UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lions (6-0, 6-0 B1G), ranked No. 2 in the latest InterMat Tournament Power Index, have advanced four individuals to the Big Ten finals set for tomorrow afternoon in the Bryce Jordan Center. The Lions, under the guidance of head coach Cael Sanderson, have nine grapplers qualified for the NCAA Championships in two weeks.
Sanderson's squad went a perfect 4-0 in semifinal action and 13-2 overall in the session. The Nittany Lions are in second place in the team standings with 111.5 points, with Iowa in first at 126.5. The two-day event is being hosted by Penn State in the Bryce Jordan Center.
Junior Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.), ranked No. 2 nationally at 133, took on Nebraska's Chris Cannon in Penn State's first semifinal of the night. Bravo-Young scored quickly, taking Cannon down in the opening twenty seconds. The Lion junior added a second takedown, grabbing a fleeing Cannon's feet for a 4-1 lead at the 2:03 mark. Bravo-Young worked his riding time up to over 1:30 before Cannon escaped. Cannon escaped to start the third period, cutting Bravo-Young's lead to 4-3. Leading by one, Bravo-Young chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 5-3 lead with 1:05 in time at the 1:30 mark. He added a takedown and a riding time point to post the 8-3 win and move into the Big Ten title bout.
Senior Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 2 in the country at 141, met No. 3 Sebastian Rivera of Northwestern in the semis. Rivera took the bout's first shot, gaining control of Lee's leg and working for a takedown with 2:13 on the clock. Lee quickly escaped and then rolled into a low shot for a takedown of his own to lead 3-2 with 1:45 left. Rivera escaped with :45 left in the period and the bout moved to the second tied 3-3. Lee quickly escaped to a 4-3 lead to start the second period. Rivera took a quick low shot and took Lee down to lead 5-4 with 1:00 on the clock. Rivera got called for locked hands at the :30-mark, Lee then escaped on the reset and the Lion led 6-5 after two periods. Rivera chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 6-6 tie at the 1:07 mark. Lee forced a wild scramble at the :15 mark that appeared to lead to a takedown and then danger, but no points were awarded. Penn State called for a review but the call stood. The bout headed to sudden victory and Nick Lee pulled out the thrilling 8-6 (sv) win with a scrambling takedown with just :02 left on the clock. Lee's win pushed him into the Big Ten title bout at 141.
Freshman Carter Starocci (Erie, Pa.), ranked No. 4 in the nation at 174, met No. 2 Mikey Labriola of Nebraska in the semifinals. Starocci took the bout's first few shots but Labriola was able to back away from each Lion shot. The Lion continued to provide the offense, forcing the Nebraska wrestler back towards the outer circle. Tied 0-0 after the first, Starocci chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. The duo battled evenly over the remainder of the middle stanza and Starocci led 1-0 after one. Labriola chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 1-1 tie at the 1:41 mark. Starocci nearly connected on a shot with :45 left but Labriola once again defended the effort. Starocci forced a late scramble that looked to end with the Lion turning Labriola's back to the mat, but after a review, no points were awarded and we went to extra time. Starocci, forcing all the action throughout the bout, had his offense pay dividends as a scrambling shot led to a takedown with under :05 left on the clock. Starocci's 3-1 (sv) win moved the freshman into the Big Ten finals.
Sophomore Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Md.), ranked No. 1 nationally at 184, battled No. 18 John Poznanski of Rutgers in Penn State's fourth semifinal match-up. Brooks battled Poznanski evenly for the bulk of the first period but worked his offense to a takedown and a 2-0 lead at the :42 mark. He finished the period on top and led by two after one. The Lion sophomore chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. He continued to press Poznanski and picked up a second takedown late in the period to lead 5-0 with :48 in riding time after two periods. The Scarlet Knight chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 5-1 score. Brooks dominated the rest of the bout, notching two takedowns and building up 1:39 in riding time to roll to a 10-2 major decision. The win moved the Lion into another Big Ten title bout and gave Penn State a 4-0 record in the semifinals.
