Tag: Ohio State Wrestling

Ohio State wrestler, Sammy Sasso, wins second Big Ten title with sudden victory takedown

Another B1G title for Sammy Sasso! #GoBucks

The Ohio State wrestling team had a bit of a disappointing performance as a team at the Big Ten championships this weekend, finishing fourth overall. However, there was an extremely bright spot throughout it all, with No. 1 seed Sammy Sasso winning the Big Ten title at 149 pounds.

But it wasn’t easy.

Sasso had to go into overtime and won 7-5 in sudden victory over Minnesota’s Michael Blockhus when he was able to get around and grab control while the two were interlocked on the ground. It is the second title for Sasso. He won his first in the same weight class in 2021. He came close two other times, making it to the championship match four times total in his career.

The rest of the results for Ohio State was a mixed bag of sorts, though seven wrestlers did qualify for nationals. Kaleb Romero was the only other OSU wrestler to enter the championship match, but he fell to No. 1 seed Aaron Brooks of Penn State at 184-pounds. The Nittany Lions won the team championship followed by Iowa in second place and Nebraska in third.

The 2023 NCAA Championships will take place at Bok Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, March 16-18.

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Ohio State wrestling set for top five matchup vs. Penn State. How to watch, stream the match.

Tune in and root for the Bucks to shock the No. 1 Nittany Lions! #GoBucks

Football might be king in Columbus, Ohio with THE Ohio State University, but there are other sports that do just fine on their own thank you very much. One of those is the wrestling program which has been an annual top-ten squad and even brought home a national title in 2015 under head coach Tom Ryan. There have been several runner-ups in the Big Ten and nationally to speak of.

Well, the Buckeyes are at it again, ranked No. 5 and looking to bring along a young core of wrestlers and challenge programs like Iowa and Penn State in the future. But before that, the Buckeyes are looking to make a splash in the here and now and have a chance to do that on Friday night when they take on the No. 1 ranked Nittany Lions at the Covelli Center.

You might be a wrestling fan, or maybe not, but either way, it’s two of the best teams in the country doing battle in Columbus, Ohio, with some scarlet and gray mixed in. We’ve got everything you need to know to find the game and root for the Buckeyes to shock the college wrestling world.

Basic info

When:Ā Friday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m. ET

Where:Ā Covelli Center (Columbus, Ohio)

How to watch/stream/listen:

Broadcast: Big Ten Network

Live Stream:Ā fuboTV (watch here)

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Ohio State beats Michigan in top ten wrestling matchup

A big one in the books for the Ohio State wrestling squad. #GoBucks

Anytime the colors of scarlet and gray match up with maize and blue, it’s worth fans’ of both schools’ attention. In that case, with Ohio State and Michigan getting on the mat to face off in wrestling on Friday night, it is noteworthy. And … if you are an OSU fan, it’s even more noteworthy because the Buckeyes took down the Wolverines in a top-ten matchup up in Ann Arbor by a total score of 23-15.

Ohio State started out hot, winning the first four matches all by razor-thin margins. Malik Heinselman (125 lbs.), Jesse Mendez (133 lbs.), and Dylan D’Emilio (141 lbs.) all won close matches by scoring at key times in the match to secure three points each to put the Buckeyes up early 9-0.

Sammy Sasso followed that up at 149 lbs. with a tech fall to score a big five points to extend Ohio State’s lead to 14-0. And while that didn’t seal the deal, it made Michigan face an uphill climb to get back into it. The Wolverines got exactly what they needed at 157 lbs. when Will Lewan was able to get a pin on OSU’s Pady Gallagher in extra time to pull things back to 14-6. That was followed up with a decision by Cameron Amine over Ohio State’s Carson Kharchia to make things interesting at 14-9.

It seemed like match on all of a sudden.

But then, OSU had two of its top wrestlers taking the mat and they both were able to score decisions to add six more points on the board with a decision each to put things out of reach at 20-9. Both Ethan Smith (174 lbs.) and Kaleb Romero (184 lbs.) were able to notch a win to make it 20-9 right before Gavin Hoffman added three more points for the Buckeyes in a decision over Rylan Rogers to up the score to 23-9.

It was all academic after that and it was a good thing because the No. 1 ranked heavyweight, Michigan’s Mason Parris, was able to secure six points for the Wolverines with his eleventh pin in 20 matches to finish up the scoring at 23-15.

