Tomasello, Jordan score B1G semifinal wins, boost Buckeye lead at Big Ten's
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by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
Photo: Ohio State's Micah Jordan celebrates a semifinal pin over Iowa All-American Michael Kemerer at 157 pounds (Richard Immel/USA Wrestling).
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Buckeyes have separated themselves from the Big Ten field after the semifinals, in large part to Nathan Tomasello and Micah Jordan avenging regular season losses to highly-ranked Iowa opponents.
A third-period takedown proved the difference for Tomasello, a past NCAA champion and three-time All-American, over true-freshman sensation Spencer Lee. Lee was leading 1-0 late in the contest prior to the match-clinching single leg and ride out from Tomasello.
"I figured I'd chisel away, chisel away and get to that takedown at the end. It just came at the right time," Tomasello said. "He's a tough competitor and I stayed in good position. We both had good attacks to the legs and I was able to finish one of mine."
The Buckeye senior is now one win away from bagging his fourth individual Big Ten crown, and third at 125 pounds. His opponent is returning NCAA finalist Ethan Lizak of Minnesota, who advanced to the finals with a medical forfeit win over top seed Nick Suriano of Rutgers. Tomasello tuned up Lizak 18-3 during the regular season.
It was a calculated effort from Jordan in his 157-pound semifinal against All-American Michael Kemerer. In a battle of returning Big Ten finalists, Jordan overcame a 1-0 third-period deficit to pin Kemerer via pancake in 5:48.
Jordan looks to complete his revenge quest against All-American Alec Pantaleo of Michigan in the finals. Pantaleo, who qualified for the finals courtesy of a Jason Nolf medical forfeit, has defeated Jordan twice this season.
Ohio State standouts Luke Pletcher (133), Joey McKenna (141), Myles Martin (184), Kollin Moore (197) and Kyle Snyder (285) qualified for a championship match alongside Tomasello and Jordan. Stout obstacles stand in the way of each Buckeye finalist.
Two-time NCAA champion Isaiah Martinez of Illinois gets his shot at vengeance against defending NCAA champion Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State in tomorrow's 165-pound final.
Martinez won a savvy 8-5 bout over Rutgers' Richie Lewis to secure his fourth-straight Big Ten finals berth. Joseph squeaked out a 5-4 decision over upset-minded Logan Massa of Michigan in the opposite semifinal.
"My goal is not to cement a legacy. My goal is to be the Big Ten champ and the national champ in these next three weeks," Martinez said. "This is show time. This is what everyone wants. I'm so ready. I'm so excited."
Two other NCAA finals rematches will occur on Sunday afternoon at the Breslin Center. At 149 pounds, two-time NCAA champion Zain Retherford of Penn State does battle against fierce rival Brandon Sorensen of Iowa. Nittany Lion Bo Nickal is out for Big Ten retribution against fellow NCAA champion Martin at 184 pounds.
Returning 174-pound NCAA champion Mark Hall and Southern Scuffle champion Shakur Rasheed round out the list of five Penn State finalists.
Hall stands opposite Michigan's surging Myles Amine as he searches for his first Big Ten crown. Not to be outdone, Amine secured a stunning pin on defending Big Ten champion Bo Jordan of Ohio State in the semifinals.
Rasheed looked sharp in a 10-2 major decision over Purdue's Christian Brunner at 197 pounds. His task tomorrow is Buckeye All-American and No. 1 seed Moore.
The remaining Big Ten finalists include Michigan All-Americans Stevan Micic (133) and Adam Coon (285), plus Illinois sophomore Michael Carr (141).
Ohio State has surged to a 13.5-point lead over top-ranked Penn State in its quest for back-to-back conference championships. Michigan finds itself in third place with an even 100 points, 24 back from the Nittany Lions.
The Big Ten Championships will resume at 12 p.m. (ET) tomorrow with the remaining consolation rounds. The first, third and fifth place matches will be wrestled simultaneously at 3 p.m. (ET).
BTN2GO and Flowrestling are set to live stream all remaining matches except for the championship bouts, which will be televised on Big Ten Network.
Updated brackets from the Big Ten Championships can be found at Trackwrestling.com.
