InterMat Staff

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland -- When Nenad Lalovic was appointed interim president of the international federation for wrestling in 2013 the sport faced an uphill battle for Olympic reinstatement and lacked wide-reaching respect among those in the global sports community. Behind the scenes, the federation was suffering from a number of issues, primary among them an ineffective outreach to female athletes and leaders. Few opportunities existed for women interested in taking the mats and even fewer were available for those interested in positions of leadership. On the mats women only had four Olympic weight categories while their male counterparts in freestyle enjoyed seven. There were few female bureau members, no commissions aimed at increasing diversity, and an overall dearth of experienced women in place to change the future. "We knew that we needed to change," said Lalovic. "Re-branding and changing the rules were important, but as a federation it was vital we make efforts to diversify and include more women. We wanted to find a way to promote their activities and give them opportunities to succeed and gain experience." The 2016 Games in Rio saw male and female freestyle wrestlers compete in the same number of weight categories for the first time ever. The first change was increasing the number of competed Olympic opportunities to ensure that men's and women's freestyle were equal with six categories a piece. Having an equal playing field, meant having more gold medal opportunities. The media splash from that move was well-documented, but behind the scenes a larger - and arguably more important mission -- was made clear: equalize the opportunities for women to participate in the organization and to take leadership positions within their own NF's. Eight years later Lalovic and the worldwide wrestling family are witnessing an era of unparalleled opportunity for women. With an eye on total gender equality, wrestling implemented a vision where wrestling would be 50-50 male/female participation at the 2022 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar (now postponed to 2026). The sport of women's wrestling has also garnered an incredible online following with the top social media moments in four of the last five years belonging to women. The most-watched match on the United World Wrestling YouTube page features female wrestlers Vinesh Phogat (IND) and Victoria Anthony (USA). "I'm very pleased with the performance of our women," said Lalovic. "When I look around an arena and see the crowds growing, I'm grateful but also not that surprised. We have the toughest women in the world, and they train as hard as anyone else. I'm happy for their continued success." But the triumph of wrestling's eight years promoting women's wrestling isn't contained to the mats. Scroll past the action posts and you'll find that women are also being provided opportunities to take leadership opportunities off-the-mat - a powerful option to create a sport that is stronger and more diverse than previous to 2013. "We aren't reinventing the wheel," said United World Wrestling development director Deqa Niamkey. "We have fantastic existing programs with room to accommodate our gender and diversity goals. Our national federations have responded well and have been using quotas for men and women." The programming works, and with more attention to quotas and educating the national federations on the benefits of sending female leaders on educational and professional development programs, the opportunities for women have flourished. Niamkey herself was named as a member of ASOIF's Gender Equality and Diversity Committee. "Professional opportunities equal to that of men are important because it allows the women to be promoted on merit throughout their national federations and to take leaderships positions within our commissions and committees," said Niamkey. "They now can attain the same qualifications and that's the key." In addition to the existing programming, there has been an effort to create conversation and collaboration via initiatives like the Women's Global Wrestling Forum, which began three years ago in Mexico. The second conference included female wrestling leaders from each continent and more than 20 nations across five days of unique programming, networking, and educational seminars in Istanbul. The forum was last hosted in 2019 and will be held again this November at a location to be determined. Since 2015 wrestling has also recognize powerful leaders in the women's wrestling community through the "Women's Prize Award" a certificate noting the individual's unique work in the space and a generous $10,000 award to support their initiatives to promote women's wrestling from the grassroots level to the elite. The development department has also added women referee's educational courses, coaching courses, and created women's wrestling training camps to respond to the needs of the national federations. "We are on a path to long term success," said Niamkey. "These opportunities will help create a new, diverse class of leaders which will be the backbone for the next generation of wrestling."

The Big Ten Wrestling Championships, the nation's premier conference wrestling tournament, took place Saturday and Sunday at Penn State. Below are my takeaways from the event. Iowa dominated With a lineup that is as veteran-heavy and as star-studded as this Hawkeye lineup is, I don't think the result really surprised anyone. The conjecture has always been that 2020 and 2021 looked to favor the Hawks. If the performances at the Bryce Jordan Center where indicative of what is to come, this is Iowa's year. The Black and Gold put six in the finals and crowned four champs to win the team title by 35.5 points. The Hawks won't win nationals by as wide of a margin, but I believe they will win in 2021, their first national championship since 2010.

Conference season has officially concluded. All that is left is the 2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, Missouri, March 18-20. That said, the second and final weekend of conference action ended in style. Both the Big Ten and the Big 12 each held their respective conference tournaments this past weekend. The events more than lived up to the hype. Here are six takeaways from the Big 12 Wrestling Championships. Oklahoma State keeps Big 12 Championship team title steak alive … kind of The Oklahoma State wrestling team claimed a school-record ninth consecutive conference tournament title Sunday night as the Cowboys went 3-0 in the finals and finished with 124 team points to earn a co-championship with Oklahoma at the 2021 Big 12 Championships. The run of nine straight conference tournament titles marks the longest streak in Big 12 wrestling history and breaks OSU's former school record of eight consecutive championships that was set from 1921-1928. However, the historic win was marred by the fact that they had to share the conference crown with bitter rival Oklahoma, who also finished with 124 total team points.

Results: Brackets Oklahoma and Oklahoma State shared the 2021 Big 12 Wrestling Championship after securing 124 points each in the two-day event at the BOK Center. In a rematch of last year's title bout at 141, Oklahoma's Dom Demas outlasted Iowa State's Ian Parker in a 4-3 in tiebreaker 2 to reclaim his title and earn the second in his career. The point total boosted the Sooners to 124 on the evening. Behind by four points, it came down to Oklahoma State freshman AJ Ferrari at 174 pounds to give the Cowboys a tie for the title. He registered a 13-6 decision over Wyoming's Stephen Buchanan to pick up the crown and give OSU its ninth-consecutive and 18th Big 12 Championship title. The Sooners claimed their third title and first since 2002. Ferrari was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler for the event, while Oklahoma coach Lou Rosselli was named Coach of the Year. After the Sooners and Cowboys, Iowa State finished third with 117.5 points, Wyoming fourth with 105.5 points and Northern Iowa with 79.0 points to round out the top five. In other bouts on the evening, Northern Iowa's Brody Teske became the first Panther to win the 125 weight class with a 9-7 decision over Utah Valley's Taylor LaMont. Oklahoma State's Daton Fix, the nation's top wrestler in the 133, claimed his second title and the first since 2019 with a 6-1 decision over Oklahoma's Tony Madrigal. Boo Lewallen picked up his third Big 12 title and crucial team points for Oklahoma State with a 7-6 decision over Oklahoma's Mitch Moore in the 149 weight class. Iowa State's David Carr repeated as the champion at 157 with an 8-2 win over North Dakota State's Jared Franek. North Dakota State's Andrew Weber collected the first team title for the Bison at 165 pounds with an 11-7 decision. Utah Valley's Demetrius Romero claimed his second Big 12 crown and the first in the 174 pounds category with his 6-2 decision over Northern Colorado's Jackson Hemauer. Parker Keckeisen claimed the 184 title with his 5-3 decision over Wyoming's Tate Samuelson. In a rematch of last year's heavyweight title bout, Iowa State's Gannon Gremmel closed out the evening with a 2-0 decision against Wyoming's Brian Andrews. The NCAA awarded the Big 12 45 pre-allocations this season. The allocations are spread amongst all 10 weight classes, with six classes earning five spots (125, 133, 149, 165, 197 and 285). The 141, 174 and 184 earned four allocations, while 157 collected three. The Division I Wrestling Committee will meet to select the remaining at-large qualifiers to fill out the 33-person bracket in each weight class, which will be announced March 10, via NCAA livestream while brackets and seeding will be announced on NCAA.com at 4 p.m. March 11. Final Team Standings 1. Oklahoma - 124 points 1. Oklahoma State - 124 points 3. Iowa State - 117.5 points 4. Wyoming - 105.5 points 5. Northern Iowa - 79.0 points 6. North Dakota State - 78.0 points 7. Northern Colorado - 70.5 points 8. South Dakota State - 67.5 points 9. West Virginia - 57.0 points 10. Utah Valley - 55.0 points 11. Air Force - 32.5 point 12. Fresno State - 31.0 points Individual Winners 125 - Brody Teske, Northern Iowa 133 - Daton Fix, Oklahoma State 141 - Dom Demas, Oklahoma 149 - Boo Lewallen, Oklahoma State 157 - David Carr, Iowa State 165 - Andrew Weber, North Dakota State 174 - Demetrius Romero, Utah Valley 184 - Parker Keckeisen, Northern Iowa 197 - AJ Ferrari, Oklahoma State Heavyweight - Gannon Gremmel, Iowa State

