InterMat Staff

WVU coaches Sammie Henson and Danny Felix celebrate (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) ST. LOUIS -- West Virginia University wrestler Zeke Moisey�s incredible NCAA tournament run came to end with a 9-5 loss to No. 4 seed Nathan Tomasello of Ohio State in the 125-pound championship finals at the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on Saturday night at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. The true freshman from Northampton, Pennsylvania, will cap his rookie season as the NCAA runner-up in addition to receiving All-America honors. He finishes with a mark of 32-14, tying the program mark for wins at 125 and ranking second in program history in wins as a freshman. �I�m extremely proud of Zeke and his performance this weekend,� said WVU coach Sammie Henson. He represented West Virginia University and the Mountaineer wrestling program with guts and honor. We have a bright future with an extremely motivated coaching staff, support staff, administration and wrestlers.� After battling through two scoreless minutes in the first, Tomasello hit Moisey for a takedown with 44 seconds remaining. Moisey escaped to trail 2-1 as the first came to a close. Starting the second in the defensive position, Moisey tied the score 2-2 on an escape 26 seconds into the period. Tomasello added another takedown as the period wound down, taking a 4-2 lead into the final stanza. Starting on top, Moisey yielded an escape to Tomasello, who took a 5-2 lead, but scored a takedown to cut the deficit to two at 5-4. Tomasello escaped to push his advantage to 6-4, then registered a final takedown with just under a minute to go. Battling through injury, Moisey escaped to trail 8-5 with 33 seconds left, but couldn�t come from behind. Tomasello tacked on a point for riding time to take the 9-5 decision and the NCAA title. The first unseeded wrestler since 2003 to compete for a national title, Moisey was the first Mountaineer to reach the NCAA semifinals since 2005 when Greg Jones won the national championship at 184 pounds. He is the 30th All-American in WVU program history and the first to earn the honor since Brandon Rader in 2007. West Virginia finished the tournament with in 20th place with 23.5 points. It marks the Mountaineers� first top-25 finish since 2005, when they took 18th overall with 34.00 points. Entering the tournament as an unseeded, unranked true freshman, Moisey pulled off four consecutive upsets in earning his spot in the finals. He defeated No. 15 seed Chasen Tolbert of Utah Valley in a 14-6 major decision in the first round before upsetting No. 2 seed Nahshon Garrett of Cornell in a 5-2 decision. Moisey then beat Big 12 foe and No. 7 seed Eddie Klimara in a 5-2 decision to earn his spot in the semifinals.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Seniors Robert Kokesh (174) and James Green (157) finished their Husker careers by each finishing third at the 2015 NCAA Championships at the Scottrade Center on Saturday. Kokesh, a three-time All-American, won a pair of sudden victories against Big Ten foes. He downed third-seeded Mike Evans of Iowa, 6-4, before topping No. 6 seed Logan Storley of Minnesota by the same margin in the third-place match. Kokesh finished his season with a 39-1 record, which is tied for the sixth-most wins in a season in school history. He concluded his career at Nebraska with a 144-15 record, good for second in school history. He collected a third-place finish after taking fourth in 2014 and third in 2013. Green, who became the second four-time All-American in school history on Friday, defeated No. 7 seed Ian Miller of Kent State by a 13-4 major decision before taking down Virginia Tech�s Nick Brascetta, 3-2, in the third-place match. Green finished the season with a 35-5 mark. With his win in the third-place match, Green passed Jordan Burroughs for fifth in school history with his 129th career victory. Green took third place for the second consecutive year after finishing seventh in 2012 and 2013. Sophomore TJ Dudley (184) finished eighth after falling to Missouri�s Willie Miklus by a 6-5 decision. Dudley went 31-11 this season and collected All-America honors for the first time. As a team, Nebraska finished in ninth place with 59 points, marking the 19th top-10 finish in program history. Ohio State won the team title with 102 points. The NCAA Championships conclude with Session VI, consisting of the finals, on Saturday night at 7 p.m. (CT). Every match will be televised on ESPN.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Two Western Wrestling Conference grapplers earned All-America honors Saturday at the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis. North Dakota State's Hayden Zillmer and Kurtis Julson were the two wrestlers to accomplish the feat this year as they placed sixth at 184 pounds and eighth at 174, respectively. Zillmer and Julson not only marked the only wrestlers in the league to earn All-America finishes this season but also the first time that NDSU's has ever had multiple placers in the same season at the Division I level. After going a perfect 4-0 in the wrestlebacks on Friday to secure the first All-American finish of his career, the sixth-seeded Zillmer dropped two tight matches during Saturday's medal round (fifth session) to place sixth. In the consolation semifinals, Zillmer fell to No. 13 Victory Avery of Edinboro by a score of 4-2 and then 4-3 to Ohio State's Kenny Courts in the fifth-place bout. The senior Zillmer finished his 2015 NCAA Championship run with a 5-3 record and a 38-6 clip overall. Julson went 3-1 in the wrestlebacks on Friday to punch his ticket into Saturday's seventh-place match at 174 pounds. In another close match, the unseeded Bison grappler found himself on the wrong end of a 3-2 score to Virginia Tech's Zach Epperly to end up placing eighth at 174. Julson concluded his 2015 run at the `Big Show' with a 4-3 clip and a 23-12 record overall. In all 23 wrestlers competed for the WWC at the NCAA Championships this weekend, and 14 of them made it to day number two of the three-day event. With two placers, NDSU led the conference in the team race as it finished in 23rd place with 19.5 points. Wyoming was next as it tied for 39th with six points while Northern Colorado followed in a tie for 46th with three. With Zillmer and Julson's sixth and eighth-place finishes on Saturday, the WWC has now crowned 17 All-Americans in its nine year history. To view final brackets from the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships click HERE. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of six schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming.

ST. LOUIS -- Fighting Illini redshirt-freshman Isaiah Martinez put an exclamation point on his season Saturday night, winning the NCAA 157-pound national title. Martinez defeated Brian Realbuto (Cornell) by major decision, 10-2, to become the first freshman to be an undefeated national champion since Cael Sanderson of Iowa State accomplished the feat in 1999. Martinez struck first in the championship bout, taking down Realbuto to grab a 2-0 lead. Realbuto escaped to cut the lead to 2-1 at the end of the first period. Martinez opted to start the second period in the down position, from which he quickly escaped to take a 3-1 lead. Another takedown for the Illini grappler gave him a 5-1 lead advantage at the end of the second period. A two-point nearfall in the third gave Martinez a 7-1 lead. Realbuto escaped to make it 7-2, but Martinez grabbed a final takedown and rode out the Cornell grappler to seal the 10-2 victory. Martinez began his run to a national title with an 18-2 technical fall over Russell Parsons (Army). He followed up that performance by pinning Spartak Chino (Ohio) in 1:25 to advance to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals, Martinez took down Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech), 10-4. He then edged James Green (Nebraska), 3-2, before squaring off with Realbuto. Martinez finishes his stellar season with a 35-0 record, just the third time in Illinois history that a wrestler has completed an undefeated season, and the first since Matt Lackey in 2002-03. Of his 35 wins, 24 came by major decision or greater, including an NCAA Division I leading 11 technical falls. Dating back to last season, Martinez has won 42 matches in a row. The Illini finished the 2015 NCAA Championships in 12th place with 51 points.

Tristan Warner, a 165-pound redshirt senior at Old Dominion University from Mechanicsburg, Pa., has been named the recipient of the prestigious Elite 89 Award for the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship. This marks the second-consecutive year he has taken home the award and the second Division I wrestler to win it in back-to-back seasons. The Elite 89, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 89 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s championships. “We are very excited for Tristan to receive the prestigious Elite 89 award for the second year in a row," said Head Coach Steve Martin. "The Elite 89 goes to the student-athlete with the highest GPA at the championships, so essentially we have had the smartest guy in division I wrestling for two consecutive years. What makes it even more exciting is that this is just the second time that a DI wrestler has won the award two straight years!” Warner is a double major in criminal justice and communications and currently holds a 3.984 cumulative grade-point average. Over Warner’s career, he earned Academic All-American laurels and NWCA Division I All-Academic Team honors. He has also been a member of the Dean’s List nine times, earning a 4.0 GPA on seven occasions. “I am honored to receive the NCAA Elite 89 award again,” said Warner. “Although my wrestling season and career did not end as I had imagined, this definitely helps put a little brighter outlook on my future. I want to thank everyone affiliated with Old Dominion University that supported me on the mat or in the classroom. I couldn't have achieved this without them." “Finally, I want to acknowledge Jake Henderson, Matt Tourdot, and Austin Coburn for their outstanding academic accomplishments that may get overshadowed but have been an integral part of my success and our team's ability to secure the second highest GPA in the nation,” added Warner. Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. They must be an active member of the team, traveling and a designated member of the squad size at the championship. The number of credits completed breaks all ties. “This is a great testament to our academic advising staff, led by April Brecht,” added Martin. “There are a lot of people involved in this process, but her staff does a phenomenal job getting our kids ready to excel in the classroom.” For more information on the Elite 89 award winners, log on to NCAA.com/elite89.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Penn State senior Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah) added yet another wrestling national title to Penn State's growing list of accomplishments with a thrilling 5-4 win over Pittsburgh's Tyler Wilps in the NCAA finals. Brown, a three-time All-American, earned his first NCAA title with the victory after coming up short in the finals as a sophomore. Brown's win was capped off by a lengthy delay as the match ended with each bench challenging a bout deciding call. In the end, Penn State's challenge won the day and Brown walked away with a 5-4 win and the NCAA title. Brown won Penn State's 30th national title and is the 23rd individual to claim one. The Brown/Wilps match-up was the first ever national final between Penn State and Pitt and it would produce a thrilling end. Brown began the match working for control on his feet, forcing Wilps to the outside circle while looking to work his offense. The duo traded low shots at the :35 mark with no on connecting. Brown continued to press Wilps but the bout moved to the second tied 0-0. Wilps chose down to start the middle period and Brown was able to control the action for :33 before Wilps escaped to a 1-0 lead. Brown took yet another shot, not able to finish as Wilps worked his way out of bounds once again. Brown forced the Panther into a first stall warning but Wilps then connected on a single leg that nearly took Brown to the mat. Brown was able to fight off the move and force a reset with :22 left in the period. Trailing by one, Brown chose down to start the third period and steadily worked his way to an escape and a 1-1 tie at the 1:32 mark. Brown worked in on another single leg and got the takedown as Wilps worked to get out of bounds. The takedown gave the Lion a 3-1 lead at the 1:02 mark. Wilps was awarded an escape at the :42 mark but the Penn State bench challenged the call. The call was overturned and Brown maintained the 3-1 lead. Wilps did quickly escape on the reset to cut Brown's lead to 3-2. He then quickly took Brown down to take a 4-3 lead with :20 on the clock. Wilps, who was called for stalling early in the bout, hung on to Brown's leg for five seconds and Brown picked up the stall point to tie the match at 4-4. With :03 left, Brown worked for an escape and Wilps appeared to lock his hands as the period ended. The non-call was challenged by Penn State and after a long review, the locked hands was awarded and Brown was given the point. Pitt then immediately challenged as to whether the penalty occurred before time expired and the officials confirmed that it did and Brown collected the 5-4 win, claiming his NCAA title. Brown became Penn State's 24th three-time All-American with his quarterfinal victory and his finals win over Wilps marks the fifth straight year Penn State has crowned a national champion. The Utah native is head coach Cael Sanderson's 11th national champion and his ninth at Penn State. The newest Penn State national champion, Brown went 5-0 at nationals and ends his year with a 29-3 record. Brown was the national runner-up in 2013 and the fifth place finisher in 2014. In 2013, as a sophomore and a national runner-up, Brown was named the Elite 89 Award winner as the nation's top wrestling scholar athlete. Brown ends his Penn State career with a 118-16 career record. He leaves Penn State alone in 11th place on the school's all-time wins list. Junior Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), the No. 2 seed at 197, rebounded from a quarterfinal upset in outstanding fashion and roared back to place third. McIntosh went 6-1 at this year's championships and is now a two-time All-American. The junior ends his season with a 32-3 overall record. Sophomore Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), the No. 7 seed at 133, ended his tournament run as An All-American and the fifth place finisher. He went 4-2 at this year's NCAA tournament and ends his year with a 26-9 overall record. Senior Jimmy Lawson (Toms River, N.J.), the No. 8 seed at 125, ended the NCAA Championships as a first time All-American, the sixth place finisher and with a 4-3 record. He ends his season with a 19-6 record overall. Junior Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), the No. 11 seed at 125, ended the tournament with a 4-3 mark as the 8th place finisher and an All-American. He closed out the year with a 27-9 overall record. Sophomore Zack Beitz (Mifflintown, Pa.) concluded his tournament on Friday with a 1-2 mark including a major. Beitz posted a 19-11 overall record on the year. Freshman Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), the No. 14 seed at 184, bowed out in last night's session with a 2-2 mark in the `round of 12'. McCutcheon went 26-14 on the year. Brown's win gave Penn State a final record of 26-13 at this year's NCAA Championship. Sanderson's squad returns home with five All-Americans and a sixth place finish off 67.5 points. The lkjl place finish breaks Penn State's string of four straight NCAA titles but is the sixth top ten finish in Sanderson's six years at the help of the Nittany Lions. Sanderson has now coaches 46 All-Americans, 31 at Penn State. This year's haul of hardware winners brings Penn State's All-American total to 194. Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstateWREST and on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2014-15 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. 2015 NCAA Wrestling Championships - Team Score - Top Ten FINAL Saturday, March 21, 2015 - Scottrade Center - St. Louis, Mo. 1: Ohio State - 102.0 2: Iowa - 84.0 3: Edinboro - 75.5 4: Missouri - 73.5 5: Cornell - 71.5 6: PENN STATE - 67.5 7: Oklahoma State - 65.0 8: Minnesota - 59.5 9: Nebraska - 59.0 10: Virginia Tech - 56.0

