UPDATED: Hawkeyes, Buckeyes crowned co-champs at Big Ten tournament
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by Craig Sesker USA Wrestling
Iowa’s Tom Brands and Ohio State’s Tom Ryan engage in a playful game of tug of war while holding the Big Ten Championships trophy on Sunday afternoon. Darren Miller photo.
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Iowa coach Tom Brands and Ohio State coach Tom Ryan stood together on the center mat at St. John Arena late Sunday afternoon.
The two coaches and former college teammates were both holding what they came here for this weekend – the Big Ten Championships team trophy.
They just weren't planning on sharing it.
But instead of one champion, there will be two this year after the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes tied for the team title during a wild and wacky medal round before 9,000 fans.
The Big Ten will have league co-champions for the first time since 1932 as Iowa and Ohio State finished tied with 120 points apiece.
The Hawkeyes won their 35th league title and first since 2010 despite not crowning an individual champion. Iowa has eight automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Championships with two other wrestlers hoping for at-large bids.
“This isn’t the culminating event of the season – the culminating event is in St. Louis, Missouri,” Iowa coach Tom Brands said. “We got a Big Ten championship as a team and now we’ve got to get ready for the national tournament in St. Louis. We could still get 10 qualifiers and I think we have a good case for two more guys to get in.”
Ohio State – led by four-time Big Ten champion Logan Stieber (141 pounds) and first-time champion Nathan Tomasello (125) – captured its third conference title and first since 1951. The Buckeyes qualified nine for nationals.
“The bottom line is I’m really proud of our team,” Ohio State coach Tom Ryan said. “We ended a 65-year drought. The drought’s over. Ohio State wrestling is here to stay. Now it’s on to nationals. And this team has a goal of being national champions.”
Iowa went 0-4 in the finals, but had three wrestlers place third and one fourth in the final session. Ohio State went 2-2 in the finals.
Both teams had their chances to win the title outright, but Penn State’s Morgan McIntosh earned a tough 4-1 win over Kyle Snyder of Ohio State in the 197 finals.
Two-time All-American heavyweight Bobby Telford of Iowa bolted to a 3-0 lead over three-time All-American Mike McMullan of Northwestern, but McMullan rallied for a 4-3 win while backed by the vocal Ohio State crowd.
Stieber, a three-time NCAA champion, rolled to a quick 16-1 technical fall over Iowa’s Josh Dziewa in the 141 finals. Stieber was named Outstanding Wrestler and Big Ten Wrestler of the Year.
Stieber became the league’s 14th four-time champion.
“I couldn’t have written it any better,” Stieber said “Being able to do it here at home has been the best experience ever. Our fans were great – we had an unbelievable atmosphere here. It’s pretty special. It means a lot. Ohio State is my favorite place in the world to be.”
Ryan was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Minnesota finished third with 108 points, followed by Michigan (101.5) and four-time defending champion Penn State (96.5).
The Big Ten has secured 86 automatic qualifying spots for the NCAA Championships, set for March 19-21 in St. Louis. An additional 70 at-large spots from all conferences for the NCAA tournament will be awarded on Wednesday, March 11.
The Big Ten has earned five automatic qualifying spots at 125, 12 at 133, eight at 141, seven at 149, eight at 157, eight at 165, 10 at 174, 10 at 184, nine at 197 and nine at 285.
Tomasello used a takedown late in the first period to knock off top seed Thomas Gilman of Iowa 3-2 in the 125 finals. He avenged a loss from the regular season.
"This is exciting," Tomasello said. "I am a freshman and I had a lot of people doubt me. I just stayed confident in my ability and confident I can beat anybody."
McIntosh beat Snyder in a battle of past High School Wrestlers of the Year.
"I was able to get to his legs this time and I was able to get off bottom," McIntosh said. "Our coaches have been working real hard with me. I train in the best room in the World. It's really tough in there."
McMullan is now 2-1 against Telford this season. McMullan won his first league title despite finishing third, second and third at the last three NCAA tournaments.
"It's huge for me," McMullan said. "This is the first tournament I've won since 2010. It's been a long time. It's good to get validation that all the work I've put in has meant something."
