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Ramos Collects Pins, Chases History By Chris Brewer T ony Ramos saw room to improve following last year���s NCAA tournament. There was no hiding from it. From where he was standing on the third-place podium, the national champion was standing on his right hip ��� and Ramos took notice. An All-American and Big Ten runner-up in 2012, Ramos vowed to become more dominant in 2013. He shot out of the gate pinning five of his first six opponents. He put bonus points up in his first 12 bouts before finally settling for a decision against No. 5 Jon Morrison at Oklahoma State. He has since run his record to 23-0 with 21 bonuspoint victories, including a team-high 12 falls. ���I���m seeing more opportunities (for the pin) this season,��� said Ramos. ���You get to a position once and you feel it, and then when you get there again it���s something you���re familiar with, so you can do more often.��� The pins have also created national exposure. Ramos was one of 12 undefeated wrestlers named as potential contenders for the 2013 Hodge Trophy when WIN Magazine released the updated list in February. The trophy will be presented to the nation���s top wrestlers following the national tournament in March. Among those listed, Ramos ranks third in pin percentage (.521) behind Ohio State���s Logan Stieber (.526) and Cornell���s Kyle Dake (.571). His 12 falls more than double his career total. He recorded three pins as a redshirt freshman and seven as a sophomore. He says the difference this year is making the most of every angle the opponent gives you. ���I���m just flowing more, going out and wrestling whatever comes, instead of looking for things the whole time,��� said Ramos. He has also polished his game off his feet. During the offseason he made it his mission to improve on the mat. ���I worked on it lot. Not just on top but on the bottom,��� said Ramos. ���If I want to win a national title, I have to get out from the toughest guys. I���ve wrestled some guys that are good on top and so far it hasn���t been a problem, so I just have to keep moving forward.��� If Ramos continues his career-best winning streak and makes a title run through the Big Ten and NCAA tournament, he���ll become the 16th wrestler in the storied history of Iowa wrestling to finish the season with a perfect record. Tom and Terry Brands are among the 15 wrestlers who have performed the feat. Tom went 45-0 in 1990-91, and Terry was 35-0 in 1991-92. Jay Borschel was the last Hawkeye to run the table. He won 37 straight in 2009-10 en route to the 174-pound NCAA championship. Ramos��� season continues March 9-10 at the conference championships in Champaign, Ill. The NCAA Championships run March 21-23 at the Wells Fargo Center in Des Moines, Iowa. 13