ST. LOUIS -- Redshirt junior Dan Neff (Quarryville, Pa./Solanco) of the Lock Haven University wrestling team finished eighth overall at 149 pounds at the 2015 NCAA Division I Championships. With the eighth-place finish, Neff became the Bald Eagles' 39th All-American and first since 2007. The three-day tournament began Thursday morning and runs through tonight's (8 p.m. EST) finals at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. After dropping his opening match of the tournament on Thursday morning to the No. 2 seed and returning National Champion, Neff rattled off four straight wins and guaranteed himself All-American status. Neff was 3-1 yesterday and entered today's action at 4-2 in the tournament. Today (Saturday), Neff met Old Dominion's Alexander Richardson, the eighth seed in the seventh-place match. Neff gained the upper hand early and took Richardson down, but Richardson was quick to escape. With Neff leading 2-1, Richardson scored a takedown. Shortly after a late first-period restart, Richardson tilted Neff to his back and earned the pin at the 2:39 mark. The loss moved Neff to 4-3 for the tournament. The 4-3 record this week pushed Neff to 6-7 all-time at the NCAA Championships. This marked his third straight NCAA Championship appearance after reaching the sport's biggest stage in each of the last two seasons at 141 pounds. Neff closes the season with a 25-15 record and will enter his final season as Bald Eagle next year with an 82-34 career record. Heading into tonight's finals, Lock Haven is 37th overall in the team standings. The Bald Eagles sit ahead of three Big Ten teams, including Maryland, Purdue and Michigan State. LHU will also finish ahead of local-rival Bucknell, as well as traditionally-strong programs - Penn, Wyoming, Boise State and Central Michigan. Wyoming (#16), Purdue (#23), Bucknell (#24) and Central Michigan (RV) were all ranked in the final 2014-15 USA Today/NWCA National poll. Today's action marks the end of the season for second-year head coach Scott Moore and his Bald Eagles. Neff's All-American honor highlights another strong here for LHU and it marks the first All-American in the head coaching career of Moore. For the second straight year Moore and his coaching staff have guided three or more student-athletes into NCAA Tournament. Last season, LHU sent four guys to Oklahoma City. Neff was joined by both Ronnie Perry (Christiana, Pa./Solanco) and Fred Garcia (Donora, Pa./Ringgold) at this week's championships. Perry (133) was making his NCAA Tournament debut, while Garcia, a senior capped a sensational Haven career with a third straight trip to NCAA's. During the 2014-15 season LHU went 3-3 in EWL action (7-12 overall). The three conference wins mark Lock Haven's most EWL wins since the Bald Eagles were 3-3 during the 2004-05 season. At the 2015 EWL Championships (March 7), Lock Haven finished third overall with 101.5 points, thanks to a strong all-around day that saw all 10 wrestlers place among the top-five and nine, who finished fourth or better. It marks the second straight season where LHU has finished third at the EWL Championships. Last year when the Bald Eagles took third, it marked their highest finish since 2007.

Edinboro finished third at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- It was a historical night, albeit bittersweet, for the Edinboro wrestling team as the 2015 NCAA Division I National Championships wrapped up at the Scottrade Center. The Fighting Scots would wrap up their best showing ever at the Division I Nationals, coming in third. Unfortunately, after an outstanding morning session in which A.J. Schopp and Vic Avery each won twice to finish third at 133 and 184 lbs., respectively, Dave Habat and Mitchell Port had to settle for runner-up showings in their quest to become Edinboro's fifth Division I national champion. Habat suffered a 3-1 loss in sudden victory to Drake Houdashelt of Missouri in the 149 lb. championship match. Port, hampered by a knee injury suffered late in the first period, dropped an 11-5 decision to Logan Stieber of Ohio State in the marquee match of the night at 141 lbs. Edinboro finished third in the final team standings with 75.5 points. It marked the highest finish in school history at the Division I championships, bettering last year's fifth place showing. Ohio State, with former Edinboro All-American and assistant coach Lou Rosselli serving as associate head coach, won its first national championship. The Buckeyes finished with 102 points, bettering Iowa's 84 points. Missouri finished fourth with 73.5 points and Cornell rounded out the top five with 71.5 points. Head coach Tim Flynn's squad leaves St. Louis with four All-Americans – a pair of second place finishes and two third places. The 1988 squad was the only other Edinboro team with four All-Americans. In addition, the only other time Edinboro had two wrestlers in the finals was in 2009. In addition, Schopp won the Manuel Gorrarian Award for most pins in the least time. While disappointed at how the evening transpired, Flynn was pleased with the three-day showing of his Fighting Scots. "It's awesome. It's something that has culminated for years and years of work and these kids together. They worked. They did what we asked of them." Habat got the evening started as the 149 lb. championship match was the first of the ten championship matches. A scoreless first period saw Habat the aggressor, with a pair of solid shots defended by Houdashelt (41-1). The first, midway through the period, was close enough to be called a takedown by the ESPN announcers, before the two rolled out of bounds. Houdashelt chose bottom to start the second period, with Habat riding for 35 seconds before Houdashelt escaped for a 1-0 lead. The two wrestlers exchanged shots in the final minutes without any scores. Habat started down in the third period and would escape at 1 minute, 17 seconds for a 1-1 tie. The escape was a notable accomplishment since Houdashelt had not allowed a point in his previous three matches. Both shot almost simultaneously with 27 seconds left and they went out of bounds. A Habat shot at 23 seconds was answered by one by Houdashelt with 15 seconds, but Habat was able to fend it off to send the match into overtime. Houdashelt would register the match's lone takedown and win the national title midway through the one-minute overtime period. He blocked a shot by Habat, in the process knocking Habat backwards and off balance. He jumped in at Habat's waist for the winning takedown with 28 seconds left. "Dave put himself into position to win," related head coach Tim Flynn. "He had a little trouble getting out of the collar tie, but it is a one-takedown game. Hats off to Houdashelt, he got the takedown." Habat finished the year with a 36-3 record and wraps up his career with a 134-27 career record. That is good for fifth in career victories. The Port-Stieber matchup was one of only two one-versus-two meetings in the finals. Port, seeded second, stood in the way of Stieber becoming the fourth four-time Division I national champion. The two met once before in February, with Steiber handing Port his lone loss of the season 6-3. Port was making his second appearance in the 141 lb. finals in the last three years, losing in the 2013 finals. Stieber opened the scoring with a takedown on a single-leg shot at 2:06 of the first period, with Port escaping at 1:51. Stieber completed a double-leg takedown with 1:20 left for a 4-1 advantage. With Port maneuvering to escape, he yelled out in pain with 16 seconds left after injuring his left knee. The injury gave Stieber the option of top or bottom on the restart, and would take the bottom and escape with four seconds showing for a 5-1 lead after one period. A game Port would limp noticeably over the final two periods but continued to battle. Port chose down to start the second and would escape with 1:05 left in the period to cut the margin to 5-2. Stieber added a single-leg takedown for a 7-2 lead with 32 seconds to go. Stieber began the third period with an escape at 1:40 to make it 8-2 and extended the lead to 10-2 with a takedown at the 1:25 mark. Port, showing the heart of a champion while wrestling on one leg, rallied with an escape at 1:08, and took Steiber down with 40 seconds left. He would end the match riding Stieber but was unable to turn him for near fall points. Flynn commented afterwards, "Logan Stieber is a four-time national champion. He is a great wrestler. You've got to be healthy for sure to battle him. Him twisting his kneecap there didn't help the cause." With the win Stieber recorded his 51st straight victory and ended the year at 29-0. Port concluded a brilliant career as one of eight Edinboro wrestlers to earn All-American honors three times. He finished second in 2013 and 2015 and third in 2014 at 149 lbs. The redshirt senior ended the year with a 36-2 record and concluded his career with a 132-17 ledger. He finishes tied for eighth in career victories and is third in career winning percentage at .886. The senior trio of Habat (134), Schopp (133), and Port (132) ended up ranking fifth, tied for sixth, and tied for eighth, respectively in career wins while combining for 399 wins. They won eight All-American medals. Add in Kory Mines, the fourth part of Edinboro's Murderer's Row, and the foursome finished with 487 career victories. Schopp ends up second in career winning percentage (.887). "We've got a team trophy. Those kids, they're quality wrestlers, better kids and are going to be hard to replace," surmised Flynn.