Northwestern sophomore Jason Tsirtsis, a returning NCAA champion, held off Iowa freshman Brandon Sorensen 2-1 in the 149 finals. Tsirtsis won his second league title. He avenged a loss from the regular season, winning the match with a riding-time point.
"It feels great that I got to avenge a loss, and that felt pretty nice," Tsirtsis said. "The work's not done yet. I have another two weeks to go. I'm still not satisfied with how I wrestled on my feet. I need to get a takedown."
Wisconsin’s Isaac Jordan downed Ohio State’s Bo Jordan 3-2 in a battle of cousins in the 165 finals. The Jordans grew up together and trained together in Ohio.
"It was big for seeding for nationals, and wrestling my cousin was a big deal, too," Isaac Jordan said. "I knew there was a lot riding on who won the match and it means a lot to win the match. He just said, 'Nice job, Zeke' and that's all that needed to be said."
Top-ranked Robert Kokesh of Nebraska won his second straight league title with a 7-3 victory over 2013 Big Ten champion Matt Brown of Penn State at 174.
"Matt Brown is a heck of a wrestler and I give a lot of props to him," said Kokesh, who has placed third and fourth at NCAAs. "I knew I had to get to my offense and push the pace of the match. I need to wrestle smarter at NCAAs. I learned a lesson from last year and I knew I needed to get better."
Freshman Isaiah Martinez of Illinois turned in an impressive 12-5 win over two-time NCAA runner-up and past Big Ten champion Dylan Ness of Minnesota at 157. The unbeaten Martinez was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
"Wrestling someone you've never wrestled before, there's always that unknown factor," Martinez said. "I just stayed in my own positions. I had to finish hard against him and not let him roll me through. Winning this gives me a big boost."
Top-ranked Chris Dardanes of Minnesota downed Wisconsin’s Ryan Taylor 7-2 in the 133 finals.
"I felt pretty good about it," Dardanes said. "I controlled the positions and wrestled my style throughout the tournament. I feel real strong at 133 and I feel I can dominate at this weight class."
Michigan’s Dom Abounader defeated Minnesota’s Brett Pfarr 7-6 in the 184 finals.
"This gives me a huge boost going into nationals," Abounader said. "This weight class is up for grabs. It's just a matter of grinding it out because everyone is at their peak right now."
Big Ten Championships
March 7-8, St. John Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Team scoring
Iowa 120, Ohio State 120, Minnesota 108, Michigan 101.5, Penn State 96.5, Illinois 96, Nebraska 85.5, Wisconsin 74, Northwestern 72, Purdue 37.5, Rutgers 20.5, Indiana 16, Michigan State 12.5, Maryland 10.5.
Medal matches
125 pounds
1st – Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) dec. Thomas Gilman (Iowa), 3-2
3rd – Jordan Conaway (Penn State) won by medical forfeit over Jesse Delgado (Illinois)
5th – Conor Youtsey (Michigan) dec. Tim Lambert (Nebraska), 2-1
7th – Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) dec. Garrison White (Northwestern), 11-0
133 pounds
1st – Chris Dardanes (Minnesota) dec. Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin), 7-2
3rd – Cory Clark (Iowa) dec. Johnni DiJulius (Ohio State), 2-1
5th – Zane Richards (Illinois) dec. Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State), 4-3
7th – Rossi Bruno (Michigan) pinned Eric Montoya (Nebraska), 2:44
141 pounds
1st – Logan Stieber (Ohio State) won by tech. fall over Josh Dziewa (Iowa), 16-1
3rd – Nick Dardanes (Minnesota) dec. Anthony Abidin (Nebraska), 8-6
5th – Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) dec. Nick Lawrence (Purdue), 3-2
7th – Jameson Oster (Northwestern) won by medical forfeit over Jesse Thielke (Wisconsin)
149 pounds
1st – Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) dec. Brandon Sorensen (Iowa), 2-1
3rd – Kyle Langenderfer (Illinois) dec. Alec Pantaleo (Michigan), 9-7 SV
5th – Zack Beitz (Penn State) won by medical forfeit over Hunter Stieber (Ohio State)
7th – Brandon Nelsen (Purdue) dec. Nicholas Trimble (Michigan State), 9-3
