LaMont becomes Utah Valley’s third All-American in program history, Iowa extends their lead in the team race putting three in the semifinals after Session 3 of the 2021 NCAA Championships

Feature photo of Utah Valley's Taylor LaMont defeding a shot attempt by Virginia Tech's Sam Latona courtesy of Mark Lundy/Lutte Lens.

St. Louis, Mo. The 125-157 pound brackets unfolded close to perfectly according to seed this morning during Session 3 of the 2021 NCAA Championships. The sole wrestler to upset the applecart was Utah Valley’s Taylor LaMont. The No. 7 seed at 125 pounds, LaMont took out Virginia Tech freshman No. 2 Sam Latona, 7-4, becoming Utah Valley’s third All-American in program history. The last Wolverine to garner All-American status was Jade Rauser, who placed eighth at 133 pounds in 2016. Next session, Demetrius Romero (No. 2 at 174) will have the opportunity to become Utah Valley’s fourth All-American.

The Iowa Hawkeyes pulled further ahead in the team race, sending three wrestlers to the quarterfinals, all of whom picked up bonus point victories. At 125 pounds, No. 1 Spencer Lee earned a, 10-2, major decision over Purdue’s Devin Schroder. The match was tied, 2-2, going into the third period before Lee pulled away, scoring a reversal, near fall and earning a riding time point. In the semifinals, Lee will face No. 4 Drew Hildebrandt of Central Michigan. Hildebrandt secured his first All-American honors with a 4-2 sudden victory win over Northern Iowa’s No. 5 Brody Teske.

No. 4 Austin DeSanto followed it up with a 13-5 major decision over Pittsburgh’s Micky Phillippi in a clash of native Pennsylvanians at 133 pounds. In the semifinals, DeSanto will see top-seeded Daton Fix of Oklahoma State. The pair wrestled once during the 2019 season with Fix earning a 2-0 victory. Fix was dominant in his quarterfinal match, earning a pin over Northwestern’s No. 8 Chris Cannon

Jadin Eierman also looked excellent in his quarterfinal match, locking up a cradle and pinning No. 9 Dresden Simon of Central Michigan at 141 pounds. In the semifinals he will wrestle No. 4 Tariq Wilson of NC State. Wilson downed Stanford’s Real Woods, 3-1, in the quarterfinals.

Penn State remains in second place in the team race, pushing both No. 2 at 133 pounds Roman Bravo-Young and No. 2 at 141 pounds Nick Lee into the semifinals. Bravo-Young earned a 4-1 decision over Virginia’s No. 10 Louie Hayes. In tonight’s semifinals he’ll face No. 3 Korbin Myers of Virginia Tech. Myers, a sixth-year senior, claimed All-American status for the first time in his career, defeating Missouri’s Matt Schmitt, 1-0, in his quarterfinal. Lee will square off with No. 3 seed Sebastian Rivera of Rutgers. The pair wrestled a barnburner of a match in the Big Ten semifinals, with Lee coming out on top, 8-6, in sudden victory.

NC State and Oklahoma State are currently tied in third place with 37.5 points apiece. In addition to Tariq Wilson at 141 pounds, NC State’s No. 2 Hayden Hidlay reached the semifinals at 157 pounds with a first period pin over No. 23 Jacob Wright of Wyoming. He will wrestle No. 3 David Carr of Iowa State. Carr bested Minnesota’s No. 6 Brayton Lee in sudden victory, 4-2, to reach the semifinals. The Cowboys also advanced two into the semifinals, with Daton Fix at 133 pounds and No. 4 Boo Lewallen at 149 pounds. Lewallen defeated Iowa’s No. 12 Max Murin, 6-4, in sudden victory. In the semifinals, he’ll battle top-seeded Sammy Sasso of Ohio State. Sasso defeated Northwestern’s No. 25 Yahya Thomas, 8-3, in his quarterfinal match.

