March 6, 2016
VIDEO: Big Ten Championship Highlights & Interviews | VIDEO: Cael Sanderson Press Conference
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- No. 1 Penn State (16-0, 9-0 B1G) entered enemy territory and won the 2016 Big Ten Wrestling Championship in Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Penn State crowned three champions as head coach Cael Sanderson led Penn State to its fifth Big Ten title in the last six years.
The Nittany Lions were led by senior Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif), sophomore Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.) and red-shirt freshman Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), each earning Big Ten titles as Penn State out-ran second place Iowa by over 20 points. Penn State won the team race with 150.5 points, well ahead of second place Iowa's 127.0. Ohio State was third with 122.0, Nebraska fourth with 117.0 and Rutgers fifth with 106.5.
Retherford, ranked No. 1 at 149, took on No. 2 Brandon Sorensen of Iowa in the 2016 Big Ten finals. The Nittany Lion continued his impressive season with a resounding 4-0 win to claim his first Big Ten title. Retherford took a 2-0 lead with a takedown at the :43 mark in front of the Iowa bench and then rode Sorensen out. Retherford chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Sorensen chose down to start the third period and Retherford controlled the action from the top, building his riding time up over 1:00 first, and the completed the dominating performance with a ride-out to finish with 2:37 in riding time. Retherford is the 22nd Penn Stater to win a Big Ten crown, claiming the school's 36th title. The top-ranked sophomore, a 2014 All-American at 149, heads to NCAAs with 29-0 overall record after a 4-0 run through this year's Big Ten tournament.
Nickal, ranked No. 1 at 174, took on No. 3 Zach Brunson of Illinois. Nickal became the 23rd person to win Penn State's 37th Big Ten Championship with a lop-sided 18-9 major over Brunson. Nickal scored quickly, taking Brunson down just seconds into the bout and added a second shortly thereafter. The second takedown was challenged by Illinois but the call stood and Nickal led 4-1. He added a third takedown but was called for a potentially dangerous hold, giving Brunson a point. Nickal appeared to turn Brunson for back points but the official could not see from his position and the Lion freshman led 6-3 with nearly two minutes in riding time after one. Nickal picked up a fourth takedown to lead 8-5 after two periods with 2:24 in time. Nickal controlled the third period as well, rolling up two more takedowns and four back points. Nickal's dominance from start to finish gave the Lion freshman an 18-9 major with 3:12 in riding time and the Big Ten title as a freshman. Nickal, the only freshman Big Ten Champion at this year's event, heads to nationals with a 29-1 record. His 3-0 run through the conference tournament all came with bonus points (two majors and a pin).
McIntosh, the defending Big Ten Champion and ranked No. 1 at 197, met No. 4 Nathan Burak of Iowa in Penn State's final championship match. The Lion senior defended his Big Ten title with a 3-2 win and won Penn State's third individual title of the day. McIntosh took an early 2-1 lead with a takedown at the 1:11 mark and carried that margin into the second period. Burak chose neutral to start the second period and escaped to a 2-2 tie. Neither wrestler scored again in the second and McIntosh chose down to start the third period. The Lion senior picked up a quick escape to lead 3-2 and made that point stand up to become Penn State's ninth two-time Big Ten Champion. McIntosh, already a two-time All-American, went 4-0 over the weekend and will head to his final NCAA Championship with a 28-0 record.
Senior Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 4 nationally at 125, took on Ohio State's Nathan Tomasello, ranked No. 1, in the championship finals. Tomasello notched a takedown in extra time to post a 3-1 (SV) victory and hand Megaludis second place. After a scoreless first period, Megaludis chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Tomasello looked to take Megaludis down at the 1:40 mark but Megaludis scrambled out of trouble to stay neutral. Ohio State challenged the call but the call was upheld. Trailing 1-0, Tomasello chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Tied 1-1, the bout moved to sudden victory where Tomasello notched a scrambling takedown to get the win. Megaludis, 3-1 and runner-up at this year's tournament, is already a three-time All-American and will head to the 2016 NCAA Championships with a 27-3 record.
