B1G Championships Preview: Top-ranked Penn State seeks repeat bid; Iowa, Ohio State, Nebraska in title contention
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by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
Photo: Bo Nickal (Penn State) battles Nate Jackson (Indiana) in the semifinals of the 2016 NCAA Division I Championships. Photo by Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana University is set to host the 2017 Big Ten Championships at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday and Sunday with the usual suspects in the running for the team championship.
The odds-on favorite to take the Big Ten team title this season are the defending champions, and current top team in the land, Penn State (14-0, 9-0). The Nittany Lions are seeking their sixth Big Ten title in the last seven seasons.
Penn State navigated a torrential dual-meet gauntlet in the regular season, going unscathed with wins over 10 top-25 opponents, including a dominant 27-13 performance against No. 2 Oklahoma State to claim the NWCA National Duals championship. The Nittany Lions own huge in-conference wins over No. 3 Iowa, No. 5 Nebraska, No. 6 Ohio State and No. 9 Illinois.
“We’re focused on our guys right now and getting them ready, but the Big Ten is very strong,” said Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson. “Iowa is good. Ohio State is good. All the teams have great individuals. Winning the Big Ten Conference means a lot and it’s important.”
Two electric Nittany Lions return to the Big Tens with repeat aspirations. NCAA champion Zain Retherford and NCAA runner-up Bo Nickal took top prize in Iowa City last year, and both enter Bloomington with undefeated records and No. 1 seeds, Retherford at 149 pounds and Nickal at 184 pounds.
Also garnering a No. 1 seed for Penn State is 157-pound dynamo Jason Nolf, who has blistered all opposition this year. Nolf has not dropped a single bout since the 2016 NCAA finals where he fell to two-time NCAA champion Isaiah Martinez of Illinois, 6-5.
The freshman punch of Nick Suriano, Vincenzo Joseph and Mark Hall will be integral to Penn State’s title chances. Suriano, the No. 2 seed at 125 pounds, is battling an ankle injury suffered in the Oklahoma State dual, leaving some doubt as to his availability this weekend. Joseph enters as the No. 4 seed at 165 pounds, while Hall was awarded the No. 2 seed at 174 pounds.
Jimmy Gulibon, Matt McCutcheon and Nick Nevills also come in with high seeds for the Nittany Lions. At the No. 2 seed, Gulibon looks for a repeat trip to the Big Ten finals at 141 pounds, where he fell by major decision to Anthony Ashnault of Rutgers last year. McCutcheon was fifth in the Big Ten at 184 pounds in 2016 but moved up to 197 pounds this season where he is slotted at the No. 4 seed. Nevills holds the No. 3 seed at heavyweight.
Two perennial powers, No. 3 Iowa (13-2, 8-1) and No. 6 Ohio State (11-3, 7-2), appear to possess enough high-end talent to upend the Nittany Lions for the team title.
The Hawkeyes finished as runners-up to Penn State in last year’s event held on their home mats. They suffered a sizeable 26-11 dual-meet loss to Penn State in January, but the potential is there for Iowa to make a push for first in Bloomington.
Like Penn State, Iowa returns two Big Ten champions to the mix this year in Cory Clark at 133 pounds and Sammy Brooks at 184 pounds. That said, it will be a difficult road for either to regain the top spot on the podium.
Clark, a two-time NCAA runner-up, has battled through injuries most of the season. He enters as the No. 3 seed behind NCAA champion Nathan Tomasello of Ohio State and All-American Eric Montoya of Nebraska. Clark and Tomasello have not wrestled this year, but Clark did falter against Montoya in a high-scoring affair last month.
Brooks is the No. 2 seed at 184 pounds, a weight class that boasts one NCAA champion and two additional NCAA finalists in the bracket. His only two losses of the season came against Big Ten opponents Nickal and No. 3 seed Nate Jackson of Indiana.
The strongest favorite for Iowa to claim an individual title is top seed Thomas Gilman at 125 pounds. Gilman, a 2016 NCAA finalist, enters Big Tens with an undefeated record and the No. 1 ranking in the NCAA. He entered under similar circumstances last year, but wound up in third place overall after losing to NCAA champion Nico Megaludis of Penn State in the semifinals.
For Iowa to take it all, they will need superb showings from NCAA finalist Brandon Sorensen at 149 pounds, freshman sensation Michael Kemerer at 157 pounds and All-American Alex Meyer at 174 pounds.
“We want a good team result and that starts with good individual results. Nothing’s really changed from every other week we talk about it. Get ready to wrestle your match and do what you do best. We’ve made progress and now our best wrestling has to show up,” said Iowa head coach Tom Brands.
The Buckeyes boast three No. 1 seeds for this edition of the Big Tens, with two of the three already owning Big Ten and NCAA titles.
Olympic and World champion Kyle Snyder returns to the Ohio State lineup after a week-long stint competing for the U.S. at the Freestyle World Cup in Iran. Snyder holds an undefeated record this season with all of his wins coming with bonus points. He is the No. 1 ranked wrestler at 285 pounds in the NCAA and holds the top seed at the weight for this event.
133-pounder Nathan Tomasello is shooting for his third Big Ten title as a Junior for the Buckeyes. Tomasello competed at 125 pounds prior to this season, where he was a NCAA champion in 2015.
The third No. 1 seed for Ohio State is two-time NCAA All-American Bo Jordan at 174 pounds. Much like Iowa’s Clark, Jordan entered the season as the top-ranked wrestler in his weight class but has wrestled sporadically due to injuries. A healthy Jordan poses a threat to return to the Big Ten finals and this time finish the deal.
After moving up from 174 pounds, where he won the NCAA Championships in 2016, Buckeye Myles Martin seems to have found his stride at 184 pounds after taking some early season lumps. Martin enters as the No. 4 seed and is therefore situated on the top half of the bracket alongside NCAA finalists Nickal and TJ Dudley of Nebraska.