Iowa claimed the team title at the 2021 Big Ten Wrestling Championships (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Results: Brackets UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team won the 2021 Big Ten Championships on Sunday, scoring 159.5 team points and crowning four individual champions. Alex Marinelli won his third straight 165-pound conference title, and Spencer Lee defended his 125-pound championship. Jaydin Eierman and Michael Kemerer became first-time Big Ten champions, leading Iowa to its second straight and 37th Big Ten Conference title. The team title is Iowa's second in as many years and the 37th in program history. The Hawkeyes 35.5 point margin of victory is the largest by a conference champion since the 2010 Hawkeyes won by 37 points. "We're going to St. Louis in less than two weeks. That's really where their heads are. That's where my head is," said Iowa head coach Tom Brands. "You talk about performance, let's do it again. (Someone) mentioned finishing at your seed or performing above your expectations, and that's what competitors do. Let's do it in St. Louis." INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS Lee surrendered the first takedown of the 125-pound title bout but went on to outscore Purdue's Devin Schroder, 21-1, over the next four minutes. He led 11-3 by the end of the first period and terminated the match leading 21-3 with 30 seconds left in the second. He outscored his three opponents in the tournament, 44-7, winning twice by technical fall and once by fall. "This was the qualifier for the next thing and the next thing is the NCAA tournament," said Lee. "I don't want you to think I don't appreciate winning, but this was the next thing and as soon as it's over you have to get ready for what's next… NCAA, Olympic Trials. We were in a tight team race. I did my job for the team." Eierman traded takedowns with Nick Lee in the first period at 141, but he totaled nearly two minutes of riding time and led 3-2 after the first period. Eierman escaped in the second to extend his lead to 4-2. In the third period, Lee added a takedown and point for stalling, but another Eierman escape and a point for riding time gave him the 6-5 lead. "This is an unreal feeling," said Eierman. "Last year I was on the outside looking in. It's a lot more fun being on the inside. I'm getting a better feel every match. This is a great tournament, a great opponent every match. It is a great preview for nationals." Marinelli used a second-period takedown and third-period escape to win the 165-pound title, 3-2, against Ohio State's Ethan Smith. The Big Ten title is the third for Marinelli. He is one of 26 Hawkeyes in program history to win three conference championships, joining a list of seven four-timers and now 19 three-timers. "The only thing I can say is that I am thankful to be wrestling with my guys," said Marinelli. "We have waited a whole year and come full circle. I am thankful to be on the board with the three-time champs and feel very blessed. I have the best teammates and coaches in the world." Twice a Big Ten runner-up, Kemerer controlled the 174-pound finals and earned a 7-2 decision against Penn State's Carter Starocci. Kemerer scored a takedown in the first, added another in the second, and tacked on a pair of back points to earn his first career Big Ten title. "It feels good to be on top. Knowing how it feels to not be on top makes it feel better," said Kemerer. "We feel like we're better every time we get on the mat. Whether it's a match or a workout, every time on the mat increases our scoring abilities. We need to keep the momentum going." Nine Hawkeyes finished fourth or better at the better in the tournament. Austin DeSanto and Kaleb Young placed runner-up at 133 and 157, respectively. Jacob Warner and Tony Cassioppi rebounded from semifinal losses with a pair of wins Saturday to place third. Nelson Brands won four matches over the weekend to place fourth at 184. The Hawkeyes were 28-8 in the two-day tournament, winning six times by fall, twice by technical fall and two times by major decision. AWARDS SEASON Lee was named Big Ten Conference Wrestler of the Year for the second straight year. He heads into the NCAA Championships ranked No. 1 in the country with a 7-0 record. He has pinned five of his seven opponents, all in the first period, and won the other two bouts by technical fall. He has outscored his opponents 82-7. Tom Brands was named Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year for the second straight year and the fifth time in his career. He was won the award more than any other coach in school history. He was previously recognized in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2020 following conference titles. Iowa has six Big Ten championships under Brands (2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2020, 2021). ON TO THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS Nine Hawkeyes earned automatic berths to the national tournament in St. Louis on March 18-20. The Big Ten Conference tournament is one of seven NCAA qualifying tournaments across the country. The NCAA will announce the tournament qualifiers Tuesday. Iowa's Max Murin did not earn an automatic qualifying spot but is eligible for an at-large berth at 149. The entire brackets will be released Wednesday at 5 p.m. (CT) on the NCAA Selection Show at NCAA.com. NOTABLES • Spencer Lee was named Big Ten Conference Wrestler of the Year. He also won the award in 2020. He is the third Hawkeyes to earn the award more than once (Royce Alger, 1987-1988; Mark Ironside, 1996-1997-1998) • Tom Brands was named Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year, his fifth career honor (2008, 2009, 2010, 2020, 2021). • Iowa's team title is the 37th in program history, best in the Big Ten. • Iowa's point total (159.5) is its highest since 1995 (185). • Iowa's 35.5 point margin of victory is the largest by a conference champion since the 2010 Hawkeyes won by 37 points. • Spencer Lee became the 57th multi-Big Ten champion in program history. • Jaydin Eierman became the 116th Big Ten Champion in program history • Michael Kemerer became the 117th Big Ten Champion in program history • Marinelli became the first Hawkeye to win three conference titles since T.J. Williams in 1999-2001. There have been 19 three-time Big Ten champions and seven four-time champions in program history. FINALS RESULTS 125 - #1 Spencer Lee (IA) tech. fall #7 Devin Schroder (PU), 21-3 (4:30) 133 - #1 Roman Bravo-Young (PSU) dec. #2 Austin DeSanto (IA), 5-2 141 - #1 Jaydin Eierman (IA) dec. #2 Nick Lee (PSU), 6-5 157 - #1 Ryan Deakin (NU) dec. #2 Kaleb Young (IA), 6-0 165 - #1 Alex Marinelli (IA) dec. #3 Ethan Smith (OSU), 3-2 174 - #1 Michael Kemerer (IA) dec. #3 Carter Starocci (PSU), 7-2 THIRD-PLACE RESULTS 184 - #5 John Poznanski (RUT) dec. #9 Nelson Brands (IA), 3-2 197 - #3 Jacob Warner (IA) dec. #4 Cameron Caffey (MSU), 8-3 285 - #3 Tony Cassioppi (IA) major dec. #7 Greg Kerkvliet (PSU), 9-0 FINAL TEAM STANDINGS 1 IOWA 159.5 2 Penn State 124.0 3 Nebraska 105.5 4 Michigan 92.0 5 Minnesota 77.5 6 Purdue 76.0 7 Northwestern 74.0 8 Michigan State 73.5 9 Ohio State 69.5 10 Rutgers 52.0 11 Illinois 32.0 12 Wisconsin 30.5 13 Indiana 22.0 14 Maryland 2.0 BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS INDIVIDUAL AWARDS Wrestler of the Year: Spencer Lee, IOWA Freshman of the Year: Carter Starocci, PSU Coach of the Year: Tom Brands, IOWA Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships: Gable Steveson, Minnesota 2021 ALL-BIG TEN TEAM Spencer Lee, IOWA Jaydin Eierman, IOWA Alex Marinelli, IOWA Michael Kemerer, IOWA Roman Bravo-Young, PSU Sammy Sasso, OSU Ryan Deakin, NU Aaron Brooks, PSU Myles Amine, MICH Gable Steveson, MINN

