Patrick Rhoads followed his pigtail victory with a 7-4 win over last year’s 149-pound starter Mike Kelly during the second day of wrestle-offs for the University of Iowa wrestling program Friday at Dan Gable Wrestling Complex at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City.

Freshmen Cory Clark (125) and Sam Brooks (184) were also impressive. Clark edged another highly-touted  freshman, Thomas Gilman, 3-1, in sudden victory. He will face two-time  NCAA champion Matt McDonough on Saturday, which begins at 8:30 a.m. with doors opening at 7 a.m. Brooks beat Jeremy Fahler, 8-3. Fahler some duals for the Hawkeyes last season. Brooks will face Ethen Lofthouse in the 184 finals. Lofthouse, who placed seventh at the 2012 NCAA Championships at 174, has decided to move up a weight, and beat freshman Alex Meyer, 13-4.

Read the official UI SID release:

IOWA WRESTLING

9 HAWKEYES ADVANCE TO FINALS

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Nine Hawkeyes advanced to the finals of the 2012 University of Iowa wrestle-offs Friday night inside the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Seniors Matt McDonough and Mark Ballweg highlighted the evening with a pair of technical falls. Junior Ethen Lofthouse also scored a bonus point victory by virtue of a major decision.

Lofthouse scored three takedowns and three near-fall points in the first period before cruising to a 13-4 win over freshmen Alex Meyer in the 184-pound semis. McDonough scored five takedowns and totaled six near-fall points en route to a 19-3 win over sophomore Matt Gurule at 125 pounds, and Ballweg matched McDonough’s exact numerical output in his 18-2 win over freshman Connor Ryan at 141 pounds.

McDonough will face Cory Clark in Saturday’s finals. Clark advanced with a 3-1 win over freshman Thomas Gilman. Both freshmen exchanged escapes in regulation before Clark finished a double-leg 30 seconds into the sudden victory period.

Sophomore Josh Dziewa scored a 7-3 win over Ethan Owens to score a date with Ballweg in Saturday’s finals, and freshman Sammy Brooks advanced to meet Lofthouse following an 8-3 win over sophomore Jeremy Fahler.

Redshirt freshman Patrick Rhoads, the winner of the lone pigtail match Thursday night, scored the day’s biggest surprise when he topped sophomore Michael Kelly in the 149-pound semis. Rhoads rallied from a 3-1 third period deficit by stringing together an escape, one takedown and three near-fall points en route to a 7-4 decision. Rhoads will face redshirt freshman Brody Grothus in the 149-pound finals. Grothus advanced to the finals when Joe DuCharme defaulted by injury prior to the match.

Sophomore Nick Moore also punched his ticket to the finals with a 5-3 win over sophomore Walt Gillmor. Moore will face sophomore Mike Evans in the finals of the 165-pound bracket.

Four weights did not participate in the opening rounds. They include 133, 174, 197 and 285 pounds. All five weights contested Friday, and each of those four weights will crown a wrestle-off winner in Saturday’s finals. There is no 157-pound wrestle-off bracket.

Saturday’s competition is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. Doors open at 7 a.m.

2012 WRESTLE-OFFS

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

149 – Patrick Rhoads major dec. Jake Kadel, 15-6

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

125 – Matt McDonough tech. fall Matt Gurule, 19-3

125 – Cory Clark dec. Thomas Gilman, 3-1 SV

141 – Mark Ballweg tech. fall Connor Ryan, 18-2

141 – Josh Dziewa dec. Ethan Owens, 7-3

149 – Patrick Rhoads dec. Michael Kelly, 7-4

149 – Brody Grothus win by forfeit over Joe DuCharme

165 – Nick Moore dec. Walt Gillmor, 5-3

184 – Ethen Lofthouse major dec. Alex Meyer, 13-4

184 – Sammy Brooks dec. Jeremy Fahler, 8-3

SATURDAY (8:30 a.m.)

125 – McDonough vs. Clark

133 – Tony Ramos vs. Topher Carton

141 – Dziewa vs. Ballweg

149 – Rhoads vs. Grothus

165 – Mike Evans vs. Moore

174 – Grant Gambrall vs. Kris Klapprodt

184 – Lofthouse vs. Brooks

197 – Tomas Lira vs. Nathan Burak

285 – Bobby Telford vs. Artie Bess