How young talents Luke Pletcher, Micah Jordan and Kollin Moore fare will go a long way to determining Ohio State’s fate in the team race. Pletcher, a true freshman, slots in at the No. 5 seed at 141 pounds. Jordan enters as the No. 3 seed at 149 pounds behind Retherford and Sorensen, who are his only two losses on the year. Moore is situated in the two spot behind Minnesota’s Brett Pfarr at 197 pounds.
“Individually, you have to be ready right away. You can’t take any match lightly. As a team, I think everybody needs to score. I think that’s one thing we need to have happen,” said Ohio State assistant coach J Jaggers.
“At the nationals, you can do more with less people because you can put guys in the finals and score a lot of points, but at the Big Ten tournament you need guys even in that seventh-eighth place to score point for you,” he added.
Not to be overlooked in the team component is fifth-ranked Nebraska (11-4, 6-3) who brings in a gritty squad led by All-Americans Dudley and Montoya.
The Huskers have proven themselves dangerous as evident by dual meet wins over No. 8 North Carolina State, on top of Big Ten foes Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin. Although lacking a top seed individually, any slip-up from the other top teams, plus an upset or two of their own, could place Nebraska right in the mix for a team title.
Defending Big Ten champions Ashnault and Martinez are back for more. Both hold the top seed in their respective weight class, Ashnault at 141 pounds and Martinez at 165 pounds.
Ashnault is the leading man for No. 12 Rutgers (12-5, 6-3) having already earned two NCAA All-American honors. If seeds hold true, Ashnault would face Gulibon in a rematch of last year’s Big Ten finals.
Martinez leads the No. 9 Illinois (9-3, 6-3) squad that possesses serious firepower at several weight classes. All-American Zane Richards at 133 pounds and Big Ten runner-up Zac Brunson at 174 pounds join Martinez as potential champions for Illinois this week.
As a two-time NCAA champion with only one career college loss to his credit, Martinez has earned the right to be called the 165-pound favorite. The Illini sensation has already won this tournament twice but will no doubt be tested from his Big Ten competitors this weekend.
Also registered at 165 pounds is NCAA finalist Isaac Jordan of Wisconsin, plus freshmen breakouts Logan Massa of Michigan and Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State. These three wrestlers, in addition to Martinez, constitute the current top-four wrestlers in the NCAA at this weight.
The final No. 1 seed belongs to Minnesota’s Brett Pfarr at 197 pounds. Pfarr has gone unscathed this season save a lone loss to Olympic bronze medalist and two-time NCAA champion J’den Cox of Missouri. He finished in third place at Big Tens last year before finishing as an All-American at the NCAA Championships.
In total, 26 wrestlers competing at the Big Tens have previously earned NCAA All-America honors, with five being past NCAA champions.
With 77 automatic qualifiers, the Big Ten will send more wrestlers to the NCAA Division I Championships than any other conference.
The Big Ten Championships will be streamed online in its entirety on BTN Plus with the first-place matches being televised live on Big Ten Network at 3 p.m. (ET) on Sunday.
Big Ten Team Capsules
No. 9 Illinois
Record: 9-3 Overall, 6-3 Big Ten
Head Coach: Jim Heffernan (Eighth Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 6 Zane Richards (133), No. 12 Kyle Langenderfer (157), No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (165), No. 11 Zac Brunson (174), No. 10 Emery Parker (184), No. 14 Brooks Black (285)
Key Wins: No. 15 Michigan, No. 20 Arizona State
Indiana
Record: 10-9 Overall, 2-7 Big Ten
Head Coach: Duane Goldman (25th Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 6 Nate Jackson (184)
Key Wins: No. 20 Appalachian State, North Dakota State
No. 3 Iowa
Record: 13-2 Overall, 8-1 Big Ten
Head Coach: Tom Brands (11th Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 1 Thomas Gilman (125), No. 4 Cory Clark (133), No. 17 Topher Carton (141), No. 3 Brandon Sorensen (149), No. 2 Michael Kemerer (157), No. 17 Joey Gunther (165), No. 9 Alex Meyer (174), No. 3 Sammy Brooks (184)
Key Wins: Midlands Champions, No. 5 Nebraska, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 12 Minnesota, No. 15 Michigan, No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 19 South Dakota State, No. 22 Edinboro
Maryland
Record: 2-16 Overall, 0-9 Big Ten
Head Coach: Kerry McCoy (Ninth Season)
Ranked Individuals: None
Key Wins: Columbia, George Mason
No. 15 Michigan
Record: 8-7 Overall, 4-5 Big Ten
Head Coach: Joe McFarland (18th Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 18 Conor Youtsey (125), No. 7 Stevan Micic (133), No. 13 Brian Murphy (157), No. 2 Logan Massa (165), No. 10 Myles Amine (174)
Key Wins: No. 11 Lehigh, No. 12 Rutgers, No. 18 Oklahoma
