Nine Hawkeye wrestlers earn automatic berths to NCAA Championships
Max Murin is the only wrestler in Iowa’s starting lineup who did not earned an auto bid.
Iowa’s Nelson Brands struggles for control in the neutral position against Penn State’s Aaron Brooks during the opening session of the Big Ten Wrestling Tournament at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, PA on Saturday, March 6, 2021. Brooks won the match by decision 14-8. The Hawkeyes ended the first session with a team score of 75.5, putting them in first ahead of second place, Nebraska, with a score of 63.
March 7, 2021
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — All nine Hawkeye wrestlers still competing in the 2021 Big Ten Wrestling Championships have earned automatic bids to the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships.
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 place.
Brands won two matches in the wrestlebacks bracket after losing in the quarterfinals of the championship bracket. Those two victories ensured his automatic bid.
“Nelson Brands just won two big matches on the backside of the bracket, that is huge,” Iowa head coach Tom Brands said Saturday. “We got a couple guys who did not get what they wanted on that front side and they are going to be in the consolation bracket tomorrow and they have to come back strong. We have some guys in the finals and we are going to have to go out and be ready, ready. And I mean ready, ready.”
Max Murin is the only Hawkeye who did not receive an auto bid this weekend. Murin, the No. 2 seed at 149 pounds, was upset in the quarterfinals and then lost his first wrestlebacks match. He has been eliminated from the tournament.
Murin will have to rely on an at-large bid to qualify for nationals.
At-large selections are based on the following criteria: head-to-head competition, quality wins, coaches’ ranking, results against common opponents, RPI, qualifying event placement, and winning percentage.