Tag: Ohio State Wrestling

Ohio State defeats Minnesota 22-13 in Top 5 wrestling bout

The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the No. 5 Minnesota Golden Gophers in one of the most anticipated wrestling duals of the season.

The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes traveled to Minneapolis to take on the No. 5 Minnesota Golden Gophers in one of the most anticipated wrestling duals of the season so far, and it did not disappoint. The Buckeyes were coming off a 26-10 loss to Iowa on Friday. There’s no shame in that, though, as Iowa is far and away the No. 1 team in the country right now. The Buckeyes showed in Minneapolis on Sunday night that they are not far behind, though.

The dual meet started at 157 pounds, because the 141- and 149-pound matches were expected to be the two best of the night–a decision that obviously turned out to be the correct one. Elijah Clearly of Ohio State couldn’t find a way past the defenses of Ryan Thomas, and lost a very close match. Cleary definitely has potential at 157, though his lack of positive results so far has to be a bit concerning as the season moves on.

Following that, Ethan Smith picked up a Major Decision and a team bonus point with a late takedown, while Kaleb Romero picked up a 2-1 win over Devin Skatzka with a late takedown of his own. The Buckeye came out with an important win in a Top 10 battle, something that will definitely be a big boost to his ranking and eventual NCAA seeding.

184 pounds looked like the potential weak spot in the lineup for Ohio State early in the season, but Rocky Jordan seems to have found his place in the lineup. He lost a very tight battle to No. 18 Owen Webster of Minnesota–getting turned for two back points early in the match was just barely too much to overcome–but the way he fought against a strong ranked wrestler shows that he should be fine for Ohio State in that slot when the NCAA tournament rolls around.

Kollin Moore earned a seemingly-routine Tech Fall to give Ohio State a 12-6 team score lead, and “Gas Tank” Gary Traub managed to keep his heavyweight match against prohibitive No. 1 Gable Steveson to just a Major Decision. At the time, that was big in the team score, though later matches would show it wasn’t quite necessary.

Minnesota took the team lead after Patrick McKee defeated Malik Heinselman at 125 pounds, but the Buckeyes wouldn’t lose another match from there. Jordan Decatur picked up some much-needed momentum with a strong Major Decision victory. Decatur had lost four matches in a row–and while all four were close matches against Top 10 wrestlers, consistently losing is never good for an athlete’s psyche.

No. 1 (141 pounds) Luke Pletcher gave up an early takedown to No. 5 Mitch McKee, but the Buckeye controlled the match from there for a solid victory. And, finally, Sammy Sasso followed his Friday upset of No. 1 Pat Lugo with a victory over No. 4 Brayton Lee, capped by a late takedown for the win.

Next… Season Outlook

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WATCH: Ohio State wrestler Sammy Sasso rides out win over No. 1 in overtime

Ohio State wrestler Sammy Sasso had one gutsy wrestling match Friday. Watch as he rides out a win over No. 1 ranked Pat Lugo of Iowa.

The Ohio State wrestling team couldn’t do much damage against a loaded Iowa Hawkeye club, but there was one moment Friday night that Buckeye fans, coaches, and teammates could be very proud of.

Sammy Sasso has been a competitor at the 149 lb. weight class, but last night he was facing the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the weight class, Pat Lugo. Do yourself a favor and find video of the entire match if you can because Sasso was a scrambling, defensive-minded grappler that kept finding a way to wiggle his way out of the shots Lugo kept going for.

So much so that at the end of two overtimes, the score was knotted at one point apiece for an escape by both men — headed for a tiebreaker. Sasso was able to escape during his :30 down on the mat, and then had to somehow hold off a stronger and more seasoned wrestler. All Lugo had to do was escape to tie it up and the match would continue.

But Sasso would have none of it. Watch as he rides out Lugo, refusing to let him out of his grasp for a full thirty seconds for the win. This is all heart and determination. Quite amazing really.

Keep in mind that there were three reviews that either took points off or could have put them on the board for Lugo, but they all went against him. But they were the right call for any objective viewer.

These are the types of moments that make wrestling fans out of the casual observer, and you can bet that Sasso’s ranking will most likely rise after this showing.

Ohio State Wrestling falls to No. 1 Iowa, Sasso upsets top ranked wrestler

The Ohio State wrestling team went to No. 1 Iowa and battled hard, but still lost the dual-meet.