True freshman Robert Howard (Cranford, N.J.), coming off a 1-1 first session, took on Rutgers' Dylan Shawver in Penn State's first consolation bout off the evening. Howard scored the bout's first points with a solid takedown just over :30 into the bout. He then controlled the action for the rest of the period and picked up a four-point near fall as the period ended to lead 6-0 after the first period. Howard used a takedown in the second period, an escape and riding time to roll to a 10-1 major decision, advance in consolation action, and become an NCAA qualifier as a true freshman. He took on No. 7 Dylan Ragusin of Michigan in the consolation quarterfinals. After a scoreless first period, Howard took a 1-0 lead to start the second period on a quick escape and then fought off a Ragusin shot in front of the Penn State corner. The Lion freshman withstood a strong late shot from the Wolverine and led by one after two. Ragusin tied the bout with his own escape to start the third period and the bout was deadlocked. The duo battled evenly for the rest of the third and the bout moved to extra time. After having one takedown taken away late in sudden victory, Howard locked up the Wolverine and threw him to his back for a takedown and a 3-1 (sv) win with 0:05 left. His second conso win of the day advanced him to the consolation semifinals.
Junior Brady Berge (Mantorville, Minn.), ranked No. 8 at 157, met Maryland's Michael Doetsch of Maryland in his opening consolation bout. Berge dominated Doetsch in each period. He used two takedowns to lead 4-1 after one, added a takedown and two near fall in the second period and rolled to an 11-2 major decision. The win moved him into consolation quarters and earned him a trip to the NCAA tournament as well. Berge took on Nebraska's Caleb Licking in the consolation quarterfinals. Berge scored quickly, taking Licking down off the opening whistle. He picked up a quick second takedown and finished off the opening period with a third to lead 6-2 after one. The Lion junior added a fourth takedown in the second and led 8-2 after two. He would go on to post the 12-2 major to advance to the consolation semifinals.
Freshman Joe Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 15 at 165, took on No. 14 Andrew Sparks of Minnesota in the consolations. The bout began with Sparks taking an injury timeout and Lee choosing down on the reset. The Lion freshman quickly reversed the Gopher, then turned him to his back and quickly got the first period pin. Lee's fast fall at the 0:44 mark moved him into the next round of consolations and punched his ticket to the NCAA Championships. Lee met Purdue's Gerrit Nijenhuis in the consolation quarterfinals. After an even minute, Lee took the Boilermaker down midway through the period and finished on top to lead 2-0 with 1:35 in time after one. Lee chose down to start the second period and after a scramble midway through it, was pinned by the Boilermaker at the 4:29 mark. Already an NCAA qualifier, he dropped to the seventh-place bout.
Freshman Michael Beard (Pottstown, Pa.), ranked No. 15 in the country at 197, met Matt Wroblewski of Illinois in his first consolation bout of the evening. The first period was scoreless with Beard nearly notching a takedown as the first ended, but to no avail. Wroblewski chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Beard continued to battle for the entire period, forcing Wroblewski back to the outside circle. His efforts paid off and he notched a takedown in the period's final seconds to lead 2-1 after one. He chose down to start the third and quickly reversed Wroblewski to lead 4-1, then 4-2 after his opponent escaped. Beard fought off two late Illinois shots and notched a final counter takedown with :11 and posted the 6-2 win. Beard took on No. 17 Thomas Penola in the consolation quarterfinals. The duo traded solid shot in the opening period and Beard finally got the first takedown with just under a minute left in the first. He quickly added a second after a Penola escape and led 4-2 after one. Penola picked up an early escape in the second and that was the middle period's only scoring. Beard escaped to a 5-3 lead to start the third period. But Penola tied the bout with a takedown at the :48 mark. Beard escaped to a 6-5 lead and made that point count, securing the 6-5 victory to move into the conso semifinals and earn a bid to the NCAA Championships.
Freshman Greg Kerkvliet (Grove Heights, Minn.), ranked No. 6 nationally at 285, met Michigan State's Christian Rebottaro in his opening consolation bout of the session. The Lion big man notched the first takedown of the bout quickly and led 2-1 early. He took Rebottaro down a second time to up his lead to 4-1 at the 1:15 ark and then went to work on top, looking for a turn. The Spartan was able to work his way to his feet and escape with :220 left but Kerkvliet quickly took him down again to lead 6-2 after the opening period. Kerkvliet chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 7-2 lead. He added another takedown and led 9-2 after two periods. Kerkvliet tacked on two more takedowns in the third period and, with 3:47 in riding time, posted the 16-5 major decision. Kerkvliet battled No. 13 Trent Hillger of Wisconsin in the consolation quarters. Kerkvliet scored midway through the opening period and led 2-1 after one period. Hillger chose down to start the second period, reversed Kerkvliet, but was quickly reversed by the Lion seconds later and Kerkvliet led 4-3 with 1:45 in riding time after two. The Lion freshmen would add one more takedown and clinch the riding time point with a rideout out. Kerkvliet rolled to a 7-3 win with 3:24 in riding time, advancing to the conso semis, and becoming Penn State's ninth NCAA qualifier.