With the win, Ohio State runs its dual meet record to 10-1 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten. It was the Buckeyes’ fifth-straight win as they try to position themselves to factor into the Big Ten regular season race. OSU doesn’t face No. 2 Iowa but will gear up to play No. 1 Penn State on February 3 after it holds a dual meet vs. Michigan State on Sunday.

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Ohio State’s Sammy Sasso finishes as runner-up in Big Ten wrestling final

Sammy Sasso came up just a little short.

Ohio State wrestler Sammy Sasso fell a little short in his quest for a second-straight individual Big Ten championship.

Sasso entered the Big Ten Wrestling Championships as the No. 1 seed in the 149-pound weight class. He wrestled his way through the bracket to the final where everyone thought he would be, but he ran into a Wisconsin wrestler that has been peaking at the right time, No. 2 seed Austin Gomez.

The match started out well for Sasso with an early takedown to grab a 2-0 lead but gave a point back when Gomez escaped later in the first period. Still, Sasso had a 2-1 lead after one period of play. Things were evened up when Gomez escaped from the bottom as the second period started. He then countered with a takedown of his own and allowed Sasso to escape and suddenly it was 4-3 Gomez as the second period ended.

Sasso started on the bottom in the third period and got a quick escape to tie things up at 4-4, but couldn’t make the moves we’ve been accustomed to seeing from him late. Gomez was able to score another takedown moments later, allowed Sasso to escape for a 6-5 score, then was able to get one more takedown to win 8-5 to take the Big Ten title and relegate Sasso to runner-up status.

Despite the disappointing finish, it was a fantastic year for Sasso. He finished the year with a 22-2 record counting the loss today and will now head to nationals to try and win a national championship.

Contact/Follow usĀ @BuckeyesWireĀ on Twitter, and like our page onĀ Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on Twitter.

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Ohio State wrestler Sammy Sasso advances to Big Ten finals

Can Sammy Sasso get it down for the second-straight year?

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 Sundayā€™s 149 lb. championship match with a takedown with just 20 seconds remaining in the third period.

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.

 

Contact/Follow usĀ @BuckeyesWireĀ on Twitter, and like our page onĀ Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on Twitter.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

Former Ohio State wrestler Kyle Snyder wins silver medal in Tokyo

It wasn’t meant to be this time, but Snyder still brings a silver medal home to the states.

Captain America couldn’t finish on top this time.

Former Ohio State wrestler Kyle Snyder is one of the giants of USA wrestling and had a shot at gold on Saturday. Unfortunately, the man standing in his way was an old rival that had won 56 consecutive matches.

In fact, the “Russian Tank,” Abdulrashid Sadulaev, last lost a match when Snyder took him down during the 2017 World Championships. Sadulaev was simply too much early in the match for Snyder to mount a comeback that saw him fall 6-3 in the 97kg freestyle final Saturday. As a result, SnyderĀ finishes with a silver medal to back up the gold he won during the 2016 Rio games.

Sadulaev jumped out to a 2-0 score when Snyder was “put on the clock” for not making enough effort to score. He was unable to tally any points during the next 30 seconds, giving the Russian two points. Shortly thereafter, a step out of bounds gave Sudulaev a 3-0 advantage through the first period.

The score was pushed to 6-0 in the second period when Snyder gained the advantage on some shots but couldn’t finish the deal. Sadulaev instead was able to score on counter moves. That deficit would be too much to overcome against a guy who had yet to yield any points through the matches leading into the final.

Snyder did manage to score three points on a takedown and a step out, but that would be it for the scoring.

With the silver medal, Snyder becomes the first Ohio State wrestler to ever win multiple medals at the Olympics. And at age 25, you’d have to think this is hardly the last we’ve seen from him. Paris 2024 is just three short years away, and we’re banking on seeing the former Buckeye back on the mat.

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Ohio State wrestling coach Tom Ryan announces key changes to staff, one a familiar addition

Ohio State wrestling coach Tom Ryan announced two key changes to his staff on Friday, including the addition of Logan Stieber.

Ohio State wrestling coach Tom Ryan announced a couple of key changes to his coaching staff on Friday, and they are two familiar faces.

With the departure of Tervel Dlagnev earlier this year, Logan Stieber will join the program as an assistant coach and will continue to be the head of the Ohio Regional Training Center. Additionally, Bo Jordan has been officially promoted to an assistant coach after serving the last three seasons as a volunteer assistant.