Related: Coverage | Results ST. LOUIS -- On Saturday night at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Logan Stieber finished his college wrestling career on top of the college wrestling world. The Ohio State senior not only capped his collegiate wrestling career with a fourth NCAA Division I title, becoming just the fourth wrestler ever to accomplish the feat, but he also led the Buckeyes to their first national championship in wrestling. Ohio State's Logan Stieber defeated Edinboro's Mitchell Port (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)"I'm extremely proud of my teammates," said Stieber, who finishes the season with a perfect 29-0 record. "As an individual to win it's amazing. For the team, it's something I've dreamed of ever since I came to Ohio State. When I was a freshman in high school I dreamed of doing it my senior year of high school. We did it and I've been dreaming of it for four years here at Ohio State and to finally do it, it's unbelievable." Ohio State clinched the team title earlier in the day during Saturday's first session, and put an exclamation point on it Saturday night with two Buckeyes winning NCAA titles, Stieber and freshman Nathan Tomasello, who claimed the title at 125 pounds. Ohio State finished the tournament with 102 points, 18 points in front of runner-up Iowa. Edinboro finished third in the team standings with 75.5 points. Missouri and Cornell rounded out the top five teams. Stieber handled Edinboro's Mitchell Port, 11-5, in the championship match. He came out strong, picking up two takedowns in the opening period and raced out to a 5-1 lead heading into the second period. Stieber added another takedown in the second period to lead 7-2 after two periods. He extended the lead to 10-2 in the third period before Port found some offense, scoring a takedown off an ankle pick, but it was too little too late. Tomasello, who entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed, claimed a 9-5 decision over another freshman, unseeded Zeke Moisey of West Virginia. The Buckeye freshman picked up takedowns in each of the first two periods to take a 4-2 lead into the third period. Moisey added some intrigue to the match in the third period when he put Tomasello on his back briefly, but was unable to secure the pin or get himself back in the match. "It's been a dream of mine and a goal of mine for many years now," said Tomasello. "Putting in the time every single day makes it worth it. Just going through the grind of the season ... This is where you can let yourself fly and see who is the best. At this tournament I feel like I peaked at the right time and was wrestling at my best through the Big Tens and then here." Tomasello was one of two freshmen to win an NCAA title on Saturday night. Isaiah Martinez of Illinois was the other. Martinez, a native of Lemoore, California, capped an undefeated (34-0) freshman season with a national championship at 157 pounds. Isaiah Martinez became the first undefeated freshman NCAA champion since Cael Sanderson accomplished the feat in 1999 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Martinez was dominant in the finals, winning by major decision, 10-2, over Cornell's second-seeded Brian Realbuto. The match was close early before Martinez blew it open. Martinez struck first, scoring a takedown off a double leg to go up 2-0. He added another takedown in the second period to go up 5-1 going into the final period. Martinez picked up two nearfall points early in the third period and added a takedown and riding time point for the major decision. "I knew it was going to be a dogfight," said Martinez. "I just stayed with what my coaches told me and it worked out for the best for me. So I'm very happy right now. It's just been an amazing journey that led up to that match on that stage, and it's been awesome." Martinez becomes the first undefeated freshman NCAA champion since Cael Sanderson accomplished the feat while at Iowa State in 1999. So is Martinez ready to be compared to Cael? "I was made ready for it," Martinez said confidently. "I've been working at this for 14 years. Wrestling is my life. I don't plan on doing anything else for the rest of my life. I plan on being around it forever. As far as comparisons go, we'll get there when the time comes. But if I can stay undefeated, I'm going to do it." Of his 35 wins this season, 24 were bonus-point victories. He led NCAA Division I wrestling in technical falls with 11. Two wrestlers won their second NCAA titles, Oklahoma State's Alex Dieringer (165) and North Carolina State’s Nick Gwiazdowski (285). Dieringer was dominant in the finals and finishes the season unbeaten at 35-0. Dieringer was all over his finals opponent Taylor Walsh of Indiana in a 14-7 victory. The Cowboy junior led 4-2 after the opening period and extended the lead to 9-4 after two periods. Dieringer finished the match strong, scoring two takedowns in the final period to win convincingly. "Coach always told me the second one was harder," said Dieringer, who won the title at 157 pounds last year. "So I feel like this one feels a lot more special to me. Just coming back and going undefeated and pretty much getting ninety percent bonus matches. And moving up too, which made it a lot harder. So I feel like I did pretty good this season." Dieringer, a Junior World silver medalist in 2013, has his sights set on competing with the best U.S. wrestlers on the senior level, in arguably the deepest weight class, 74 kilos. The weight class includes Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Dake, David Taylor and Andrew Howe, among others. "I want to wrestle those top guys," said Dieringer. "I feel like I'm ready. I don't know if I'm going to the Open, but for sure I'm going to the Trials." Gwiazdowski edged Michigan's Adam Coon, 7-6, to claim his second straight title at heavyweight. NC State's Nick Gwiazdowski takes down Michigan's Adam Coon (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Gwiz struck first, scoring a takedown off a double leg midway through the first period. After a couple Coon escapes, which tied the score at 2-2, Gwiz shot another double leg and converted it to a takedown to take a 4-2 lead. After a Coon escape, Gwiz led 4-3 heading into the final period. The NC State big man picked up a reversal early in the third period to go up 6-3 and looked to be in total control. But Coon battled back, escaping and scoring a takedown of his own to tie the match at 6-6. Gwiz quickly escaped to retake the lead, 7-6, which is how the match would end. "I knew it was going to be a war," said Gwiazdowski. "It was not going to be easy. You look at all his matches, he doesn’t stop. So I went in there with the mentality of, You're going to have to kill someone or you’re going to get killed.' So I thought about my preparation." He becomes first wrestler in school history to win two NCAA titles. In the first match of the night, top-seeded Drake Houdashelt of Missouri lived up to his No. 1 seed, claiming the title at 149 pound with a 3-1 win in sudden victory over Edinboro's David Habat. After a scoreless first period, the two wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third periods. In sudden victory, Houdashelt scored a takedown off a counter attack to give the Tigers a national championship. Houdashelt becomes just the third wrestler in Missouri history to earn three or more All-American honors in their careers, joining Ben Askren and Max Askren. "It was a tough match, said Houdashelt. "But nothing really matters but winning, and I pulled it off. I'm excited." Houdashelt is a native of O'Fallon, Missouri, right outside St. Louis. Winning in his home state only added to the accomplishment. "It's kind of nice to come back to St. Louis and finish my career off especially like I just did,” said Houdashelt. "It's unreal." Six No. 1 seeds came through to win the title: Stieber (141), Houdashelt (149), Martinez (157), Dieringer (165), Gwiazdowski (285) and Cornell's Gabe Dean (184). Dean topped Lehigh's Nathaniel Brown, 6-2, in a rematch of the EIWA finals two weeks earlier. It was Dean’s fourth win over Brown this season. Dean won the takedown game 2-0, picking up takedowns in the second and third periods and shutting down Brown’s offense. "It hasn't really set in yet," said Dean of winning his first title. "It's a surreal atmosphere to wrestle in and I guess no other words describe it but it’s just incredible, especially to share this with my family and close friends and my teammates and my school. It's the best. I'm truly blessed." Penn State, NCAA champions from 2011-2014, finished sixth in the competition and crowned its lone champion, Matt Brown, who edged Pitt's Tyler Wilps, 5-4, in the championship match at 174 pounds. Brown was an NCAA runner-up in 2013 and finishes his PSU career as a three-time All-American. The first two periods in the Brown-Wilps match saw little scoring. In the third period Brown broke a 1-1 tie with a takedown off a single leg to go up 3-1. Wilps escaped and picked up a takedown to take the lead, 4-3, with 23 seconds remaining. Brown continued to push the action. Late in the match Wilps was hit for his second stalling call, which tied the match, and in the process the Pitt wrestler clasped his hands, which gave Brown the dramatic one-point victory as time expired. "I didn't expect the match to end like that," said Brown. "But that's how the ball bounces and it landed my way this time." Cody Brewer, despite entering the tournament ranked No. 3 by InterMat, became the lowest seed in the history of the tournament to win a national championship, doing so as a No. 13 seed. The Sooner three-time All-American was offensive through the first two periods, picking up two takedowns in the opening period and three more in the second period to build a 10-5 lead. Clark found some offense in the third period and scored a takedown, but was unable to get back in the match. "Like Coach Cody talks about all season, the only seed that matters is that NCAA tournament," said Brewer, who avenged his only loss of the season in the Big 12 finals against Iowa State's Earl Hall. "Whether I would have lost or I would have won, I was top two in the country." Iowa State's Kyven Gadson pinned Ohio State's Kyle Snyder (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Iowa State's Kyven Gadson picked up the only pin in the finals. The Cyclone senior decked Ohio State true freshman Kyle Snyder at 4:24 in the 197-pound final. After a scoreless first period, Snyder escaped within five seconds in the second period to lead 1-0. Snyder then attacked Gadson and nearly scored a takedown off a high crotch. Gadson, though, fought off the attack and threw the Buckeye freshman to his back and secured the pin. "Wednesday night I wrote myself a letter," said Gadson. "I sat down in the hotel room and I told myself, I put all the stuff in there that I needed to know that I needed to do to dominate this tournament." Team Standings (Top 10): 1. Ohio State 102 2. Iowa 84 3. Edinboro 75.5 4. Missouri 73.5 5. Cornell 71.5 6. Penn State 67.5 7. Oklahoma State 65 8. Minnesota 59.5 9. Nebraska 59 10. Virginia Tech 56 Placement Match Results 125: 1st: Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) dec. Zeke Moisey (West Virginia), 9-5 3rd: Alan Waters (Missouri) dec. Thomas Gilman (Iowa), 7-4 5th: Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) dec. Connor Youtsey (Michigan), 9-3 7th: Eddie Klimara (Oklahoma State) dec. Jordan Conaway (Penn State), 5-4 133: 1st: Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) dec. Cory Clark (Iowa), 11-8 3rd: A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) dec. Chris Dardanes (Minnesota), 4-3 5th: Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State) dec. Mason Beckman (Lehigh), 9-5 7th: Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin) dec. Rossi Bruno (Michigan), 7-3 141: 1st: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) dec. Mitchell Port (Edinboro), 11-5 3rd: Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) dec. Dean Heil (Oklahoma State), 17-8 5th: Kevin Jack (North Carolina State) dec. Chris Mecate (Old Dominion), 3-0 7th: Lavion Mayes (Missouri) wins by medical forfeit over Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) 149: 1st: Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) dec. David Habat (Edinboro), 3-1 SV 3rd: Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) dec. Brandon Sorensen (Iowa), 3-1 SV 5th: B.J. Clagon (Rider) dec. Chris Villalonga (Cornell), 6-3 7th: Alexander Richardson (Old Dominion) pinned Daniel Neff (Lock Haven), 2:38 157: 1st: Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) maj. dec. Brian Realbuto (Cornell), 10-2 3rd: James Green (Nebraska) dec. Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech), 3-2 5th: Ian Miller (Kent State) won by medical forfeit over Dylan Ness (Minnesota) 7th: Brian Murphy (Michigan) won by medical forfeit over Mitchell Minotti (Lehigh) 165: 1st: Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) dec. Taylor Walsh (Indiana), 14-7 3rd: Bo Jordan (Ohio State) pinned Jackson Morse (Illinois), 1:00 5th: Nick Sulzer (Virginia) dec. Ethan Ramos (North Carolina), 12-4 7th: Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) dec. Jim Wilson (Stanford), 3-2 174: 1st: Matt Brown (Penn State) dec. Tyler Wilps (Pittsburgh), 5-4 3rd: Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) dec. Logan Storley (Minnesota), 6-4 SV 5th: Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma State) dec. Mike Evans (Iowa), 2-1 TB1 7th: Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech) dec. Kurtis Julson (North Dakota State), 3-2 184: 1st: Gabe Dean (Cornell) dec. Nate Brown (Lehigh), 6-2 3rd: Victor Avery (Edinboro) dec. Blake Stauffer (Arizona State), 3-2 5th: Kenny Courts (Ohio State) dec. Hayden Zillmer (North Dakota State), 4-3 7th: Willie Miklus (Missouri) dec. Tim Dudley (Nebraska), 6-5 197: 1st: Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) pinned Kyle Snyder (Ohio State), 4:24 3rd: Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) dec. Scott Schiller (Minnesota), 12-7 5th: J'den Cox (Missouri) dec. Conner Hartmann (Duke), 4-2 TB1 7th: Nathan Burak (Iowa) dec. Max Huntley (Michigan), 6-4 285: 1st: Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) dec. Adam Coon (Michigan), 7-6 3rd: Mike McMullan (Northwestern) dec. Connor Medbery (Wisconsin), 3-2 5th: Bobby Telford (Iowa) dec. Jimmy Lawson (Penn State), 6-0 7th: Ty Walz (Virginia Tech) dec. Michael Kroells (Minnesota), 6-2

ST. LOUIS -- Sixty-eight days after Ohio State's football team won its eighth national championship, the Buckeye wrestling program has claimed its first. Ohio State clinched the team title during Saturday morning's Session V at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. "I'm just so happy," said Ohio State coach Tom Ryan. "All the coaches in the state, all the people in the state, Buckeye nation everywhere, I'm just really proud of the way the guys fought this weekend." Ohio State's Bo Jordan placed third at 165 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Ohio State earned key points today from freshman Bo Jordan, who won two matches to finish third at 165 pounds after losing to Oklahoma State's Alex Dieringer in the semifinals on Friday night. Jordan notched a 6-2 win over fourth-seeded Nick Sulzer of Virginia in the consolation semifinals before pinning Jackson Morse of Illinois in a minute to place third. "He's just a champion," Ryan said of Bo Jordan. He's devastated. He wanted to win four titles. He won four state titles. He wanted to win four national titles. He was broken last night. But what do we do? It's life. You're broken, you wake up the next morning and you get the job done." Kenny Courts, an unseeded junior, defeated North Dakota State's Hayden Zillmer to place fifth at 184 pounds, which guaranteed the Buckeyes at least a share of the national championship. "Kenny Courts was a big difference this weekend," said Ryan. It was not until after Iowa failed to get a pin at 197 pounds, few minutes before 1 p.m. CT, that it became official that Ohio State was this year's outright national champion. Ohio State will enter tonight's finals with 94 points, while Iowa has 84 points. The Buckeyes have three wrestlers in the NCAA finals. "Tonight is about them and putting an exclamation point on a great weekend for our program," said Ryan. Edinboro's A.J. Schopp bounced back from a first-round loss to to Penn's Caleb Richardson on Thursday morning to win seven straight matches and place third at 133 pounds. It marks the third All-American honor for the Fighting Scot senior. "I definitely had to change my mindset and attitude, and really had to come up with something to work my way back to third," said Schopp. Another Edinboro wrestler, Vic Avery, bounced back from a semifinal loss to place third at 184 pounds. Edinboro is third in the team standings with 75.5 points and in position to win a team trophy. Two No. 1 seeds who fell in the semifinals came back to place third, Alan Waters (Missouri) and Robert Kokesh (Nebraska). Waters defeated Iowa's Thomas Gilman 8-4 in the third-place match at 125 pounds. "I just wanted to go have fun," said Waters. "It's the last time to be out there, so enjoy it." Kokesh claimed third at 174 pounds with a 6-4 win in sudden victory over friend and rival Logan Storley of Minnesota. Returning NCAA champion Jason Tsirtsis of Northwestern, who lost in the semifinals, won two matches on Saturday to finish third at 149 pounds. "I've worked extremely hard this year," said Tsirtsis. "To come up short of my goal, it hurts bad. But you've got to do what you can to do the best you can with what you're given." Minnesota Dylan Ness did not wrestle today and defaulted to sixth place at 157 pounds, but was given a standing ovation by the crowd at the Scottrade Center. Ness finishes his career at Minnesota as a four-time All-American and two NCAA finalist. Ness and the Gophers are currently sitting in eighth place in the team standings. Paid attendance for Session V was 18,797. Team Standings (Top 10): 1. Ohio State 94 2. Iowa 84 3. Edinboro 75.5 4. Missouri 69.5 5. Cornell 67.5 6. Penn State 63.5 7. Oklahoma State 61 8. Minnesota 59.5 9. Nebraska 59 10. Virginia Tech 56 Placement Match Results 125: 1st: Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) vs. Zeke Moisey (West Virginia) 3rd: Alan Waters (Missouri) dec. Thomas Gilman (Iowa), 7-4 5th: Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) dec. Connor Youtsey (Michigan), 9-3 7th: Eddie Klimara (Oklahoma State) dec. Jordan Conaway (Penn State), 5-4 133: 1st: Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) vs. Cory Clark (Iowa) 3rd: A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) dec. Chris Dardanes (Minnesota), 4-3 5th: Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State) dec. Mason Beckman (Lehigh), 9-5 7th: Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin) dec. Rossi Bruno (Michigan), 7-3 141: 1st: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) vs. Mitchell Port (Edinboro) 3rd: Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) dec. Dean Heil (Oklahoma State), 17-8 5th: Kevin Jack (North Carolina State) dec. Chris Mecate (Old Dominion), 3-0 7th: Lavion Mayes (Missouri) wins by medical forfeit over Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) 149: 1st: Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) vs. David Habat (Edinboro) 3rd: Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) dec. Brandon Sorensen (Iowa), 3-1 SV 5th: B.J. Clagon (Rider) dec. Chris Villalonga (Cornell), 6-3 7th: Alexander Richardson (Old Dominion) pinned Daniel Neff (Lock Haven), 2:38 157: 1st: Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) vs. Brian Realbuto (Cornell) 3rd: James Green (Nebraska) dec. Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech), 3-2 5th: Ian Miller (Kent State) won by medical forfeit over Dylan Ness (Minnesota) 7th: Brian Murphy (Michigan) won by medical forfeit over Mitchell Minotti (Lehigh) 165: 1st: Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) vs. Taylor Walsh (Indiana) 3rd: Bo Jordan (Ohio State) pinned Jackson Morse (Illinois), 1:00 5th: Nick Sulzer (Virginia) dec. Ethan Ramos (North Carolina), 12-4 7th: Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) dec. Jim Wilson (Stanford), 3-2 174: 1st: Tyler Wilps (Pittsburgh) vs. Matt Brown (Penn State) 3rd: Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) dec. Logan Storley (Minnesota), 6-4 SV 5th: Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma State) dec. Mike Evans (Iowa), 2-1 TB1 7th: Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech) dec. Kurtis Julson (North Dakota State), 3-2 184: 1st: Gabe Dean (Cornell) vs. Nate Brown (Lehigh) 3rd: Victor Avery (Edinboro) dec. Blake Stauffer (Arizona State), 3-2 5th: Kenny Courts (Ohio State) dec. Hayden Zillmer (North Dakota State), 4-3 7th: Willie Miklus (Missouri) dec. Tim Dudley (Nebraska), 6-5 197: 1st: Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) vs. Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) 3rd: Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) dec. Scott Schiller (Minnesota), 12-7 5th: J’den Cox (Missouri) dec. Conner Hartmann (Duke), 4-2 TB1 7th: Nathan Burak (Iowa) dec. Max Huntley (Michigan), 6-4 285: 1st: Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) vs. Adam Coon (Michigan) 3rd: Mike McMullan (Northwestern) dec. Connor Medbery (Wisconsin), 3-2 5th: Bobby Telford (Iowa) dec. Jimmy Lawson (Penn State), 6-0 7th: Ty Walz (Virginia Tech) dec. Michael Kroells (Minnesota), 6-2

