One Iowa University wrestler was so angry about his second place finish at a Big Ten tournament over the weekend that he threw his medal in the garbage.
Senior Matt McDonough, a three-time All-American wrestler, was the No. 1 seed in his 125-pound weight class, slated to go against Jesse Delgado of the University of Illinois. Perhaps McDonough had high hopes, as the Daily Iowan student newspaper noted that he'd beaten Delgado twice before.
Urgent: Obama or GOP: Who’s to Blame for Budget Crisis? Vote Now
But, for the first time since 2006 — and just the third time since 1970 — the Iowa Hawkeyes went home without a single individual conference champion medal.
Disappointed and frustrated, McDonough reportedly tossed his second-place medal in the trash.
Sam Louwagie, a reporter for the Daily Iowan, fished the medal out of the garbage can and tweeted a photo of it.
"The Illini sophomore beat McDonough's defense to his legs for takedowns repeatedly throughout the match, racking up five takedowns in a 10-4 win. It was McDonough’s third loss this season, the most he has ever had," Louwagie wrote in the Daily Iowan. "McDonough, who declined to speak after his match, made perhaps a bigger statement by tossing his second place medal in the trash."
The Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling program is famously successful, having won 23 national championships since 1975. Louwagie attributed the idea of a
wrestler throwing a medal in the garbage to the culture of Hawkeye athletics.
Urgent: Obama or GOP: Who’s to Blame for Budget Crisis? Vote Now
Related stories:
'Paul Bearer' Dies: Pro Wrestling Manager Worked With Some of WWE's Biggest
Body Slam for Wrestling: Sport Cut From Olympics
© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.