2018 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
At East Lansing, Mich., March 3-4
Team Standings
1. Ohio State 137.5
2. Penn State 124
3. Michigan 100
4. Iowa 78
5. Minnesota 57
6. Nebraska 54
7. Illinois 53
8. Wisconsin 50.5
9. Northwestern 48
10. Purdue 45.5
11. Rutgers 37
12. Maryland 27.5
13. Indiana 10
14. Michigan State 8.5
Finals Matchups
125: No. 5 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) vs. No. 3 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State)
133: No. 1 Stevan Micic (Michigan) vs. No. 2 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State)
141: No. 1 Joey McKenna (Ohio State) vs. No. 3 Michael Carr (Illinois)
149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) vs. No. 2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa)
157: No. 4 Micah Jordan (Ohio State) vs. No. 3 Alec Pantaleo (Michigan)
165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) vs. No. 3 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State)
174: No. 1 Mark Hall (Penn State) vs. No. 3 Myles Amine (Michigan)
184: No. 1 Bo Nickal (Penn State) vs. No. 2 Myles Martin (Ohio State)
197: No. 1 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Shakur Rasheed (Penn State)
285: No. 1 Adam Coon (Michigan) vs. No. 2 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State)
Semifinal Results
125 pounds
No. 5 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) med. for. No. 1 Nick Suriano (Rutgers)
No. 3 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) dec. No. 2 Spencer Lee (Iowa), 2-1
133 pounds
No. 1 Stevan Micic (Michigan) tech. fall No. 4 Jason Renteria (Nebraska), 19-3
No. 2 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) dec. No. 3 Mitch McKee (Minnesota), 6-4 SV1
141 pounds
No. 1 Joey McKenna (Ohio State) dec. No. 5 Nate Limmex (Purdue), 6-0
No. 3 Michael Carr (Illinois) dec. No. 2 Nick Lee (Penn State), 10-6
149 pounds
No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) maj. dec. No. 5 Ke-Shawn Hayes (Ohio State), 10-0
No. 2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) dec. No. 3 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern), 7-2
157 pounds
No. 4 Micah Jordan (Ohio State) fall No. 1 Michael Kemerer (Iowa), 5:48
No. 3 Alec Pantaleo (Michigan) med. for. No. 2 Jason Nolf (Penn State)
165 pounds
No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) dec. No. 4 Richie Lewis (Rutgers), 8-5
No. 3 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) dec. No. 7 Logan Massa (Michigan), 5-4
174 pounds
No. 1 Mark Hall (Penn State) dec. No. 5 Johnny Sebastian (Northwestern), 4-1
No. 3 Myles Amine (Michigan) fall No. 2 Bo Jordan (Ohio State), 5:30
184 pounds
No. 1 Bo Nickal (Penn State) dec. No. 4 Emery Parker (Illinois), 5-2
No. 2 Myles Martin (Ohio State) dec. No. 3 Dom Abounader (Michigan), 7-3
197 pounds
No. 1 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) dec. No. 4 Kevin Beazley (Michigan), 5-3
No. 2 Shakur Rasheed (Penn State) maj. dec. No. 6 Christian Brunner (Purdue), 10-2
285 pounds
No. 1 Adam Coon (Michigan) fall No. 4 Sam Stoll (Iowa), 2:13
No. 2 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) maj. dec. No. 3 Nick Nevills (Penn State), 14-5
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Buckeyes have separated themselves from the Big Ten field after the semifinals, in large part to Nathan Tomasello and Micah Jordan avenging regular season losses to highly-ranked Iowa opponents.
A third-period takedown proved the difference for Tomasello, a past NCAA champion and three-time All-American, over true-freshman sensation Spencer Lee. Lee was leading 1-0 late in the contest prior to the match-clinching single leg and ride out from Tomasello.
"I figured I'd chisel away, chisel away and get to that takedown at the end. It just came at the right time," Tomasello said. "He's a tough competitor and I stayed in good position. We both had good attacks to the legs and I was able to finish one of mine."
The Buckeye senior is now one win away from bagging his fourth individual Big Ten crown, and third at 125 pounds. His opponent is returning NCAA finalist Ethan Lizak of Minnesota, who advanced to the finals with a medical forfeit win over top seed Nick Suriano of Rutgers. Tomasello tuned up Lizak 18-3 during the regular season.
It was a calculated effort from Jordan in his 157-pound semifinal against All-American Michael Kemerer. In a battle of returning Big Ten finalists, Jordan overcame a 1-0 third-period deficit to pin Kemerer via pancake in 5:48.
Jordan looks to complete his revenge quest against All-American Alec Pantaleo of Michigan in the finals. Pantaleo, who qualified for the finals courtesy of a Jason Nolf medical forfeit, has defeated Jordan twice this season.
Ohio State standouts Luke Pletcher (133), Joey McKenna (141), Myles Martin (184), Kollin Moore (197) and Kyle Snyder (285) qualified for a championship match alongside Tomasello and Jordan. Stout obstacles stand in the way of each Buckeye finalist.
Two-time NCAA champion Isaiah Martinez of Illinois gets his shot at vengeance against defending NCAA champion Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State in tomorrow's 165-pound final.
Martinez won a savvy 8-5 bout over Rutgers' Richie Lewis to secure his fourth-straight Big Ten finals berth. Joseph squeaked out a 5-4 decision over upset-minded Logan Massa of Michigan in the opposite semifinal.
"My goal is not to cement a legacy. My goal is to be the Big Ten champ and the national champ in these next three weeks," Martinez said. "This is show time. This is what everyone wants. I'm so ready. I'm so excited."