Here is a preview of tonight's NCAA finals matches: 125: No. 4 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) vs. Zeke Moisey (West Virginia) You can bet against Zeke Moisey, but it’s not recommended. After locking up the cradle on Thomas Gilman the true freshman opted for the “pick him up and turn him over” finish, something that Nathan Tomasello will have to contend with for all seven minutes. Tomasello is built like a manhole cover and with a slick outside single and pass-by he could out-technique Moisey, but that will require stopping the young wrestler’s early aggression. 133: No. 13 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) vs. No. 3 Cory Clark (Iowa) Brewer ran over No. 1 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota), 15-3, in the semifinals to prove the adequacy of my pre-tournament predictions and the power of Mark Cody wrestling. Brewer should be the heavy favorite heading into the finals with No. 2 Cory Clark (Iowa) whose creative takedown defense led him to the win over Gulibon. If he maintains his offense and staunch score-first Brewer shouldn’t have much issue with Clark’s aggression. If Brewer can get out from bottom and avoid the crowd, he’ll be in the driver’s seat for much of the match. 141: No. 1 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Mitchell Port (Edinboro) Port will meet Stieber as the Ohio State wrestler looks for his fourth straight title. At their first matchup Stieber looked commanding, though not dominant, in a 6-3 decision. Still, if any wrestler can challenge Stieber, it might be Port who has a trip to a national finals in his back pocket and a win over Hunter Stieber. Still, Logan is too talented in too many positions to bet against, or to even lean against. Look for a five-point spread. 149: No. 1 Drake Houdasheldt (Missouri) vs. No. 3 David Habat (Edinboro) This isn’t the finals many expected, but in knocking off No. 2 seed Jason Tsirtsis with a second-period takedown, Habat proved he has the juice to make a championship run. He’ll face Houdasheldt who he beat last year at the same tournament and who bested Villalonga 4-0 in the semifinals. Houdasheldt will need to open up early with offense, something that Tsirtsis did as well, but couldn’t finish. Habat is tough to hold down, but Houdasheldt can get the job done if he finds a leg and keeps aggressive. Look for a low-scoring brawl. 157: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) vs. No. 2 Brian Realbuto, (Cornell) Martinez is on his way to completing a dream freshman season, but to get to the top of the podium he’ll need to knock off Realbuto (Cornell). The Cornell grappler made his way past No. 3 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) via injury default but was in control at the time. The pair have never met in folkstyle, but Realbuto owns a freestyle win. That might not translate at the NCAA level, but Realbuto should be taken as Martinez’s most serious competition. Look for him to battle for takedowns, open up the offense and make Martinez feel uncomfortable in scrambles. Look for Martinez to muscle his way out for a period or two, but be in trouble late. 165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 6 Taylor Walsh (Indiana) Dieringer looked flawless in dispatching Bo Jordan 6-1 in the semifinals. His consistency has been almost unmatched this season and facing a dangerous, but limited Taylor Walsh means that Dieringer is likely to win his second consecutive title. Watch for Walsh to create action from scrambles and always be looking for falls. That’s dangerous against opponents in the 5-20 ranking, but likely ineffective against someone of Dieringer’s composure. 174: No. 2 Matthew Brown (Penn State) vs. No. 8 Tyler Wilps (Pitt) With only one takedown in their two semifinal wins, Wilps and Brown don’t look on paper to provide excitement. That’s incorrect. This matchup could be the highlight of the night with Brown determined to win his NCAA title and Wilps an opponent with the athleticism and flexibility to make for interesting exchanges. Brown should take this by a takedown and a riding time point, but don’t count Wilps out of the match. 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) vs. No. 7 Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh) Neither semifinal included much scoring, but Brown found the only takedown of the round. In the finals it’ll be the fourth meeting of the two this season. Dean is up 3-0 with a win in the EIWA finals two weeks ago, 8-2; a 7-2 victory a few weeks before and 3-1 in SV at the dual meet. With those results it’s easy to assume that Dean will find similar offense and put up similar points, but this is the national finals and that much familiarity could open up opportunities for Brown. Still, look for Dean to feel comfortable and find his first NCAA title. 197: No. 4 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) vs. No. 3 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) A rematch of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas semifinals where Gadson prevailed, 3-2, the 197-pounf finals should be one of the most athletic matches of the night. Snyder used several kickouts and a beautiful ankle pick to make it by J’den Cox in the semifinals, while Gadson used several attacks to score, and fend off the late offense of Conner Hartmann. The match should be a tossup with the first to score being the most likely to win. Watch for Gadson to come out strong and try to get Snyder on his heels and forced to defend his right leg. 285: No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) vs. No. 6 Adam Coon (Michigan) Advancing to his second NCAA finals, defending champion Gwiazdowski has looked marvelous in his first two days of competition. Coon needed an incredible overtime scramble to edge Mike McMullan with a takedown as time expired. The finals will be a rematch from last year’s Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational where Coon beat Gwiazdowski. Both wrestlers have improved, but how much and where just isn’t known. Gwiz’s attacks have sharpened, Coon has gotten stronger and more agile. That could mean a lot more scrambling and high action than most fans have come to expect from the heavyweights.

ST. LOUIS -- A mix of youth and experience has Ohio State positioned to claim its first national championship in wrestling. On Friday night, the Buckeyes advanced three wrestlers -- two freshmen and a senior three-time NCAA champion -- to the NCAA finals, and lead the team race at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis with 86.5 points. Iowa sits in second place, 13.5 points behind Ohio State. In addition to their three finalists, the Buckeyes have two wrestlers competing for medals on Saturday. Iowa has one finalist, Cory Clark (133), and five other wrestlers competing in the placement matches. Cornell (66.5), Edinboro (64.5) and Missouri (60) round out the top five teams after Friday's competition. Ohio State redshirt freshman Nathan Tomasello defeated Missouri's Alan Waters to reach the NCAA finals at 125 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Both Ohio State freshmen finalists, Tomasello (125) and Snyder (197), entered the tournament as No. 4 seeds and upset No. 1 seeds in the semifinals. Stieber (141) earned a bonus point victory for the fourth straight match to reach his fourth straight NCAA finals. He is looking to capture his fourth NCAA title and become just the fourth wrestler to accomplish the feat, joining Pat Smith, Cael Sanderson, and Kyle Dake. Tomasello and Snyder are two of four freshmen to reach the NCAA finals. Joining them in the finals are fellow freshmen Zeke Moisey of West Virginia (125) and Isaiah Martinez of Illinois (157). Moisey and Snyder are true freshmen, while Tomasello and Martinez are redshirt freshmen. Six No. 1 seeds reached the finals: Stieber (141), Missouri's Drake Houdashelt (149), Martinez (157), Oklahoma State's Alex Dieringer (165), Cornell's Gabe Dean (184) and North Carolina State's Nick Gwiazdowski (285). Stieber, Dieringer, and Gwiazdowski are returning NCAA champions. Two wrestlers who won titles last year as freshmen, Jason Tsirtsis of Northwestern (149) and J'den Cox of Missouri (197), lost in the semifinals. Team Standings (Top 10): 1. Ohio State 86.5 2. Iowa 73 3. Cornell 66.5 4. Edinboro 64.5 5. Missouri 60 6. Penn State 58 7. Oklahoma State 55.5 8. Michigan 51 9. Minnesota 49 9. Nebraska 49 Finals Matchups: 125: No. 4 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) vs. Zeke Moisey (West Virginia) 133: No. 3 Cory Clark (Iowa) vs. No. 13 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) 141: No. 1 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Mitchell Port (Edinboro) 149: No. 1 Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) vs. No. 3 David Habat (Edinboro) 157: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) vs. No. 2 Brian Realbuto (Cornell) 165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 6 Taylor Walsh (Indiana) 174: No. 2 Matt Brown (Penn State) vs. No. 8 Tyler Wilps (Pittsburgh) 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) vs. No. 7 Nate Brown (Lehigh) 197: No. 3 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) vs. No. 4 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) 285: No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) vs. No. 6 Adam Coon (Michigan) Here is a weight class-by-weight class summary of the 20 semifinal matches that occurred on Friday night. 125 Freshman Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) knocked off top-seeded Alan Waters (Missouri), 4-2. It marked Waters' first loss of the season. After a scoreless first period, Tomasello chose to start the second period in neutral. The two wrestlers then went another period without scoring. In the third period Waters chose down and picked up a quick escape to go up 1-0. Tomasello responded with a takedown with 1:25 remaining in the match to go up 2-1. Waters escaped to even the score at 2-2. Then, in the closing seconds, Tomasello scored a takedown to win 4-2. Unseeded true freshman Zeke Moisey (West Virginia) continued his unlikely run through the championship bracket, pinning No. 6 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) in 52 seconds. Moisey wasted little time, scoring a takedown off a single leg in the first 15 seconds. Gilman escaped quickly, and the WVU freshman attacked again and put Gilman to his back and secured the pin. 133 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) reached the finals as the No. 13 seed. The Big 12 champion rolled to a 15-3 victory over previously unbeaten Chris Dardanes (Minnesota). Dardanes came out of the gates quickly, hitting a double leg takedown to go up 2-0. Brewer then escaped and scored a takedown of his own to take a 3-2 lead. Dardanes evened the score with an escape. But it was all Brewer the rest of the way. The 13th-seeded Sooner used a five-point move to go up 8-3 ... and the carnage continued as Brewer picked up another takedown and earned three more nearfall points to put the match out of reach. No. 3 Cory Clark (Iowa) topped No. 7 Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State), 7-5, avenging a loss from earlier this season. After a scoreless first period, Gulibon chose down and reversed Clark to go up 2-0. Clark escaped to cut the deficit to 2-1. With 30 second left in the period, Clark registered a takedown to go up 3-2. He then rode out Gulibon for the rest of the period. Clark picked up an escape early in the third period, and then countered a Gulibon attack and converted it to a takedown to go up 6-2. Gulibon escaped and scored a late takedown, but it was too little too late. 141 Three-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber (Ohio State) was dominant from start to finish, earning a 12-2 major decision over unseeded freshman Kevin Jack (North Carolina State). Stieber scored two takedowns in the first period to lead 4-1. In the second period he added another takedown and three-point point nearfall. In the third period the Buckeye senior scored an early reversal and rode out Jack the rest of the way. No. 2 Mitchell Port (Edinboro) cruised to a 14-2 major decision victory over No. 11 Chris Mecate (Old Dominion). Late in the first period Port used a reversal and nearfall to go up 7-2. The Edinboro senior added to his lead in the second period, picking up an escape and takedown to go up 10-2. He added a third-period takedown. 149 Top-seeded Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) shut out Chris Villalonga (Cornell), 4-0. Houdashelt scored a first-period takedown and added an escape in the second period and a riding time point. No. 3 David Habat (Edinboro) edged defending NCAA champion Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern), 3-2. One takedown is all the Fighting Scot needed. 157 No. 2 Brian Realbuto (Cornell) advanced to the finals by injury default over Dylan Ness (Minnesota). The two wrestlers went back-and-forth early, with Realbuto picking up a takedown and Ness a reversal. But midway through the period Ness suffered an injury and was unable to continue. Top-seeded freshman Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) remained undefeated on the season and punched a ticket to the NCAA finals with a 3-2 victory over James Green (Nebraska). The match was scoreless after the opening period. In the second period, Martinez rode Green and accumulated over a minute in riding time before being reversed to go down 2-0. Martinez escaped and the second period ended 2-1. Martinez earned another escape early in the third period, keeping his minute-plus riding time intact. He then fought off Green's attacks to win 3-2 after the additional riding time point was added. 165 No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) had little trouble in a 6-1 semifinal victory over No. 5 Bo Jordan (Ohio State). Dieringer, an NCAA champion last year at 157 pounds, picked up takedowns in each of the first two periods to lead 4-1 after two periods. He added an escape in the third period and an additional riding time point for the five-point victory. No. 6 Taylor Walsh (Indiana) blanked No. 15 Ethan Ramos (North Carolina), 5-0. Walsh earned a first-period takedown and a second-period reversal to pace him to the victory. 174 No. 2 Matt Brown (Penn State) edged longtime rival Mike Evans (Iowa), 1-0. After no scoring in the first period, Brown earned an escape early in the second period, and the period ended 1-0 in favor of the PSU senior. Evans chose to start the third period in the neutral position, but was unable to break through Brown's defense. Tyler Wilps (Pitt), seeded No. 8, picked up a takedown in sudden victory to edge No. 12 Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma State), 3-1. He becomes Pitt's first NCAA finalist since 2008 when Keith Gavin reached the finals in the same weight class. 184 Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh) reached the finals as the No. 7 seed, blanking Kenny Courts (Ohio State), 4-0. The match went scoreless after the first period. In the second period Brown escaped, and then countered a Courts attack and scored a takedown to lead 3-0. He then rode out Courts in the third period. Top-seeded Gabe Dean (Cornell) edged No. 13 Vic Avery (Edinboro), 3-2, in the second tiebreaker. The two wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third periods. After no scoring in the first sudden victory period, the two traded escapes in the first tiebreaker period. The two went scoreless in the second sudden victory period. Then, in the second tiebreaker, both escaped again, but Dean held the advantage in riding time, which proved to the difference in the match. 197 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) edged defending champion J'den Cox (Missouri), 3-2. Snyder scored an early takedown, but a couple Cox escapes made the match 2-2 after two periods. Snyder earned an escape early in the third period and then held on for the one-point victory. No. 3 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) reached the finals by defeating Conner Hartmann (Duke), 4-1. Gadson secured a takedown in the first period, escape in the second period and then added a riding time point in the third period. 285 Returning NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) will be looking to make it two straight titles after winning 6-3 over Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) in the semifinals. Gwiz broke open a 2-2 match in the third period with an escape, takedown and riding time point to win by three. No. 6 Adam Coon (Michigan) upended No. 2 Mike McMullen (Northwestern), 3-1, in sudden victory, avenging a 7-6 loss from the Big Tens. Coon came out on top of a wild scramble in sudden victory to advance to the finals.

