Iowa in command with four finalists at Big Tens; Nebraska and Ohio State ahead of Penn State after day one
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by Andy Elder, Special to TheMat.com
Photo of Michael Kemerer of Iowa courtesy of Iowa wrestling Twitter.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — After having all 10 of its wrestlers seeded among the top three at their respective weights, it should come as no surprise that Iowa leads the team race after the first day of the 2020 Big Ten Wrestling Championships.
Few would have expected, however, Nebraska to be in second and Ohio State in third, with defending champion Penn State lagging behind in fourth after Saturday’s action at the Rutgers Athletic Center.
“Our guys who wrestle well consistently wrestled well today. We had four guys at four weights score one point. That makes it hard to compete as a team, but we have some individuals doing well. We just have to finish strong tomorrow and set ourselves up for the national tournament,” Penn State Coach Cael Sanderson said.
Nittany Lions Roman Bravo-Young (133), Nick Lee (141), Vincenzo Joseph (165), Mark Hall (174) and Aaron Brooks (184) will all wrestle for championships Sunday afternoon.
With five, Penn State has more finalists than the other eight teams who will have wrestlers vying for a championship. Iowa has four, Ohio State three, Purdue and Northwestern two each, and Michigan State, Nebraska, Michigan and Minnesota have one each.
The Hawkeyes dropped three quarterfinal bouts, as Max Murin (141), Kaleb Young (157) and Jacob Warner fell. Young then lost again in the second round of consolations and the No. 2 seed saw his tournament come to an end.
"It was a big day. It was a big day for a lot of reasons," Iowa Coach Tom Brands said.
“I don't know if I know the points. I know we're leading but I don't know where we're at. I know Day 2 is really, really important. We've got guys back at the hotel. They're relaxing, they're eating, some guys are maybe working on their weight control a little bit. We've got a heavyweight (Tony Cassioppi) cooling down who's gonna be on the back side of the bracket — that's what's on my mind. We've got to keep progressing.”
The seeds held at eight of 10 weights where the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds will meet in the finals. The biggest surprise, from a seed perspective but certainly not from a talent or experience perspective, came at 133 where Northwestern No. 5 seed Sebastian Rivera was the lowest seed to advance to a final.
At 125, No. 1 seed Spencer Lee continues to look untouchable. He had two lopsided wins to earn a berth opposite Purdue No. 2 seed Devin Schroder.
"Spencer Lee's got to go out and be Spencer Lee. He wrestled a complete match that last match,” Brands said.
Rivera upset No. 1 seed Seth Gross of Wisconsin in the semifinals to set up a first-time showdown with Penn State second seed Roman Bravo-Young.
At 141, the wrestlers who have been ranked 1 and 2 all season, Penn State top seed Nick Lee and Ohio State second seed Luke Pletcher will meet again. Lee toppled Pletcher in a Feb. 15 dual meet to claim the No. 1 spot.
Iowa’s Pat Lugo, seeded second at 149, will have a chance to avenge a loss to top seed Sammy Sasso of Ohio State.
Northwestern’s Ryan Deakin, the No. 1 seed at 157, will take on Purdue’s Kendall Coleman, the No. 3 seed.
It will be Nittany Lion vs. Hawkeye in the 165-pound final. Vincenzo Joseph and Alex Marinelli have waged some memorable battles through the years and the final promises to be another.
“It'll be a good match. It'll be a good match for the fans. We like our chances. We like our guy always. It's gonna be a challenge and we've got to be ready," Brands said.
Sanderson, too, said he liked his guy’s chances.
“This is the fourth time they’ve wrestled? Cenzo’s just got to be himself. Obviously, the tie-ups and the positioning are key because Marinelli is really good in those positions. If you lay your hand in the wrong place for a second, he’s on your leg and he finishes strong. He’s a tough kid. It’s going to be a tough, competitive match,” he said.
Another rematch awaits at 174 pounds where No. 1 seed Michael Kemerer of Iowa will meet No. 2 seed Mark Hall of Penn State. Kemerer beat Hall in the dual meet to claim the top spot.
“Let’s just go wrestle. Let’s go do what we do and see where we land. Mark’s my guy and he’s ready to go. Kemerer’s a stud also, so it should be a great match,” Sanderson said.