Link: Results A Twitter List by InterMat

Link: Results A Twitter List by InterMat

WICHITA, Kan. -- [Brackets | Team Scores] The 2021 NAIA Men's Wrestling National Championship was full of firsts. Many first-time qualifiers, first-time All-Americans, first time finalists and individual titles. The biggest first however, happened at the conclusion of the championship when Life University (Ga.) was crowned 2021 NAIA Men's Wrestling National Champions. The Running Eagles will leave Wichita with 10 All-Americans, one individual champion and one team title highlighted by a red banner. Life clinched the 2021 title with 158 points just five points ahead of defending national champion Grand View (Iowa) who had 153. Rounding out the top five of the championship was Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), Indiana Tech and Cumberland (Tenn.). Final Team Standings: Life (Ga.) 158.0 Grand View (Iowa) 153.0 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 89.0 Indiana Tech 75.5 Cumberland (Tenn.) 74 Reinhardt (Ga.) 65.5 Southeastern (Fla.) 60.5 Thomas More (Ky.) 49 Graceland (Ky.) 48.5 Cumberlands (Ky.) 36.5 Championship Highlights: 14 different schools were represented in finals. Life (Ga.) headlined the finals with three wrestlers competing for titles. Grand View (Iowa), Indiana Tech, Southeastern (Fla.) and Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) all had two finalists. Life started the finals in the lead by one and then quickly got their national champion, Brandon Orum (125). No. 5 seed Denver Stonechek (149) and No. 10 seed Asher Eichert (174) finished as runner-ups. At 141, Baterden Boldmaa of Doane (Neb.) defended his national title to become a back-to-back champion. Boldmaa won over Ryan Moore of Thomas More (Ky.). Southeastern (Fla.) went two-for-two in its first two championship bouts. Two wrestlers, Andreus Bond (149) and Kyle Kirkham (165), entered the field unseeded and proceeded to win individual titles. Indiana Tech also had two national champions: No. 3 seed Conner Gimson (133) and No. 2 seed Eric Vermillion (184). C. Gimson beat No. 5 seed Esco Walker of Cumberland, 4-2. Twin brother Matt Gimson lost in the semifinals to Walker, earning third place. E.Vermillion pinned No. 9 seed Tyson Beauperthuy of Midland in 3:16. Top-seeded Brennan Swafford was able to repeat 2020 and earn his second individual national title. Swafford beat No. 10 Asher Eichert of Life (Ga.) 10-7. No. 1 seed Isaac Bartel of Montana State-Northern at 197 earned a victory in championship bout. He was the winner over No. 2 seed Trevor Lawson of Lindsey Wilson. Brandon Reed of Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) became a four-time All-American and three-time national champion.

The No.1 McKendree University women's wrestling team defended its national championship at the second-annual Cliff Keen National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championship (NCWWC) Saturday afternoon. The Bearcats also added six individual champions. Sam Schmitz's team was represented by 15 wrestlers, where eight made it into the finals. In the end, McKendree won its second consecutive NCWWC Title with 209 points while 14 Bearcats were named All-Americans. Six Bearcats were crowned individual National Champions, and head coach Schmitz was named Coach of the Year and Coach of the NCWWC Tournament. This tournament was also a qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, that will take place in Fort Worth, Tex., April 2-3. According to the procedures, "the highest placed NCWWC Senior Women's Freestyle athlete per weight category who has yet to qualify, will qualify to enter the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - wrestling at the weight category she chooses". There were 10 women who punches their ticket to Fort Worth, including five Bearcats.

Jaydin Eierman advanced to the finals by defeating Nebraska's Chad Red (Darren Miller, Iowa Athletics) UNIVERISTY PARK, Pa. -- The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team advanced six Hawkeyes to the finals and sits in first place at the 2021 Big Ten Championships following Saturday night semifinal action at the Bryce Jordan Center. Defending champions Spencer Lee and Alex Marinelli are returning to the finals. Lee is defending the 125-pound title and Marinelli is aiming for his third straight conference title at 165. Lee and Marinelli are joined in the finals by Austin DeSanto (133), Jaydin Eierman (141), Kaleb Young (157) and Michael Kemerer (174). Kemerer is a two-time runner up making his third finals appearance. DeSanto, Eierman and Young are all first-time Big Ten conference finalists. Lee won by fall in 23 seconds, tying the school record for fastest pin at a Big Ten Championships. The record was matched earlier in the day by Tony Cassioppi, and first set in 1992 by Bart Chelesvig. Lee defends his 125-pound title against seventh-seeded Devin Schroder of Purdue. It is a rematch of the 2020 conference finals when Lee defeated Schroder by 16-2 major decision. Marinelli is back in the finals following a 2-0 decision at 165. He will meet Ohio State's third-seeded Ethan Smith. Marinelli won conference titles in 2019 and 2020. In the history of the program, there have been seven four-time champions and 18 three-time champions. Marinelli could become the 26th Hawkeye in school history to win three conference titles. Kemerer advanced to the finals with a 4-2 decision. He meets Penn State's third-seeded Carter Starocci in the 174-pound finals. DeSanto and Eierman are both in the Big Ten finals for the first time in their careers. DeSanto advanced with a 5-4 win at 133. Eierman, who won three MAC titles for Missouri from 2017-19, won by 7-1 decision. DeSanto faces Penn State's top-seeded Roman Bravo-Young, and Eierman gets Penn State's Nick Lee, the No. 2 seed. Young won 3-2 in the second tiebreak period to advance to the finals, where he meets Northwestern's top-seeded Ryan Deakin. Iowa dropped a pair of matches in the semifinals. Jacob Warner lost 3-1 in sudden victory and Tony Cassioppi lost by fall. Both wrestlers return to action Sunday in the consolation semifinals. Max Murin and Nelson Brands competed on the backside of the bracket Saturday night. Brands picked up a pair of wins and has earned an automatic berth at 184 pounds to the 2021 NCAA Championships on March 18-20 in St. Louis. Murin, ranked No. 5 in the coaches poll, dropped his consolation match and is eligible for at-large consideration to the national championships at 149 pounds. The Hawkeyes are in first place after Session II with 126.5 points. Penn State, Nebraska, Michigan and Purdue round out the top five. QUOTING COACH TOM BRANDS "Opening comment number one, there is a lot of wrestling left to do. Opening comment number two, we have got to get ready to wrestle tomorrow. Opening comment number three, we are going to have some tough matches. This is the qualifier and we are going to another tournament. We have to stay tough, have got to keep doing what we are doing and add to it a little bit. "Nelson Brands just won two big matches on the backside of the bracket, that is huge. We got a couple guys who did not get what they wanted on that front side and they are going to be in the consolation bracket tomorrow and they have to come back strong. We have some guys in the finals and we are going to have to go out and be ready, ready. And I mean ready, ready." NOTABLES • Spencer Lee's 23-second fall ties for the fast fall by a Hawkeye at the Big Ten Championships. Bart Chelesvig did it in 1992, and Tony Cassioppi did it in Session I of the 2021 Big Ten Championships (today). • Lee's fall was the 26th of his career, 21 have been in the first period. The 23-second fall was a career best. • Alex Marinelli is one win shy of his third straight Big Ten title. There have been 18 three-time conference champions in program history, the last was T.J. Williams from 1999-2001. (There have been seven four-time champions in school history.) • Kemerer is back in the conference finals for the third time (2017, 2020). • Nine Hawkeyes have earned automatic berths to the 2021 NCAA Championships. UP NEXT Session III of the Big Ten Championships begins Sunday at 11 a.m. (CT) and will be streamed on BTN Plus. The finals, third-place, and fifth-place matches begin at 3 p.m. The finals are televised live on BTN.