Here is a preview of tonight's semifinal matches: 125 No. 1 Alan Waters (Missouri) vs. No. 4 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) Tomasello is putting up major points from the top position. Will he be able to keep up the production against Waters? Unlikely. A win for Tomasello may include back points, but would come from limiting Waters uncanny ability to pick up scramble takedowns, and fight on the edge. No. 6 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) vs. Zeke Moisey (WVU) The most impressive of the tournament's upset special Moisey is he is in a great position to knock off Iowa's Gilman. He'll need to stay aggressive, find his cheap turn from top and frustrate the young Hawkeye. Will Gilman slam his way out from bottom? 133 No. 13 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) vs. No. 1 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota) Brewer destroyed George DiCamillo in the quarterfinals and though his one season loss stands out, he is wrestling better than his opponents. Can Dardanes keep up the pace and find offense? Brewer has too few holes in his game. No junk, just forward pressure and creative finishes. No. 2 Cory Clark (Iowa) vs. No. 7 Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State) A matched packed with storylines. To win Gulibon will need to wrestle with the same wit he used in the quarterfinals. For his part Clark will need to crack the intensity and lean on the Hawkeye faithful. 141 No. 1 Logan Stieber (OHST) vs. Kevin Jack (NC State) A great run for Kevin Jack, but expect a blowout win for Stieber en route to his fourth title. No. 11 Chris Mecate (Old Dominion) vs. No. 2 Mitchell Port (Edinboro) Mecate can't be counted out of any match, but he'll be faced into a brutal back-and-froth with Mitchell Port. A returning national finalist, Port can make his way to the finals, but will need to avoid giving up points early. 149 No. 1 Drake Houdasheldt (Missouri) vs. No. 5 Chris Villalonga (Cornell) A dynamic semifinal pairing that has the potential to end up with a football-like score. Houdasheldt will need to work on the mat to get past a Villalonga wrestling better on Day two than on Day One. No. 2 Jason Tsirtsis, (Northwestern) vs. No. 3 David Habat (Edinboro) The defending NCAA champion has done nothing to impress fans of action. Ankle rides, front headlocks and a Virginia basketball- like defense earned him the yawn-inspiring 2-1 quarterfinal advancement. Habat, coming off a bad conference tournament, seems to have found his attacks. Can he open up Tsirtsis? 157 No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) vs. No. 4 James Green (Nebraska) Ahh! The most anticipated rematch of the year. Will Green be able to avoid the powerful counters of Imar? Likely, but he'll also need to finish his offense and score points. The 2-0 win for Imar was his closest, but Green can't generate a takedown then two points is more than Imar will need. No. 2 Brian Realbuto, (Cornell No. 3 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) Realbuto is coming off a stunning comeback against Ian Miller of Kent State. He'll have a rematch against Dylan Ness who he beat at the National Duals. To repeat he'll need to avoid the throws, but that might be tough to do. This is the NCAA tournament and Ness is going to be Ness. 165 No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 5 Bo Jordan (Ohio State) The top seed keeps rolling, but as Dieringer progresses further he'll need to deal with more complicated opponents and Jordan is all types of complicated. The Buckeye is fast, flexible and able to score in bunches. He's also got great defense. To win Dieringer needs to get in and finish without hassle. No. 6 Taylor Walsh (Indiana) vs. No. 15 Ethan Ramos (North Carolina) Ramos landed in a great spot after Pierce Harger tore his shoulder in warmups. Walsh should handle the Carolina wrestler with ease, and should find a fall. 174 No. 8 Tyler Wilps (Pitt) vs. No. 12 Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma State) Wilps was overlooked for much of the year, but found the space to beat undefeated Kokesh in the quarters. He's big and strong and should outgun Crutchmer who has won three straight decisive matches. No. 3 Michael Evans (Iowa) No. 2 Matthew Brown (PSU) Push repeat on this classic 174-pound matchup! Throw out the records and be ready for a barnburner. 184 No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) vs. No. 13 Vic Avery (Edinboro) A perennial almost-there, Avery cruised against Meeks in the quarters and will face a sluggish Dena in the semifinals. Should Avery find the type of offense he's keyed into this tournament Dean will be in major trouble. For his part Dean needs to score early and get Avery out of the match. Kenny Courts (Ohio State) vs. No. 7 Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh) Courts has kept three matches close against equal opponents. Brown should manage this match and find the victory by 3-4 points. 197 No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) vs. No. 4 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) Cox is almost impossible to take down, but if there is a man for the job it's Kyle Snyder with an NCAA team title on the line. Both wrestlers struggled to gain separating in their quarterfinal wins and look for a low-scoring affair that may come down to riding time and Cox's ability to keep Snyder low on his ankle. No. 3 Kyven Gadson (ISU) vs. No. 10 Conner Hartmann (Duke) Hartmann has been overlooked and dismissed over the years. The Duke wrestler has s complete game, but look for him to be outmatched by Gadson's explosive counters and open attacks. To win Hartmann will need a takedown and plenty of top control. 285 No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State) vs. No. 5 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) Gwiz is arguably the best wrestler heading into the semifinals. While Medbery is wrestling a decent tournament, he'll need to finish shots and defend with perfection is he's to make it to the NCAA finals. No. 6 Adam Coon (Michigan) vs. No. 2 Michael McMullan (Northwestern) A match featuring two of the sprightliest heavyweights in history will be the perfect way to close out Friday's championship round.