157 pounds
1st – Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) dec. Dylan Ness (Minnesota), 12-5
3rd – James Green (Nebraska) dec. Josh Demas (Ohio State), 8-2
5th – Brian Murphy (Michigan) dec. Doug Welch (Purdue), 8-3
7th – Anthony Perrotti (Rutgers) dec. Lou Mascola (Maryland), 4-1
165 pounds
1st – Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) dec. Bo Jordan (Ohio State), 3-2
3rd – Taylor Walsh (Indiana) dec. Pierce Harger (Northwestern), 6-2
5th – Jackson Morse (Illinois) dec. Garrett Sutton (Michigan), 2-0
7th – Austin Wilson (Nebraska) dec. Pat Robinson (Purdue), 4-0
174 pounds
1st – Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) dec. Matt Brown (Penn State), 7-3
3rd – Mike Evans (Iowa) dec. Logan Storley (Minnesota), 2-1 TB1
5th – Mark Martin (Ohio State) dec. Zach Brunson (Illinois), 3-1 SV1
7th – Taylor Massa (Michigan) pinned Frank Cousins (Wisconsin), 1:46
184 pounds
1st – Dom Abounader (Michigan) dec. Brett Pfarr (Minnesota), 7-6
3rd – Sammy Brooks (Iowa) won by medical forfeit over Matt McCutcheon (Penn State)
5th – Ricky Robertson (Wisconsin) dec. T.J. Dudley (Nebraska), 4-3
7th – Nikko Reyes (Illinois) dec. Kenny Courts (Ohio State), 7-3
197 pounds
1st – Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) dec. Kyle Snyder (Ohio State), 4-1
3rd – Scott Schiller (Minnesota) dec. Nathan Burak (Iowa), 3-2
5th – Max Huntley (Michigan) dec. Jeff Koepke (Illinois), 10-1
7th – Braden Atwood (Purdue) won by medical forfeit over Alex Polizzi (Northwestern)
285 pounds
1st – Mike McMullan (Northwestern) dec. Bobby Telford (Iowa), 4-3
3rd – Adam Coon (Michigan) dec. Connor Medbery (Wisconsin), 5-2
5th – Michael Kroells (Minnesota) won by forfeit over Jimmy Lawson (Penn State)
7th – Spencer Myers (Maryland) dec. Brooks Black (Illinois), 3-2
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Iowa coach Tom Brands and Ohio State coach Tom Ryan stood together on the center mat at St. John Arena late Sunday afternoon.
The two coaches and former college teammates were both holding what they came here for this weekend – the Big Ten Championships team trophy.
They just weren't planning on sharing it.
But instead of one champion, there will be two this year after the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes tied for the team title during a wild and wacky medal round before 9,000 fans.
The Big Ten will have league co-champions for the first time since 1932 as Iowa and Ohio State finished tied with 120 points apiece.
The Hawkeyes won their 35th league title and first since 2010 despite not crowning an individual champion. Iowa has eight automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Championships with two other wrestlers hoping for at-large bids.
“This isn’t the culminating event of the season – the culminating event is in St. Louis, Missouri,” Iowa coach Tom Brands said. “We got a Big Ten championship as a team and now we’ve got to get ready for the national tournament in St. Louis. We could still get 10 qualifiers and I think we have a good case for two more guys to get in.”
Ohio State – led by four-time Big Ten champion Logan Stieber (141 pounds) and first-time champion Nathan Tomasello (125) – captured its third conference title and first since 1951. The Buckeyes qualified nine for nationals.
“The bottom line is I’m really proud of our team,” Ohio State coach Tom Ryan said. “We ended a 65-year drought. The drought’s over. Ohio State wrestling is here to stay. Now it’s on to nationals. And this team has a goal of being national champions.”
Iowa went 0-4 in the finals, but had three wrestlers place third and one fourth in the final session. Ohio State went 2-2 in the finals.
Both teams had their chances to win the title outright, but Penn State’s Morgan McIntosh earned a tough 4-1 win over Kyle Snyder of Ohio State in the 197 finals.
Two-time All-American heavyweight Bobby Telford of Iowa bolted to a 3-0 lead over three-time All-American Mike McMullan of Northwestern, but McMullan rallied for a 4-3 win while backed by the vocal Ohio State crowd.