ā€œI couldnā€™t be happier with the composition of our staff,” Ryan said. “Adding a wrestler of Loganā€™s caliber is obviously amazing but itā€™s his overall being that should excite Buckeye Nation. He is extremely knowledgeable, well respected, and just an all-around great person. Promoting Bo Jordan was equally important to our program. Iā€™m happy to be able to recognize the job he has been doing and look forward to his continued growth as a great coach.ā€

There is no denying the impact Steiber had collegiately and on the international level. Here are just some of his accolades and awards.

  • World Champion (2016)
  • Four-time NCAA Champion
  • Four-time Big Ten champion
  • 2015 Hodge Trophy winner
  • Member of the 2015 NCAA Championship Team
  • 119-3 collegiate record
  • .975 winning percentage is highest in school history

Bo Jordan is also one of the icons of Ohio State wrestling. His collegiate resume is astounding as well.

  • Four-time All-American
  • 2017 NCAA finalist
  • 2017 Big Ten Champion
  • Three-time Big Ten finalist
  • Four-time Academic All-Big Ten
  • Five-time OSU Scholar-Athlete
  • Three-time NWCA All-Academic

The program has been one of the best in the NCAA over the last few years, and there’s little doubt it will continue to be with the caliber of coaches and wrestlers overseeing things in Columbus.

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Kyle Snyder beats another former OSU wrestler Kollin Moore, secures spot in Olympics

Kyle Snyder took care of business against former Ohio State alum Kollin Moore to punch his ticket to the Olympics in Tokyo this summer.

One way or another, there was going to be a former Ohio State wrestler representing the United States at the Olympics in Tokyo this summer. That’s because Captain America (Kyle Snyder), andĀ Kollin Moore were pitted against each other in a best of three to see who would don the red, white, and blue in the 97kg weight class.

Moore battled hard, but the favorite and well-seasoned Snyder took the first two matches to earn his spot. Snyder won the first one in a route 10-0, then came back in a business-like fashion and beat Moore by a score of 5-1 to end things and queue the celebration.

For Snyder, it’ll be his second-straight Olympic appearance. He was also a part of the USA squad that went to Rio de Janerio, winning gold for the United States.

It was a bittersweet rooting interest for Ohio State fans, but it’s hard not to get behind a guy that’s been such a force and ambassador for OSU and the wrestling community.

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Three former Ohio State wrestlers in Olympic trial finals

Kyle Snyder headlines three former Ohio State wrestlers competing for a spot in the Olympics at the U.S. Olympic trial finals on Saturday.

The USA wrestling Olympic trials has had a significant Ohio State flavor to it. The program had six wrestlers competing for a spot in Tokyo when it all started, and now there are three left in the finals, the most of any school in the country.

And that’s not all.

OSU is assured a spot in all the fun this summer as well because two of those Buckeye alum’s are facing off with one another in the 97kg weight class with Kyle Snyder taking on Kollin Moore. Snyder is of course an Olympic veteran and former World Champion and is the heavy favorite.

The other former Ohio State wrestler competing for a trip to the summer games is Joey McKenna at 65kg. He will face Oklahoma State alum, Jordan Oliver. The winner of that match will still have to qualify the weight for the Olympics at the World Olympic Qualifier in Sofia, Bulgaria, May 6-9.

All of the Final X Championship Series will be best-of-three bouts. The finals will begin at 7:30 p.m. and streamed on NBCSports.comĀ and the NBC Sports app.

Good luck to these former Buckeyes on the mat!

Sammy Sasso finishes short of national title at 149 lbs. in controversial fashion

Ohio State wrestler Sammy Sasso finishes just shy of a national title at 149-pounds amid controversy at the NCAA Championships Saturday.

Ohio State and controversial decisions in national title scenarios seem to go hand-in-hand. Buckeye wrestler and No. 1 NCAA seed Sammy Sasso wrestled for the individual national title Saturday against No. 2 seed Austin O’Connor from North Carolina.

Sasso displayed his skills in close quarters and seemed to have control with one point apiece (both on an escape) and riding time in his favor late in the third period, but O’Connor scored a takedown to take the lead with about one minute left. Sasso then countered with a shot of his own after an escape and appeared to get a takedown just before time expired, but it was not called by either official.

Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan challenged the call, but after review, the call that was made held, and Sasso was relegated to national runner-up as opposed to national champion. Had the call been overturned, Sasso would have been the 4-3 victor.

With the loss, the OSU sophomore finishes the season with a 16-1 record and joins Ethan Smith and Tate Orndorff as All-Americans.

But boy, what could have been. Despite the loss, Sasso has had an unbelievable season and will most likely be the preseason No. 1 for next season when he’ll surely give it another run.

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