ST. LOUIS -- After a strong quarterfinal round on Friday morning, Ohio State extended its lead in the team race at the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. Logan Stieber is one of five Ohio State wrestlers in the semis (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The Buckeyes went 5-for-5 in the quarterfinals and are in a strong position in the team race heading into tonight's Session IV. Ohio State finished the round with 64.5 points, 17 points in front of Iowa. Missouri sits in third place with 45 points. The Tigers lost four team points after John Eblen (174) was called for a flagrant misconduct after headbutting Zac Brunson of Illinois in the consolation bracket. The Buckeyes' five semifinalists are Nathan Tomasello (125), Logan Stieber (141), Bo Jordan (165), Kenny Courts (184) and Kyle Snyder (197). Ohio State has no other wrestlers alive in the competition besides their five semifinalists. Iowa, Missouri and Cornell all have three wrestlers in the semifinals. The lone No. 1 seed to lose was Nebraska's Robert Kokesh (174), who fell 4-3 to Pitt's Tyler Wilps in the quarterfinals. North Carolina State's Kevin Jack (141) and Courts were the only unseeded wrestlers to advance to the semifinals. Here is a weight class-by-weight class look at what transpired in Friday morning's quarterfinals: 125 Big Ten champion Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) was dominant in a 16-1 technical fall over Kory Mines (Edinboro). The fourth-seeded freshman scored early and often against the 12th-seeded Mines. No. 6 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) scored a takedown in sudden victory to defeat No. 3 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech). Dance led 5-3 late in the match and looked to be on his way to the semifinals. But Gilman stayed active and eventually scored a takedown in the final 10 seconds to send the match to sudden victory. Gilman then scored off a bear hug in the extra period to steal the victory. Unseeded true freshman Zeke Moisey (West Virginia) punched his ticket to the semifinals with a 5-2 victory over Eddie Klimara (Oklahoma State). After a scoreless first period, Moisey picked up an escape and takedown in the second period to lead 3-0 heading into the final period. He added another takedown in the third period to seal the victory. It was Moisey's first win over Klimara in three matches this season. No. 1 Alan Waters (Missouri) advanced to the semifinals with a 4-1 victory over David Terao (American). Waters scored a takedown late in the first period. He added an escape in the second period and with riding time took the 4-1 victory. 133 No. 7 Jimmy Gulibon topped No. 2 Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin), 9-4, to move on to the semifinals. Gulibon registerd a takedown and two nearfall points in the first period to jump out to a 4-0 lead. He led 7-4 after two periods and then added another takedown to win by five and send the second-seeded Badger to the consolation bracket. Top-seeded Chris Dardanes (Minnesota) crusised to a 7-2 victory over Kevin Devoy (Drexel). Dardanes controlled the action from start to finish, scoring takedowns in each of the three periods. In a Cy-Hawk battle, Cory Clark (Iowa) proved to be too much for Earl Hall (Iowa State). Clark scored a takedown and picked up three nearfall points in the first period to go up 5-0. He added an escape in the second period and coasted to the 7-1 victory. Two-time All-American Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) reached the semifinals as the No. 13 seed, dominating George DiCamillo (Virginia), 14-5, in the quarterfinals. Brewer started quickly, collecting two takedowns and a three-point nearfall to take a 7-1 lead heading into the second. He led 11-4 through two periods and controlled the match the rest of the way. 141 No. 1 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) continued his dominance, picking up a 16-1 technical fall victory over Anthony Abidin (Nebraska) in the quarterfinals. Arguably the biggest surprise of the tournament is unseeded true freshman Kevin Jack (North Carolina State) reaching the semifinals. He knocked off returning NCAA runner-up Devin Carter (Virginia Tech), 10-8, in the quarterfinals. The two went back-and-forth, and with the score tied 8-8, Jack picked up a reversal in the final minute to take the lead and then rode out the Hokie wrestler. Chris Mecate (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)No. 2 Mitchell Port (Edinboro) took care of freshman Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) in the semifinals, 9-4. It was an action-filled first period, with Ashnault getting a takedown and escape and Port picking up a takedown and reversal. Port then led 7-3 after two periods and closed out the victory. Chris Mecate (Old Dominion) defeated No. 14 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State), 4-3. Mecate picked up an early takedown, which proved to be the difference in the match. 149 Top-seeded Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) had no trouble in the quarterfinals beating Alexander Richardson (Old Dominion), 13-2. Chris Villalonga reached the semifinals and guaranteed himself All-American status for the first time in his career. His quarterfinal victory came over C.J. Cobb (Penn), 3-1. Villalonga led 1-0 after two periods, and then picked up a takedown with 1:11 left to go up 3-0, which is all he the scoring he would need. Returning All-American David Habat (Edinboro) blanked Tywan Claxton (Ohio), 10-0. The match was scoreless after two periods before Habat broke it open in the third period, scoring 10 points and picking up a major decision. Returning NCAA champion Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) edged No. 7 Sal Mastriani (Virginia Tech), 2-0. Tsirtsis used a second-period escape and riding time point to take the victory. 157 Brian Realbuto became Cornell's second semifinalist by beating Ian Miller (Kent State), 11-9, in sudden victory. Miller led 2-1 after one period, and 4-3 after two periods. Miller picked up a reversal in the second period and looked to be on his way to an upset victory. But the Big Red wrestler kept pressing and scored two late takedowns to force sudden victory. Realbuto then scored a takedown early in sudden victory to win. Isaiah Martinez (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Undefeated freshman Isaiah Martinez was pushed early by Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech), but eventually opened up the scoring and won 10-4. The Illini freshman scored a second takedown in the second period and two more in the final period. Two-time NCAA finalist Dylan Ness is back in the semifinals after a 4-3 victory over No. 11 Brian Murphy (Michigan). Ness scored a first-period takedown and added an escape in the second period to lead 3-0 through two periods. In the third period Murphy escaped and picked up a takedown to make it 3-3 on the scoreboard. However, Ness' riding time point gave him the one-point victory. James Green cruised to a 12-4 major decision over returning All-American Mitch Minotti (Lehigh). Green led 4-1 after the opening period and stayed on the offensive the rest of the way. Green becomes the second wrestler in Nebraska history to earn All-American honors four times, joining his assistant coach Bryan Snyder. 165 Freshman Bo Jordan (Ohio State), a Big Ten runner-up, picked up his second pin in three matches and gave the Buckeyes a bonus point. His quarterfinal victim was Cooper Moore (Northern Iowa), who he pinned at 3:56. NCAA champion and top-ranked Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) continues to wrestle like a man on a mission. He handled Jackson Morse (Illinois), 18-6, in the quarterfinals. Dieringer led 14-2 heading into the third period and coasted to the major decision victory. In a Big Ten battle, Taylor Walsh (Indiana) edged Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin), 4-3. The two traded takedowns in each of the first two periods, and Walsh led 3-2 after two periods. Walsh escaped in the third period to go up 4-2, and Jordan added a late point, but was unable to score a winning takedown. No. 15 Ethan Ramos (North Carolina) won by injury default over No. 7 Pierce Harger (Northwestern) to advance to the semifinals. 174 No. 8 Tyler Wilps (Pitt) upset top-seeded Robert Kokesh (Nebraska), 4-3, to advance to the semifinals. It was Kokesh's first loss this season, and he becomes the first No. 1 seed to lose. Wilps scored a takedown with just over 30 seconds left in the first period, which is the only takedown of the match and proved to be the difference. No. 3 Mike Evans (Iowa) topped longtime Big Ten rival Logan Story (Minnesota), 2-1. The two traded escapes in the second and third periods, and with the match tied 1-1 went into sudden victory. Neither wrestler scored in the first period. In the first tiebreaker Evans escaped from Storley. He then rode out Storley for the victory. No. 12 Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma State) reached the semifinals by defeating Pac-12 champion Joe Lathan (Oregon State), 5-2. The match was tied 2-2 after two periods. Crutchmer then took control in the final period, picking up an escape and late takedown to win by three. No. 2 Matt Brown (Penn State) avenged a loss from earlier this season by defeating No. 7 Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech), 2-1, in a match that saw no takedowns scored. The two wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third periods, but it was Brown's riding time point that gave the Nittany Lion wrestler the victory. Brown, a senior, becomes Penn State's 24th three-time All-American. 184 No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) won a hard-fought match over Sam Brooks (Iowa), 3-2, to advance to the semifinals. The match was tied 1-1 late before Dean picked up a takedown in the final minute to go up 3-1. Brooks quickly escaped, but was unable to break through Dean's defense. Unseeded Kenny Courts (Ohio State) topped Matt McCutcheon (Penn State), 7-5, in sudden victory, and gave the Buckeyes critical team points. McCutcheon seemed to be in control. He led 4-2 after two periods and had over a minute of riding time. But Courts was not going to be denied. He escaped and picked up a takedown to go up 5-4. McCutcheon escaped to send the match to sudden victory. Courts then picked up the winning takedown in sudden victory. No. 13 Vic Avery (Edinboro) continued his run through the championship bracket. He crushed No. 5 Taylor Meeks (Oregon State), 14-5. Avery led 6-2 after the first period and extended his lead to 9-2 through two periods. The Fighting Scot kept the pressure on and rolled to a convincing victory. No. 7 Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh) used two first-period takedowns to pace him to a 7-4 victory over No. 2 Max Thomusseit (Pitt). Brown becomes Lehigh's 140th All-American and fourth in the last five years at 184 pounds (Robert Hamlin '11-'13). 197 True freshman Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) won a tight battle over No. 5 Scott Schiller (Minnesota), 3-2. Snyder picked up an early takedown and Schiller earned to escape, which made the match 2-1 after the opening period. Snyder escaped in the second period to go up 3-1. Schiller earned an escape in the third to cut the deficit to 3-2, which is how the match would end. Returning NCAA champion J'den Cox (Missouri) was pushed in the quarterfinals by Max Huntley (Michigan), but came out on top, 3-2. Cox scored the match's only takedown in the second period. No. 3 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) dominated No. 6 Nathan Burak (Iowa), 12-2, to reach the semifinals. The match was scoreless after the first period before the Cyclone senior broke open the match with two takedowns in the second period. In a wild and somewhat controversial match, Conner Hartmann (Duke) edged Morgan McIntosh (Penn State), 3-2. Hartmann grabbed a 2-1 lead in the second period by countering a McIntosh attack. McIntosh would tie the match 2-2 after an escape. Hartmann re-took the lead after an escape with 1:25 left in the match. Near the end of the match McIntosh nearly scored the winning takedown, but Hartmann held on for the victory. 285 NCAA champion Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) handled No. 8 Jimmy Lawson (Penn State), 11-3, to reach the semifinals. Gwiz picked up a takedown and two nearfall points to lead 4-0 after the opening period. He extended his lead to 8-2 after two periods and added another takedown in the final period to pick up the major decision. No. 6 Adam Coon (Michigan) edged unseeded Spencer Myers (Maryland), 2-1, in a match with no takedowns. Coon's riding time point was the difference. No. 2 Mike McMullan (Northwestern) topped No. 7 Blaize Cabell (Northern Iowa), 6-3. McMullan scored a second takedown midway through the second period to go up 5-1 and continued to rack up riding time. No. 5 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) and No. 4 Austin Marsden battled to a 1-1 tie after regulation. Eventually it was Medbery who scored a takedown in the second sudden victory period to win 5-3.

American's David Terao defeated Illinois' Jesse Delgado in the second round at 125 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fal.com)ST. LOUIS -- The fireworks started early on Thursday night in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. At 125 pounds, both returning NCAA finalists, Jesse Delgado of Illinois and Nahshon Garrett of Cornell, suffered defeats in the second round. Delgado, who missed much of this season due to injury, entered the tournament unseeded. After beating Wyoming's Tyler Cox in the opening round, Delgado lost to American's David Terao, 4-2. Delgado led 1-0 after two periods. In the third period Terao grabbed the lead 2-1 after an escape and clasped hands call against Delgado. Terao then added another takedown to go up 4-1. Delgado would get an escape to inch closer, but was unable to take Terao down. Garrett, seeded No. 2, was upset by West Virginia true freshman Zeke Moisey, 5-2. Moisey jumped out to a 4-0 lead after a takedown and two nearfall points. In the final period Garrett reversed Moisey and cut the deficit to 4-2. Moisey then added an escape to make it 5-2, which is how the match would end. In addition, two No. 3 seeds and four No. 4 seeds were knocked out of the championship bracket in the second round. Ohio State leads the team race with 23 points. Iowa sits in second place with 21 points, followed by Oklahoma State, Penn State, Missouri and Nebraska. Ohio State, Iowa, Penn State and Oklahoma State all have five wrestlers in the quarterfinals. Minnesota has four wrestlers in the quarterfinals. Here's a weight class-by-weight class look at some of the notable results from Session II. 125: Aside from Jesse Delgado and Nahshon Garrett losing in this weight class, the next biggest surprise was No. 5 Sean Boyle (Chattanooga) going down to No. 12 Kory Mines (Edinboro), 12-7. No. 6 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) needed overtime to defeat No. 11 Jordan Conaway (Penn State), 3-1. No. 1 Alan Waters (Missouri), No. 3 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech), No. 4 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) and No. 7 Eddie Klimara (Oklahoma State) also advanced to the quarterfinals. 133: The top three seeds, Chris Dardanes (Minnesota), Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin) and Cory Clark (Iowa) picked up wins to move on to Friday's quarterfinals, but the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds lost. Two-time All-American Cody Brewer (Oklahoma), seeded No. 13, won by major decision over No. 4 Johnni DiJulius (Ohio State), 9-1. George DiCamillo (Virginia) edged No. 5 Zane Richards (Illinois) in sudden victory, 6-4. Also advancing to the quarterfinals were No. 6 Earl Hall (Iowa State), No. 7 Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State) and No. 8 Kevin Devoy (Drexel). 141: The biggest second-round surprises in this weight class were No. 3 Lavion Mayes (Missouri) and No. 6 Nick Dardanes (Minnesota), both on teams expected to contend for the NCAA title, taking losses. Mayes, who had won 34 of 36 matches this season, was edged by No. 14 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State), 3-1, in sudden victory. Dardanes' loss came to No. 11 Chris Mecate (Old Dominion), 11-6. Unseeded freshman Kevin Jack (North Carolina State) continued his run through the championship bracket with a victory over No. 12 Joey Ward (North Carolina). The top two seeds, Logan Stieber (Ohio State) and Mitchell Port (Edinboro), were untested in the second round and moved on to the quarterfinals. No. 4 Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) was pushed in his second-round match, but won 8-6 over Randy Cruz (Lehigh). Other second-round winners include No. 7 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) and No. 9 Anthony Abidin (Nebraska). 149: C.J. Cobb (Penn) scored a 4-3 upset over No. 4 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa). Sorensen became the third Hawkeye seeded in the top five to lose on Thursday. The top three seeds, No. 1 Drake Houdashelt (Missouri), No. 2 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) and No. 3 David Habat (Edinboro), advanced to the quarterfinals. Tsirtsis was pushed by B.J. Clagon (Rider), but claimed the 2-1 victory. The other 149-pounders to advance to the quarterfinals were No. 6 Chris Villalonga (Cornell), No. 7 Sal Mastriani (Virginia Tech), No. 8 Alexander Richardson (Old Dominion) and Tywan Claxton (Ohio). All-Americans Josh Kindig Oklahoma State) and Hunter Stieber were knocked out of the competition on Thursday night. 157: The top four seeds, No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois), No. 2 Brian Realbuto (Cornell), No. 3 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) and No. 4 James Green (Nebraska), all cruised to the quarterfinals with bonus-point victories in the second round. Martinez earned a pin, Realbuto and Gren won by technical fall, while Ness earned a major decision. No. 11 Brian Murphy (Michigan) defeated No. 6 Josh Demas (Ohio State), 4-3, in the rubber match between the two Big Ten rivals. All-Americans Ian Miller (Kent State), Mitch Minotti (Lehigh) and Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech) also advanced to the quarterfinals. 165: The shocker in this weight class was Cooper Moore (Northern Iowa) pinning No. 4 Nick Sulzer (Virginia) in the first period at 2:19. The Jordan cousins, Isaac (Wisconsin) and Bo (Ohio State), advanced to the quarterfinals with decisions. Top-seeded Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) stuck Max Rohskopf (North Carolina State) at 4:48. It was Dieringer's second pin of the day. No. 15 Ethan Ramos (North Carolina) earned a 6-3 win over Nebraska's upset-minded Austin Wilson, who beat Mike Moreno (Iowa State) earlier in the day. Also advancing were Big Ten wrestlers Taylor Walsh (Indiana), Pierce Harger (Northwestern) and Jackson Morse (Illinois). 174: The Big Ten's big four of No. 1 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska), No. 2 Matt Brown (Penn State), No. 3 Mike Evans (Iowa) and No. 6 Logan Storley (Minnesota) were victorious in their second-round matches. No. 12 Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma State) took out No. 5 Blaise Butler (Virginia), 5-2. The others to advance were No. 7 Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech), No. 8 Matt Wilps (Pitt) and Pac-12 champion Joe Latham (Oregon State). Latham is the lone unseeded wrestler to reach the quarterfinals in this weight class. 184: The top two seeds, No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) and No. 2 Max Thomusseit (Pitt), moved on to the quarterfinals. However, the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds were sent to the consolation bracket after falling in the second round. Freshman Matt McCutcheon (Penn State), seeded No. 14, stunned No. 3 Blake Stauffer (Arizona State), 3-1, in sudden victory. Vic Avery (Edinboro) edged No. 4 Jack Dechow (Old Dominion), 3-3, in the second tiebreaker. Sammy Brooks (Iowa) topped Big Ten Domenic Aboundader (Michigan), 4-2, in a hard-fought match. Also advancing to the quarterfinals: No. 5 Taylor Meeks (Oregon State), No. 7 Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh) and unseeded Kenny Courts (Ohio State). 197: This weight class saw no surprises in the second round. Seven of the top eight seeds advanced to the quarterfinals. The only lower seeded wrestler to win in the second round was returning All-American Conner Hartmann (Duke), who defeated No. 7 Abram Ayala (Princeton), 5-2. 285: Like 197 pounds, seven of the top eight seeds moved on to the quarterfinals. For the second straight match unseeded Spencer Myers (Maryland) knocked off a seeded wrestler. His second-round victory came over No. 14 Joe Stolfi (Bucknell). Earlier in the day Myers defeated No. 3 Bobby Telford (Iowa).