Stieber, a three-time NCAA champion, rolled to a quick 16-1 technical fall over Iowa’s Josh Dziewa in the 141 finals. Stieber was named Outstanding Wrestler and Big Ten Wrestler of the Year.
Stieber became the league’s 14th four-time champion.
“I couldn’t have written it any better,” Stieber said “Being able to do it here at home has been the best experience ever. Our fans were great – we had an unbelievable atmosphere here. It’s pretty special. It means a lot. Ohio State is my favorite place in the world to be.”
Ryan was named Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Minnesota finished third with 108 points, followed by Michigan (101.5) and four-time defending champion Penn State (96.5).
The Big Ten has secured 86 automatic qualifying spots for the NCAA Championships, set for March 19-21 in St. Louis. An additional 70 at-large spots from all conferences for the NCAA tournament will be awarded on Wednesday, March 11.
The Big Ten has earned five automatic qualifying spots at 125, 12 at 133, eight at 141, seven at 149, eight at 157, eight at 165, 10 at 174, 10 at 184, nine at 197 and nine at 285.
Tomasello used a takedown late in the first period to knock off top seed Thomas Gilman of Iowa 3-2 in the 125 finals. He avenged a loss from the regular season.
"This is exciting," Tomasello said. "I am a freshman and I had a lot of people doubt me. I just stayed confident in my ability and confident I can beat anybody."
McIntosh beat Snyder in a battle of past High School Wrestlers of the Year.
"I was able to get to his legs this time and I was able to get off bottom," McIntosh said. "Our coaches have been working real hard with me. I train in the best room in the World. It's really tough in there."
McMullan is now 2-1 against Telford this season. McMullan won his first league title despite finishing third, second and third at the last three NCAA tournaments.
"It's huge for me," McMullan said. "This is the first tournament I've won since 2010. It's been a long time. It's good to get validation that all the work I've put in has meant something."
Northwestern sophomore Jason Tsirtsis, a returning NCAA champion, held off Iowa freshman Brandon Sorensen 2-1 in the 149 finals. Tsirtsis won his second league title. He avenged a loss from the regular season, winning the match with a riding-time point.
"It feels great that I got to avenge a loss, and that felt pretty nice," Tsirtsis said. "The work's not done yet. I have another two weeks to go. I'm still not satisfied with how I wrestled on my feet. I need to get a takedown."
Wisconsin’s Isaac Jordan downed Ohio State’s Bo Jordan 3-2 in a battle of cousins in the 165 finals. The Jordans grew up together and trained together in Ohio.
"It was big for seeding for nationals, and wrestling my cousin was a big deal, too," Isaac Jordan said. "I knew there was a lot riding on who won the match and it means a lot to win the match. He just said, 'Nice job, Zeke' and that's all that needed to be said."
Top-ranked Robert Kokesh of Nebraska won his second straight league title with a 7-3 victory over 2013 Big Ten champion Matt Brown of Penn State at 174.
"Matt Brown is a heck of a wrestler and I give a lot of props to him," said Kokesh, who has placed third and fourth at NCAAs. "I knew I had to get to my offense and push the pace of the match. I need to wrestle smarter at NCAAs. I learned a lesson from last year and I knew I needed to get better."
Freshman Isaiah Martinez of Illinois turned in an impressive 12-5 win over two-time NCAA runner-up and past Big Ten champion Dylan Ness of Minnesota at 157. The unbeaten Martinez was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
"Wrestling someone you've never wrestled before, there's always that unknown factor," Martinez said. "I just stayed in my own positions. I had to finish hard against him and not let him roll me through. Winning this gives me a big boost."
Top-ranked Chris Dardanes of Minnesota downed Wisconsin’s Ryan Taylor 7-2 in the 133 finals.
"I felt pretty good about it," Dardanes said. "I controlled the positions and wrestled my style throughout the tournament. I feel real strong at 133 and I feel I can dominate at this weight class."
Michigan’s Dom Abounader defeated Minnesota’s Brett Pfarr 7-6 in the 184 finals.
"This gives me a huge boost going into nationals," Abounader said. "This weight class is up for grabs. It's just a matter of grinding it out because everyone is at their peak right now."
