Jacob Warner’s bid for a national championship came up just short. The Iowa senior led 1-0 after a second period escape, but Penn State’s Max Dean responded with a third period escape and a third period takedown to capture the title in the 197-pound weight class, 3-2.
ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇᴅ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴅ pic.twitter.com/9bhXMRLW6a
— Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling (@Hawks_Wrestling) March 20, 2022
It caps a sensational run at the NCAA wrestling championships for Warner. The four-time All-American topped No. 27 seed Alan Clothier from Northern Colorado, 11th-seeded Thomas Penola from Purdue, No. 3 seed Eric Schultz from Nebraska and second-seeded Stephen Buchanan from Wyoming. The national runner up finish is the best of Warner’s decorated career.
The 6-foot-1 wrestler from Tolono, Ill., finishes his Iowa career with a record of 75-20. Warner placed seventh at the NCAA championships in 2019 and fourth last year as the No. 5 seed. With Warner’s appearance in the national finals, Iowa’s streak of 32 consecutive NCAA tournaments with at least one wrestler in the national finals is still intact.
The Washington Community High School product arrived at Iowa as a three-time Illinois state champion in the 170, 182 and 195-pound weight classes. Warner didn’t allow any points to be scored against him his senior year. He ends his Iowa career on a memorable note.
Meanwhile, fellow Iowa wrestlers Austin DeSanto, Alex Marinelli, Michael Kemerer and Tony Cassioppi all finished up their 2022 NCAA Tournaments on Saturday inside Little Caesars Arena from Detroit, Mich. The group’s finishes helped move Iowa into third place in the team race. DeSanto placed third at 133, Kemerer placed fourth at 174, Marinelli placed fifth at 165 and Cassioppi placed seventh at 285.
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