It may not have been the year the Ohio State wrestlers wanted on the mat, but one of them is going for an individual Big Ten championship tomorrow in the Big Ten wrestling finals.
Sammy Sasso has made his way through the bracket as the No. 1 seed in the 149lb. division to have a chance for all the marbles in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Sunday. From the fine folks at Ohio State, this is how Sasso’s journey has gone:
149| (1) Sammy Sasso (OSU) def. (9) Graham Rooks (IND) | D, 6-3
Sasso got on the board first in the quarterfinal match with a takedown in the first. A Rooks escape make it 2-1 Buckeyes headed into the second. Sasso escaped to start the second to go up 3-1 and added a takedown to lead 5-2 after two. Rooks escaped in the third but Sasso held on for the 5-6 win by decision, advancing to the semifinals.
149| (1) Sammy Sasso (OSU) vs. (4) Max Murin (IOWA)Sasso scored the winning takedown and clinched his spot is Sunday’s 149 lb. championship match with a takedown with just 20 seconds remaining in the third period.
.@sammysasso is moving on to the finals! @wrestlingbucks pic.twitter.com/Ma0tw6xCIf
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) March 6, 2022
This will be the third-straight trip to the Big Ten finals for Sasso. He lost in 2020 but won his first title last season. He’s favored to do so again in 2022, but to finish the deal, he’ll have to get past a hot wrestler, the No. 2 seeded Austin Gomez of Wisconsin. He’s coming off of a pin during his last match and seems to be wrestling in top form.
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