Session 4, which features the 165-285 quarterfinals and consolation matches, will start at 2 p.m. CST.

2021 NCAA Div. I Championships

At St. Louis, Mo

Team scores after Session 3 (Top 16 Teams)
1. Iowa 58.5
2. Penn State 43.5
3. NC State 37.5
3. Oklahoma State 37.5
5. Missouri 34.5
6. Arizona State 31.5
7. Northwestern 22.0
8. Minnesota 21.5
8. Virginia Tech 21.5
10. Ohio State 20.5
11. Michigan 17.0
12. Central Michigan 16.5
12. Nebraska 16.5
14. Iowa State 15.5
14. North Carolina 15.5
14. Rutgers 15.5

Semifinal Pairings

125 pounds
No. 1. Spencer Lee (Iowa) vs. No. 4 Drew Hildebrandt (Central Michigan)
No. 3 Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) vs. No. 7 Taylor LaMont (Utah Valley)

133 pounds
No. 1 Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 4 Austin DeSanto (Iowa)
No. 3 Korbin Myers (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 2 Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State)

141 pounds
No. 1 Jaydin Eierman (Iowa) vs. No. 4 Tariq Wilson (NC State)
No. 3 Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers) vs. No. 2 Nick Lee (Penn State)

149 pounds
No. 1 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) vs. No. 4 Boo Lewallen (Oklahoma State)
No. 3 Brock Mauller (Missouri) vs. No. 2 Austin O’Connor (North Carolina)

157 pounds
No. 1 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) vs. No. 4 Jesse Dellavecchia (Rider)
No. 3 David Carr (Iowa State)vs. No. 2 Hayden Hidlay (NC State)

Quarterfinals Results

125 pounds
No. 1 Spencer Lee (Iowa) MD No. 9 Devin Schroder (Purdue), 10-2
No. 4 Drew Hildebrandt (Central Michigan) DEC No. 5 Brody Teske (Northern Iowa), 4-2 (SV-1)
No. 3Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) DEC No. 6 Jakob Camacho (NC State), 4-2
No. 7 Taylor LaMont (Utah Valley) DEC No. 2 Sam Latona (Virginia Tech), 7-4

133 pounds
No. 1 Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) FALL No. 8 Chris Cannon (Northwestern), 5:10
No. 4 Austin DeSanto (Iowa) MD No. 5 Micky Phillippi (Pittsburgh), 13-5
No. 3 Korbin Myers (Virginia Tech) DEC No. 6 Matt Schmitt (Missouri), 1-0
No. 2 Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) DEC No. 10 Louie Hayes (Virginia), 4-1

141 pounds
No. 1 Jaydin Eierman (Iowa) FALL No. 9 Dresden Simon (Central Michigan), 3:49
No. 4 Tariq Wilson (NC State) DEC No. 21 Real Woods (Stanford), 3-1
No. 3 Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern) DEC No. 6 Allan Hart (Missouri), 7-3
No. 2 Nick Lee (Penn State) MD No. 10 Zach Sherman (UNC), 11-3

149 pounds
No. 1 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) DEC No. 25 Yahya Thomas (Northwestern), 8-3
No. 4 Boo Lewallen (Oklahoma State) DEC No. 12 Max Murin (Iowa), 6-4 (SV-1)
No. 3 Brock Mauller (Missouri) DEC No. 6 Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech), 8-3
No. 2 Austin O’Connor (North Carolina) DEC No. 7 Jonathan Millner (App State), 5-2

157 pounds
No. 1 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) DEC No. 8 Jared Franek (North Dakota State), 5-4
No. 4 Jesse Dellavecchia (Rider) DEF No. 12 Brady Berge (Penn State), INJ 2:39
No. 3 David Carr (Iowa State) vs. No. 6 Brayton Lee (Minnesota), 4-2 (SV-1)
No. 2 Hayden Hidlay (NC State) FALL No. 23 Jacob Wright (Wyoming), 2:33