Michigan State
Record: 5-11 Overall, 1-8 Big Ten
Head Coach: Roger Chandler (First Season)
Ranked Individuals: None
Key Wins: Maryland
No. 12 Minnesota
Record: 7-5 Overall, 5-4 Big Ten
Head Coach: Brandon Eggum (First Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 6 Ethan Lizak (125), No. 18 Mitch McKee (133), No. 10 Tommy Thorn (141), No. 9 Jake Short (157), No. 11 Nick Wanzek (165), No. 2 Brett Pfarr (197), No. 8 Michael Kroells (285)
Key Wins: No. 15 Michigan, No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 19 South Dakota State
No. 5 Nebraska
Record: 11-4 Overall, 6-3 Big Ten
Head Coach: Mark Manning (16th Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 5 Tim Lambert (125), No. 3 Eric Montoya (133), No. 15 Colton McCrystal (141), No. 3 Tyler Berger (157), No. 4 TJ Dudley (184), No. 6 Aaron Studebaker (197), No. 10 Collin Jensen (285)
Key Wins: No. 8 North Carolina State, No. 12 Minnesota, No. 15 Michigan, No. 16 Wisconsin
Northwestern
Record: 7-8 Overall, 2-7 Big Ten
Head Coach: Matt Storniolo (First Season)
Ranked Individuals: None
Key Wins: Michigan State, Maryland, Cal Poly
No. 6 Ohio State
Record: 11-3 Overall, 7-2 Big Ten
Head Coach: Tom Ryan (10th Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (133), No. 14 Luke Pletcher (141), No. 5 Micah Jordan (149), No. 3 Bo Jordan (174), No. 7 Myles Martin (184), No. 4 Kollin Moore (197), No. 1 Kyle Snyder (285)
Key Wins: Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Champions, No. 5 Nebraska, No. 9 Illinois, No. 10 Missouri, No. 12 Rutgers, No. 12 Minnesota, No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 20 Arizona State
No. 1 Penn State
Record: 14-0 Overall, 9-0 Big Ten
Head Coach: Cael Sanderson (Eighth Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 2 Nick Suriano (125), No. 13 Jimmy Gulibon (141), No. 1 Zain Retherford (149), No. 1 Jason Nolf (157), No. 4 Vincenzo Joseph (165), No. 4 Mark Hall (174), No. 2 Bo Nickal (184), No. 7 Matt McCutcheon (197), No. 4 Nick Nevills (285)
Key Wins: No. 2 Oklahoma State, No. 3 Iowa, No. 5 Nebraska, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 9 Illinois, No. 11 Lehigh, No. 12 Minnesota, No. 12 Rutgers, No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 21 Stanford
Purdue
Record: 9-7 Overall, 3-6 Big Ten
Head Coach: Tony Ersland (Third Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 19 Christian Brunner (197)
Key Wins: No. 19 South Dakota State, Boise State, Indiana
No. 12 Rutgers
Record: 12-5 Overall, 6-3 Big Ten
Head Coach: Scott Goodale (10th Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 5 Anthony Ashnault (141), No. 16 Ken Theobold (149), No. 17 John Van Brill (157), No. 18 Jordan Pagano (174), No. 11 Nick Gravina (184)
Key Wins: No. 9 Illinois, Princeton, Oregon State
No. 16 Wisconsin
Record: 7-5 Overall, 4-5 Big Ten
Head Coach: Barry Davis (22nd Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 17 Andrew Crone (149), No. 18 TJ Ruschell (157), No. 3 Isaac Jordan (165), No. 16 Ricky Robertson (197), No. 2 Connor Medbery (285)
Key Wins: No. 14 Northern Iowa, No. 15 Michigan, No. 17 Central Michigan
2017 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
March 4-5 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind.
Event Schedule
Saturday, March 4
10 a.m. (ET) – Session I (Preliminaries, Quarterfinals)
6 p.m. (ET) – Session II (Semifinals, Consolations)
Sunday, March 5
12 p.m. (ET) – Session III (Consolations)
3 p.m. (ET) – Session IV (Finals)
Watch: BTN Plus, Finals on Big Ten Network
Brackets: Trackwrestling
Big Ten NCAA Automatic Qualifiers (77)
125 (7), 133 (9), 141 (9), 149 (6), 157 (9), 165 (7), 174 (9), 184 (9), 197 (7), 285 (5)
Big Ten Championships Pre-Seeds
125 pounds
1. Thomas Gilman, IOWA
2. Nick Suriano, PSU
3. Tim Lambert, NEB
4. Ethan Lizak, MINN
5. Conor Youtsey, MICH
6. Johnny Jimenez, WIS
7. Elijah Oliver, IND
8. Jose Rodriguez, OSU
133 pounds
1. Nathan Tomasello, OSU
2. Eric Montoya, NEB
3. Cory Clark, IOWA
4. Zane Richards, ILL
5. Stevan Micic, MICH
6. Billy Rappo, MD
7. Mitch McKee, MINN
8. Luke Welch, PUR
9. Scott Delvecchio, RU
10. Eli Stickley, WIS
11. Jason Ipsarides, NU
12. Austin Eicher, MSU
13. Garrett Pepple, IND
14. Triston Law, PSU
141 pounds
1. Anthony Ashnault, RU
2. Jimmy Gulibon, PSU
3. Tommy Thorn, MINN
4. Colton McCrystal, NEB
5. Luke Pletcher, OSU
6. Topher Carton, IOWA
7. Javier Gasca III, MSU
8. Cole Martin, WIS
9. Salvator Profaci, MICH
10. Alec McKenna, NU
11. Cole Weaver, IND
12. Kyle Ayersman, PUR
13. Ryan Diehl, MD
14. Mousa Jodeh, ILL
149 pounds
1. Zain Retherford, PSU
2. Brandon Sorensen, IOWA
3. Micah, Jordan, OSU
4. Alfred Bannister, MD
5. Kenny Theobald, RU
6. Andrew Crone, WIS
7. Eric Barone, ILL
8. Chris Perez, IND
157 pounds
1. Jason Nolf, PSU
2. Michael Kemerer, IOWA
3. Tyler Berger, NEB
4. Jake Short, MINN
5. Kyle Langenderfer, ILL
6. Brian Murphy, MICH
7. John Van Brill, RU
8. Jake Danishek, IND
