6:30 PM
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Night falls over the still Bryce Jordan Center, while few lucky fans from across the nation begin to file into their seats. Team busses garnished in university trimmings arrive at the arena with loads of wrestlers anticipating the start to the Big Ten Championship's second session.
The tone was set this morning, but much was left to be resolved as the first session concluded. Now with a few hours of rest, relaxation and reflection, the Big Ten wrestlers may begin to unpack their unfinished business in the semifinals and wrestlebacks.
7:35 PM
This isn't Roman Bravo-Young's first rodeo. As a seasoned junior for the Nittany Lions, he's seen plenty of competition of this caliber. But this time around is different. He is ranked first in the 133-pound weight class and has the upper hand since facing close losses in his past two Big Ten Championships. Now, as he paces the mat, Bravo-Young seems confident and loose – a recipe for success.
The 133-pounder quickly gets to work with Nebraska's Chris Cannon in his semifinal match-up. The Nittany Lion qualifies for the NCAA Championships by even making it this far in the Big Ten Tournament, but that doesn't seem to be enough for Bravo-Young. The junior secures an 8-3 decision and advances to the 133-pound championship match on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Lion's 125-pounder Robby Howard makes headway in his consolation match against Rutgers' Dylan Shawver. The freshman Lion rocks the Scarlet Knight with a 10-1 major decision, punching his ticket to the NCAA Championship and becoming the second Penn State freshman to qualify behind Carter Starroci.
Continuing in semifinal action, junior Nick Lee waits on deck for his huge face-off against Rutgers' Sebastian Rivera. The two seem to go back and forth exchanging points and each keeping a close eye on their opponent. The clock ticks down in the third period as the score stands 6-6.
With :02 seconds left in sudden victory, Nick Lee scrambles a takedown and gets the 8-6 decision over Rivera. We will see the senior Lion tomorrow in the Sunday finals.
8:30 PM
Three standout performances. Three NCAA qualifiers. And three more hours to go as the Big Ten Championships progress in action.
Freshman Beau Bartlett rounded out his morning performance with a resounding pin in consolations. But it seems the 149 pounder's appetite for an NCAA qualification isn't fully satisfied quite yet. Bartlett demonstrates incredible defensive skills against Northwestern's No. 17 Yahya Thomas but couldn't fight him off in sudden victory. The Lion drops a 7-5 decision and rounds out his first Big Ten tournament with a 1-2 mark.
Freshman Carter Starocci has made quite the name for himself at his first Big Ten Championships, winning both his morning matches with style and scrappiness. And as he prepares to step out for his semifinal matchup against Nebraska's Mikey Labriola, the freshman takes a moment to speak with head coach Cael Sanderson for some pre-match advice.
And it seems Sanderson's advice pays off as the freshman pulls together a huge upset against the No. 2 seed with a 3-1 decision in sudden victory.
Just two mats down, Brady Berge battles Maryland's Michael Doetsch in consolations. The junior manages an impressive 11-2 major after three quick periods and joins the other Lion's as an NCAA qualifier.
Semifinals continue to progress as sophomore Aaron Brooks approaches Rutgers' John Pozsnanski at 184. Pushing consistent offense marked by swift takedowns and ankle picks, Brooks looks to follow Starocci, Bravo-Young and Lee to the Sunday finals. And just like clockwork, Brooks achieves his goal with a 10-2 major and joins his teammates in celebration.
Joe Lee's morning saw a nice redemption win in the early consolations. But coming into the second session, he has one last chance to possibly secure his ticket to the NCAA Championships. Luckily, the fleet-footed freshman wins by fall at 0:44 against Minnesota's No. 14 Andrew Sparks. The younger Lee will now head to the conso-quarters later tonight.
9:30 PM
Tensions are rising here at the Bryce Jordan Center as we progress through the semifinals and wrestlebacks for many of the upper weight classes. Penn State has already advanced six stand-out wrestlers to the NCAA qualifiers, but the action at the Big Tens seems far from over. Fans have become progressively invested in each match. Teammates are screaming from the sidelines. And the energy has continued to spike as the night draws on.
Freshman Michael Beard hopes to join his fellow teammates as he wastes no time with Illinois' Matt Wroblewski. And in a three-period bout, the 197 pounder proves his place in securing an impressive 6-2 victory. The freshman seems calm as he walks off the mat, knowing he will soon have a shot at a national title. The action doesn't stop for Beard, though, as he will see another consolation bout later tonight.
Just a few mats away, freshman Greg Kerkvliet battles his heavyweight consolation bout against Michigan State's Christian Rebottaro. Takedown after takedown, Kerkvliet builds his confidence and racks up his point total. He finishes with a 16-5 major. While joining Beard in his cinched victory, Kerkvliet also looks to his last match of the Saturday session.
While semifinals wrapped up for the night, Penn State has five extra bouts tonight in consolation quarters with Howard, Berge, Joe Lee, Beard and Kerkvliet.
Kicking off the action is Howard against Michigan's No. 7 Dylan Ragusin. The 125-pounders move slower than usual, with few points on the board. The two head into overtime tied at 1-1. But Howard's effort only seems to increase as he secures a takedown in sudden victory. Despite Michigan's challenge of the call and removal of his takedown points, Howard makes his presence clear this time with a simple throw, takedown and 3-1 win.
10:30 PM
The second session of today's Big Ten Championships has been an excellent demonstration of Penn State's resilience and redemption. Four wrestlers will go for gold tomorrow, but even the Lions battling through the consolations made strides in point scoring. With only a few matches to go, it seems fans are still sitting on the edges of their seats – and for good reason.
Brady Berge springs to action with a quick takedown against Nebraska's Caleb Licking. The junior had four matches today, but by the swiftness of his stride and long-winded endurance, you'd never see his probable exhaustion. Berge works to build his point total before securing a 12-2 major over Licking.
Meanwhile, four mats down, Joe Lee looks to round up his final match of the night. The younger of the Lee brothers faces Northwestern's Gerrit Nijenhuis, but seems rather calm as he manages to maintain control throughout the entire match. In a quick turn of events, Lee suffers a loss by fall at 4:29. The freshman will still faceoff for seventh place tomorrow morning and is headed to the NCAA Championship.
At last, Michael Beard has his final performance against Purdue's Thomas Penola. The two find themselves neck and neck throughout the bout, as they're both desperate to win and punch their NCAA ticket. Beard manages to maintain his one-point lead and secures the 6-5 decision. We will see him at the consolation semis tomorrow morning.
The light at the end of the tunnel is finally clear for freshman Greg Kerkvliet, as he steps up to his final consolation match against Wisconsin's Trent Hillger. In an impressive bout, Kerkvliet cinches a 7-3 decision – wrapping up for the Lion's this second Saturday session.