True freshman Beau Bartlett (Tempe, Ariz.), ranked No. 10 in the country, met No. 17 Yahya Thomas of Northwestern in his first consolation match-up. The Lion freshman countered a Thomas shot midway through the opening stanza to take an early 2-1 lead. Bartlett battled thomas evenly for the rest of the opening period and led by one after one. Thomas chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie. Thomas picked up his first takedown and led 4-2 at the :55 mark. He escaped quickly after the takedown and trailed 4-3 after two periods. Bartlett chose down to start the third period and quickly reversed the Wildcat. Thomas escaped the bout was tied 5-5 with 1:30 left to wrestle. The rest of regulation was scoreless and the bout moved to sudden victory. Bartlett fought off a quick Thomas shot, forcing a reset. Thomas scrambled his way to a late takedown and posted the 7-5 (sv) win and Bartlett, who moved up a weight to 149, ended his first Big Ten tournament with a 1-2 mark as a true freshman.
The Nittany Lions went 13-2 in session two and collected eight more bonus points off four majors and two pins. Sanderson's squad was 3-1 in its four sudden victory battles in session two. Penn State went 24-8 over Saturday's two sessions and tallied 16.5 bonus points off seven majors, a tech and four pins.
The Big Ten received a total of 76 qualifying spots for the 2021 NCAA Championships, set for St. Louis on March 18-20. The Big Ten will qualify eight wrestlers (seven pre-allocations and one automatic spot for the weight class champion) at seven different weights (125, 133, 141, 157, 165, 174, 184), seven at 149 and 285 and six at 197.
Penn State finished its dual meet schedule with a perfect 6-0 mark, 6-0 in the Big Ten, and earned a share of its seventh Big Ten Regular Season Championship with 5-0 Iowa. The 2021 Big Ten Championships continue tomorrow with consolation action starting at 12 p.m. and the championship finals at 4 p.m.
The Big Ten Network recently announced an increase of its linear coverage of the event, giving fans around the country the chance to see the nation's best wrestlers throughout the weekend. The network aired whip-around coverage of all four mats during Saturday's 10 a.m. first session and Saturday night's Big Ten semifinals at 7:30 p.m. All four individual mats for both Saturday sessions featured mat cams available on the Big Ten Network+. Big Ten Network+ will feature the consolation action occurring before the finals starting Sunday at 12 p.m., as well as placing bouts during the title tilts. Sunday afternoon's Big Ten Championship finals will air live on the Big Ten Network at 4 p.m.
Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.
Penn State at 2021 Big Ten Championship – Session 2
March 6, 2021 – University Park, Pa. – Bryce Jordan Center
TEAM STANDINGS – Top 5
1: Iowa – 126.5
2: PENN STATE – 111.5
3: Nebraska – 88.0
4: Michigan – 76.0
5: Purdue – 67.0
Weight-by-weight agate (RANKINGS LISTED ARE INTERMAT as of 3/2/21):
125: Robert Howard, Fr., Cranford, N.J.
Rd. 1: #12 Eric Barnett, Wisconsin – L, 2-3 dec.
Cn. 1: Zach Spence, Maryland – W, 16-4 maj. dec.
Cn. 2: Dylan Shawver, Rutgers – W, 10-1 maj. dec.
Cn. Q: #7 Dylan Ragusin, Michigan – W, 3-1 (sv) dec.
