Lugo extends winning streak at Big Tens
Iowa 149-pounder Pat Lugo added another win to his record in the first round of the Big Ten Championships.
Iowa’s 149-lb Pat Lugo wrestles Nebraska’s Jordan Shearer during the first session of the 2019 Big Ten Wrestling Championships in Minneapolis, MN on Saturday, March 9, 2019. Lugo defeated Shearer in a decision, 8-5.
March 9, 2019
Pat Lugo came out ready to go in the first period of his first matchup against Nebraska’s Jordan Shearer at the 2019 Big Ten Championships.
About one minute in, Lugo scored a takedown and would go on to snag a four-point near fall over the Husker. These points would be a key difference in the bout.
With 17 seconds to go in the first, Shearer tallied an escape point, but Lugo would come back with another takedown, scoring all 8 of his match points in the first period.
Throughout the rest of the match, Shearer would score two more points on escapes and a point for riding time, but Lugo’s standout first period would be enough.
Top-seeded Anthony Ashnault dominated his opponent in the first round at 149 pounds, recording a 14-2 major decision victory behind 3 takedowns, 6 near fall points, and a point for riding time over Fernie Silva.
Second-seeded Micah Jordan – Lugo’s biggest task if he wants to wrestle in the championship match – also defeated Maryland’s Alfred Bannister, 17-6, for a major decision, scoring 7 takedowns in the process.
But before Lugo gets a shot at Jordan, he will wrestle Penn State’s Brady Berge in the quarterfinals. The Nittany Lion holds a record of 17-2 after his major decision win over Purdue’s Parker Filius.