It was always going to be an uphill battle, and the Iowa Hawkeyes showed their might in a dual-meet match against Ohio State Friday night. The Buckeyes battled, but the depth and talent on the Iowa side was just too relentless and too much to overcome.

Iowa got out of the gate quickly by winning the first three matches with relative ease to go up 9-0. Kollin Moore was able to get the Buckeyes on the board finally at 197 lbs. to make it 9-3, but Iowa struck back in the first session at Heavyweight to go up 11-3, losing a point because of a dress infraction.

The thriller of the night was at 149 lbs. Ohio State’s Sammy Sasso showed some unbelievable defense and scrambling ability against the No. 1 ranked Pat Lugo. The match went to double-overtime and then a tiebreaker where Sasso was able to pull off the upset by getting an escape in the first :30, then riding things out in the second :30.

But that would be the highlight of the night. Iowa pressed on with some major bonus points, winning seven of ten matches and a 24-10 team victory.

 

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Ohio State wrestling with a chance to make a statement Friday night against No. 1 Iowa

The Ohio State wrestling team is traveling to Iowa City to take on the No. 1 ranked Hawkeyes. Opportunity knocks.

The Ohio State wrestling team is quietly putting together another solid season, but in a break from previous years, it’s not considered one of the top two teams in the Big Ten. That goes to Penn State (as usual), and the No. 1 ranked Iowa Hawkeyes.

That’s right. Iowa was once the model program of college wrestling, showing up at No. 1 on an almost yearly basis, but has been a bit out of sight over the last few years. After going on a ridiculous run beginning in 1975 and winning a staggering 23 national titles, it slipped beginning in 2010.

Ever since then, Penn State has taken the baton as the country’s best program with Ohio State a close second. In fact, the Nittany Lions have won eight of the last nine national titles. The Buckeyes are the only other team to win one in that time period (2015).

But now, Iowa is back on top — at least ranking wise. The Hawkeyes are 7-0 overall in dual-meets and 4-0 in conference. And it’s been total domination. The closest any team has come in a dual-meet setting is when Nebraska lost 26-6. That in itself is a blowout, but the other six have been even worse.

Iowa’s individual talent is overwhelming. It has the No. 1 ranked wrestler according to Intermat at 125 lbs (Spencer Lee) and 149 lbs (Pat Lugo). Every other weight class is in the top-ten — often in the top five. The Hawkeyes’ weakest link is at 141 lbs with Max Murin (dripping with sarcasm).

That means a couple of things for the No. 4 ranked Ohio State wrestling team as it prepares to do battle Friday night. The challenge of staying with the Hawkeyes is a daunting one, but it’s also a great opportunity.

The Buckeyes have had to struggle through the season with injuries and competition to see who’s going to be the No. 1 at several weight classes. OSU has somehow found a way to fight through it all and lose just one close dual-meet against Virginia Tech earlier in the season. If it can find a way to take out a loaded Iowa team in the overall dual-meet points, it would obviously be huge.

But here’s the problem. The Buckeyes will be favored in only two of the team’s matches. Even with bonus points that would be nowhere near enough to pull off the upset. It’s going to need guys like Ethan Smith and Sammy Sasso to pull off a shocker or two while holding serve with Luke Pletcher and Kollin Moore to have a chance.

Either way, if you want to see some good wrestling, tune into BTN at 9PM Friday night.

 

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We have a forum and message board now. Get in on the conversation about Ohio State athletics by joining the Buckeyes Wire Forum.

WATCH: Kollin Moore records first Buckeye pin in Covelli Center

Kollin Moore pins Matt Wroblewski in the Big Ten dual match on Monday. Watch video of Kollin Moore’s pin.

It took a few months and half a dozen dual matches, but Kollin Moore became the first Buckeye to record a pin in the brand-new Covelli Center during Ohio State’s dominant win over Illinois on Sunday.

The Buckeyes have recorded plenty of wins in the Covelli Center this year. Wrestlers have won plenty of tight matches and earned plenty of bonus points, but no Buckeye had yet to record a pin. There were other pins, though, most notably Sammy Sasso’s upset loss to Brent Moore in the dual match against Virginia Tech.