Cn. S: tomorrow
Howard took on Eric Barnett of Wisconsin in the opening round. The Lion freshman notched a takedown out of the gamest and took a 2-0 lead out of the gates. Barnett countered with a takedown to tie the bout at 2-2, all within the first minute. Barnett maintained control for the rest of the period and Howard was tied 2-2 after one, but Barnett had 1:32 in riding time to his side. Barnett chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 3-2 lead, but his riding time edge was gone. The score held into the third period and Howard chose neutral to start it. The Lion freshman was not able to break through Barnett's defense during the period and dropped a 3-2 decision. He took on Maryland's Zach Spence in his first consolation match-up. He used two takedowns and two back points to open up a 8-2 lead after the opening period. Howard upped his lead to 10-3 after two and rolled to a 16-4 major with 3:45 in riding time, moving into the second round of consolations.
See above story for this session's recap.
133: #2 Roman Bravo-Young, Jr., Tucson, Ariz.
Rd. 1: bye
Qtrs: Jacob Rundell, Purdue – W, 9-3 dec.
Semis: Chris Cannon, Nebraska – W, 8-3 dec.
Finals: #3 Austin DeSanto, Iowa – tomorrow
Bravo-Young had a first-round bye. Bravo-Young, ranked No. 2 nationally by InterMat, met Purdue's Jacob Rundell in the quarterfinals. The Lion junior picked up an early takedown to open up a 2-0 lead. He built up over 1:30 in riding time before Rundell escaped, then finished off the period with a takedown to lead 4-1 with 1:43 in riding time after one. Rundell escaped to start the second period and Bravo-Young ended the period with another takedown to lead 6-2 after two. Bravo-Young would add on one more takedown and a riding time point to roll into the semifinals with a 9-3 win. The win also clinched a trip to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis two weeks hence.
See above story for this session's recap.
141: #2 Nick Lee, Sr., Evansville, Ind.
Rd. 1: bye
Qtrs: Dylan D'Emilio, Ohio State – W, 16-1 (TF; 3:12)
Semis: #3 Sebastian Rivera, Northwestern – W, 8-6 (sv) dec.
Finals: #1 Jaydin Eierman, Iowa – tomorrow
Lee also had a first-round bye. Lee, ranked No. 2 nationally by InterMat, met Ohio State's Dylan D'Emilio in the quarterfinals. Lee scored right off the whistle to open up an early 2-0 lead. He added a second takedown less than :30 later and turned D'Emilio for four back points to lead 8-1. Lee added a two-point tilt and another four-pointer to lead 14-1 after the first. He ended the match quickly in the second, reversing D'Emilio and posting a 16-1 technical fall at the 3:12 mark. Lee's win moves him into the semifinals tonight and also punches his ticket to NCAAs.
See above story for this session's recap.
149: #10 Beau Bartlett, Fr., Tempe, Ariz.
Rd. 1: Michael Blockhus, Minnesota – L, 3-5 dec.
Cn. 1: Michael North, Maryland – WBF (0:55)
Cn. 2: #17 Yahya Thomas, Northwestern – L, 5-7 (sv) dec.
Bartlett battled sixth-seed Michael Blockhus of Minnesota in the opening round. Bartlett, ranked No. 10 by InterMat, fell behind 2-1 early on a quick takedown by Blockhus and trailed by one after the opening period. He chose down and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie to start the second period but Blockhus countered with a takedown to up his lead to 4-2 at 1:10. Bartlett escaped to a 4-3 score and trailed by one after two. The Gopher senior added a final escape point in the third and Bartlett dropped a 5-3 decision in his Big Ten tournament debut. He took on Maryland's Michael North in consolation action and made short work of the Terrapin for his first Big Ten tournament win. Bartlett locked North up and quickly took him to his back. After just seconds of work, the Lion freshman got the fast fall, getting a pin at the 0:55 mark and advancing into the second round of consolations.
See above story for this session's recap.
157: #8 Brady Berge, Jr., Mantorville, Minn.
Rd. 1: Johnny Mologousis, Illinois – W, 13-4 maj. dec.
Qtr: #7 Kendall Coleman, Purdue – L, 2-3 dec.
Cn. 2: Michael Doetsch, Maryland – W, 11-2 maj. dec.
Cn. Q: Caleb Licking, Nebraska – W, 12-2 maj. dec.