Red-shirt freshman Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, met No. 2 Isaiah Martinez of Illinois in the title bout. In a rematch of January's meeting where Nolf pinned Martinez, handing him his first loss as a collegian, Nolf dropped a 3-3 (TB2; criteria-:22 RT) loss. The setback was the first of Nolf's career. The bout began with Nolf as the aggressor as he nearly connected on two shots late in the first period but Martinez fought the moves off and send the match to the second period tied 0-0. Each wrestler picked up escapes as the bout moved into its final seconds and Nolf nearly connected on two shots early in the third. Martinez, however, was able to scramble out of trouble twice and send the bout to sudden victory. After a scoreless minute, the bout moved to a tie-breaker. Martinez chose down to start his period and escaped quickly to a 2-1 lead. Nolf then chose down for his period and escaped with :08 left to tie the bout at 2-2. Martinez, however, had :21 riding time as the match moved to a second sudden victory period. Another scoreless minute ensued, sending the bout to a second tie-breaker. Nolf escaped quickly to a 3-2 lead but Martinez scrambled his way to an apparent takedown on the edge of the mat to take a 4-3 lead with :09. Penn State challenged the takedown and the takedown was reversed. Nolf led 3-2 and needed to keep Martinez down to secure the win. Martinez, however, escaped and with a :22 riding time edge won the Big Ten title on criteria (:22 riding time). Nolf went 3-1 in his first Big Ten tournament. The Lion heads to NCAAs with a 29-1 overall record as the 2016 Big Ten Runner-Up.
Junior Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 21 at 141, took on No. 5 Anthony Ashnault of Rutgers in the title bout. Gulibon was the victim to two turns in the second period on the way to a 9-0 loss to the Scarlet Knight. After a scoreless first period, Gulibon chose down to start the second but was turned for four near fall points by Ashnault and fell behind 4-0 midway through the middle stanza. Another two-point turn before the period ended and Gulibon trailed 6-0 heading into the final period. Ashnault would go on to post the 9-0 victory and Gulibon, the eighth seed, finished as the Big Ten Runner-Up. Gulibon, a 2015 All-American at 133, went 2-1 and heads to the NCAA Championships with a 12-9 overall record.
Senior Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), ranked No. 5 nationally and the tournament's third-seed at 133, took fourth place with a 1-1 showing in consolation action. Conaway battled No. 9 Eric Montoya of Nebraska in the consolation semifinals. The Lion sophomore fell behind 2-1 early but dominated the final two periods, picking up takedowns in both the second and third to roll to a 6-4 win and move into the third place bout. Conaway got a rematch with No. 14 Ryan Taylor of Wisconsin in the third place match and came up just short, dropping a 5-4 decision in a frenetic match. The loss sets Conaway, a 2015 All-American a 125, as the fourth-place finisher at 133 with a 4-2 mark and he will head to NCAAs with a 26-5 overall record.
Sophomore Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 11 nationally, placed fifth after a 1-1 showing in consolation action today. In his first match, McCutcheon gave up a quick first period takedown and dropped a 4-1 decision to Gravina. The loss sent the Lion sophomore to the fifth place match. He met No. 22 Jeff Koepke of Illinois in the fifth place bout, a rematch of a second round meeting won by McCutcheon 6-2. McCutcheon used a late takedown in the third period to take a 3-1 lead and used a short ride out to grab the 3-1 win and fifth place. McCutcheon went 2-2 at the tournament and heads to the NCAA Championships with a 16-6 overall record.
Junior Geno Morelli (DuBois, Pa.) competed in the seventh place match where he took on Iowa's Patrick Rhoads. The bout was an even match over three periods before Rhoads notched a takedown late in the sudden victory stanza to post a 4-2 (SV) win, handing Morelli eighth place. Morelli ends his first Big Ten Championship with a 2-3 record. Morelli, 19-10 overall, meets the standards set by the NCAA to be considered for an at-large bid at 165. The full field, including brackets, will be announced Wednesday night at 6 p.m. on NCAA.com.
The Nittany Lions went 28-12 overall, picking up 29 bonus points off six pins, two tech falls and eight majors. Showcasing dominance start to finish, the Nittany Lions notched an outstanding 71-22 takedown advantage over the course of the tournament. The Nittany Lions have eight guaranteed NCAA qualifiers and will await word on Morelli's status Wednesday night. Red-shirt freshman Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.) did not compete today after a 1-2 showing on day one at 285.