TULSA, Okla. -- The Wyoming wrestling squad had a solid first day of competition at the Big 12 Championships in Tulsa, Okla inside the BOK Center. Cole Moody (165), Tate Samuelson (184), Stephen Buchanan (197) and Brian Andrews (285) advanced to the Big 12 finals Saturday night and earned automatic qualification to the NCAA Championships. "It was a fun day, our guys wrestled tough and we had a lot of tight matches and most of them we won and that makes a big difference. Those guys fought back hard in the consolation matches and kept us in the conversation" Head Coach Mark Branch said "It's been a fun day of competing and watching our guys grow and fight hard" At 165 pounds Moody earned his first trip to the Big 12 finals in exciting fashion. In the Quarterfinals, he outlasted Jordan Robison (UNC) in a barn burner, 17-10. In the semifinals Moody would have a rematch against Peyton Hall (WVU) who bested Moody earlier this season. This time around however it would be Moody getting his hand raised gutting out a 5-4 decision. This is also the first time in his career that Moody has qualified for the NCAA Championships. Samuelson went 3-0 on the day outscoring his opponents 25-7 in those the victories. In the quarterfinals Samuelson would be tested going to overtime against Darrien Roberts (OU). Samuelson opened things up in overtime, throwing Roberts to his back and sealing the 9-3 victory. In the semifinals Samuelson kept the momentum going knocking off Dakota Geer (OSU) 6-2. This will be the first Big 12 finals appearance of Samuelson's career and his third straight NCAA qualification. Buchanan would also go 3-0, highlighting his day with a semifinal win over Noah Adams (WVU). It is the third time this season that Buchanan and Adams have met and the third time that Buchanan has won. This time Buchanan used a late takedown and a ride out to get his hand raised. For Buchanan, it is his first time making the Big 12 finals and second time qualifying for the NCAA tournament. At heavyweight Andrews returned to action after being out for a month and he didn't miss a beat. Andrews cruised past Dalton Robertson (UNC) in the quaterfinals, 12-1 and then battled his way to a 4-3 semifinal victory over Branden Metz (NDSU). This is the second straight Big 12 finals appearance for Andrews. Hayden Hastings (174) and Jaron Jensen (149) both picked up quarterfinal victories before falling in the semifinals. Jacob Wright (157) and Chase Zollmann (149) are also both still alive in the tournament with each wrestler picking up two wins on the consolation side of the bracket. As a team, the Cowboys are in second place after the first day of competition with 97 team points. Oklahoma sits in first with 107 points while Oklahoma State is in a tight third with 96 points. With each time having at least three finalists it will be a very tight team race for the Big 12 title. The Cowboys will be back in action tomorrow at 9 a.m. MT for the medal rounds which will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+. Tomorrow night's finals are set to begin at 4 p.m. MT and will be live on ESPN2.

Dom Demas advanced to the finalsd at 141 pounds (Photo/OU Athletics) TULSA, Okla. -- The Oklahoma wrestling team used seven bonus-point wins to erupt for 62 points in Saturday's second session and now take a 10-point lead into the final day of the Big 12 Wrestling Championship. A conference-best nine Sooner wrestlers remain in the bracket or wrestlebacks, including a trio of finalists who punched their tickets to the NCAA Championship with their performances on Saturday. Oklahoma (107 points) closed its night with three pins back-to-back-to-back and a tech fall to jump Wyoming and Oklahoma State in the standings and move into first place. "We obviously wrestled really well tonight, but there is still a lot of wrestling left," head coach Lou Rosselli said. "I'm proud of how our guys competed today with their backs against the wall, and we know what we need to do to accomplish our goals tomorrow." Tony Madrigal returned to form on Saturday, becoming the first unseeded wrestler to ever clinch a spot in the Big 12 final by going 3-0 on the day, defeating three seeded opponents. With his berth in the final, he earned one of the Big 12's allocated bids to the NCAA Championship and will face Oklahoma State's Daton Fix in Sunday's final. Dom Demas secured his third-straight berth in the Big 12 final and NCAA Championship by holding off three-seeded Clay Carlson of North Dakota State. Demas improved to 11-1 on the year with his pair of victories on Saturday. He'll get a 2020 Big 12-finals rematch with Iowa State's Ian Parker on Saturday night. Mitch Moore became the third Sooner to clinch a spot in St. Louis on Saturday when he defeated Air Force's Dylan Martinez and Wyoming's Jaron Jensen to earn a rematch with Oklahoma State's Boo Lewallen in the final. Moore finished as the 2019 ACC runner-up at 141 pounds and is now a three-time NCAA qualifier. Justin Thomas lined up with No. 3 Jared Franek in a semifinal match but was defeated in sudden victory after a 20-second scramble where momentum changed three times. Thomas, the No. 2 seed, moves into the consolation semifinals and takes on Jacob Wright (WYO) for a spot in the third-place match. The Big 12 received three allocations at 157 pounds, meaning that Thomas needs to win out to claim an automatic bid. Unseeded at 165, Troy Mantanona went 3-1 on Saturday, winning all three matches via fall. The San Francisco State transfer has now won nine of his 10 collegiate wins by pin and will wrestle in the consolation semifinals versus Peyton Hall (WVU) on Sunday morning for an NCAA spot. Anthony Mantanona impressed on Saturday night, too, pinning both of his opponents to continue his Big 12 run after dropping his first match to No. 1 Demetrius Romero. He'll take on No. 2 seed Hayden Hastings (WYO) with a spot in St. Louis on the line Sunday morning. Darrien Roberts dropped his first match of the day to No. 2 Tate Samuelson in sudden victory but bounced back with a pair of wins over Jacob Armstrong via 9-2 decision and then via fall over Anthony Carman. No. 5 seed Jake Woodley dropped his opening bout with No. 4 A.J. Ferrari (OKST) but was able to secure a pair of tech fall wins over Nick Villarreal (FS) and Jacob Seely (UNC) to continue his Big 12 championship. The redshirt junior will take on No. 3-seed and former No. 1-ranked Noah Adams of West Virginia, with the winner claiming an allocated bid to NCAAs. Josh Heindselman battled with No. 1 Gannon Gremmel (ISU) in a semifinal match, but similar to when the two first met in Cedar Falls earlier this season, Heindselman was bested by Gremmel in overtime. The freshman will need to knock off No. 2 Carter Isley in the consolation semifinals to secure an allocated bid to nationals. Mason Naifeh was close to victory in both of his matches but was eliminated after two bouts in Tulsa, dropping decisions to No. 1 Brody Teske and Jace Koelzer. The Sooners now turn their focus to Sunday's sessions where they'll look to defend their lead and take home their 24th conference championship, and first since 2002. Sunday's opening session is slated to start at 10 a.m. at the BOK Center with the finals commencing at 5 p.m.

Daton Fix is one of three finalists for Oklahoma State (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) TULSA, Okla. -- The No. 6 Oklahoma State wrestling team wrapped up the first day of the 2021 Big 12 Wrestling Championships Saturday in third place with 96 team points, sending three Cowboys through to Sunday night's championship bouts. Top seeds Daton Fix and Boo Lewallen both reached the finals with wins in the 133-pound and 149-pound semifinal bouts, respectively, and freshman 197-pounder AJ Ferrari joined them with an upset win over the No. 1 seed in his bracket. "We got started off pretty good in the first round with nine of our 10 guys wrestling extra matches," coach John Smith said. "I thought we did good getting six of them through. I didn't think our effort in the semifinals was what I was hoping for. We're in a fight now and we're going to have to show up tomorrow and be ready to challenge for this title." A sophomore who aims for his second Big 12 title tomorrow, Fix cruised to a 20-5 technical fall victory with seven takedowns and a nearfall against fifth-seeded Mosha Schwartz of Northern Colorado. The win improved Fix to 8-0 on the season, as all of his wins have come with bonus points attached. Lewallen was the next OSU semifinalist on the mat, knocking off fourth-seeded Triston Lara of Northern Iowa, 7-4. The Cowboy senior traded a takedown for an escape in each period against Lara to earn a shot at his third Big 12 championship. Oklahoma State's last finalist was Ferrari, who turned in one of OSU's most impressive wins of the tournament thus far. Facing top-seeded and No. 5-ranked Tanner Sloan of South Dakota State, Ferrari scored on two takedowns and a reversal before riding out the third period to secure a 7-1 win. It was the first loss of the year for Sloan, who entered the match with a 14-0 record. Ferrari will try to become the 13th true freshman in OSU history and the first since 2016 to win a conference title. "I thought he wrestled well," Smith said. "He did a good job dictating the pace of the match and did a good job on top putting some pressure on his opponent. One of the areas they thought they could win was on top of AJ and he took that away and the match swung in his direction because of his effort." Three other Cowboys reached the semifinals but fell just short of the title match, as Trevor Mastrogiovanni fell 5-3 at 125 pounds, Travis Wittlake came up just short in a tough 5-3 sudden victory decision at 165 pounds and Dakota Geer fell at 184 pounds, 6-2. They each move on to Sunday morning's consolation semifinal and can finish as high as third place. They will be joined in the consolation semifinals by 174-pounder Dustin Plott, who won a pair of decision to advance through the wrestlebacks. Kaden Gfeller nearly made the round as well, but after a win in the first consolation round, he dropped the next match to move into Sunday morning's seventh-place match. Only two Cowboy were eliminated on the first day, as Wyatt Sheets (157 pounds) and Austin Harris (heavyweight) fell in the first consolation round. The second and final day of the Big 12 Championships begins with Session III at 10 a.m. Sunday morning, where third through eighth place finishers will be determined. It wraps up with the championship bouts in Session IV at 5 p.m. at the BOK Center in Tulsa. Fans can follow live results on trackwrestling.com, live updates on Twitter via @CowboyWrestling and watch each mat live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and the championship matches on ESPN2. Team Standings: 1. Oklahoma - 107.0 2. Wyoming - 97.0 3. Oklahoma State - 96.0 4. Iowa State - 94.0 5. North Dakota State - 69.0 6. Northern Iowa - 68.0 7. Northern Colorado - 57.5 8. South Dakota State - 52.0 9. Utah Valley - 49.0 10. West Virginia - 43.5 11. Air Force - 25.0 12. Fresno State - 22.0