9. TJ Ruschell, WIS
10. Alex Griffin, PUR
11. Jake Ryan, OSU
12. Austin Thompson, MSU
13. Justin Alexander, MD
14. Ben Sullivan, NU
165 pounds
1. Isaiah Martinez, ILL
2. Logan Massa, MICH
3. Isaac Jordan, WIS
4. Vincenzo Joseph, PSU
5. Joey Gunther, IOWA
6. Nick Wanzek, MINN
7. Dustin Williams, NEB
8. Drew Hughes, MSU
174 pounds
1. Bo Jordan, OSU
2. Mark Hall, PSU
3. Zac Brunson, ILL
4. Myles Amine, MICH
5. Alex Meyer, IOWA
6. Jordan Pagano, RU
7. Jacob Morrissey, PUR
8. Devin Skatzka, IND
9. Micah Barnes, NEB
10. Chris Pfarr, MINN
11. Ryan Christensen, WIS
12. Drew Barnes, MSU
13. Josh Ugalde, MD
14. Braxton Cody, NU
184 pounds
1. Bo Nickal, PSU
2. Sammy Brooks, IOWA
3. Nate Jackson, IND
4. Myles Martin, OSU
5. TJ Dudley, NEB
6. Emery Parker, ILL
7. Nick Gravina, RU
8. Hunter Ritter, WIS
9. Mitch Sliga, NU
10. Bobby Steveson, MINN
11. Tanner Lynde, PUR
12. Ernest Battaglia, MICH
13. Shawn Shadaia, MSU
14. Idris White, MD
197 pounds
1. Brett Pfarr, MINN
2. Kollin Moore, OSU
3. Aaron Studebaker, NEB
4. Matt McCutcheon, PSU
5. Ricky Robertson, WIS
6. Jacob Berkowitz, NU
7. Cash Wilcke, IOWA
8. Christian Brunner, PUR
285 pounds
1. Kyle Snyder, OSU
2. Connor Medbery, WIS
3. Nick Nevills, PSU
4. Michael Kroells, MINN
5. Collin Jensen, NEB
6. Brooks Black, ILL
7. Youssif Hemida, MD
2016 Big Ten Championships Results
Team Standings
1. Penn State 150.5
2. Iowa 127
3. Ohio State 126
4. Nebraska 117
5. Rutgers 106.5
6. Michigan 89.5
7. Illinois 88
8. Wisconsin 67.5
9. Minnesota 51.5
10. Purdue 34
11. Indiana 30.5
12. Northwestern 11.5
13. Michigan State 10.5
14. Maryland 7.5
125 Pounds
1st: Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) dec. Nico Megaludis (Penn State), 3-1
3rd: Thomas Gilman (Iowa) maj. dec. Tim Lambert (Nebraska), 12-4
5th: Elijah Oliver (Indiana) dec. Conor Youtsey (Michigan), 6-3
7th: Johnny Jimenez (Wisconsin) maj. dec. Sean McCabe (Rutgers), 11-3
133 Pounds
1st: Cory Clark (Iowa) dec. Zane Richards (Illinois), 2-1
3rd: Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin) dec. Jordan Conaway (Penn State), 5-4
5th: Eric Montoya (Nebraska) dec. Anthony Giraldo (Rutgers), 7-3
7th: Johnni DiJulius (Ohio State) tech. fall Geoff Alexander (Maryland), 19-2
141 Pounds
1st: Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) maj. dec. Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State), 9-0
3rd: Micah Jordan (Ohio State) fall Tommy Thorn (Minnesota), 5:41
5th: Danny Sabatello (Purdue) dec. Javier Gasca III (Michigan State), 3-2
7th: Anthony Abidin (Nebraska) fall George Fisher (Michigan), 4:56
149 Pounds
1st: Zain Retherford (Penn State) dec. Brandon Sorensen (Iowa), 4-0
3rd: Alec Pantaleo (Michigan) dec. Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern), 8-4
5th: Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) maj. dec. Tyson Dippery (Rutgers), 12-3
7th: Jake Short (Minnesota) dec. Cody Burcher (Ohio State), 4-2
157 Pounds
1st: Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) dec. Jason Nolf (Penn State), 3-3 RT, TB2
3rd: Brian Murphy (Michigan) dec. Edwin Cooper (Iowa), 2-1
5th: Richie Lewis (Rutgers) dec. Jake Ryan (Ohio State), 5-2
7th: Tyler Berger (Nebraska) dec. TJ Ruschell (Wisconsin), 12-5
165 Pounds
1st: Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) dec. Bo Jordan (Ohio State), 3-1
3rd: Steven Rodrigues (Illinois) dec. Austin Wilson (Nebraska), 4-2
5th: Chad Welch (Purdue) med. for. Anthony Perrotti (Rutgers)
7th: Patrick Rhoads (Iowa) dec. Geno Morelli (Penn State), 4-2
174 Pounds
1st: Bo Nickal (Penn State) maj. dec. Zac Brunson (Illinois), 18-9
3rd: Myles Martin (Ohio State) dec. Nate Jackson (Indiana), 7-5
5th: Alex Meyer (Iowa) dec. Micah Barnes (Nebraska), 4-1
7th: Phil Bakuckas (Rutgers) fall Ricky Robertson (Wisconsin), 3:20
184 Pounds
1st: Sammy Brooks (Iowa) dec. TJ Dudley (Nebraska), 6-4
3rd: Dom Abounader (Michigan) maj. dec. Nick Gravina (Rutgers), 11-0
5th: Matt McCutcheon (Penn State) dec. Jeff Koepke (Illinois), 3-1
7th: Ryan Christensen (Wisconsin) dec. Kenny Courts (Ohio State), 10-4
197 Pounds
1st: Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) dec. Nathan Burak (Iowa), 3-2
3rd: Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) dec. Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska), 3-1
5th: Max Huntley (Michigan) fall Hayden Hrymack (Rutgers), 5:52
7th: Mark Martin (Ohio State) dec. Drake Stein (Purdue), 4-3
285 Pounds
1st: Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) dec. Adam Coon (Michigan), 7-4
3rd: Michael Kroells (Minnesota) dec. Billy Smith (Rutgers), 4-1
5th: Brooks Black (Illinois) dec. Collin Jensen (Nebraska), 2-1
7th: Brock Horwath (Wisconsin) med. for. Sam Stoll (Iowa)
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana University is set to host the 2017 Big Ten Championships at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday and Sunday with the usual suspects in the running for the team championship.
