Seven Hawkeyes automatically qualify for NCAAs

Iowa had seven grapplers meet the automatic qualifying standards at the Big Ten Championships to get into NCAAs.

Shivansh Ahuja

Iowa’s 133-lb Austin DeSanto wrestles Rutgers’ Nick Suriano during the second session of the 2019 Big Ten Wrestling Championships in Minneapolis, MN on Saturday, March 9, 2019. Suriano won by decision, 6-3.

Pete Ruden, Sports Editor

At-large bids to the NCAA Wrestling Championships won’t get announced until March 12, but Iowa has already officially sent seven wrestlers to Pittsburgh.

The NCAA allocated 78 automatic bids to the Big Ten, the most of any conference. The Hawkeyes took advantage of that at seven weight classes, sending Spencer Lee, Austin DeSanto, Max Murin, Pat Lugo, Kaleb Young, Alex Marinelli, and Cash Wilcke to nationals with automatic bids. Jacob Warner will likely qualify automatically as well, needing just one win in a wrestleback match.

Lee, DeSanto, and Marinelli took a path that was never much in question, reaching the semifinals in the Championship Bracket.

Murin and Young qualified after the second round of wrestlebacks, reaching the top-nine mark necessary for the 141 and 157-pound weight classes.

Lugo needed to win his quarterfinal match in the consolation bracket, as the Big Ten only received six automatic bids to NCAAs. He picked up a win over Northwestern’s Shayne Oster with a 7-4 decision to clinch a top-six finish.

At 197, the conference only possesses five bids to nationals, meaning Warner – who also reached the semifinals – will need to win at least one match in the consolations to secure a spot in the top five. His first bout will be against Purdue’s Christian Brunner for a spot in the bronze medal match.