PSU's Roman Bravo-Young picked up a semifinal win over Northwestern's Chris Cannon (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) 125: No. 1 Spencer Lee (Iowa) pinned No. 16 Rayvon Foley (Michigan State), 0:24 No. 17 Devin Schroder (Purdue) maj. dec. No. 9 Malik Heinselman (Ohio State), 10-0 133: No. 2 Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) dec. No. 8 Chris Cannon (Northwestern), 8-3 No. 3 Austin DeSanto (Iowa) dec. No. 11 Lucas Byrd (Illinois), 5-4 141: No. 1 Jaydin Eierman (Iowa) dec. No. 8 Chad Red (Nebraska), 7-1 No. 2 Nick Lee (Penn State) dec. No. 3 Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers), 8-6 SV 149: No. 2 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) dec. No. 9 Kanen Storr (Michigan), 5-0 No. 19 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) dec. Michael Blockhus (Minnesota), 2-1 TB1 157: No. 1 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) maj. dec. No. 7 Kendall Coleman (Purdue), 14-1 No. 5 Kaleb Young (Iowa) dec. No. 6 Brayton Lee (Minnesota), 3-2 TB1 165: No. 1 Alex Marinelli (Iowa) dec. No. 13 Cameron Amine (Michigan), 2-0 No. 10 Ethan Smith (Ohio State) dec. No. 19 Peyton Robb (Nebraska), 5-3 SV 174: No. 1 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) dec. No. 5 Logan Massa (Michigan), 4-2 No. 4 Carter Starocci (Penn State) dec. No. 2 Mikey Labriola (Nebraska), 3-1 SV 184: No. 1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State) maj. dec. No. 18 John Poznanski (Rutgers), 10-2 No. 14 Taylor Venz (Nebraska) dec. No. 7 Christopher Weiler (Wisconsin), 10-3 197: No. 1 Eric Schultz (Nebraska) dec. No. 13 Cam Caffey (Michigan State), 2-1 No. 2 Myles Amine (Michigan) dec. No. 3 Jacob Warner (Iowa), 3-1 SV 285: No. 1 Gable Steveson (Minnesota) by injury default over No. 12 Christian Lance (Nebraska) No. 2 Mason Parris (Michigan) pinned No. 3 Tony Cassioppi (Iowa), 0:58

Oklahoma State's A.J. Ferrari knocked off top-seeded Tanner Sloan of SDSU in the semifinals at 197 (Photo/Oklahoma State Athletics) 125: No. 10 Brody Teske (UNI) dec. Danny Vega (SDSU), 8-6 No. 4 Taylor LaMont (Utah Valley) dec. No. 18 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Oklahoma State), 5-3 133: No. 1 Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) tech. fall No. 17 Mosha Schwartz (Northern Colorado), 21-5 6:53 Tony Madrigal (Oklahoma) dec. No. 13 Zach Redding (ISU), 8-3 141: No. 5 Ian Parker (ISU) dec. No. 12 D.J. Lloren (Fresno State), 6-2 No. 6 Dom Demas (Oklahoma) dec. No. 15 Clay Carlson (SDSU), 3-2 149: No. 4 Boo Lewallen (Oklahoma State) dec. Triston Lara (UNI), 7-4 No. 18 Mitch Moore (Oklahoma) dec. Jaron Jensen (Wyoming), 4-2 157: No. 3 David Carr (ISU) dec. Cade DeVos (SDSU), 8-2 No. 13 Jared Franek (NDSU) dec. No. 11 Justin Thomas (Oklahoma), 3-1 SV 165: Luke Weber (NDSU) dec. No. 2 Travis Wittlake (Oklahoma State), 5-3 Cole Moody (Wyoming) dec. Peyton Hall (WVU), 5-4 174: No. 3 Demetrius Romero (Utah Valley) maj. dec. Cody Surratt (Air Force), 12-3 Jackson Hemauer (Northern Colorado) dec. No. 9 Hayden Hastings (Wyoming), 4-3 184: No. 5 Parker Keckeisen (UNI) dec. Alan Clothier (Northern Colorado), 7-2 No. 12 Tate Samuelson (Wyoming) dec. No. 13 Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State), 6-2 197: No. 9 A.J. Ferrari (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 5 Tanner Sloan (SDSU), 7-1 No. 6 Stephen Buchanan (Wyoming) dec. No. 7 Noah Adams (WVU), 3-2 285: No. 7 Gannon Gremmel (ISU) dec. Josh Heindselman (Oklahoma), 3-1 SV No. 20 Brian Andrews (Wyoming) dec. Brandon Metz (NDSU), 4-3