Penn State’s Aaron Brooks, the top seed at 184, will take on Michigan State second seed Cameron Caffey. Brooks, a true freshman, continues to reveal more of the talent that convinced the Penn State coaching staff to bring him off redshirt this season.
“I think Brooks is getting better every match and more comfortable. You can tell he really believes in his conditioning now, his shots and shot finishes, mat wrestling, everything’s great,” Sanderson said. “He beat a really good guy in the semifinals and he’s one of the title contenders for sure.”
Ohio State’s top-seeded 197-pounder Kollin Moore rolled into a finals match with Nebraska’s lone finalist, Eric Schultz.
And, at heavyweight, Michgan’s top-seeded Mason Parris is on a collision course with Minnesota No. 2 seed Gable Steveson.
Brands said securing extra points where possible will be a key in the Hawkeyes maintaining their lead in the team race.
“The other thing is bonus points,” he said. “Kemerer ended up getting bonus points after he ran into a little adversity. Spencer Lee got bonus points. (Max) Murin got a major decision. (Jacob) Warner had a fall. So those bonus points continued from the earlier session."
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
At the RAC, Rutgers University, Piscataway, N.J.
Finals pairings
125 - No. 1 Spencer Lee (Iowa) vs. No. 2 Devin Schroder (Purdue)
133 - No. 2 Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) vs. No. 5 Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern)
141 - No. 1 Nick Lee (Penn State) vs. No. 2 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State)
149 - No. 1 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Pat Lugo (Iowa)
157 - No. 1 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) vs. No. 3 Kendall Coleman (Purdue)
165 - No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) vs. No. 2 Alex Marinelli (Iowa)
174 - No. 1 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) vs. No. 2 Mark Hall (Penn State)
184 - No. 1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State) vs. No. 2 Cameron Caffey (Michigan State)
197 - No. 1 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Eric Schultz (Nebraska)
285 - No. 1 Mason Parris (Michigan) vs. No. 2 Gable Steveson (Minnesota)
Semifinals pairings
125 pounds
No. 1 Spencer Lee (Iowa) tech. fall No. 5 Jack Medley (Michigan), 19-3, 3:23
No. 2 Devin Schroder (Purdue) dec. No. 6 Michael Deaugustino (Northwestern), 6-0
133 pounds
No. 5 Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern) dec. No. 1 Seth Gross (Wisconsin), 7-6
No. 2 Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) dec. No. 3 Austin Desanto (Iowa), 3-2
141 pounds
No. 1 Nick Lee (Penn State) dec. No. 4 Chad Red Jr. (Nebraska), 7-5
No. 2 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) dec. No. 6 Mitchell McKee (Minnesota), 11-3
149 pounds
No. 1 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) dec. No. 4 Kanen Storr (Michigan), 3-0
No. 2 Pat Lugo (Iowa) dec. No. 3 Brayton Lee (Minnesota), 4-1
157
No. 1 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) dec. No. 4 Will Lewan (Michigan), 8-2
No. 3 Kendall Coleman (Purdue) dec. No. 7 Peyton Robb (Nebraska), 3-2
165
No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) dec. No. 4 Isaiah White (Nebraska), 6-3
No. 2 Alex Marinelli (Iowa) pin No. 6 Shayne Oster (Northwestern), 2:41
174
No. 1 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) maj. dec. No. 4 Devin Skatzka (Minnesota), 22-9
No. 2 Mark Hall (Penn State) dec. No. 3 Dylan Lydy (Purdue), 5-4
184
No. 1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State) pin No. 4 Taylor Venz (Nebraska), 4:00
No. 2 Cameron Caffey (Michigan State) dec. No. 3 Abe Assad (Iowa), 5-3
197
No. 1 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) maj. dec. No. 5 Lucas Davison (Northwestern), 16-5
No. 2 Eric Schultz (Nebraska) dec. No. 6 Shakur Rasheed (Penn State), 4-3
285
No. 1 Mason Parris (Michigan) dec. No. 4 Trent Hillger (Wisconsin), 4-0
No. 2 Gable Steveson (Minnesota) dec. No. 3 Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa), 9-4
Team Scores after semifinals
1 Iowa 121.5
2 Nebraska 102.5
3 Ohio State 94
4 Penn State 93.5
5 Purdue 77.5
6 Michigan 64.5
7 Northwestern 63
8 Minnesota 55
9 Michigan State 52
10 Wisconsin 48
11 Illinois 45.5
12 Rutgers 24.5
13 Indiana 11.5
14 Maryland 0
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — After having all 10 of its wrestlers seeded among the top three at their respective weights, it should come as no surprise that Iowa leads the team race after the first day of the 2020 Big Ten Wrestling Championships.