After receiving the team trophy, Penn State then collected all three of the conference's post-season awards. Head coach Cael Sanderson was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the fifth time in his seven years as Penn State's head coach. It is the seventh time Penn State has had the conference's coach of the year (John Fritz '98; Troy Sunderland '03). Retherford was honored as the 2016 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, becoming the seventh Nittany Lion to be honored as such. Nolf was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, becoming the first Nittany Lion to win the award since David Taylor in 2011 and the fifth overall.
Penn State has now claimed five Big Ten Championships, all under Sanderson. The veteran mentor has now won five conference titles in seven years, crowned 18 Big Ten individual champions and qualified 58 wrestlers (before Wednesday's at-large bids) for the NCAA Championships in his seven years at the helm of the Nittany Lion program.
The Nittany Lions will now trek to New York City's Madison Square Garden for the 2016 NCAA Wrestling Championships on March 17-19, 2016. The three-day event begins on Thursday, March 17, at 11 a.m. The tournament's six sessions are as follows: Thursday, March 17, 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Friday, March 18, 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.; Saturday, March 19, 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. The 2015-16 Penn State wrestling season is presented by The
2016 Big Ten Championships -- Final Team Standings:
March 6, 2016 -- Carver Hawkeye Arena -- Iowa City, Iowa.
1: PENN STATE -- 150.5
2: Iowa -- 127.0
3: Ohio State -- 126.0
4: Nebraska -- 118.0
5: Rutgers -- 106.5
7: Michigan -- 89.5
6: Illinois -- 88.0
8: Wisconsin -- 67.5
9: Minnesota -- 51.5
10: Purdue -- 34.0
11: Indiana -- 30.5
12: Northwestern -- 11.5
13: Michigan State -- 10.5
14: Maryland -- 7.5
Attendance (all session): 45,306
Weight-by-weight agate (rankings listed are Coaches Poll as of 2/25/16)
* indicates unattached wrestler, not eligible for team scoring
125: #4 Nico Megaludis, Sr. -- 3rd seed / Runner-Up / NCAA Qualifier
Rd 1: Mitch Rogaliner, Michigan State -- W, 15-5 maj. dec.
Rd. 2: Johnny Jimenez, Wisconsin -- W, 10-2 maj. dec.
Semi: #2 Thomas Gilman, Iowa -- W, 4-3 TB dec.
Finals: #1 Nathan Tomasello, Ohio State -- L, 1-3 (SV)
Senior Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 4 nationally at 125 and the third-seed at the tournament, opened up his final Big Ten Championships against Michigan State's Mitch Rogaliner. He rolled up six takedowns and 2:41 in riding time to post the 15-5 major and pick up bonus points in Penn State's first match of the day. He followed that win up with a 10-2 major over Illinois' Johnny Jimenez to advance to the semifinals.
Megaludis met No. 2 Thomas Gilman of Iowa in the first of Penn State's seven semifinals. The duo battled evenly through three periods, moving to sudden victory tied 1-1. After a scoreless SV period, Megaludis escaped quickly in his tie-breaker period. He controlled Gilman in the next :30 period for just over ten seconds before the Hawkeye escaped on the edge of the mat. But Megaludis moved in quickly after the escape and notched a takedown with just :10 on the clock and posted a 4-3 (TB) win.
Megaludis met No. 1 Nathan Tomasello of Ohio State in the championship match. Tomasello notched a takedown in extra time to post a 3-1 (SV) victory and hand Megaludis second place. After a scoreless first period, Megaludis chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Tomasello looked to take Megaludis down at the 1:40 mark but Megaludis scrambled out of trouble to stay neutral. Ohio State challenged the call but the call was upheld. Trailing 1-0, Tomasello chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Tied 1-1, the bout moved to sudden victory where Tomasello notched a scrambling takedown to get the win. Megaludis, 3-1 and runner-up at this year's tournament, will head to the 2016 NCAA Championships with a 27-3 record.
133: #5 Jordan Conaway, Sr. -- 3rd seed / 4th place / NCAA Qualifier
Rd 1: Sam Brancale, Minnesota -- W, 12-3 maj. dec.