Travis Wittlake of Oklahoma State advanced to the semifinals at 165 pounds (Photo/Oklahoma State Athletics) 125: No. 10 Brody Teske (UNI) maj. dec. Mason Naifeh (Oklahoma), 8-0 Danny Vega (SDSU) pinned Killian Cardinale (WVU), 5:25 No. 18 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Oklahoma State) dec. Cody Phippen (Air Force), 6-4 SV No. 4 Taylor LaMont (Utah Valley) dec. Kysen Terukina (ISU), 7-5 SV 133: No. 1 Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) maj. dec. No. 18 Ty Smith (Utah Valley), 16-4 No. 17 Mosha Schwartz (Northern Colorado) dec. Jared Van Vleet (Air Force), 14-7 Tony Madrigal (Oklahoma) dec. Job Greenwood (Wyoming), 6-0 No. 13 Zach Redding (ISU) maj. dec. Jack Skudlarzyk (UNI), 13-0 141: No. 5 Ian Parker (ISU) maj. dec. Chase Zollman (Wyoming), 12-1 No. 12 DJ Lloren (Fresno State) dec. Jeffery Boyd (West Virginia), 4-0 No. 15 Clay Carlson (SDSU) dec. Chris Sandoval (Northern Colorado), 5-3 No. 6 Dom Demas (Oklahoma) dec. Dylan Droegemueller (NDSU), 3-2 149: No. 4 Boo Lewallen (Oklahoma State) dec. Jaden Van Maanen (NDSU), 10-3 Triston Lara (UNI) dec. Kyle Parco (Fresno State), 9-4 No. 18 Mitch Moore (Oklahoma) maj. dec. Dylan Martinez (Air Force), 11-3 Jaron Jensen (Wyoming) dec. Cameron Hunsaker (Utah Valley), 3-2 157: No. 3 David Carr (ISU) pinned Parker Simington (Air Force), 0:46 Cade DeVos (SDSU) dec. No. 18 Jacob Wright (Wyoming), 9-4 No. 13 Jared Franek (NDSU) dec. No. 20 Wyatt Sheets (Oklahoma State), 7-5 No. 11 Justin Thomas (Oklahoma) vs. Danny Snediker (Utah Valley), 5-1 165: No. 2 Travis Wittlake (Oklahoma State) maj. dec. Colten Carlson (SDSU), 12-4 Luke Weber (NDSU) maj. dec. Troy Mantanona (Oklahoma), 16-2 Cole Moody (Wyoming) dec. Jordan Robison (Northern Colorado), 17-10 Peyton Hall (WVU) dec. Austin Yant (UNI), 5-4 174: No. 3 Demetrius Romero (Utah Valley) dec. Anthony Mantanona (Oklahoma), 11-6 Cody Surratt (Air Force) by injury default over Lance Runyon (UNI) Jackson Hemauer (Northern Colorado) dec. No. 17 Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State), 5-2 No. 9 Hayden Hastings (Wyoming) dec. Cade King (SDSU), 3-1 184: No. 5 Parker Keckeisen (UNI) by medical forfeit over Hunter Cruz (Fresno State) Alan Clothier (Northern Colorado) dec. No. 8 Sam Colbray (ISU), 3-2 No. 13 Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State) maj. dec. Anthony Carman (WVU), 12-4 No. 12 Tate Samuelson (Wyoming) dec. Darrien Roberts (Oklahoma), 9-3 SV 197: No. 5 Tanner Sloan (SDSU) tech. fall Kayne Hutchison (Air Force), 17-0 3:30 No. 9 A.J. Ferrari (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 16 Jake Woodley (Oklahoma), 8-4 No. 7 Noah Adams (WVU) dec. Marcus Coleman (ISU), 3-2 No. 6 Stephen Buchanan (Wyoming) dec. Owen Pentz (NDSU), 3-1 285: No. 7 Gannon Gremmel (ISU) dec. Blake Wolters (SDSU), 6-2 Josh Heindselman (Oklahoma) dec. Austin Harris (Oklahoma State), 2-1 No. 20 Brian Andrews (Wyoming) maj. dec. Dalton Robertson (N. Colorado), 12-1 Brandon Metz (NDSU) dec. No. 17 Carter Isley (UNI), 4-3 TB3 Semifinal Matchups 125: No. 10 Brody Teske (UNI) vs. Danny Vega (SDSU) No. 4 Taylor LaMont (Utah Valley) vs. No. 18 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Oklahoma State) 133: No. 1 Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 17 Mosha Schwartz (Northern Colorado) No. 13 Zach Redding (ISU) vs. Tony Madrigal (Oklahoma) 141: No. 5 Ian Parker (ISU) vs. No. 12 DJ Lloren (Fresno State) No. 6 Dom Demas (Oklahoma) vs. No. 15 Clay Carlson (SDSU) 149: No. 4 Boo Lewallen (Oklahoma State) vs. Triston Lara (UNI) No. 18 Mitch Moore (Oklahoma) vs. Jaron Jensen (Wyoming) 157: No. 3 David Carr (ISU) vs. Cade DeVos (SDSU) No. 11 Justin Thomas (Oklahoma) vs. No. 13 Jared Franek (NDSU) 165: No. 2 Travis Wittlake (Oklahoma State) vs. Luke Weber (NDSU) Peyton Hall (WVU) vs. Cole Moody (Wyoming) 174: No. 3 Demetrius Romero (Utah Valley) vs. Cody Surratt (Air Force) No. 9 Hayden Hastings (Wyoming) vs. Jackson Hemauer (Northern Colorado) 184: No. 5 Parker Keckeisen (UNI) vs. Alan Clothier (Northern Colorado) No. 12 Tate Samuelson (Wyoming) vs. No. 13 Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State) 197: No. 5 Tanner Sloan (SDSU) vs. No. 9 A.J. Ferrari (Oklahoma State) No. 6 Stephen Buchanan (Wyoming) vs. No. 7 Noah Adams (WVU) 285: No. 7 Gannon Gremmel (ISU) vs. Josh Heindselman (Oklahoma) No. 20 Brian Andrews (Wyoming) vs. Brandon Metz (NDSU)

Iowa's Austin DeSanto lifts Nebraska's Tucker Sjomeling in their quarterfinal match (Photo/Darren Miller, Iowa Athletics) UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Top-ranked Iowa had a strong opening session at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships, winning 11 of 13 matches and advancing eight wrestlers to tonight's semifinals. The Hawkeyes lead the team race with 75.5 points. Iowa's eight semifinalists include Spencer Lee (125), Austin DeSanto (133), Jaydin Eierman (141), Kaleb Young (157), Alex Marinelli (165), Michael Kemerer (174), Jacob Warner (197) and Tony Cassioppi (285). "We have more wrestling to do, that's the first thing on my mind," Tom Brands said. "We are looking forward to tonight. I have eight matches on my mind, and two more ore the other side. We had guys who got ready to go and tonight we need 10 to get ready. There is so much more wrestling to do." Nebraska sits in second place with 63 points after advancing seven wrestlers, including a pair of seventh-seeded wrestlers -- Ridge Lovett (141) and Peyton Robb (165) -- to the semifinals. Lovett topped second-seeded Max Murin of Iowa 11-6 in the 149-pound quarterfinals, while Robb moved into the semifinals with a 9-5 win over second-seeded Dan Braunagelof of Illinois at 165 pounds. Nebraska's other semifinalists include Chad Red (141), Mike Labriola (174), Taylor Venz (184), Eric Schultz (197) and Christian Lance (285). Michigan ended the first session in third place with 49 points and has five semifinalists: Kanen Storr (149), Cameron Amine (165), Logan Massa (174), Myles Amine (197) and Mason Parris (285). Penn State (45) and Minnesota (35) round out the top five teams. Parris, ranked No. 2, cruised to an 11-3 major decision over Penn State freshman Greg Kerkvliet at 285 pounds in perhaps the most anticipated match of the opening session. Tonight's Session 2, which includes semifinal matches and consolation matches, is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET. Team Standings 1. Iowa 75.5 2. Nebraska 63 3. Michigan 49 4. Penn State 45 5. Minnesota 35 6. Ohio State 33 7. Michigan State 25 8. Northwestern 24 9. Purdue 23.5 9. Rutgers 23.5 11. Illinois 17.5 12. Wisconsin 11.5 13. Indiana 7.5 14. Maryland 2 Quarterfinal Results 125: No. 1 Spencer Lee (Iowa) tech. fall No. 7 Dylan Ragusin (Michigan), 19-4 5:33 No. 16 Rayvon Foley (Michigan State) tech. fall Dylan Shawver (Rutgers), 20-4 7:00 No. 9 Malik Heinselman (Ohio State) dec. No. 12 Eric Barnett (Wisconsin), 3-2 No. 17 Devin Schroder (Purdue) dec. No. 8 Liam Cronin (Nebraska), 3-1 SV 133: No. 2 Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) dec. Jacob Rundell (Purdue), 9-3 No. 8 Chris Cannon (Northwestern) maj. dec. Kyle Luigs (Indiana), 19-6 No. 11 Lucas Byrd (Illinois) dec. Boo Dryden (Minnesota), 12-5 No. 3 Austin DeSanto (Iowa) dec. Tucker Sjomeling (Nebraska), 4-1 141: No. 1 Jaydin Eierman (Iowa) pinned Parker Filius (Purdue), 3:59 No. 8 Chad Red (Nebraska) maj. dec. No. 14 Dylan Duncan (Illinois), 12-3 No. 3 Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers) dec. Cayden Rooks (Indiana), 6-1 No. 2 Nick Lee (Penn State) tech. fall Dylan D'Emilio (Ohio State), 16-1 149: No. 2 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) maj. dec. Peyton Omania (Michigan State), 9-1 No. 9 Kanen Storr (Michigan) dec. No. 17 Yahya Thomas (Northwestern), 3-3 TB2 Michael Blockhus (Minnesota) dec. No. 14 Griffin Parriott (Purdue), 4-1 No. 19 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) dec. No. 6 Max Murin (Iowa), 11-6 157: No. 1 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) maj. dec. Elijah Cleary (Ohio State), 8-0 No. 7 Kendall Coleman (Purdue) dec. No. 8 Brady Berge (Penn State), 3-2 No. 6 Brayton Lee (Minnesota) dec. No. 9 Will Lewan (Michigan), 8-3 No. 5 Kaleb Young (Iowa) dec. Chase Saldate (Michigan State), 4-0 165: No. 1 Alex Marinelli (Iowa) dec. Gerrit Nijenhuis (Purdue), 8-2 No. 13 Cameron Amine (Michigan) dec. No. 14 Andrew Sparks (Minnesota), 5-2 No. 10 Ethan Smith (Ohio State) maj. dec. Jonathan Spadafora (Maryland), 15-6 No. 19 Peyton Robb (Nebraska) dec. No. 8 Dan Braunagel (Illinois), 9-5 174: No. 1 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) pinned Jared Krattiger (Wisconsin), 1:30 No. 5 Logan Massa (Michigan) dec. No. 13 Donnell Washington (Indiana), 9-3 No. 4 Carter Starocci (Penn State) dec. No. 6 Kaleb Romero (Ohio State), 2-0 No. 2 Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) dec. Jackson Turley (Rutgers), 11-9 184: No. 1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State) dec. No. 16 Nelson Brands (Iowa), 14-8 No. 18 John Poznanski (Rutgers) pinned No. 10 Owen Webster (Minnesota), 4:55 No. 14 Taylor Venz (Nebraska) dec. No. 9 Layne Malczewski (Michigan State), 13-6 No. 7 Christopher Weiler (Wisconsin) dec. No. 19 Max Lyon (Purdue), 9-4 197: No. 1 Eric Schultz (Nebraska) dec. Gavin Hoffman (Ohio State), 2-0 No. 13 Cam Caffey (Michigan State) dec. No. 14 Lucas Davison (Northwestern) , 6-5 No. 3 Jacob Warner (Iowa) dec. No. 17 Thomas Penola (Purdue), 4-0 No. 2 Myles Amine (Michigan) dec. No. 15 Michael Beard (Penn State), 8-6 285: No. 1 Gable Steveson (Minnesota) tech. fall No. 19 Tate Orndorff (Ohio State), 19-4 5:34 No. 12 Christian Lance (Nebraska) dec. No. 10 Luke Luffman (Illinois), 3-1 SV No. 3 Tony Cassioppi (Iowa) maj. dec. No. 13 Trent Hillger (Wisconsin), 9-1 No. 2 Mason Parris (Michigan) maj. dec. No. 6 Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State), 11-3 Semifinal Matchups 125: No. 1 Spencer Lee (Iowa) vs. No. 16 Rayvon Foley (Michigan State) No. 9 Malik Heinselman (Ohio State) vs. No. 17 Devin Schroder (Purdue) 133: No. 2 Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) vs. No. 8 Chris Cannon (Northwestern) No. 3 Austin DeSanto (Iowa) vs. No. 11 Lucas Byrd (Illinois) 141: No. 1 Jaydin Eierman (Iowa) vs. No. 8 Chad Red (Nebraska) No. 2 Nick Lee (Penn State) vs. No. 3 Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers) 149: No. 2 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) vs. No. 9 Kanen Storr (Michigan) No. 19 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) vs. Michael Blockhus (Minnesota) 157: No. 1 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) vs. No. 7 Kendall Coleman (Purdue) No. 5 Kaleb Young (Iowa) vs. No. 6 Brayton Lee (Minnesota) 165: No. 1 Alex Marinelli (Iowa) vs. No. 13 Cameron Amine (Michigan) No. 10 Ethan Smith (Ohio State) vs. No. 19 Peyton Robb (Nebraska) 174: No. 1 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) vs. No. 5 Logan Massa (Michigan) No. 2 Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) vs. No. 4 Carter Starocci (Penn State) 184: No. 1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State) vs. No. 18 John Poznanski (Rutgers) No. 7 Christopher Weiler (Wisconsin) vs. No. 14 Taylor Venz (Nebraska) 197: No. 1 Eric Schultz (Nebraska) vs. No. 13 Cam Caffey (Michigan State) No. 2 Myles Amine (Michigan) vs. No. 3 Jacob Warner (Iowa) 285: No. 1 Gable Steveson (Minnesota) vs. No. 12 Christian Lance (Nebraska) No. 2 Mason Parris (Michigan) vs. No. 3 Tony Cassioppi (Iowa)

