STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The No. 1 Iowa wrestling team had a successful first day competing at the 2021 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. Or at least that’s what the numbers say.

The Hawkeyes lead all teams with 126.5 points. Penn State is in second with 111.5.

Nine Iowa wrestlers will compete on Sunday, six of them in finals matches.

Spencer Lee (125 pounds), Austin DeSanto (133), Jaydin Eierman (141), Kaleb Young (157), Alex Marinelli (165), and Michael Kemerer (174) will all compete in Sunday’s final round. Nelson Brands (184), Jacob Warner (197), and Tony Cassioppi (285) are still alive in the consolation bracket and can place as high as third. Max Murin is the only Hawkeye who has been eliminated. The No. 2 seed at 141 pounds went 0-2 on Saturday.

Here are numbers that stood out from Iowa’s first day competing at the Bryce Jordan Center.

19 — Iowa’s wins on Day One

The Hawkeyes went 19-5 in their first day of competition.

Iowa went 3-0 in the first round, 8-2 in the quarterfinals, and 6-2 in the semifinals. Murin lost his only consolation match, while Brands won both of his.

As a team, the Hawkeyes combined for five falls, a technical fall, and a major decision on Saturday to secure bonus points.

23 seconds — Lee and Cassioppi tie fall record

Speaking of falls, on Saturday, Lee and Cassioppi both tied the program record for quickest fall at the conference meet. Cassioppi pinned Maryland’s Garrett Kappes in 23 seconds in the first round, while Lee did the same to Michigan State’s Rayvon Foley in the semifinals.

The record was first set by Bart Chelesvig at the 1992 conference meet. The mark is also the third-quickest fall time all-time at the Big Ten Championships.

4 — Points Spencer Lee has given up this year, all of them in the quarterfinals

When a 19-4 technical fall victory isn’t among your best performances, you must be Spencer Lee.

In the quarterfinals against Michigan’s Dylan Ragusin, Lee surrendered his first points of the season. He was even taken down. Prior to Saturday, Lee was 4-0 with four pins during the 2020-21 season. The senior was outsourcing opponents a combined 38-0 at the time of those pins.

Lee looked somewhat discouraged after the match despite the bonus-point victory. But he responded with a 23-second pin. So there was plenty to be happy about for Lee on Saturday.

18 — Three-time Big Ten Champions

There have been 18 three-time Big Ten Champions in the history of the Iowa wrestling program. Marinelli is competing to be No. 19.

“The Bull” will meet Ohio State’s Ethan Smith in Sunday’s 165-pound finals. This is the third consecutive year Marinelli is competing in the tournament’s final round. He defeated Penn State’s Vincenzo Joseph in both of the past two years.

Marinelli could also become the 26th Hawkeye overall to win at least three conference titles. Seven Iowa wrestlers are four-time Big Ten title winners.

3 — Iowa-Penn State finals matches

Of Iowa’s six finals matchups on Sunday, half of them are against Penn State wrestlers.

The Hawkeyes and the (host) Nittany Lions will likely place first and second in this year’s tournament. Iowa is the favorite, but Penn State will have some chances to steal some points.

DeSanto will compete against No. 1 Nittany Lion Roman Bravo-Young, while Eierman is set to face No. 2 Nick Lee. Michael Kemerer is facing off with No. 3 Carter Starocci. Kemerer lost to another Nittany Lion (Mark Hall) in the finals of last year’s tournament.