The odds-on favorite to take the Big Ten team title this season are the defending champions, and current top team in the land, Penn State (14-0, 9-0). The Nittany Lions are seeking their sixth Big Ten title in the last seven seasons.
Penn State navigated a torrential dual-meet gauntlet in the regular season, going unscathed with wins over 10 top-25 opponents, including a dominant 27-13 performance against No. 2 Oklahoma State to claim the NWCA National Duals championship. The Nittany Lions own huge in-conference wins over No. 3 Iowa, No. 5 Nebraska, No. 6 Ohio State and No. 9 Illinois.
“We’re focused on our guys right now and getting them ready, but the Big Ten is very strong,” said Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson. “Iowa is good. Ohio State is good. All the teams have great individuals. Winning the Big Ten Conference means a lot and it’s important.”
Two electric Nittany Lions return to the Big Tens with repeat aspirations. NCAA champion Zain Retherford and NCAA runner-up Bo Nickal took top prize in Iowa City last year, and both enter Bloomington with undefeated records and No. 1 seeds, Retherford at 149 pounds and Nickal at 184 pounds.
Also garnering a No. 1 seed for Penn State is 157-pound dynamo Jason Nolf, who has blistered all opposition this year. Nolf has not dropped a single bout since the 2016 NCAA finals where he fell to two-time NCAA champion Isaiah Martinez of Illinois, 6-5.
The freshman punch of Nick Suriano, Vincenzo Joseph and Mark Hall will be integral to Penn State’s title chances. Suriano, the No. 2 seed at 125 pounds, is battling an ankle injury suffered in the Oklahoma State dual, leaving some doubt as to his availability this weekend. Joseph enters as the No. 4 seed at 165 pounds, while Hall was awarded the No. 2 seed at 174 pounds.
Jimmy Gulibon, Matt McCutcheon and Nick Nevills also come in with high seeds for the Nittany Lions. At the No. 2 seed, Gulibon looks for a repeat trip to the Big Ten finals at 141 pounds, where he fell by major decision to Anthony Ashnault of Rutgers last year. McCutcheon was fifth in the Big Ten at 184 pounds in 2016 but moved up to 197 pounds this season where he is slotted at the No. 4 seed. Nevills holds the No. 3 seed at heavyweight.
Two perennial powers, No. 3 Iowa (13-2, 8-1) and No. 6 Ohio State (11-3, 7-2), appear to possess enough high-end talent to upend the Nittany Lions for the team title.
The Hawkeyes finished as runners-up to Penn State in last year’s event held on their home mats. They suffered a sizeable 26-11 dual-meet loss to Penn State in January, but the potential is there for Iowa to make a push for first in Bloomington.
Like Penn State, Iowa returns two Big Ten champions to the mix this year in Cory Clark at 133 pounds and Sammy Brooks at 184 pounds. That said, it will be a difficult road for either to regain the top spot on the podium.
Clark, a two-time NCAA runner-up, has battled through injuries most of the season. He enters as the No. 3 seed behind NCAA champion Nathan Tomasello of Ohio State and All-American Eric Montoya of Nebraska. Clark and Tomasello have not wrestled this year, but Clark did falter against Montoya in a high-scoring affair last month.
Brooks is the No. 2 seed at 184 pounds, a weight class that boasts one NCAA champion and two additional NCAA finalists in the bracket. His only two losses of the season came against Big Ten opponents Nickal and No. 3 seed Nate Jackson of Indiana.
The strongest favorite for Iowa to claim an individual title is top seed Thomas Gilman at 125 pounds. Gilman, a 2016 NCAA finalist, enters Big Tens with an undefeated record and the No. 1 ranking in the NCAA. He entered under similar circumstances last year, but wound up in third place overall after losing to NCAA champion Nico Megaludis of Penn State in the semifinals.
For Iowa to take it all, they will need superb showings from NCAA finalist Brandon Sorensen at 149 pounds, freshman sensation Michael Kemerer at 157 pounds and All-American Alex Meyer at 174 pounds.
“We want a good team result and that starts with good individual results. Nothing’s really changed from every other week we talk about it. Get ready to wrestle your match and do what you do best. We’ve made progress and now our best wrestling has to show up,” said Iowa head coach Tom Brands.
The Buckeyes boast three No. 1 seeds for this edition of the Big Tens, with two of the three already owning Big Ten and NCAA titles.
Olympic and World champion Kyle Snyder returns to the Ohio State lineup after a week-long stint competing for the U.S. at the Freestyle World Cup in Iran. Snyder holds an undefeated record this season with all of his wins coming with bonus points. He is the No. 1 ranked wrestler at 285 pounds in the NCAA and holds the top seed at the weight for this event.
133-pounder Nathan Tomasello is shooting for his third Big Ten title as a Junior for the Buckeyes. Tomasello competed at 125 pounds prior to this season, where he was a NCAA champion in 2015.
The third No. 1 seed for Ohio State is two-time NCAA All-American Bo Jordan at 174 pounds. Much like Iowa’s Clark, Jordan entered the season as the top-ranked wrestler in his weight class but has wrestled sporadically due to injuries. A healthy Jordan poses a threat to return to the Big Ten finals and this time finish the deal.
After moving up from 174 pounds, where he won the NCAA Championships in 2016, Buckeye Myles Martin seems to have found his stride at 184 pounds after taking some early season lumps. Martin enters as the No. 4 seed and is therefore situated on the top half of the bracket alongside NCAA finalists Nickal and TJ Dudley of Nebraska.