Link: Results A Twitter List by InterMat

Link: Results A Twitter List by InterMat

WICHITA, Kan. -- [Brackets | Team Scores] After a hard fought first day, Grand View (Iowa) finds itself in a familiar position, resting atop the team standings with 98 points at the conclusion of Friday. Life University (Ga.) pushed the nine-time national champions throughout the day including holding a slight edge in the team race after the conclusion of the quarterfinals. The Running Eagles totaled 95.5 points after Day 1. Both Life and Grand View had ten student-athletes earn All-America status. The Running Eagles have seven wrestlers in the semifinals tomorrow while the Vikings have four. Team Standings (After Day 1): Grand View (Iowa) 98.0 Life (Ga.) 95.5 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 64.5 Reinhardt (Ga.) 50.0 Indiana Tech 43.0 Cumberland (Tenn.) 38.5 Cumberlands (Ky.) 36.5 Southeastern (Fla.) 35 Thomas More (Ky.) 32.5 Graceland (Iowa) 31 Day 1 Highlights A total of 244 wrestlers from 52 institutions from 24 different states were represented in the field on day one of competition. History, upsets and program firsts all took place on day one of the 64th annual NAIA Men's Wrestling National Championship Life had the lead after the quarterfinals but Grand View rallied in the consolations earning eight points to gain a 2.5 point lead to end the day. In the second round of the championship bracket at 149 Jack Latimer of Arizona Christian upset No. 1 seed Trent Johnson of Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) by decision (6-4). Latimer went on to defeat John Deiner of Morningside (Iowa) to become the first All-American in Arizona Christian school history. Thomas More (Ky.) made program history today starting in the quarterfinals of the 141 bracket when No. 7 seed Ryan Moore defeated No. 2 seed Kendon Lee of Grand View (Iowa) to become the first All-American in school history. Teammate, Wilder Wichman (157) quickly followed defeated Tanner Abbas of Grand View to become the second All-America for the Bears. Brandon Reed of Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) earned most pins in least about of time with three pins in a total of 5:59 Giovanni Bonilla of Grand View provided the most team points to the Vikings today totaling 15 points. Baterdene Boldmaa of Doane (Neb.) scored the most single match points with 22 Nick Henneman of Lourdes had the fastest tech fall at 1:54 ss well has most tech falls in least about of time with three in 11:02 Up Next Day 2 is scheduled to get started at 10 a.m. at the Hartman Arena. The Championship session will follow and begin at 7 p.m., broadcast live on ESPN3.

The brackets have been released for the 2021 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. The event takes place Saturday and Sunday at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa. Link: Brackets Saturday: Coverage on Big Ten Network/FOX Sports app and Big Ten Network+) 10 a.m. ET Session I (First Round, Quarterfinals) 7:30 p.m. ET Session II (Semifinals, Wrestlebacks) Sunday: Coverage on Big Ten Network/FOX Sports app and Big Ten Network+) Noon ET Session III (Consolation Semifinals, 7th-Place Matches) 4 p.m. ET Session IV (1st-, 3rd- and 5th- Place Matches)

