Leen took a shot with 50 seconds left in the first period and converted to go up 2-0, but with 10 seconds left, Poeta escaped.
The Big Red grappler started the second period in the down position and went up 3-1 with an escape. Leen earned another point when Poeta was hit with a penalty for fleeing the mat. Leen thought that they were out of bounds, and Poeta nearly countered to score before the referee blew the whistle.
Poeta began the third period down on the mat and came within two with an escape. The Illinois wrestler tied up the bout with a takedown, but Poeta let Leen up looking for another takedown to win. Leen evaded Poeta with time running out to win a 5-4 decision for a National Championship title.
Leen is just the second wrestler from Tennessee to ever become an NCAA champion. The first was Bill Harlow of Oklahoma State in 1966.
The last Big Red wrestler to win a NCAA title was Travis Lee in 2005 at 133 pounds. Leen ‘s title is the ninth in Cornell history, and the fourth under head coach Rob Koll.
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