What happened, what’s next: Big Ten Championships Session 3

Iowa won six of its eight matches in Session 3, leading to success in the wrestlebacks.

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Shivansh Ahuja

Iowa’s 149-lb Pat Lugo wrestles Minnesota’s Thomas Thorn during the third session of the 2019 Big Ten Wrestling Championships in Minneapolis, MN on Sunday, March 10, 2019. Lugo won by decision, 6-4.

Pete Ruden, Sports Editor

Three sessions of the Big Ten Championships have concluded, leaving only the most important session yet.

The Hawkeyes fought through the consolation bracket and now have four competing to bring a bronze medal back to Iowa City.

With the finals and last placement matches yet to take place, here’s a look at what happened in Session 3 and what’s next:

Consolation semifinals

133 – Austin DeSanto defeats Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State), 12-8

 DeSanto completely dictated his first match in the wrestlebacks. He got out to a fast start, scoring 4 takedowns in the first period alone. Starting on bottom in the second, he escaped in one second and proceeded to score another point for stalling. The Drexel transfer let up in the third, however, conceding 2 takedowns and an escape.

149 – Pat Lugo defeats Thomas Thorn (Minnesota), 6-4

 Thorn scored the first takedown, but Lugo bounced right back with one of his own after escaping. Lugo asserted his power by riding Thorn without allowing an escape for the remainder of the period.

After a Thorn escape in the second, Lugo scored another takedown. Thorn rode Lugo for the majority of the third period, erasing the Hawkeye’s riding time. After conceding a point for stalling that made it a 1-point match, Lugo escaped for the win.

157 – Kaleb Young defeats Steve Bleise (Minnesota), 4-1

 After a scoreless first period, Young scored the match’s first point on an escape in the second. Bleise then did the same in the third. Young sealed the match with the lone takedown in the third to move to the bronze medal match.

184 – Tyler Venz (Nebraska) defeats Cash Wilcke, 6-4

 After scoring 2 reversals, Wilcke faced a 1-point deficit in the third and got in on a shot as the time inched closer to 0, but unfortunately for Wilcke, it ran out before he could finish. Venz escaped with a 6-4 victory with riding time to push Wilcke to the fifth-place match.

197 – Jacob Warner defeats Christian Brunner (Purdue), 6-0

 After a loss to Ohio State’s Kollin Moore in the Championship Bracket semifinals, Warner powered through his consolation match. He scored a takedown in the first, an escape and another takedown in the second, and secured a point for riding time in the third.

Seventh place

141 – Max Murin defeats Michael Carr (Illinois), 3-1

 Facing the tournament’s No. 1 seed for seventh, Murin’s bout got off to a slow start. Without a point in the first, Carr escaped in 14 seconds in the second. In the third, Murin escaped in 19 seconds. Murin rode that momentum to a takedown with 21 seconds remaining to secure the 3-1 win.

Ninth place semifinals

174 – Mitch Bowman defeats Carver James (Illinois), 8-2

Without an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships, Bowman needed a win to be considered for an at-large bid, and he came through. Bowman struck first with a takedown late in the first period. Bowman then rode James for about 1:55 in the second period after starting on top, but James scored a reversal with about five seconds remaining in the frame.

With the score tied, Bowman bounced back in the third, racking up an escape, a takedown, a two-point near fall, and another point for riding time.

Ninth place 

174 – Joe Grello (Rutgers) defeats Bowman, Fall 2:18

Grello held a 4-1 win with 2 takedowns in the first period before pinning Bowman in 2:18.

What’s next

 Spencer Lee and Alex Marinelli highlight Session 4, competing in the finals with Lee taking on Sebastian Rivera of Northwestern and Marinelli facing Penn State’s Vincenzo Joseph.

Iowa also has four vying for a bronze medal: DeSanto will face Minnesota’s Ethan Lizak, Lugo is tasked with Cole Martin of Wisconsin, Young will take on Alec Pantaleo from Michigan, while Warner battles Nebraska’s Eric Schultz.

Cash Wilcke will also compete for fifth place, taking on Nick Gravina of Rutgers.