Two other NCAA finals rematches will occur on Sunday afternoon at the Breslin Center. At 149 pounds, two-time NCAA champion Zain Retherford of Penn State does battle against fierce rival Brandon Sorensen of Iowa. Nittany Lion Bo Nickal is out for Big Ten retribution against fellow NCAA champion Martin at 184 pounds.
Returning 174-pound NCAA champion Mark Hall and Southern Scuffle champion Shakur Rasheed round out the list of five Penn State finalists.
Hall stands opposite Michigan's surging Myles Amine as he searches for his first Big Ten crown. Not to be outdone, Amine secured a stunning pin on defending Big Ten champion Bo Jordan of Ohio State in the semifinals.
Rasheed looked sharp in a 10-2 major decision over Purdue's Christian Brunner at 197 pounds. His task tomorrow is Buckeye All-American and No. 1 seed Moore.
The remaining Big Ten finalists include Michigan All-Americans Stevan Micic (133) and Adam Coon (285), plus Illinois sophomore Michael Carr (141).
Ohio State has surged to a 13.5-point lead over top-ranked Penn State in its quest for back-to-back conference championships. Michigan finds itself in third place with an even 100 points, 24 back from the Nittany Lions.
The Big Ten Championships will resume at 12 p.m. (ET) tomorrow with the remaining consolation rounds. The first, third and fifth place matches will be wrestled simultaneously at 3 p.m. (ET).
BTN2GO and Flowrestling are set to live stream all remaining matches except for the championship bouts, which will be televised on Big Ten Network.
Updated brackets from the Big Ten Championships can be found at Trackwrestling.com.
2018 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
At East Lansing, Mich., March 3-4
Team Standings
1. Ohio State 137.5
2. Penn State 124
3. Michigan 100
4. Iowa 78
5. Minnesota 57
6. Nebraska 54
7. Illinois 53
8. Wisconsin 50.5
9. Northwestern 48
10. Purdue 45.5
11. Rutgers 37
12. Maryland 27.5
13. Indiana 10
14. Michigan State 8.5
Finals Matchups
125: No. 5 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) vs. No. 3 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State)
133: No. 1 Stevan Micic (Michigan) vs. No. 2 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State)
141: No. 1 Joey McKenna (Ohio State) vs. No. 3 Michael Carr (Illinois)
149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) vs. No. 2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa)
157: No. 4 Micah Jordan (Ohio State) vs. No. 3 Alec Pantaleo (Michigan)
165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) vs. No. 3 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State)
174: No. 1 Mark Hall (Penn State) vs. No. 3 Myles Amine (Michigan)
184: No. 1 Bo Nickal (Penn State) vs. No. 2 Myles Martin (Ohio State)
197: No. 1 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Shakur Rasheed (Penn State)
285: No. 1 Adam Coon (Michigan) vs. No. 2 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State)
Semifinal Results
125 pounds
No. 5 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) med. for. No. 1 Nick Suriano (Rutgers)
No. 3 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) dec. No. 2 Spencer Lee (Iowa), 2-1
133 pounds
No. 1 Stevan Micic (Michigan) tech. fall No. 4 Jason Renteria (Nebraska), 19-3
No. 2 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) dec. No. 3 Mitch McKee (Minnesota), 6-4 SV1
141 pounds
No. 1 Joey McKenna (Ohio State) dec. No. 5 Nate Limmex (Purdue), 6-0
No. 3 Michael Carr (Illinois) dec. No. 2 Nick Lee (Penn State), 10-6
149 pounds
No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) maj. dec. No. 5 Ke-Shawn Hayes (Ohio State), 10-0
No. 2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) dec. No. 3 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern), 7-2
157 pounds
No. 4 Micah Jordan (Ohio State) fall No. 1 Michael Kemerer (Iowa), 5:48
No. 3 Alec Pantaleo (Michigan) med. for. No. 2 Jason Nolf (Penn State)
165 pounds
No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) dec. No. 4 Richie Lewis (Rutgers), 8-5
No. 3 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) dec. No. 7 Logan Massa (Michigan), 5-4
174 pounds
No. 1 Mark Hall (Penn State) dec. No. 5 Johnny Sebastian (Northwestern), 4-1
No. 3 Myles Amine (Michigan) fall No. 2 Bo Jordan (Ohio State), 5:30
184 pounds
No. 1 Bo Nickal (Penn State) dec. No. 4 Emery Parker (Illinois), 5-2
No. 2 Myles Martin (Ohio State) dec. No. 3 Dom Abounader (Michigan), 7-3
197 pounds
No. 1 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) dec. No. 4 Kevin Beazley (Michigan), 5-3
No. 2 Shakur Rasheed (Penn State) maj. dec. No. 6 Christian Brunner (Purdue), 10-2
285 pounds
No. 1 Adam Coon (Michigan) fall No. 4 Sam Stoll (Iowa), 2:13
No. 2 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) maj. dec. No. 3 Nick Nevills (Penn State), 14-5
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