NCAA Wrestling Championships : Iowa St. in Good Position to End Iowa Winning Streak

Iowa State, trying to deny state rival Iowa a record 10th consecutive NCAA wrestling championship, built a seemingly comfortable 14 1/2-point lead Friday night over the Hawkeyes by winning all five of its semifinal matches.

The Cyclones, qualifying five finalists for the first time since 1972, built a 109-94 1/2 edge although Iowa won in four of its five semifinals.

“I feel a lot better now,” said Iowa State Coach Jim Gibbons, whose team was a disappointing fourth last year. “I thought tonight could decide it and I hope it does.”

“I’m not going to kill myself if we don’t win it,” Iowa Coach Dan Gable said.

About the only way Iowa could wrest the title away would be if the Hawkeyes beat Iowa State in their three head-to-head championship bouts and the Cyclones stumble in their other two matches.

In the only intra-Iowa semifinal, the unseeded John Heffernan (16-11-2) was an 8-0 loser to fourth-seeded Stewart Carter (31-6-2) of Iowa State at 158.

All-Iowa finals will match defending 126-pound champion Brad Penrith (14-2) of Iowa against No. 2 Bill Kelly (27-2-4); returning champion Jim Heffernan (36-2) of Iowa against top-seeded Tim Krieger (28-0) at 150, and top-seeded Royce Alger (34-0) against Iowa State’s No. 2 Kevin Jackson (30-2-1) at 167.

Jackson survived a 2-2, 1-1 criteria decision over Penn State senior Greg Elinsky in a match decided by an overtime riding time advantage.

Krieger, who has beaten Heffernan twice this season, was a 15-2 semifinal winner over Darrin Higgins of Oklahoma. Heffernan defeated No. 3 Jeff Jordan of Wisconsin, 6-3.

Oklahoma State, fourth in the team standings with 65 1/2 points to Penn State’s 72, received a blow when second-seeded Glenn Lanham (37-5-1) lost a criteria decision to Ken Haselrig of Clarion University at 158.

Lanham thought he was the winner and danced around the mat in delight, only to learn after an officials’ conference that Haselrig had a one-second riding time advantage that wasn’t recorded on the scoreboard.

The decision was upheld after a 30-minute meeting among tournament officials that delayed the remaining semifinals.