Few would have expected, however, Nebraska to be in second and Ohio State in third, with defending champion Penn State lagging behind in fourth after Saturday’s action at the Rutgers Athletic Center.
“Our guys who wrestle well consistently wrestled well today. We had four guys at four weights score one point. That makes it hard to compete as a team, but we have some individuals doing well. We just have to finish strong tomorrow and set ourselves up for the national tournament,” Penn State Coach Cael Sanderson said.
Nittany Lions Roman Bravo-Young (133), Nick Lee (141), Vincenzo Joseph (165), Mark Hall (174) and Aaron Brooks (184) will all wrestle for championships Sunday afternoon.
With five, Penn State has more finalists than the other eight teams who will have wrestlers vying for a championship. Iowa has four, Ohio State three, Purdue and Northwestern two each, and Michigan State, Nebraska, Michigan and Minnesota have one each.
The Hawkeyes dropped three quarterfinal bouts, as Max Murin (141), Kaleb Young (157) and Jacob Warner fell. Young then lost again in the second round of consolations and the No. 2 seed saw his tournament come to an end.
"It was a big day. It was a big day for a lot of reasons," Iowa Coach Tom Brands said.
“I don't know if I know the points. I know we're leading but I don't know where we're at. I know Day 2 is really, really important. We've got guys back at the hotel. They're relaxing, they're eating, some guys are maybe working on their weight control a little bit. We've got a heavyweight (Tony Cassioppi) cooling down who's gonna be on the back side of the bracket — that's what's on my mind. We've got to keep progressing.”
The seeds held at eight of 10 weights where the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds will meet in the finals. The biggest surprise, from a seed perspective but certainly not from a talent or experience perspective, came at 133 where Northwestern No. 5 seed Sebastian Rivera was the lowest seed to advance to a final.
At 125, No. 1 seed Spencer Lee continues to look untouchable. He had two lopsided wins to earn a berth opposite Purdue No. 2 seed Devin Schroder.
"Spencer Lee's got to go out and be Spencer Lee. He wrestled a complete match that last match,” Brands said.
Rivera upset No. 1 seed Seth Gross of Wisconsin in the semifinals to set up a first-time showdown with Penn State second seed Roman Bravo-Young.
At 141, the wrestlers who have been ranked 1 and 2 all season, Penn State top seed Nick Lee and Ohio State second seed Luke Pletcher will meet again. Lee toppled Pletcher in a Feb. 15 dual meet to claim the No. 1 spot.
Iowa’s Pat Lugo, seeded second at 149, will have a chance to avenge a loss to top seed Sammy Sasso of Ohio State.
Northwestern’s Ryan Deakin, the No. 1 seed at 157, will take on Purdue’s Kendall Coleman, the No. 3 seed.
It will be Nittany Lion vs. Hawkeye in the 165-pound final. Vincenzo Joseph and Alex Marinelli have waged some memorable battles through the years and the final promises to be another.
“It'll be a good match. It'll be a good match for the fans. We like our chances. We like our guy always. It's gonna be a challenge and we've got to be ready," Brands said.
Sanderson, too, said he liked his guy’s chances.
“This is the fourth time they’ve wrestled? Cenzo’s just got to be himself. Obviously, the tie-ups and the positioning are key because Marinelli is really good in those positions. If you lay your hand in the wrong place for a second, he’s on your leg and he finishes strong. He’s a tough kid. It’s going to be a tough, competitive match,” he said.
Another rematch awaits at 174 pounds where No. 1 seed Michael Kemerer of Iowa will meet No. 2 seed Mark Hall of Penn State. Kemerer beat Hall in the dual meet to claim the top spot.
“Let’s just go wrestle. Let’s go do what we do and see where we land. Mark’s my guy and he’s ready to go. Kemerer’s a stud also, so it should be a great match,” Sanderson said.
Penn State’s Aaron Brooks, the top seed at 184, will take on Michigan State second seed Cameron Caffey. Brooks, a true freshman, continues to reveal more of the talent that convinced the Penn State coaching staff to bring him off redshirt this season.