Rd. 2: #14 Ryan Taylor, Wisconsin -- L, 5-10 dec.
Cn 2: Alonzo Shepherd, Indiana -- W, 11-3 maj. dec.
Cn 3: #11 Johnni DiJulius, Ohio State -- W, 8-2 dec.
Cn Semi: #9 Eric Montoya, Nebraska -- W, 6-4 dec.
3rd place: #14 Ryan Taylor, Wisconsin -- L, 4-5 dec.
Senior Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), ranked No. 5 nationally at 133 and the third-seed, opened up his final Big Ten Championship against Minnesota's Sam Brancale. Conaway rolled up five takedowns and 3:36 in riding time to post Penn State's second straight major, a 12-3 win. Conaway met No. 14 Ryan Taylor, a returning All-American and the sixth seed, in the quarterfinals and fell behind 6-2 midway through the second period and could not comeback, dropping a 10-4 decision and falling into consolation action.
Conaway took on Indiana's Alonzo Shepherd in the second round of consolation action. Conaway rolled through four third period takedowns to post an important 11-3 major decision, punching his ticket to NCAAs, and picked up another bonus point for the Nittany Lions. He then took on No. 11 Johnni DiJulius of Ohio State in the next conso round. After falling behind 2-1 in the first period, the Lion senior used a reversal and two back points to break away from the Buckeye and post an 8-2 win, moving into the consolation semifinals.
Conaway battled No. 9 Eric Montoya of Nebraska in the consolation semifinals. The Lion sophomore fell behind 2-1 early but dominated the final two periods, picking up takedowns in both the second and third to roll to a 6-4 win and move into the third place bout. Conaway got a rematch with No. 14 Ryan Taylor of Wisconsin in the third place match and came up just short, dropping a 5-4 decision in a frenetic match. The loss sets Conaway, a 2015 All-American a 125, as the fourth-place finisher at 133 with a 4-2 mark and he will head to NCAAs with a 26-5 overall record.
141: #21 Jimmy Gulibon, Jr. -- 8th seed / Runner-up / NCAA Qualifier
Rd 1: Bye
Rd. 2: #4 Micah Jordan, Ohio State -- W, 3-2 dec. (TB2)
Semi: #20 Javier Gasca, Michigan State -- W, 6-5 dec.
Finals: #5 Anthony Ashnault, Rutgers -- L, 0-9 maj. dec.
Junior Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 21 nationally at 141 and the eighth-seed, received a first round bye at the 2016 Big Ten Championships. He then met No. 1 Micah Jordan of Ohio State in the quarterfinals. Gulibon rode Jordan out in a second tie-breaker (nearly turning him for two back points in the process) and escaped in his to post a 2-1 (TB2) win, advance to the semifinals and punch his ticket to the NCAA Championships.
Gulibon met No. 20 Javier Gasca of Michigan State in the semifinals. Gulibon came back from an early 5-2 deficit with a furious third period to post a 6-5 win and advance to the Big Ten championship match. Gulibon used an escape, a takedown and 1:33 in riding time for the decisive point.
Gulibon took on No. 5 Anthony Ashnault of Rutgers in the finals Sunday afternoon. Gulibon fell victim to two turns in the second period on the way to a 9-0 loss to the Scarlet Knight. After a scoreless first period, Gulibon chose down to start the second but was turned for four near fall points by Ashnault and fell behind 4-0 midway through the middle stanza. Another two-point turn before the period ended and Gulibon trailed 6-0 heading into the final period. Ashnault would go on to post the 9-0 victory and Gulibon finished as the Big Ten Runner-Up. Gulibon, a 2015 All-American at 133, went 2-1 and heads to the NCAA Championships with a 12-9 overall record.
149: #1 Zain Retherford, So. -- 1st seed / CHAMPION / NCAA Qualifier
Rd 1: Kyle Langenderfer, Illinois -- WBF (2:06)
Rd. 2: #16 Jake Short, Minnesota -- W, 14-4 maj. dec.
Semi: #5 Alec Pantaleo, Michigan -- WBF (2:45)
Finals: #2 Brandon Sorensen, Iowa -- W, 4-0 dec.