Big Ten Championships
March 7-8, St. John Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Team scoring
Iowa 120, Ohio State 120, Minnesota 108, Michigan 101.5, Penn State 96.5, Illinois 96, Nebraska 85.5, Wisconsin 74, Northwestern 72, Purdue 37.5, Rutgers 20.5, Indiana 16, Michigan State 12.5, Maryland 10.5.
Medal matches
125 pounds
1st – Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) dec. Thomas Gilman (Iowa), 3-2
3rd – Jordan Conaway (Penn State) won by medical forfeit over Jesse Delgado (Illinois)
5th – Conor Youtsey (Michigan) dec. Tim Lambert (Nebraska), 2-1
7th – Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) dec. Garrison White (Northwestern), 11-0
133 pounds
1st – Chris Dardanes (Minnesota) dec. Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin), 7-2
3rd – Cory Clark (Iowa) dec. Johnni DiJulius (Ohio State), 2-1
5th – Zane Richards (Illinois) dec. Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State), 4-3
7th – Rossi Bruno (Michigan) pinned Eric Montoya (Nebraska), 2:44
141 pounds
1st – Logan Stieber (Ohio State) won by tech. fall over Josh Dziewa (Iowa), 16-1
3rd – Nick Dardanes (Minnesota) dec. Anthony Abidin (Nebraska), 8-6
5th – Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) dec. Nick Lawrence (Purdue), 3-2
7th – Jameson Oster (Northwestern) won by medical forfeit over Jesse Thielke (Wisconsin)
149 pounds
1st – Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) dec. Brandon Sorensen (Iowa), 2-1
3rd – Kyle Langenderfer (Illinois) dec. Alec Pantaleo (Michigan), 9-7 SV
5th – Zack Beitz (Penn State) won by medical forfeit over Hunter Stieber (Ohio State)
7th – Brandon Nelsen (Purdue) dec. Nicholas Trimble (Michigan State), 9-3
157 pounds
1st – Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) dec. Dylan Ness (Minnesota), 12-5
3rd – James Green (Nebraska) dec. Josh Demas (Ohio State), 8-2
5th – Brian Murphy (Michigan) dec. Doug Welch (Purdue), 8-3
7th – Anthony Perrotti (Rutgers) dec. Lou Mascola (Maryland), 4-1
165 pounds
1st – Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) dec. Bo Jordan (Ohio State), 3-2
3rd – Taylor Walsh (Indiana) dec. Pierce Harger (Northwestern), 6-2
5th – Jackson Morse (Illinois) dec. Garrett Sutton (Michigan), 2-0
7th – Austin Wilson (Nebraska) dec. Pat Robinson (Purdue), 4-0
174 pounds
1st – Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) dec. Matt Brown (Penn State), 7-3
3rd – Mike Evans (Iowa) dec. Logan Storley (Minnesota), 2-1 TB1
5th – Mark Martin (Ohio State) dec. Zach Brunson (Illinois), 3-1 SV1
7th – Taylor Massa (Michigan) pinned Frank Cousins (Wisconsin), 1:46
184 pounds
1st – Dom Abounader (Michigan) dec. Brett Pfarr (Minnesota), 7-6
3rd – Sammy Brooks (Iowa) won by medical forfeit over Matt McCutcheon (Penn State)
5th – Ricky Robertson (Wisconsin) dec. T.J. Dudley (Nebraska), 4-3
7th – Nikko Reyes (Illinois) dec. Kenny Courts (Ohio State), 7-3
197 pounds
1st – Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) dec. Kyle Snyder (Ohio State), 4-1
3rd – Scott Schiller (Minnesota) dec. Nathan Burak (Iowa), 3-2
5th – Max Huntley (Michigan) dec. Jeff Koepke (Illinois), 10-1
7th – Braden Atwood (Purdue) won by medical forfeit over Alex Polizzi (Northwestern)
285 pounds
1st – Mike McMullan (Northwestern) dec. Bobby Telford (Iowa), 4-3
3rd – Adam Coon (Michigan) dec. Connor Medbery (Wisconsin), 5-2
5th – Michael Kroells (Minnesota) won by forfeit over Jimmy Lawson (Penn State)
7th – Spencer Myers (Maryland) dec. Brooks Black (Illinois), 3-2
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