.co/ND77lNiMDs pic.twitter.com/VuCpKCjcOz
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) February 7, 2026

149 -(4) Ethan Stiles (OSU) def. (18) Ryder Block (IOWA), SV, 4-1
Block scored first in the second period with an escape to go the third leading 1-0. Stiles tied it at 1-all with an escape in the third to send the match to sudden victory. Stiles then got the win with a takedown, 4-1.

That's the way to close out the home schedule ??#GoBucks https://t.co/IY07oWW40u pic.twitter.com/oBs0QmPlCk
— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) February 7, 2026

Up Next: No. 2 Ohio State travels to face No. 1 Penn State in State College next Friday (7 p.m./BTN).

Wt.	No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 5 Iowa	OSU	IOWA
157	Victor Voinovich III (IOWA) def. Maddox Shaw (OSU), D, 5-1	0	3
165	(3) Michael Caliendo (IOWA) def. e'Than Birden (OSU), D, 8-2	0	6
174	(3) Patrick Kennedy (IOWA) def. (5) Carson Kharchla (OSU), D, 2-1	0	9
184	(7) Dylan Fishback (OSU) def. Gabe Arnold (IOWA), SV, 4-1	3	9
197	(10) Luke Geog (OSU) def. Brody Sampson (IOWA), MD, 13-4	7	9
HWT	(3) Nick Feldman (R-Jr.) def. (8) Ken Kueter (IOWA), D, 3-2	10	9
125	(2) Nic Bouzakis (OSU) def. (6) Dean Peterson (IOWA), D, 9-5	13	9
133	(2) Ben Davino (OSU) def. (9) Drake Ayala (IOWA), D, 4-2	16	9
141	(1) Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. Kale Petersen (IOWA), TF, 21-3	21	9
149	(4) Ethan Stiles (OSU) def. (18) Ryder Block (IOWA), SV, 4-1	24	9
	Attendance: 4,749 (Sellout)