NCAA Wrestling finals thread

*edit* I just changed the title. Penn State is gonna win the thing. I just got off a long shift and things are dark for the Hawkeyes. Turns out contract extensions followed by falling on our faces in the postseason isn't just a football thing. Go to the comments*

Penn State leads the team race with 27.5 points, thanks mostly to a flurry of bonus points from those deadly heavyweights. They have six guys in the quarterfinals, with Hildebrandt and Berge losing round one, and Bartlett losing in round two. All 9 qualifiers are still alive going into day two. Arizona State and NC State are second and third with 22 and 21.5 points, respectively, and Michigan and Iowa round out the top five. Micic and Brucki were the only losers for the Wolverines, with Micic falling in round one and Brucki in round two. Both make it into day two on the backside. Iowa brought ten guys, but only bring six into the quarterfinals. Ayala and Assad lost in round one, and Eierman and Young joined in round two. All four will be wrestling on day two. I’m gonna be honest, though. Don’t feel good about day two.

Quarterfinals:

125: Suriano (MICH) vs Latona (VT); Cardinale (WVU) vs Courtney (ASU); Glory (PRIN) vs Kaylor (ORST); DeAugustino (NW) vs Arujau (COR)

133: Bravo-Young (PSU) vs Courtney (UVA); DeSanto (IOWA) vs Myers (VT); McGee (ASU) vs Ragusin (MICH); Cannon (NW) vs Fix (OKST)

141: Lee (PSU) vs Willits (ORST); Composto (PENN) vs Woods (STAN); Rivera (RUT) vs Matthews (PITT); Bergeland (MINN) vs Clarke (UNC)

149: Diakomihalis (COR) vs Murin (IOWA); Parco (ASU) vs Sasso (OHST); Gomez (WIS) vs Andonian (VT); Lovett (NEB) vs Wilson (NCST)

157: Willits (ORST) vs Lewan (MICH); Monday (PRIN) vs Scott (NCST); Teemer (ASU) vs Franek (NDSU); Humphreys (LEH) vs Deakin (NW)

165: Wick (CP) vs Hall (WVU); Griffith (STAN) vs Hamiti (WIS); Marinelli (IOWA) vs Amine (MICHI); Kharchla (OHST) vs O’Toole (MIZZ)

174: Starocci (PSU) vs Labriola (NEB); Kemerer (Iowa) vs Hidlay (NCST); Massa (MICH) vs Plott (OKST); Lautt (UNC) vs Lewis (VT)

184: Amine (MICH) vs Braunagel (ILL); Truax (CP) vs Keckeisen (UNI); Hidlay (NCST) vs Munoz (ORST); Romero (OHST) vs Brooks (PSU)

197: Dean (PSU) vs Deprez (BING); Hoffman (OHST) vs Woodley (OU); Schultz (NEB) vs Warner (IOWA); Elam (MIZZ) vs Buchanan (WYO)

285: Steveson (MINN) vs Davison (NW); Lance (NEB) vs Kerkvliet (PSU); Cassioppi (IOWA) vs Wood (LEH); Parris (MICH) vs Schultz (ASU)

30 of 40 quarterfinal matchups include a Big Ten wrestler, and 37 of 80 wrestlers are from the BEE-JUAN-GEE. In the also-important but less-sexy matchups, we have some consolation matchups. There’s a lot of them, so I’m just gonna list the Big Ten guys’ matchups.

125: Hildebrandt (PSU) vs Teske (UNI); McKee (MINN) vs Mastrogiovanni (OKST); Barnett (WIS) vs Heinselman (OHST); Camacho (NCST) vs Ayala (IOWA); Shawver (RUT) vs Smith (APP)

133: Ramos (PUR) vs Foley (MSU); Hudkins (IND) vs Koehler (RID); Olivieri (RUT) vs Phillippi (PITT); Byrd (ILL) vs Colaiocco (PENN)

141: Eierman (IOWA) vs D’Emilio (OHST); Tal Shahar (NW) vs Micic (MICH); Red (NEB) vs Parker (ISU); Filius (PUR) vs Simon (CMU); Zargo (WIS) vs Alirez (UNCO)

149: Van Brill (RUT) vs Millner (APP); Thomas (NW) vs Bartlett (PSU); Blockhus (MINN) vs McDougald (OU)

157: Berge (PSU) vs Lovett (CMU); Robb (NEB) vs Zapf (PENN); Young (IOWA) vs Hartman (ARMY)

165: Wilson (NEB) vs Hartman (BUCK)

174: Smith (OSU) vs Nijenhuis (PUR)

184: Venz (NEB) vs Hopkins (CAMP); Salazar (MINN) vs Poznanski (RUT); Lyon (PUR) vs Cochran (MD); Assad (IOWA) vs Geer (OKST)

197: Smith (MD) vs Bastida (ISU); Penola (PUR) vs Sloan (SDSU); Bulsak (RUT) vs Koser (NAVY); Brucki (MICH) vs Cardenas (COR); Amos (WIS) vs Caffey (MSU)

285: Hillger (WIS) vs Fernandes (COR); Luffman (ILL) vs Doyle (BING); Orndorff (OHST) vs Surber (OKST)

I’m not worried about Eierman so much, but to get to All-American status, Ayala has to get through two-time ACC champ Jakob Camacho, Assad has to beat a guy who kicked his assad a month ago, and should Young win this round, he’ll (likely) get Derek Carr. Penn State should also be worried about going 0-for this consis, but they’re probably a lot more comfortable with the winner’s side guys. Michigan probably likes their draws though.

Session three kick off at 10AM GTZ on ESPNU and will run about three hours, including quarterfinals and consolation action. Session four will follow at 7PM on ESPN and should include the semifinals and consolation up to and possibly including consolation semifinals. They’re never very clear about that stuff. Session five is titled medal rounds, but how can that be case if we don’t do consi semis in session four? I’m gonna guess session four will include the bloodrounds, and then session five will be two consolation rounds plus seventh-place matches. And Saturday night will be 1st, 3rd, and 5th place matches. Anyways. Have fun. I’m not gonna be super present in the comments because I will be working at my real job.