Here is what to watch in Session III on Friday: 125: When it comes to a must-win matchup for the title-hungry Hawkeyes, matchup between No. 3 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) and No. 6 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) seems like a dream. Though Dance is known to be tough in all positions, he looks like a vulnerable No. 3 seed and one that Gilman will need to best if he wants to help the Hawkeyes win the team race. Also keep an eye out for No. 1 Alan Waters (Missouri) versus upset specialist David Terao (American). The Teague Moore-trained wrestler has faded late, but in putting together two wins, shows he knows how to get the job done. 133: An underdog in the matchup of high seeds No. 12 George DiCamillo (Virginia) will look to keep his upsets rolling as he faces No. 13 Cody Brewer (OU) for a chance in the semifinals. DiCamillo is brutal on top and tough to score against. A win for Brewer means that he’s back to the form that many believed deserved him the three seed. In terms of team race and in-state bragging rights it’ll be No. 2 Cory Clark (Iowa) taking on No. 6 Earl Hall (Iowa State). 141: A pair of upset-minded wrestlers No.14 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) and No. 11 Chris Mecate (Old Dominion) cruise into the second day aimed at making the NCAA semifinals. Look for Mecate to be the favorite, but he’ll need all seven minutes to deal with Heil and an Oklahoma State program wrestling with the best in the country. 149: Defending NCAA champion No. 2 Jason Tsirtsis, (Northwestern) doesn’t make it look easy. After a tight second round win via riding time advantage, the sophomore grappler will face No.7 Sal Mastriani (Virginia Tech) who can find solutions from bottom and score from top. 157: Does Imar keep rolling? No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) will face All-American Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech), who is known for his top work and bruising style. More experiences than Imar and equally as tough makes Brascetta a compelling matchup for the super freshman. The other side of the bracket is maybe more compelling with lights out No. 2 Brian Realbuto (Cornell) taking on a pin-happy No. 7 Ian Miller (Kent State). 165: Speaking of pins, No. 13 Cooper Moore (Northern Iowa) upset No.4 Nick Sulzer (Virginia) in the second round via fall and will now face No. 5 Bo Jordan (Ohio State). Jordan should walk way, but Moore’s ability to pin should make this a quarterfinal can’t miss. 174: One of the longest rivalries in the sport continues on Friday as No. 6 Logan Storley (Minnesota) takes on No. 3 Mike Evans (Iowa). Throw out the records and be ready for fireworks from both wrestlers … and coaches. 184: If No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) wanted a smooth ride, he is disappointed. After a tight second round match Dean will face No. 9 Sam Brooks (Iowa), who is wrestling as well as anyone in the tournament. Aggressive and as agile as Dean, Brooks will take the match to the Ivy League wrestler with the full support of the Iowa faithful. 197: Look for No. 4 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) to battle hard with No. 5 Scott Schiller (Minnesota) for the right to face No.1 J’den Cox (Missouri). No points will be easy, but if either wants to take out Cox they’ll need to preserve at least a smidgen of energy. Also keep an eye out for No. 10 Conner Hartmann (Duke), who takes on No. 2 Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) -- guy can scrap. 285: What seemed like a long shot title is now within reach for the Nittany Lions, but they’ll need all the support they can muster. That starts with No. 8 Jimmy Lawson (Penn State), who will take on a very dominating No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) for a chance at the semifinals.

Here's a look at some key matchups in Session II, which begins at 6 p.m. 125: In a rematch of last year's NCAA quarterfinals, Jesse Delgado (Illinois) will continue his unseeded journey against fellow unseeded wrestler David Terao (American), who upset No. 9 Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa), 12-10. The winner will go on to face No. 1 Alan Waters (Missouri) in Friday morning's quarterfinals. If that's Delgado then the seeding committee needs to be lectured by the nun from the Blues Brothers. Also look for an interesting matchup between No. 6 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) and No. 11 Jordan Conaway (Penn State). This is where the team title starts being decided, and for the individual winner they will probably face No. 3 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) in the quarterfinals, who found a fall in his opening round match 133: Arguably the biggest match of the round, No. 13 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) takes on No. 4 Johnni DiJulius (Ohio State) for the right to move forward and challenge Chirs Dardanes (Minnesota) in the semifinals. 141: Kevin Jack (North Carolina State) upset No. 5 Josh Dziewa (Iowa), 6-3 in the first round, which means he will face common opponent Joey Ward (North Carolina). Also keep an eye out for No. 6 Nick Dardanes (Minnesota) to have his hands full with No.11 Chris Mecate (Old Dominion) who can, and will scrap for all seven minutes. 149: Freshman B.J. Clagon (Rider) has battled Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) tough twice this season, losing 10-8 and 2-1 (TB). Clagon beat David Habat in the EWL conference tournament. Also watch for No. 3 David Habat (Edinboro) to take on No. 14 Cody Ruggirello (Hofstra), who is coming off a win over Hunter Stieber (Ohio State). 157: Ohio State needs all the help it can get and No. 6 Josh Demas (Ohio State) will be tapped for action when he faces off against No. 11 Brian Murphy (Michigan). The two have split two matches this season. A win would mean a matchup with No. 3 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) in the quarterfinals. 165: Though he's seeded No. 12, Dylan Palacio (Cornell) looked brilliant in his opening round match and will face the one-loss No. 5 Bo Jordan (Ohio State) in a match that could hold team title implications. Winner goes on to face No. 4 Nick Sulzer (Virginia). 174: The most interesting matchup should be with streaky No. 5 Blaise Butler (Virginia) and the ever-improving No. 12 Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma State). With Mizzou’s John Eblen knocked from the championship round and Tanner Weatherman *Iowa State) also batted down, the advancement on the lower side of the bracket could be made easier for the winner here. 184: Zeke Jones' hope for an NCAA title in his first year in Tempe, No. 3 Blake Stauffer (Arizona State) will have his hands full with No. 14 Matthew McCutcheon (PSU), who looked sharp with a first-round technical fall. 197: Though not a highly ranked matchup, the meeting of No. 15 Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska) and No. 2 Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) should give fans some late-night fireworks. Studebaker is an aggressive Manning prodigy with the ability to score points. If McIntosh wants to make the finals he'll need a performance here. 285: No. 8 Jimmy Lawson (Penn State) put up good points in his opening round matchup and will now face an ever-game No. 9 Michael Kroells (Minnesota). Lawson owns a tight 3-1 victory in their only matchup. The winner will have top-seeded Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) and the chance to score a major upset.

ST. LOUIS -- The 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships kicked off on Thursday morning at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri, with 330 wrestlers from 69 schools participating. Six returning NCAA champions are looking to repeat. Eight wrestlers entered this year's tournament undefeated. The biggest upset of the opening session came at 165 pounds, where Nebraska's Austin Wilson stunned No. 2 Michael Moreno, a two-time All-American, 7-5. It marks the second straight year a No. 2 seed has lost in the opening session. Last year No. 2 Nick Dardanes (Minnesota) was upset by Matt Frisch (The Citadel) at 149 pounds. Another major surprise came at heavyweight where Maryland's Spencer Myers defeated No. 3 Bobby Telford of Iowa, 7-5. Several All-American suffered defeats in the first session, including returning NCAA runner-up Josh Kindig of Oklahoma State and two-time All-American Hunter Stieber of Ohio State at 149 pounds. Ohio State took an early lead in the team race with 13.5 points. Four-time defending NCAA champion Penn State went unbeaten in the first session and sits in second place with 11.5 points. Cornell and Missouri are tied for third with 11 points. Iowa sits in fifth with 10 points. The attendance for Session I was 18,383. Here's a look at some of the notable results from Session I: Jesse Delgado of Illinois defeated No. 8 Tyler Cox of Wyoming (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)125: In perhaps the most anticipated first-round match at 125 pounds, unseeded two-time NCAA champion Jesse Delgado (Illinois) edged No. 8 Tyler Cox (Wyoming), a 2013 All-American, 3-2. Delgado picked up a first-period takedown and added an escape in the second period to go up 3-0. In the third period Cox picked up an escape and point for stalling on Delgado, but it was too little too late. David Terao (American) upset No. 9 Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa) in a high-scoring affair, 12-10. The No. 14, No. 15 and No. 16 seeds dropped first-round matches. In a battle of conference rivals, Josh Martinez (Air Force) defeated No. 14 Josh Rodriguez (North Dakota State),4-2, avenging a loss from earlier this season. Zeke Moisey (West Virginia) handled No. 15 Chasen Tolbert (Utah Valley), 14-6. Connor Youtsey (Michigan) topped No. 16 Paul Petrov (Bucknell), 3-2. Big Ten champion Nathan Tomasello gave the Buckeyes bonus points by pinning Joe DeAngelo (North Carolina State) at 2:25. 133: A couple returning All-American took losses in the opening round. Two-time All-American A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) was ousted in his opening match by Penn's Caleb Richardson (Penn), 4-2. Schopp has been hampered by an injury that kept him off the mat all of January and most of February. No. 10 Mason Beckman (Lehigh), an NCAA sixth-place finisher last season, was knocked off by Jade Rauser (Utah Valley), 5-3. Unseeded Mark Grey (Cornell) pinned No. 15 Nick Soto (Chattanooga) to advance to the second round. 141: Freshman Kevin Jack (North Carolina State) stunned No. 5 Josh Dziewa (Iowa), 6-3, to advance to the second round. It marks the second straight year in which the Hawkeyes have had No. 5 seeds fall in the opening session. Last year two fifth-seeded wrestlers, Nick Moore (165) and Ethen Lofthouse (184), dropped matches. Three-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber (Ohio State) was dominant in an 18-1 technical fall in 3:33 over Jordan Laster (Princeton). Edinboro's David Habat defeated Oklahoma State's Josh Kindig at 149 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)149: Two All-Americans, Hunter Stieber (Ohio State) and Josh Kindig (Oklahoma State), both unseeded, dropped their opening matches. Stieber, an All-American in 2012 and 2013, fell to Cody Ruggirello (Hofstra), 10-8. Ruggirello nearly pinned Stieber in the second period and held a 6-3 lead heading into the final period. Stieber battled back, picking up two takedowns, but ran out of time. Kindig, an NCAA runner-up last season, was blanked by David Habat (Edinboro), 7-0, in a battle of returning All-Americans. Pac-12 runner-up Garrett Schaner (Stanford) upset No. 6 Alec Pantaleo (Michigan), 11-10. Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan) earned a 5-3 victory over No. 9 Gabe Moreno (Iowa). The only other seeded wrestler to lose in this weight class was No. 16 Mike Racciato (Pitt), who lost to Brandon Nelson (Purdue), 10-6. 157: Lou Mascola (Maryland) came from behind to knock of No. 5 Cody Pack (South Dakota State), 10-9. Noel Blanco (Drexel) defeated returning All-American Anthony Perrotti (Rutgers) in sudden victory, 5-3. ACC champion Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech), a 2013 All-American, topped No. 9 Joey LaVallee (Missouri), 5-2. The No. 15 and No. 16 seeds fell in this weight class. Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) won 8-2 over No. 15 Justin Staudenmayer (Brown). Spartak Chino (Ohio) topped No. 16 Aaron Walker (The Citadel), 6-4. 165: Austin Wilson (Nebraska) stunned No. 2 Michael Moreno (Iowa State), 7-5. Wilson, who entered the tournament with a 16-14 record, raced out to a 5-0 lead and held on for the two-point victory. Mike England (Missouri) excited the large Mizzou contingent when he upset No. 11 Tristan Warner (Old Dominion), 6-2. The Hawkeyes had their third wrestler drop to the consolation bracket when No. 7 Pierce Harger (Northwestern) defeated Nick Moore (Iowa), 6-3. Max Rohskopf (North Carolina State) picked up a mild upset, beating No. 16 Harrison Hightower (Ohio), 3-0. 174: Missouri suffered a major blow when No. 4 John Eblen dropped a 6-4 decision to Pac-12 champion Joe Lathan (Oregon State), 6-4. Another Iowa State seeded wrestler fell when Dominic Kastl (Cal Poly) sneaked past No. 11 Tanner Weatherman, 7-6. Ohio State suffered a key loss when No. 10 Mark Martin lost to Kurtis Julson (North Dakota State), 5-3, in the second tiebreaker. In a Big Ten battle, Chad Welch (Purdue) blanked No. 16 Frank Cousins (Wisconsin), 6-0. 184: After Eblen's loss at 174 pounds, Missouri picked up a much-needed victory when Willie Miklus pinned returning All-American Lorenzo Thomas (Penn) at 2:16. Kenny Courts (Ohio State) helped the Buckeyes chances by upsetting No. 6 Hayden Zillmer (North Dakota), 6-4, in sudden victory. Minnesota saw its first seeded wrestler lose when Scott Patrick (Davidson) defeated No. 11 Brett Pfarr, 8-6. It's Davidson's first point scored at the NCAAs since 1968. 197: Five seeded wrestlers in this weight class -- all seeded from 9 to 16 -- fell in the opening round. Trent Noon (Northern Colorado) defeated No. 9 Jace Bennett (Cornell), 8-4. Jake Tindle (SIUE) topped No. 11 Alex Polizzi (Northwestern), 9-7. Pac-12 champion Cody Crawford (Oregon State) edged No. 12 Timmy McCall (Wisconsin), 3-2, in tiebreaker. Anthony Abro (Eastern Michigan) took out No. 14 Phillip Wellingon (Ohio), 4-2, in sudden victory. Lastly, Jeffrey Koepke (Illinois) defeated No. 16 Elliot Riddick (Lehigh), 5-3, in sudden victory. 285: The last shocker of the round came when Spencer Myers (Maryland), a 2011 All-American, toppled No. 3 Bobby Telford (Iowa), 7-5, and silenced the Hakweye faithful. Myers jumped out to 4-0 lead in the first period after a takedown and nearfall points, and held off the Iowa big man.