How young talents Luke Pletcher, Micah Jordan and Kollin Moore fare will go a long way to determining Ohio State’s fate in the team race. Pletcher, a true freshman, slots in at the No. 5 seed at 141 pounds. Jordan enters as the No. 3 seed at 149 pounds behind Retherford and Sorensen, who are his only two losses on the year. Moore is situated in the two spot behind Minnesota’s Brett Pfarr at 197 pounds.
“Individually, you have to be ready right away. You can’t take any match lightly. As a team, I think everybody needs to score. I think that’s one thing we need to have happen,” said Ohio State assistant coach J Jaggers.
“At the nationals, you can do more with less people because you can put guys in the finals and score a lot of points, but at the Big Ten tournament you need guys even in that seventh-eighth place to score point for you,” he added.
Not to be overlooked in the team component is fifth-ranked Nebraska (11-4, 6-3) who brings in a gritty squad led by All-Americans Dudley and Montoya.
The Huskers have proven themselves dangerous as evident by dual meet wins over No. 8 North Carolina State, on top of Big Ten foes Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin. Although lacking a top seed individually, any slip-up from the other top teams, plus an upset or two of their own, could place Nebraska right in the mix for a team title.
Defending Big Ten champions Ashnault and Martinez are back for more. Both hold the top seed in their respective weight class, Ashnault at 141 pounds and Martinez at 165 pounds.
Ashnault is the leading man for No. 12 Rutgers (12-5, 6-3) having already earned two NCAA All-American honors. If seeds hold true, Ashnault would face Gulibon in a rematch of last year’s Big Ten finals.
Martinez leads the No. 9 Illinois (9-3, 6-3) squad that possesses serious firepower at several weight classes. All-American Zane Richards at 133 pounds and Big Ten runner-up Zac Brunson at 174 pounds join Martinez as potential champions for Illinois this week.
As a two-time NCAA champion with only one career college loss to his credit, Martinez has earned the right to be called the 165-pound favorite. The Illini sensation has already won this tournament twice but will no doubt be tested from his Big Ten competitors this weekend.
Also registered at 165 pounds is NCAA finalist Isaac Jordan of Wisconsin, plus freshmen breakouts Logan Massa of Michigan and Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State. These three wrestlers, in addition to Martinez, constitute the current top-four wrestlers in the NCAA at this weight.
The final No. 1 seed belongs to Minnesota’s Brett Pfarr at 197 pounds. Pfarr has gone unscathed this season save a lone loss to Olympic bronze medalist and two-time NCAA champion J’den Cox of Missouri. He finished in third place at Big Tens last year before finishing as an All-American at the NCAA Championships.
In total, 26 wrestlers competing at the Big Tens have previously earned NCAA All-America honors, with five being past NCAA champions.
With 77 automatic qualifiers, the Big Ten will send more wrestlers to the NCAA Division I Championships than any other conference.
The Big Ten Championships will be streamed online in its entirety on BTN Plus with the first-place matches being televised live on Big Ten Network at 3 p.m. (ET) on Sunday.
Big Ten Team Capsules
No. 9 Illinois
Record: 9-3 Overall, 6-3 Big Ten
Head Coach: Jim Heffernan (Eighth Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 6 Zane Richards (133), No. 12 Kyle Langenderfer (157), No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (165), No. 11 Zac Brunson (174), No. 10 Emery Parker (184), No. 14 Brooks Black (285)
Key Wins: No. 15 Michigan, No. 20 Arizona State
Indiana
Record: 10-9 Overall, 2-7 Big Ten
Head Coach: Duane Goldman (25th Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 6 Nate Jackson (184)
Key Wins: No. 20 Appalachian State, North Dakota State
No. 3 Iowa
Record: 13-2 Overall, 8-1 Big Ten
Head Coach: Tom Brands (11th Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 1 Thomas Gilman (125), No. 4 Cory Clark (133), No. 17 Topher Carton (141), No. 3 Brandon Sorensen (149), No. 2 Michael Kemerer (157), No. 17 Joey Gunther (165), No. 9 Alex Meyer (174), No. 3 Sammy Brooks (184)
Key Wins: Midlands Champions, No. 5 Nebraska, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 12 Minnesota, No. 15 Michigan, No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 19 South Dakota State, No. 22 Edinboro
Maryland
Record: 2-16 Overall, 0-9 Big Ten
Head Coach: Kerry McCoy (Ninth Season)
Ranked Individuals: None
Key Wins: Columbia, George Mason
No. 15 Michigan
Record: 8-7 Overall, 4-5 Big Ten
Head Coach: Joe McFarland (18th Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 18 Conor Youtsey (125), No. 7 Stevan Micic (133), No. 13 Brian Murphy (157), No. 2 Logan Massa (165), No. 10 Myles Amine (174)