Bryan Pearsall (Photo/Penn Athletics) PHILADELPHIA -- The University of Pennsylvania's head wrestling coach, Roger Reina, has announced the promotion of Bryan Pearsall to the position of Associate Head Coach. Pearsall has been on staff with the Quakers for the past four seasons. "We are delighted to promote Bryan to the role of Associate Head Coach," said Reina. "Since arriving at Penn in the summer of 2017, Bryan has continued to assume broader responsibilities and prove his effectiveness both on and off the mats. We see continued development potential in his future to deliver increasing momentum to #TheMovement at Penn Wrestling, as we climb the mountains of the NCAA Wrestling landscape." While at Penn, Pearsall has helped coach nine NCAA Championships qualifiers including a second-team NCAA All-American, nine All-Ivy wrestlers, and one EIWA champion as well as one National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Academic All-American. Pearsall has been instrumental in Penn's Top-25 recruiting classes each of the last two years, including the No. 9 overall class in 2019 and No. 12 class in 2018. "I am honored to receive the distinction of Associate Head Coach," said Pearsall. "I would like to thank everyone within the Penn Athletics and Penn Wrestling communities for their continued faith and support. I am extremely excited to continue to build a championship culture at Penn alongside Head Coach Roger Reina. My family and I are more committed than ever to making Penn and Philadelphia our long-term home." Prior to his arrival at Penn, Pearsall was on staff at Army West Point from 2014-17 working primarily with the lower and middle weights. During his tenure with the Black Knights, Pearsall coached 13 NCAA Championships qualifiers, and he helped Army climb the EIWA rankings in both competitive results and recruiting success. Pearsall's work in recruiting student-athletes to West Point helped the Black Knights land a 2017 recruiting class ranked No. 16 by WIN Magazine, No. 21 by InterMat and No. 23 by The Open Mat. Before his stint at West Point, Pearsall spent the 2013-14 season at Rutgers where he also coached the Scarlet Knight Wrestling Club Regional Training Center (RTC) hosted by Rutgers. In their last season in the EIWA before transitioning to the Big Ten, the Scarlet Knights posted an 11-5 record in dual meets and finished third at a highly competitive EIWA Championships in The Palestra. Competing for Penn State in college, Pearsall was a four-year starter for the Nittany Lions and a member of Penn State's 2011, 2012, and 2013 NCAA championship teams under head coach Cael Sanderson. In 2013, Pearsall was fifth at the Big Ten Championships and an NCAA qualifier at 141 pounds. Pearsall graduated from Penn State in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in rehabilitation and human services. A product of Lititz, Pa., he was a high school standout at Warwick High School before moving on to State College. Pearsall competed in freestyle for Pennsylvania USA Wrestling (PAUSAW), earning USAW Junior freestyle All-American honors. A USA Wrestling Silver Certified coach, Pearsall has served as Head Coach of the Pennsylvania U16 Freestyle Team and has coached numerous All-Americans and champions at the U16, Junior, UWW Junior, and U23 age divisions in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. Under Pearsall's leadership, the Pennsylvania U16 National Team has won two national championships.

Sammy Alvarez wrestling PSU's Roman Bravo-Young at the 2021 Big Tens (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Sammy Alvarez will not compete for Rutgers at the Big Ten Championships, according to a tweet from Rutgers wrestling Friday morning. The late change was unrelated to COVID-19. Shane Metzler will replace Alvarez in the lineup this weekend. Alvarez was 3-0 this season and ranked No. 6 at 133 pounds. He was an NCAA qualifier last season as a freshman after posting a 26-10 record.

Nick Mitchell PARK CITY, Kan. -- On Thursday evening the NAIA hosted a virtual National Championship Coaches Social. At the conclusion of the event, National Wrestling Coaches Association Executive Director Mike Moyer recognized the 11 finalists for the NAIA Men's National Coach of the Year and announced the winner as selected by his peers. The award is presented to the coach that has demonstrated outstanding effort throughout the season in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community. The NWCA National Coach of the Year awards program is presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA. "In continuing our mission, Defense Soap is proud to partner with the NWCA, to keep wrestlers on the mat with our products and education in hygiene." Guy Sako, Founder and CEO of Defense Soap. The recipient of this year's NAIA Men's National Coach of the Year is Nick Mitchell of Grand View University (IA). Coach Mitchell is in his 13th year as head coach and his achievements this season include a 14-0 dual meet record which has pushed their collegiate all-time dual win streak to 103 consecutive victories. His squad also captured its sixth straight Heart of America Athletic Conference championship with eight individual conference champions while qualifying 12 athletes for the NAIA Championships. His current roster has an incredible 66 wrestlers. "It is my honor on behalf of the NWCA and our Board of Directors to recognize Coach Nick Mitchell as the National Coach of the Year," Said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. "What Nick has done at Grand View has been nothing short of amazing. To be in a position to win a 10th consecutive national title just shows the consistency and drive he has implemented within his program." 2021 NAIA Coach of the Year Finalists Appalachian Athletic Conference: Jeff Bedard, Reinhardt University American Midwest Conference: Todd Allen, Williams Baptist University Cascade Collegiate Conference: Dustyn Azure, Eastern Oregon University Great Plains Athletic Conference: Jake Stevenson, Morningside College Heart of America Athletic Conference: Nick Mitchell, Grand View University Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference: Chad Mattox, York College Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference: Courtney Strauss, Bethany College Mid-South Conference: Corey Ruff, Lindsey Wilson College Mid-South Conference: Omi Acosta, Life University Sooner Athletic Conference: Ray Bedford, Texas Wesleyan University Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference: Thomas Pompei - Indiana Tech About the NWCA The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: Coaching Development, Student-Athlete Welfare, and the Promotion of Wrestling.

The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships picture will get more clarity this weekend as the Big Ten Wrestling Championships and Big 12 Wrestling Championships take place Saturday and Sunday. While the Big 12 can feel preordained, there are several matchups in the Big Ten that will allow for fans to have a better indication of how the postseason race will proceed. The Iowa Hawkeyes will be the clear favorites to win the Big Ten, but their ascension and predetermination as the best team might make any failures by their top wrestlers seem like a sign of weakness. Similarly, the expectations around Penn State's season have been mooted, but with new heavy hitters in the lineup a good outcome this weekend might give credence to the idea the Nittany Lions can unseat the Hawkeyes. I'm skeptical. As you'll see below I have Iowa winning five weight classes, and even if Penn State overperforms and wins three (or four) they are at a disadvantage in total points scored and access to bonus points. The Iowa team really does seem to be significantly more dominant. As it was last week, I think the biggest idea to keep in mind is that we are making it to the end of the year. The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will happen and it will be a massive success for the wrestlers, administrators, coaches, and fans. To your questions ... Q: Who are your predicted champs for this weekend's Big Ten Championships? -- Mike C. Foley: See predictions below. Individual: 125: Spencer Lee (Iowa) 133: Roman Bravo Young (Penn State) 141: Jaydin Eierman (Iowa) 149: Max Murin (Iowa) 157: Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) 165: Alex Marinelli (Iowa) 174: Mike Kemerer (Iowa) 184: Aaron Brooks (Penn State) 197: Myles Amine (Michigan) 285: Gable Steveson (Minnesota) Team: 1. Iowa 2. Penn State 3. Michigan 4. Ohio State Greg Kerkvliet enters the postseason with a 2-0 record and No. 6 national ranking (Photo/PSU Athletics) Q: What do you think of Greg Kerkvliet being seeded seventh at the Big Tens? He will likely face Mason Parris in the quarters. On one hand you could argue Kerkvliet is seeded too high based on wrestling only two matches. On the other hand you could argue that he should be a top four seed because of his talent and past accomplishments. -- Mike C. Foley: Fair! I think the committee actually balanced the skill and promise with his two wins. While that might feel unfair to Mason Parris, I hardly think that the Michigan Wolverine staff is bemoaning or complaining. Mason is one of the best heavyweights in the country and if you think they are 2-3 then they will fall that way regardless of where they meet in the lower bracket. This year was a mess with allocations, conference seeding, and a myriad other items of general discontent. I think there are greater injustices and that an early round meetup between two titans is a net positive for the fans. I have Mason winning the match, but I also have to admit that I haven't seen enough of Greg Kerkvliet this season to know if he's a generational talent who has just lacked the spotlight in a down year. Q: Do you expect Zahid Valencia to win the Matteo Pellicone again? -- Mike C. Foley: Here is the entry list for 86 kilograms: Hunter Lee (Canada) Clayton Pye (Canada) Chahar Parveen (Indiana) Azamat Dauletbekov (Kazakhstan) Yeskali Dauletkazy (Kazakhstan) Ethan Ramos (Puerto Rico) Fatih Erdin (Turkey) Mark Hall (USA) Myles Martin (USA) Zahid Valencia (USA) While Zahid is almost certain to medal, I'm not sure I would predict him winning the tournament. Erdin is a monster, Mark Hall is a problem, and Myles Martin can beat anyone at any time. The tournament doesn't have a ton of foreign talent so the Americans will be seeing a lot of each other. Familiarity with an opponent can make for weird outcomes. Hoping for some awesome action. Q: Any idea what ESPN's streaming plan will be for the NCAAs? I'm assuming its similar to the past but I have not heard anything yet. -- Mike C. Foley: Same.