ST. LOUIS -- InterMat is providing extensive coverage throughout the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, Missouri. Follow the action Thursday through Saturday. Note: All links in the coverage section open in a new window. Results: Team Scores & Brackets | Live Blog Session Recaps: I | II | III | IV | V | VI Session Previews: II | III | IV | VI Previews: 125 | 133 | 141 | 149 | 157 | 165 | 174 | 184 | 197 | 285 | Betting Guide | Bracket Busters | Seeding Blunders | Best Staying Home Predictions/Contest: InterMat Staff Predictions | Big Show Pick 'Em Contest Links: Schedule | ESPN3 Webcast | ESPN3 Schedule | InterMat Rankings Photos: The Guillotine | WrestlersAreWarriors.com | Tech-Fall.com | Larry Slater

Live Blog NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships

InterMat staff writers have broken down the brackets for the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, Missouri, and made their predictions. Andrew Hipps T.R. Foley Josh Lowe Tom Franck Steve Elwood Jim Beezer

Herewith are the premier predictions for the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. You're welcome. 125: No. 1 Alan Waters (Missouri) over No. 2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) After careful consideration, I think undefeated Waters takes the weight class. He's had a remarkable season and run the gauntlet on the weight class. While Garrett poses a serious threat, he has taken a loss to Waters already this season and his strength of schedule pales in comparison to the top-seeded Waters. 133: No. 2 Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin) over No. 9 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) Top-seeded Chris Dardanes of Minnesota draws a tough opponent in the quarterfinals and gets knocked off by often-overlooked A.J. Schopp of Edinboro. Schopp's Cinderella run through the weight class ends in the finals against sophomore Ryan Taylor of Wisconsin. 141: No. 1 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) over No. 2 Mitchell Port (Edinboro) (Copy and paste from last year's prediction) "There is no doubt that Mitchell Port has had a solid season, but Stieber is in a different class than anyone else at this weight class, if not the entire tournament. Stieber has shown he can compete on the big stage, and will do so again this year to win the national title." If only betting the ponies was this easy. 149: No. 2 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) over No. 4 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) This wide-open weight class could see a number of horses emerge, but I think a soft lower half of the bracket will allow Tsirtsis to make the finals and his defense will prevail in a rematch of the Big Ten Championships. Tsirtsis wins his second NCAA title. 157: No. 3 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) over No. 4 James Green (Nebraska) Kyle Dake and Jason Tsirtsis are exceptions. Max Askren is the norm. Freshman nerves are hard to overcome. Isaiah Martinez has been dominant this season, no doubt. But I think he gets knocked off by the explosive James Green of Nebraska in the semis. Unfortunately for Green, the pedigree, funk, and will of Dylan Ness will be too much to overcome. 165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) over No. 3 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) Dieringer will have to continue his dominance to get through a deep upper bracket, but nothing in the numbers or videos suggest he will falter. I think his opponent in the finals will be Big Ten champion and sophomore from Wisconsin, Isaac Jordan. However, Dieringer is familiar with big matches and shows he can move up a weight class to win his second NCAA title. 174: No. 2 Matt Brown (Penn State) over No. 1 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) This weight class could go any number of ways. Kokesh. Evans. Storley. But there is something about Penn State's Matt Brown that screams "big stage." He has experience as a finalist two seasons ago, and has meaningful wins over Evans and Storley this year. Brown hands Kokesh his lone loss on the way to a title. 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) over No. 2 Max Thomusseit (Pitt) Deep weight class with gaudy records, but Gabe Dean is my pick because of his defense and well-rounded game. He has two losses in one tournament in Vegas. I spent a week one day in Vegas and accumulated more losses. The title goes to the sophomore from Cornell. 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) over No. 6 Nathan Burak (Iowa) I predicted this weight class through a series of coin flips last year. This year I think Cox is the clear frontrunner with a number of potential candidates as opposing finalists. In this case, I think Burak overcomes a disappointing performance at the Big Tens and makes the finals as a No. 6 seed before being overwhelmed by Cox in the finals. 285: No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) over No. 3 Bobby Telford (Iowa) There is no reason to think that undefeated Gwiazdowski won't repeat after winning his first title last year. Then again, seven minutes of hugging and pushing could end any number of ways. Team: 1. Minnesota 2. Iowa 3. Missouri 4. Cornell 5. Oklahoma State

125: No. 1 Alan Waters (Missouri) over No. 2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) What a great bunch of small guys we have this year. I think many can win it, but the more I look at it, I don't see Alan Waters losing. The year off last year pays dividends. 133: No. 1 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota) over No. 2 Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin) I think the No. 1 and 2 seeds are on a collision course. Earlier this season I didn't see anyone beating Chris Dardanes, but the others have closed the gap. I'm still picking him. 141: No. 1 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) over No. 6 Nick Dardanes (Minnesota) There are two locks in St Louis. Logan Stieber is one of them. Welcome to the four-timer club, Logan. 149: No. 2 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) over No. 1 Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) I wish I could get excited about this group. The margin of victory is going to be low in the medal matches. I'll go with the returning champ. 157: No. 2 Brian Realbuto (Cornell) over No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) Dylan Ness is the fan favorite. The problem is Realbuto and Martinez are horrible matchups and I think Ness gets third. I am going to pick the Cornell wrestler here in an upset. 165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) over No. 6 Taylor Walsh (Indiana) Here's the other lock. No one is going to stop AD. Even with the emergence of the Jordans, I can't see it happening. 174: No. 1 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) over No. 2 Matt Brown (Penn State) The one thing for certain is the winner will be from the Big Ten. Kokesh looks to be the best of the big four. He's a little more talented and I think he's on a mission. 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) over No. 2 Max Thomusseit (Pitt) One of the few weight classes where I would be shocked to see a Big Ten wrestler win it. I'm going with another Cornell champion. 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) over No. 2 Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) These next 2 weight classes are crazy tough. The depth and talent here at 197 is thick. I think McIntosh can beat anyone in the field, except the man who he will face in the finals. 285: No. 2 Mike McMullan (Northwestern) over No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) This is an epic group of heavyweights. It's a shame only one will win. If you're a fan of the large guys, you are in for a treat. I'm choosing the most athletic man in the bunch. Team: 1. Iowa 2. Missouri 3. Ohio State 4. Minnesota 5. Cornell

125: No. 2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) over No. 1 Alan Waters (Missouri) Should be a very tactical final. Waters has been superb all year. Garrett has had a few off matches, but is still is loaded with ability. 133: No. 9 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) over No. 3 Cory Clark (Iowa) A pretty balanced weight class. Dardanes has been solid and consistent, but Schopp is a bad stylistic matchup for him. Clark knows how to peak and should do well. 141: No. 1 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) over No. 6 Nick Dardanes (Minnesota) Stieber has been phenomenal for a vast majority of his career as a Buckeye and should win his fourth NCAA title on Saturday. Dardanes looked off in the Big Tens and could make the finals if he's back on track. 149: No. 2 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) over No. 1 Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) No one is undefeated in this weight class and all matches from the quarters on should be barnburners. 157: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) over No. 3 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) It will be interesting to see what adjustments Ness is able to make since the Big Ten finals, but Martinez has been impressive all season long. 165: No. 5 Bo Jordan (Ohio State) over No. 2 Mike Moreno (Iowa State) Dieringer is the favorite, but bigger upsets have happened. 174: No. 2 Matt Brown (Penn State) over No. 1 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) The Big Ten finals match was filled with interesting scrambles. If Brown makes a few adjustments, he could come out on top. 184: Gabe Dean (Cornell) over No. 3 Blake Stauffer (Arizona State) The only weight class where none of the top contenders are from the Big Ten. 197: No. 5 Scott Schiller (Minnesota) over No. 2 Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) Schiller is the only wrestler to beat Cox this year (albeit at the NWCA All-Star Classic). If he gets past him again, he should be the favorite. 285: No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) over No. 3 Bobby Telford (Iowa) Gwiazdowski looked great last year and knows how to perform well at the big show. Team: The team race has true parity this year with Iowa, Ohio State, Missouri and Minnesota. Minnesota might seem to be a step down, but Storley and Schiller lost very close semifinal matches at the Big Tens which, had they won, would have put them firmly in the mix for the title. In a situation like this, it seems likely that the team champion will have a point total lower than the teams that have won in previous years. Less than 100 points seems like a distinct possibility. 1. Missouri 2. Ohio State 3. Minnesota 4. Iowa 5. Cornell

125: No. 1 Alan Waters (Missouri) over No. 6 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) Waters has been the leader of this weight class all season; however, that is no guarantee of a national title, something Waters should know from the 2013 tournament. While the path is tough, look for him to go out with a bang in St. Louis. Gilman is one of the keys for Iowa to boost their chances to get the national title. 133: No. 9 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) over No. 3 Cory Clark (Iowa) Last year at this time Schopp was right on the heels of Tony Ramos for the national title in this weight class. Now, he's seeded ninth? Something doesn't seem right. Look for him to string together a big-time tournament. Clark is another key for Iowa in bolstering their title hopes. 141: No. 1 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) over No. 2 Mitchell Port (Edinboro) About as boring a prediction as one can make. Stieber finishes his career as a four-timer, and cements his legacy in the history of collegiate wrestling. Just simply one of the best ever. 149: Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) over Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) Houdashelt was seeded first last year, losing to eventual national champion Tsirtsis in a very tight semifinal match. Look for Houdashelt to flip that script this year in the national finals. It's his senior year in front of a hometown crowd, and at some point, a close match for Tsirtsis will yield a loss at the NCAA tournament. 157: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) over No. 3 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) The way Martinez wrestled at the Big Ten tournament, you could put a clone of Jordan Burroughs out there, and it might not matter. James Green (Nebraska) will be sure to give him a go in the semifinal, though. Ness gets to the final, as he seems to find an extra gear come the big show, but not enough to take out the super frosh Martinez. 165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) over No. 3 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) Dieringer moved up a weight this year after winning the title down at 157 pounds last year, and there has been no ill effect. Dude is just locked in, and look for that type of form to continue this coming weekend. Though Jordan did lose to Moreno a month ago, I'll still pick him to clear the other side of the draw. 174: No. 1 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) over No. 2 Matt Brown (Penn State) For sake of the viewing audience, let's hope this is the final, as their Big Ten finals bout was an open affair. Kokesh is the safest pick as champion in this weight class with the next three best wrestlers all on the opposite side of the draw. 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) over No. 2 Max Thomusseit (Pittsburgh) The fact that Dean lost two matches this year is the most shocking thing about the progress of this weight class. It's one that's relatively blah after those that immediate precede it and the one that follows. Thomusseit would make it a pair of St. Paris Graham alumni in the NCAA finals. 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) over No. 3 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State) Look for Cox to finish his season undefeated and repeat as a national champion. Even having to deal with Schiller (Minnesota) or Snyder (Ohio State) in the national semi, I think Cox is just too much of a physical freak. Gadson has yet to lose a contested match this year, and look for that to continue until the final. 285: No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) over No. 2 Mike McMullan (Northwestern) This would be the most fan-friendly 285-pound final in years. Two attack-oriented wrestlers with mobility and range that look to score. So let's root for that. Gwiazdowski is the pick to repeat. Team: 1. Iowa 2. Missouri 3. Ohio State 4. Minnesota 5. Cornell