Key Wins: No. 11 Lehigh, No. 12 Rutgers, No. 18 Oklahoma
Michigan State
Record: 5-11 Overall, 1-8 Big Ten
Head Coach: Roger Chandler (First Season)
Ranked Individuals: None
Key Wins: Maryland
No. 12 Minnesota
Record: 7-5 Overall, 5-4 Big Ten
Head Coach: Brandon Eggum (First Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 6 Ethan Lizak (125), No. 18 Mitch McKee (133), No. 10 Tommy Thorn (141), No. 9 Jake Short (157), No. 11 Nick Wanzek (165), No. 2 Brett Pfarr (197), No. 8 Michael Kroells (285)
Key Wins: No. 15 Michigan, No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 19 South Dakota State
No. 5 Nebraska
Record: 11-4 Overall, 6-3 Big Ten
Head Coach: Mark Manning (16th Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 5 Tim Lambert (125), No. 3 Eric Montoya (133), No. 15 Colton McCrystal (141), No. 3 Tyler Berger (157), No. 4 TJ Dudley (184), No. 6 Aaron Studebaker (197), No. 10 Collin Jensen (285)
Key Wins: No. 8 North Carolina State, No. 12 Minnesota, No. 15 Michigan, No. 16 Wisconsin
Northwestern
Record: 7-8 Overall, 2-7 Big Ten
Head Coach: Matt Storniolo (First Season)
Ranked Individuals: None
Key Wins: Michigan State, Maryland, Cal Poly
No. 6 Ohio State
Record: 11-3 Overall, 7-2 Big Ten
Head Coach: Tom Ryan (10th Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (133), No. 14 Luke Pletcher (141), No. 5 Micah Jordan (149), No. 3 Bo Jordan (174), No. 7 Myles Martin (184), No. 4 Kollin Moore (197), No. 1 Kyle Snyder (285)
Key Wins: Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Champions, No. 5 Nebraska, No. 9 Illinois, No. 10 Missouri, No. 12 Rutgers, No. 12 Minnesota, No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 20 Arizona State
No. 1 Penn State
Record: 14-0 Overall, 9-0 Big Ten
Head Coach: Cael Sanderson (Eighth Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 2 Nick Suriano (125), No. 13 Jimmy Gulibon (141), No. 1 Zain Retherford (149), No. 1 Jason Nolf (157), No. 4 Vincenzo Joseph (165), No. 4 Mark Hall (174), No. 2 Bo Nickal (184), No. 7 Matt McCutcheon (197), No. 4 Nick Nevills (285)
Key Wins: No. 2 Oklahoma State, No. 3 Iowa, No. 5 Nebraska, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 9 Illinois, No. 11 Lehigh, No. 12 Minnesota, No. 12 Rutgers, No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 21 Stanford
Purdue
Record: 9-7 Overall, 3-6 Big Ten
Head Coach: Tony Ersland (Third Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 19 Christian Brunner (197)
Key Wins: No. 19 South Dakota State, Boise State, Indiana
No. 12 Rutgers
Record: 12-5 Overall, 6-3 Big Ten
Head Coach: Scott Goodale (10th Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 5 Anthony Ashnault (141), No. 16 Ken Theobold (149), No. 17 John Van Brill (157), No. 18 Jordan Pagano (174), No. 11 Nick Gravina (184)
Key Wins: No. 9 Illinois, Princeton, Oregon State
No. 16 Wisconsin
Record: 7-5 Overall, 4-5 Big Ten
Head Coach: Barry Davis (22nd Season)
Ranked Individuals: No. 17 Andrew Crone (149), No. 18 TJ Ruschell (157), No. 3 Isaac Jordan (165), No. 16 Ricky Robertson (197), No. 2 Connor Medbery (285)
Key Wins: No. 14 Northern Iowa, No. 15 Michigan, No. 17 Central Michigan
2017 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
March 4-5 at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind.
Event Schedule
Saturday, March 4
10 a.m. (ET) – Session I (Preliminaries, Quarterfinals)
6 p.m. (ET) – Session II (Semifinals, Consolations)
Sunday, March 5
12 p.m. (ET) – Session III (Consolations)
3 p.m. (ET) – Session IV (Finals)
Watch: BTN Plus, Finals on Big Ten Network
Brackets: Trackwrestling
Big Ten NCAA Automatic Qualifiers (77)
125 (7), 133 (9), 141 (9), 149 (6), 157 (9), 165 (7), 174 (9), 184 (9), 197 (7), 285 (5)
Big Ten Championships Pre-Seeds
125 pounds
1. Thomas Gilman, IOWA
2. Nick Suriano, PSU
3. Tim Lambert, NEB
4. Ethan Lizak, MINN
5. Conor Youtsey, MICH
6. Johnny Jimenez, WIS
7. Elijah Oliver, IND
8. Jose Rodriguez, OSU
133 pounds
1. Nathan Tomasello, OSU
2. Eric Montoya, NEB
3. Cory Clark, IOWA
4. Zane Richards, ILL
5. Stevan Micic, MICH
6. Billy Rappo, MD
7. Mitch McKee, MINN
8. Luke Welch, PUR
9. Scott Delvecchio, RU
10. Eli Stickley, WIS
11. Jason Ipsarides, NU
12. Austin Eicher, MSU
13. Garrett Pepple, IND
14. Triston Law, PSU
141 pounds
1. Anthony Ashnault, RU
2. Jimmy Gulibon, PSU
3. Tommy Thorn, MINN
4. Colton McCrystal, NEB
5. Luke Pletcher, OSU
6. Topher Carton, IOWA
7. Javier Gasca III, MSU
8. Cole Martin, WIS
9. Salvator Profaci, MICH
10. Alec McKenna, NU
11. Cole Weaver, IND
12. Kyle Ayersman, PUR
13. Ryan Diehl, MD
14. Mousa Jodeh, ILL
149 pounds
1. Zain Retherford, PSU
2. Brandon Sorensen, IOWA
3. Micah, Jordan, OSU
4. Alfred Bannister, MD
5. Kenny Theobald, RU
6. Andrew Crone, WIS
7. Eric Barone, ILL
8. Chris Perez, IND
157 pounds
1. Jason Nolf, PSU
2. Michael Kemerer, IOWA