The Buckeyes look very solid, with national contenders at multiple weight classes–led by Moore and Luke Pletcher. The Buckeyes definitely need work in some weight classes, like 125 pounds and 184 pounds, before they can really be considered national title contenders, especially with the deep lineups that Iowa and Penn State have. The Buckeyes will travel to Iowa City to face the dominant Hawkeyes this Friday evening. We’ll get a good gauge of how close Ohio State is to the national elite during that dual.

Watch Moore’s full match against Matt Wroblewski of Illinois and the pin(pin starts at about 5:30):
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYCKRoLeFzg&w=560&h=315]

Ohio State wrestling blows the doors off Illinois 28-6

The Ohio State wrestling team got its fifth-straight win by disposing of Illinois 28-6 in a Big Ten dual-meet.

The Ohio State wrestling team was back in action again Sunday after winning a dual-meet against a top ten Wisconsin squad Friday night.

It went well.

The Buckeyes scored 28 unanswered points in front of the home crowd at the Covelli Center to boat race Illinois by a 28-6 total. After dropping the first two matches at 125 and 133 lbs., OSU won the final eight in convincing fashion.

The whitewashing began with a 12-5 decision by No. 1 Luke Pletcher at 141 lbs. What followed was an onslaught highlighted by a major decision by Sammy Sasso at 149 lbs., and a pin by No. 1 ranked Kollin Moore at 197 lbs.

With the win, Ohio State improves to 7-1 overall, and 3-0 in the Big Ten. The No. 4 Buckeyes have a huge one coming up on the road against No. 1 Iowa on Friday night.

A dual-meet win this coming weekend would be epic.

Ohio State wrestling takes down No. 8 Wisconsin on the road

The Ohio State wrestling team took care of No. 8 Wisconsin on the road for a key Big Ten dual-meet victory.

The Ohio State wrestling team kept to its winning ways Friday night, getting another dual-meet win on the road against No. 8 Wisconsin 24-13. The Buckeyes took just six of ten matches, but piled up the bonus points to secure a top ten victory going away.

The Badgers got out of the gate quickly, taking the first two matches at the 125 and 133 lb. weight classes, but that changed quickly. Both Luke Pletcher and Sammy Sasso got major decisions at 141 and 149 lbs to quickly give Ohio State the dual-match lead.

From there, Elijah Cleary (157 lbs.), Kaleb Romero (174 lbs.), Rocky Jordan (184 lbs.), and Kollin Moore (197 lbs.) all scored victories. Jordan and Moore both wracked up bonus points with technical falls.

With the victory, Ohio State improves to 6-1 overall, and 2-0 in the conference. It’ll next take on Illinois Sunday at the Covelli Center.

Ohio State wrestling takes down No. 24 Rutgers

The Ohio State wrestling team stayed hot by taking care of a nationally ranked Rutgers team in the Covelli Center.

The Ohio State wrestling team appears to be hitting its stride as the season continues on. It still has some things to work out because of injuries and competition, but things are beginning to become more solidified at each weight class. That continued tonight with a hard-fought 22-13 dual-meet team win over No. 24 Rutgers Friday night.

As you would expect, both No. 1s got it done tonight with Luke Pletcher taking down JoJo Aragona at 141 lbs., and Kollin Moore disposing of Jordan Pagano with a major decision at 187 lbs. With the victories, both men remained undefeated on the year.

Other Ohio State winners were Sammy Sosa at 149 lbs., Ethan Smith at 165 lbs., Kaleb Romero at 174 lbs., and Gary Traub at heavyweight. All told, the wrestling Bucks took six of the ten matches with four major decisions and ran their dual-meet team record to 5-1.

OSU is next in action next Friday against Wisconsin on the road.

Ohio State wrestling moves back into top five of NCWA Coaches Poll

The Ohio State wrestling team has moved back into the top five of the NCWA Coaches Poll after its team win over Arizona State.

The Ohio State wrestling team knocked off a top-five Arizona State squad on Monday night. It was as close as it could be with the Buckeyes pulling out a one-point 17-16 dual meet team final score. With the Sun Devils winning five matches and OSU winning five, it all came down to bonus points with the scarlet and gray having the slight advantage.

And now, for its spoils, head coach Tom Ryan and his team have jumped back up into the top five in the latest NCWA Coaches Poll. The team everyone is chasing continues to be No. 1 Iowa followed by Nebraska (2), Penn State (3), and Virginia Tech (4).