“I think Brooks is getting better every match and more comfortable. You can tell he really believes in his conditioning now, his shots and shot finishes, mat wrestling, everything’s great,” Sanderson said. “He beat a really good guy in the semifinals and he’s one of the title contenders for sure.”
Ohio State’s top-seeded 197-pounder Kollin Moore rolled into a finals match with Nebraska’s lone finalist, Eric Schultz.
And, at heavyweight, Michgan’s top-seeded Mason Parris is on a collision course with Minnesota No. 2 seed Gable Steveson.
Brands said securing extra points where possible will be a key in the Hawkeyes maintaining their lead in the team race.
“The other thing is bonus points,” he said. “Kemerer ended up getting bonus points after he ran into a little adversity. Spencer Lee got bonus points. (Max) Murin got a major decision. (Jacob) Warner had a fall. So those bonus points continued from the earlier session."
BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS
At the RAC, Rutgers University, Piscataway, N.J.
Finals pairings
125 - No. 1 Spencer Lee (Iowa) vs. No. 2 Devin Schroder (Purdue)
133 - No. 2 Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) vs. No. 5 Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern)
141 - No. 1 Nick Lee (Penn State) vs. No. 2 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State)
149 - No. 1 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Pat Lugo (Iowa)
157 - No. 1 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) vs. No. 3 Kendall Coleman (Purdue)
165 - No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) vs. No. 2 Alex Marinelli (Iowa)
174 - No. 1 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) vs. No. 2 Mark Hall (Penn State)
184 - No. 1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State) vs. No. 2 Cameron Caffey (Michigan State)
197 - No. 1 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Eric Schultz (Nebraska)
285 - No. 1 Mason Parris (Michigan) vs. No. 2 Gable Steveson (Minnesota)
Semifinals pairings
125 pounds
No. 1 Spencer Lee (Iowa) tech. fall No. 5 Jack Medley (Michigan), 19-3, 3:23
No. 2 Devin Schroder (Purdue) dec. No. 6 Michael Deaugustino (Northwestern), 6-0
133 pounds
No. 5 Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern) dec. No. 1 Seth Gross (Wisconsin), 7-6
No. 2 Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) dec. No. 3 Austin Desanto (Iowa), 3-2
141 pounds
No. 1 Nick Lee (Penn State) dec. No. 4 Chad Red Jr. (Nebraska), 7-5
No. 2 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) dec. No. 6 Mitchell McKee (Minnesota), 11-3
149 pounds
No. 1 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) dec. No. 4 Kanen Storr (Michigan), 3-0
No. 2 Pat Lugo (Iowa) dec. No. 3 Brayton Lee (Minnesota), 4-1
157
No. 1 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) dec. No. 4 Will Lewan (Michigan), 8-2
No. 3 Kendall Coleman (Purdue) dec. No. 7 Peyton Robb (Nebraska), 3-2
165
No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) dec. No. 4 Isaiah White (Nebraska), 6-3
No. 2 Alex Marinelli (Iowa) pin No. 6 Shayne Oster (Northwestern), 2:41
174
No. 1 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) maj. dec. No. 4 Devin Skatzka (Minnesota), 22-9
No. 2 Mark Hall (Penn State) dec. No. 3 Dylan Lydy (Purdue), 5-4
184
No. 1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State) pin No. 4 Taylor Venz (Nebraska), 4:00
No. 2 Cameron Caffey (Michigan State) dec. No. 3 Abe Assad (Iowa), 5-3
197
No. 1 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) maj. dec. No. 5 Lucas Davison (Northwestern), 16-5
No. 2 Eric Schultz (Nebraska) dec. No. 6 Shakur Rasheed (Penn State), 4-3
285
No. 1 Mason Parris (Michigan) dec. No. 4 Trent Hillger (Wisconsin), 4-0
No. 2 Gable Steveson (Minnesota) dec. No. 3 Anthony Cassioppi (Iowa), 9-4
Team Scores after semifinals
1 Iowa 121.5
2 Nebraska 102.5
3 Ohio State 94
4 Penn State 93.5
5 Purdue 77.5
6 Michigan 64.5
7 Northwestern 63
8 Minnesota 55
9 Michigan State 52
10 Wisconsin 48
11 Illinois 45.5
12 Rutgers 24.5
13 Indiana 11.5
14 Maryland 0
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