3. Tyler Berger, NEB
4. Jake Short, MINN
5. Kyle Langenderfer, ILL
6. Brian Murphy, MICH
7. John Van Brill, RU
8. Jake Danishek, IND
9. TJ Ruschell, WIS
10. Alex Griffin, PUR
11. Jake Ryan, OSU
12. Austin Thompson, MSU
13. Justin Alexander, MD
14. Ben Sullivan, NU
165 pounds
1. Isaiah Martinez, ILL
2. Logan Massa, MICH
3. Isaac Jordan, WIS
4. Vincenzo Joseph, PSU
5. Joey Gunther, IOWA
6. Nick Wanzek, MINN
7. Dustin Williams, NEB
8. Drew Hughes, MSU
174 pounds
1. Bo Jordan, OSU
2. Mark Hall, PSU
3. Zac Brunson, ILL
4. Myles Amine, MICH
5. Alex Meyer, IOWA
6. Jordan Pagano, RU
7. Jacob Morrissey, PUR
8. Devin Skatzka, IND
9. Micah Barnes, NEB
10. Chris Pfarr, MINN
11. Ryan Christensen, WIS
12. Drew Barnes, MSU
13. Josh Ugalde, MD
14. Braxton Cody, NU
184 pounds
1. Bo Nickal, PSU
2. Sammy Brooks, IOWA
3. Nate Jackson, IND
4. Myles Martin, OSU
5. TJ Dudley, NEB
6. Emery Parker, ILL
7. Nick Gravina, RU
8. Hunter Ritter, WIS
9. Mitch Sliga, NU
10. Bobby Steveson, MINN
11. Tanner Lynde, PUR
12. Ernest Battaglia, MICH
13. Shawn Shadaia, MSU
14. Idris White, MD
197 pounds
1. Brett Pfarr, MINN
2. Kollin Moore, OSU
3. Aaron Studebaker, NEB
4. Matt McCutcheon, PSU
5. Ricky Robertson, WIS
6. Jacob Berkowitz, NU
7. Cash Wilcke, IOWA
8. Christian Brunner, PUR
285 pounds
1. Kyle Snyder, OSU
2. Connor Medbery, WIS
3. Nick Nevills, PSU
4. Michael Kroells, MINN
5. Collin Jensen, NEB
6. Brooks Black, ILL
7. Youssif Hemida, MD
2016 Big Ten Championships Results
Team Standings
1. Penn State 150.5
2. Iowa 127
3. Ohio State 126
4. Nebraska 117
5. Rutgers 106.5
6. Michigan 89.5
7. Illinois 88
8. Wisconsin 67.5
9. Minnesota 51.5
10. Purdue 34
11. Indiana 30.5
12. Northwestern 11.5
13. Michigan State 10.5
14. Maryland 7.5
125 Pounds
1st: Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) dec. Nico Megaludis (Penn State), 3-1
3rd: Thomas Gilman (Iowa) maj. dec. Tim Lambert (Nebraska), 12-4
5th: Elijah Oliver (Indiana) dec. Conor Youtsey (Michigan), 6-3
7th: Johnny Jimenez (Wisconsin) maj. dec. Sean McCabe (Rutgers), 11-3
133 Pounds
1st: Cory Clark (Iowa) dec. Zane Richards (Illinois), 2-1
3rd: Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin) dec. Jordan Conaway (Penn State), 5-4
5th: Eric Montoya (Nebraska) dec. Anthony Giraldo (Rutgers), 7-3
7th: Johnni DiJulius (Ohio State) tech. fall Geoff Alexander (Maryland), 19-2
141 Pounds
1st: Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) maj. dec. Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State), 9-0
3rd: Micah Jordan (Ohio State) fall Tommy Thorn (Minnesota), 5:41
5th: Danny Sabatello (Purdue) dec. Javier Gasca III (Michigan State), 3-2
7th: Anthony Abidin (Nebraska) fall George Fisher (Michigan), 4:56
149 Pounds
1st: Zain Retherford (Penn State) dec. Brandon Sorensen (Iowa), 4-0
3rd: Alec Pantaleo (Michigan) dec. Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern), 8-4
5th: Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) maj. dec. Tyson Dippery (Rutgers), 12-3
7th: Jake Short (Minnesota) dec. Cody Burcher (Ohio State), 4-2
157 Pounds
1st: Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) dec. Jason Nolf (Penn State), 3-3 RT, TB2
3rd: Brian Murphy (Michigan) dec. Edwin Cooper (Iowa), 2-1
5th: Richie Lewis (Rutgers) dec. Jake Ryan (Ohio State), 5-2
7th: Tyler Berger (Nebraska) dec. TJ Ruschell (Wisconsin), 12-5
165 Pounds
1st: Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) dec. Bo Jordan (Ohio State), 3-1
3rd: Steven Rodrigues (Illinois) dec. Austin Wilson (Nebraska), 4-2
5th: Chad Welch (Purdue) med. for. Anthony Perrotti (Rutgers)
7th: Patrick Rhoads (Iowa) dec. Geno Morelli (Penn State), 4-2
174 Pounds
1st: Bo Nickal (Penn State) maj. dec. Zac Brunson (Illinois), 18-9
3rd: Myles Martin (Ohio State) dec. Nate Jackson (Indiana), 7-5
5th: Alex Meyer (Iowa) dec. Micah Barnes (Nebraska), 4-1
7th: Phil Bakuckas (Rutgers) fall Ricky Robertson (Wisconsin), 3:20
184 Pounds
1st: Sammy Brooks (Iowa) dec. TJ Dudley (Nebraska), 6-4
3rd: Dom Abounader (Michigan) maj. dec. Nick Gravina (Rutgers), 11-0
5th: Matt McCutcheon (Penn State) dec. Jeff Koepke (Illinois), 3-1
7th: Ryan Christensen (Wisconsin) dec. Kenny Courts (Ohio State), 10-4
197 Pounds
1st: Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) dec. Nathan Burak (Iowa), 3-2
3rd: Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) dec. Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska), 3-1
5th: Max Huntley (Michigan) fall Hayden Hrymack (Rutgers), 5:52
7th: Mark Martin (Ohio State) dec. Drake Stein (Purdue), 4-3
285 Pounds
1st: Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) dec. Adam Coon (Michigan), 7-4
3rd: Michael Kroells (Minnesota) dec. Billy Smith (Rutgers), 4-1
5th: Brooks Black (Illinois) dec. Collin Jensen (Nebraska), 2-1
7th: Brock Horwath (Wisconsin) med. for. Sam Stoll (Iowa)
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