NC State (6), Arizona State (7), Wisconsin (8), Oklahoma State (9), and Pittsburgh (10) round out the top ten.

Yes, it’s true that the Big Ten has this year pretty well locked down.

Ohio State Wrestling impresses in upset of Arizona State

The Ohio State wrestling team upset No. 4 Arizona State on Monday behind strong performances from Luke Pletcher, Kollin Moore, and others.

The Ohio State Buckeyes had a strong opening half to the wrestling season, though a tough dual loss against Virginia Tech marred it a bit. The Buckeyes, as they have been all year, are clearly competitive in most weight classes, though a few still need work. How did the Buckeyes spend the month gap since their last dual?

Well, we were about to find out, as the Buckeyes hosted Arizona State in the Covelli Center. The Sun Devils are a top dual team, and they shockingly upset Penn State earlier in the year. Arizona State actually came into this match as the higher-ranked dual, team, at No. 4 to Ohio State’s No. 7 ranking. Would the top Buckeyes be able to take care of business to give the team a chance? And could the other guys step up and get the win?

Match Day: Ohio State vs Virginia Tech

The match went in order, from 125 pounds up to heavyweight. Ohio State’s Malik Heinselman fought hard against the nationally-ranked Brandon Courtney, but couldn’t quite get the win. At 133 pounds, though, the Buckeyes look like they finally have a new contender. True freshman Jordan Decatur burned his redshirt to compete in this match, and he wasn’t disappointed. In his first-ever college dual match, he pulled out an upset of No. 15 Josh Kramer. Decatur got an early takedown, and he managed to hold off his opponent and fatigue to gut out a 5-3 win. He’ll need to work on conditioning a bit as he adjusts to the full seven minutes of college wrestling, but he is clearly an incredible young talent.

Unlike his usual tight matches, Luke Pletcher went straight for the pin from the start against Navonte Demison. He got four near-fall points in the first minute, and added four more towards the end of the first period. Pletcher couldn’t get the full six team points for a pin, but a very quick 19-4 win gave him five team points for a Tech Fall. Sammy Sasso followed that up at 149 pounds with a good win over Josh Maruca, but Sasso couldn’t quite hold on to his eight-point lead for a bonus point.

157 pounds is one of the weight classes where Ohio State doesn’t quite have an elite contender yet, and Elijah Cleary couldn’t get a win. He fell by decision to Jacori Teemer, so the Buckeyes took an 11-6 lead into the halfway mark. Arizona State’s biggest names were yet to come, though, so this was still anybody’s dual.

Second half

Ethan Smith fought hard against No. 4 Josh Shields, but he couldn’t pull off an upset. After two straight wins, Arizona State had cut the Buckeyes’ team lead to 11-9. At 174 pounds, ninth-ranked Buckeye Kaleb Romero took on No. 8 Anthony Valencia. Romero had a tough time at the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas, but he came out firing in this match. After a tight first period, he got a quick escape and takedown in the second, followed by a long and impressive ride out to end the period. Romero went for the Major Decision late and couldn’t quite get it, but he still picked up the win and three team points.

Of course, Arizona State’s Zahid Valencia was up next, and against Ohio State’s weakest weight class. Buckeye freshman Gavin Hoffman did an amazing job not only to avoid getting pinned, but to keep the final score to 19-5. Valencia only earned one bonus point, so the Buckeye’s carried a 14-13 lead into the final two matches. At 197 pounds, No. 1 Kollin Moore gave up a quick takedown to No. 14 Kordell Norfleet. A wild first period ended with a 5-5 score. Moore earned the only three points in the second period, and held on for the 11-9 win at the end.

So the stage was set for the heavyweights. Ohio State carried a 17-13 win into the final bout. If Ohio State’s Gary Traub won the match or lost by Decision or Major Decision, then the Buckeyes would take the dual. If No. 6 Tanner Hall could earn a Tech Fall or Fall, then the Sun Devils would win. Hall rode Traub out for the entire second period and earned a quick escape in the third. Traub gave up another takedown, but kept the final score to 4-2, so a Decision gave Arizona State only three points, and a very good dual win for the Buckeyes.

Next up for the Buckeyes is a home dual against Rutgers on Friday. The Buckeyes still have some holes to fill, but this is very clearly one of the top overall teams in the country.