UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Rays of sunshine hang over the Bryce Jordan Center this Sunday afternoon. The fresh breath of spring signifies bright futures, new changes and a possible Big Ten Championship for the Penn State Nittany Lions. But history is still in the making as we proceed into the fourth and final session of Big Ten action.
4 P.M.
Behind a smoky archway waits the top-six contenders in the 125-pound weight class. With no shortage of dramatic effect, Nittany Lion freshman Robert Howard rises from the ashes and approaches the mat. He seems rather collected for a first-time Big Ten finalist. And within seconds of his entrance, Howard springs to action against Northwestern's Michael DeAugustino. Despite his incredible acrobatic attempts to regain control, Howard drops a 4-2 decision and takes home a sixth-place finish.
The next Lion to approach the daunting Big Ten spotlight is seasoned junior Roman Bravo-Young. The 133-pounder is quick to get to work on Iowa's Austin DeSanto. This all feels too familiar, as the Hawkeye and Lion have history of facing off at the Big Tens. But this time around, there are higher stakes and no obvious top dog. A fiery Bravo-Young uses the mat as his stage – practically dancing around DeSanto. And soon enough, the prancing Lion clinches a 5-2 decision and his first ever Big Ten Championship win. One down for Penn State, three to go.
Cool, calm and collected. That's Nick Lee. The senior makes his way right to the circle to begin his fight for first place against Iowa's top seeded Jaydin Eierman.
Slowly but surely trailing the Hawkeye, Lee seems to gather his strength for strategic takedown attempts. But in the last few seconds of battling a 5-5 draw, the Hawkeye secures his one riding time point and claims victory over the Lion's 141 pounder. Lee accepts a second-place finish, while giving fans quite a well-fought show.
5 P.M.
Slowly strutting with the confidence of a true Lion, freshman Carter Starocci makes it clear he means business. The highly touted 174-pounder began his Penn State journey back in January when he lost in his regular season debut. Well, look at him now. The only freshman left for the Lions fighting for a first-place finish – and he's got a lot to prove.
Starocci begins his work on Iowa's Michael Kemerer, but finds himself trailing the seasoned Hawkeye. It seems the two worked relentlessly the entire three periods to make their presence known. But it is Starocci who cannot find the time to push final points, resulting in a Hawkeye 7-2 decision. The Lion walks away with a second-place title at his first Big Ten Tournament – certainly something to be proud of.
Aaron Brooks: always a predator, never the prey. The sophomore stole a first-place finish last year at his first-ever Big Ten Championships, and this year, not much has changed. The Lion's 184-pounder pushes quick points against Nebraska's Taylor Venz. Gaining the early lead, Brooks refuses to let go and demands the crowd's attention. And that attention becomes well-earned as the sophomore becomes a two-time Big Ten champion after claiming a 10-5 decision.
6 P.M.
The next Lion to stride into the spotlight is freshman Michael Beard. The 197-pounder hopes to clinch a fifth-place finish at his first Big Ten Tournament. With the blow of the whistle, Beard fires onto Northwestern's Lucas Davison with a slick throw, but no awarded takedown. The two battle through the first period but fail to put any points on the board. In an intense struggle for power in the second and third periods, Beard drops a 6-4 decision and takes home the sixth-place finish.
With only one Lion left to show, the tensions only continue to rise in the Bryce Jordan Center. While Greg Kerkvliet may be the last in the race to the Big Ten title, he certainly draws the crowd's attention as a highly-touted freshman. Kerkvliet and Iowa's Tony Cassioppi go right to town in heavyweight action, both hoping to see a third-place finish. The Lion finds himself down from the start, unable to make up lost time. And Kerkvliet soon drops a 9-0 loss, while claiming a fourth-place finish at 285 pounds.
The Penn State Nittany Lions finished their weekend as runner-up Big Ten conference champions. Blue and White fans saw Bravo-Young and Brooks ring in two first-place finishes. And head coach Cael Sanderson is sending nine wrestlers on the roster to the NCAA Tournament in just a few weeks. While much was accomplished over the two-day tournament, there is much left to anticipate in Penn State's 2021 wrestling journey.