Sophomore Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 nationally at 149 and the top seed, took on Illinois' Kyle Langenderfer in the opening round. Retherford made short work of the Illini, taking him down quickly and working him to his back for a first period pin at the 2:06 mark. Retherford then dominated his next opponent as well, using six takedowns and 3:46 in riding time to roll to a 14-4 major decision and move into the semifinals.
Retherford took on No. 5 Alex Pantaleo of Michigan in the semifinals. Retherford continued his dominating run, picking up his second first-period pin of the tournament with a fall at the 2:45 mark over Pantaleo. Retherford took the Wolverine down early in the first then controlled the action from the top, steadily working the fifth-ranked Pantaleo to his back and getting the pin to move into the championship finals.
Retherford battled No. 2 Brandon Sorensen in the championship match-up. The Nittany Lion continued his impressive season with a resounding 4-0 win to claim his first Big Ten title. Retherford took a 2-0 lead with a takedown at the :43 mark in front of the Iowa bench and then rode Sorensen out. Retherford chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Sorensen chose down to start the third period and Retherford controlled the action from the top, building his riding time up over 1:00 first, and the completed the dominating performance with a ride-out to finish with 2:37 in riding time. Retherford is the 22nd Penn Stater to win a Big Ten crown, claiming the school's 36th title. The top-ranked sophomore, a 2014 All-American at 149, heads to NCAAs with 29-0 overall record after a 4-0 run through this year's Big Ten tournament.
157: #1 Jason Nolf, Fr. -- 1st seed / Runner-Up / NCAA Qualifier
Rd 1: #31 Doug Welch, Purdue -- WBF (2:53)
Rd. 2: #32 Brandon Kingsley, Minnesota -- W, 20-5 (TF; 6:21)
Semi: #15 Edwin Cooper, Iowa -- W, 21-3 (TF; 6:02)
Finals: #2 Isaiah Martinez, Illinois -- L, 3-4 (TB2, crit. RT :22)
Red-shirt freshman Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 nationally and the tournament's top seed at 157, met Doug Welch of Purdue in the opening round. Nolf wasted no time taking Welch to the mat, using a shoulder throw for a quick four-point move and then a cradle two minutes later to post a 2:53 first period pin. Nolf then dominated Minnesota's Brandon Kingsley, picking up more bonus points with a 20-5 technical fall at the 6:21 mark to advance to the semifinals.
Nolf tangled with No. 15 Edwin Cooper of Iowa in the semifinals, where he put on a takedown show on his way to a 21-3 technical fall at the 6:02 mark. Nolf opened up a 10-2 lead after one period with three takedowns and a four-point turn. Nolf added three more takedowns and a final four-point tilt to post the lopsided win and move into the championship finals.
Nolf faced No. 2 Isaiah Martinez in the championship finals at 157. In a rematch of January's meeting where Nolf pinned Martinez, handing him his first loss as a collegian, the Lion freshman dropped a 4-3 (TB2; criteria-:22 RT) loss. The setback was the first of Nolf's career. The bout began with Nolf as the aggressor as he nearly connected on two shots late in the first period but Martinez fought the moves off and send the match to the second period tied 0-0. Each wrestler picked up escapes as the bout moved into its final seconds and Nolf nearly connected on two shots early in the third. Martinez, however, was able to scramble out of trouble twice and send the bout to sudden victory. After a scoreless minute, the bout moved to a tie-breaker. Martinez chose down to start his period and escaped quickly to a 2-1 lead. Nolf then chose down for his period and escaped with :08 left to tie the bout at 2-2. Martinez, however, had :21 riding time as the match moved to a second sudden victory period. Another scoreless minute ensued, sending the bout to a second tie-breaker. Nolf escaped quickly to a 3-2 lead but Martinez scrambled his way to a an apparent takedown on the edge of the mat to take a 4-3 lead with :09. Penn State challenged the takedown and the takedown was reversed. Nolf led 3-2 and needed to keep Martinez down to secure the win. Martinez, however, escaped and with a :22 riding time edge won the Big Ten title on criteria (:22 riding time). Nolf went 3-1 in his first Big Ten tournament. The Lion heads to NCAAs with a 29-1 overall record as the 2016 Big Ten Runner-Up.
165: Geno Morelli, Jr. -- 7th seed / 8th place (in field for potential at-large bid)
Rd 1: Brandon Krone, Minnesota -- W, 6-2 dec.
Rd. 2: #3 Bo Jordan, Ohio State -- L, 2-3 dec.
Cn 2: Bryce Martin, Indiana -- W, 9-3 dec.
Cn 3: #9 Austin Wilson, Nebraska -- LBF (0:37)
7th place: Patrick Rhoads, Iowa -- L, 2-4 (SV)
Junior Geno Morelli (DuBois, Pa.) made his Big Ten Championship debut against Minnesota's Brandon Krone at 165. Morelli used two first period takedowns and 1:21 in riding time to roll to a 6-2 win and advance to the quarterfinals where he met No. 3 Bo Jordan of Ohio State. Jordan used a counter takedown in the first period to withstand Morelli's late pressure, picking up a 3-2 win over the Nittany Lion junior. Morelli dropped into consolation action with the loss.
Morelli met Indiana's Bryce Martin in the second round of consolations. Morelli burst out to a 4-0 lead early in the first period and never looked back on his way to a 9-3 decision over Martin. The victory moved him into the third round of consolations, with a trip to NCAAs on the line, to face No. 9 Austin Wilson of Nebraska. Wilson caught Morelli quickly with a throw and picked up a pin at the 0:37 mark.
Morelli's loss moved him to the seventh place match where he took on Iowa's Patrick Rhoads. The bout was an even match over three periods before Rhoads notched a takedown late in the sudden victory stanza to post a 4-2 (SV) win, handing Morelli eighth place. Morelli ends his first Big Ten Championship with a 2-3 record.
174: #1 Bo Nickal, Fr. -- 1st seed / CHAMPION / NCAA Qualifier
Rd 1: Bye
Rd. 2: #23 Phil Bakuckas, Rutgers -- W, 15-3 maj. dec.
Semi: #14 Myles Martin, Ohio State -- WBF (2:28)
Finals: #3 Zach Brunson, Illinois -- W, 18-9 maj. dec.
Red-shirt freshman Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 nationally and the top-seed at 174, received a first round bye. He took on No. 23 Phil Bakuckas of Rutgers. Nickal controlled the match from start to finish, notching five takedowns and two near falls on his way to a 15-3 major decision. The win moved Nickal into the semifinals.
Nickal took on No. 14 Myles Martin of Ohio State in the semifinals. Nickal made short work of the Buckeye grappler in a furious first period. The Lion freshman took Martin down twice and, after the second takedown, wrapped up a cradle in front of the Ohio State bench and pinned Martin at the 2:28 mark in the first period.
Nickal met No. 3 Zach Brunson of Illinois in the title tilt. Nickal became the 23rd person to win Penn State's 37th Big Ten Championship with a lop-sided 18-9 major over Brunson. Nickal scored quickly, taking Brunson down just seconds into the bout and added a second shortly thereafter. The second takedown was challenged by Illinois but the call stood and Nickal led 4-1. He added a third takedown but was called for a potentially dangerous hold, giving Brunson a point. Nickal appeared to turn Brunson for back points but the official could not see from his position and the Lion freshman led 6-3 with nearly two minutes in riding time after one. Nickal picked up a fourth takedown to lead 8-5 after two periods with 2:24 in time. Nickal controlled the third period as well, rolling up two more takedowns and four back points. Nickal's dominance from start to finish gave the Lion freshman an 18-9 major with 3:12 in riding time and the Big Ten title as a freshman. Nickal, the only freshman Big Ten Champion at this year's event, heads to nationals with a 29-1 record. His 3-0 run through the conference tournament all came with bonus points (two majors and a pin).
184: #11 Matt McCutcheon, So. -- 2nd seed / 5th place / NCAA Qualifier
Rd 1: Bye
Rd. 2: #22 Jeff Koepke, Illinois -- W, 6-2 dec.
Semi: #12 Sammy Brooks, Iowa -- L, 1-6 dec.
Cn Semis: #18 Nick Gravina, Rutgers -- L, 1-4 dec.
5th place -- #22 Jeff Koepke, Illinois -- W, 3-1 dec.
Sophomore Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 11 in the nation at 184 and the tourney's second seed, received a first round bye and then faced off against No. 22 Jeff Koepke of Illinois. McCutcheon dominated the match, using a first period takedown and a two-point near fall in the third to roll to a 6-2 win and into the semifinals.
McCutcheon met No. 12 Sammy Brooks of Iowa in the semifinals. Brooks came out fast, using a late takedown to lead 3-0 after one period. The Hawkeye added a takedown in each of the following periods and posted the strong 6-1 win over McCutcheon.
McCutcheon took on No. 18 Nick Gravina of Rutgers in the consolation semifinals. McCutcheon gave up a quick first period takedown and dropped a 4-1 decision to Gravina. The loss sent the Lion sophomore to the fifth place match. He met No. 22 Jeff Koepke of Illinois in the fifth place bout, a rematch of a second round meeting won by McCutcheon 6-2. McCutcheon used a late takedown in the third period to take a 3-1 lead and used a short ride out to grab the 3-1 win and fifth place. McCutcheon went 2-2 at the tournament and heads to the NCAA Championships with a 16-6 overall record.
197: #1 Morgan McIntosh, Sr. -- 1st seed / CHAMPION / NCAA Qualifier
Rd 1: Jake Masengale, Indiana -- WBF (1:27)
Rd. 2: Jacob Cooper, Michigan State -- WBF (1:40)
Semi: #9 Aaron Studebaker, Nebraska -- W, 8-2 dec.
Finals: #4 Nathan Burak, Iowa -- W, 3-2 dec.
Senior Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 1 nationally at 197 and Penn State's fourth top-seed at the event, met Indiana's Jake Masengale in the opening round of his final Big Ten Championship. McIntosh hit an early six point move, then reset, finished off a half nelson and got the first period pin at the 1:27 mark. He followed one first period pin up with another, catching Michigan State's Jacob Cooper midway through the first period and sticking him for the fall at the 1:40 mark to move into the semifinals.
McIntosh took on No. 9 Aaron Studebaker of Nebraska in the semifinals. McIntosh bulled his way through the tough Cornhusker grappler, notching a first period takedown and two near fall points in the second period to open up a 4-2 lead. The Lion senior picked up an escape, another takedown and 1:12 in riding time in the third period and posted a strong 8-2 decision (McIntosh downed Studebaker 2-1 (TB) during the regular season.
McIntosh met No. 4 Nathan Burak of Iowa in the championship finals. The Lion senior defended his Big Ten title with a 3-2 win and won Penn State's third individual title of the day. McIntosh took an early 2-1 lead with a takedown at the 1:11 mark and carried that margin into the second period. Burak chose neutral to start the second period and escaped to a 2-2 tie. Neither wrestler scored again in the second and McIntosh chose down to start the third period. The Lion senior picked up a quick escape to lead 3-2 and made that point stand up to become Penn State's ninth two-time Big Ten Champion. McIntosh, already a two-time All-American, went 4-0 over the weekend and will head to his final NCAA Championship with a 28-0 record.
285: Nick Nevills, Fr. -- 8th seed / 1-2 overall, DNP
Rd 1: #33 Brock Horwath, Wisconsin -- L, 2-4 dec.
Cn. 1: Garret Goldman, Indiana -- W, 9-1 maj. dec.
Cn2: #24 Brooks Black, Illinois -- L, 3-5 dec.
Red-shirt freshman Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), the eighth seed at the tournament, took on Wisconsin's Brock Horwath in his Big Ten Championship debut match. Nevills gave up a counter takedown in the second period and dropped a tough 4-2 decision, a loss that sent him into the consolation bracket. Nevills met Indiana junior Garret Goldman in the first round of consolations and dominated the Hoosier. Nevills picked up three takedowns and tallied 3:52 in riding time on his way to a 9-1 major decision, moving into consolation round two.
Nevills battled No. 24 Brooks Black of Illinois in the second round of consolations. Black used takedowns in the first and third periods to post a 5-3 win and end Nevills' tournament. Nevills went 1-2 in his first Big Ten Championship and posted a 6-3 record after returning from an injury in mid-February. He did not earn an automatic bid to NCAAs.