Cn. S: tomorrow
Berge took Illinois' Johnny Mologousis in the opening round. Berge, ranked No. 8 in the nation by InterMat, scored quickly, taking the Illini down in the opening seconds. He added two more takedowns in the first period and led 6-2 after one. The Lion junior led 10-4 after two periods off two more takedowns and had 3:00 in riding time. Berge added a takedown and a riding time point to roll to a 13-4 major decision over Mologousis and advance to the quarterfinals. He met No. 7 Kendall Coleman of Purdue in the quarterfinals. Berge and Coleman battled in neutral over the first three minutes with neither wrestler making a dent offensively. Berge chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead that he carried through the period. Coleman escaped to start the third period and the bout was tied 1-1 but Coleman quickly moved in on a low shot to take the Lion down, opening up a 3-1 lead with 1:35 on the clock. Berge escaped to a 3-2 score with 1:10 left but could not counter with his own takedown and dropped into consolation action in session two.
See above story for this session's recap.
165: #15 Joe Lee, Fr., Evansville, Ind.
Rd. 1: Jonathan Spadafora, Maryland – L, 5-7 (sv) dec.
Cn. 1: Josh Otto, Wisconsin – W, 4-3 dec.
Cn. 2: #14 Andrew Sparks, Minnesota – WBF (0:44)
Cn. Q: Gerrit Nijenhuis, Purdue – LBF (4:29)
7th: tomorrow
Lee met Jonathan Spadafora of Maryland in the first round. Lee, ranked No. 15 nationally by InterMat, scored quickly to take a 2-0 lead right out of the gates. The Lion freshman built up a sizeable riding time edge before Spadafora escaped and Lee led 2-1 with 1:49 in riding time after one period. He took down to start the second period and scrambled his way to a reversal and a 4-2 lead with 1:30 on the clock. Spadafora added a late scrambling takedown and tied the match up at 4-4 after two. The Terrapin chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 5-4 lead but Lee had the riding time point clinched. Lee worked the bout to extra time but gave up a takedown early in the extra period and dropped a 7-5 (sv) decision. He took on Wisconsin's Josh Otto in his first consolation bout. After a scoreless first period, Lee escaped in the second but gave up a takedown to Otto. Lee escaped to tie the bout 2-2 after two and then finished off the win with a late takedown in the third period. Lee's 4-3 victory moved the Lion along in consolation action.
See above story for this session's recap.
174: #4 Carter Starocci, Fr., Erie, Pa.
Rd. 1: Phillip Spadafora, Maryland – WBF (4:47)
Qtr: #6 Kaleb Romero, Ohio State – W, 2-0 dec.
Semis: #2 Mikey Labriola, Nebraska – W, 3-1 (sv)
Finals: tomorrow
Starocci faced Philip Spadafora of Maryland in the first round. Starocci, ranked No. 4 at 174 by InterMat, opened up a big lead in the first period off two takedowns and a stall point. Leading 5-2, he chose down to start the second period, quickly escaped and then ended the match with just seconds left in the middle stanza, pinning Spadafora at the 4:47 mark. He took on No. 6 Kaleb Romero of Ohio State in the quarterfinals. In a rematch of the 2-1 (tb) bout won by Starocci earlier this year, this match-up began with Starocci fighting off an early Romero shot on the outside circle for nearly :30. Starocci forced a stalemate and the first period ended in a scoreless tie. Starocci escaped to start the second period to lead 1-0. He fought off another solid Romero shot and led by one after two periods. Romero chose down to start the third period and the Lion freshman took advantage. He controlled the action from the top position and rode Romero for the entire third period. Starocci's strong work in the third stanza led to a 2-0 victory with 1:52 in riding time, a spot in the Big Ten semifinals and a trip to the NCAA Championships.
See above story for this session's recap.
184: #1 Aaron Brooks, So., Hagerstown, Md.
Rd. 1: bye
Qtrs: #16 Nelson Brands, Iowa – W, 14-8 dec.
Semis: #18 John Poznanski, Rutgers – W, 10-2 maj. dec.
Finals: tomorrow
Brooks had a first-round bye. Brooks, last year's Big Ten Champion and ranked No. 1 in the country by InterMat, took on No. 16 Nelson Brands of Iowa in the quarterfinals. Brands countered an early Brooks shot to lead 2-1 at the 2:35 mark. Brooks picked up his first takedown with 1:40 on the clock and Brands escaped quickly to a 3-3 tie midway through the opening period. Tied, Brands chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 4-3 win. Brooks took an injury time and Brands chose down at the restart, quickly escaping to a 5-3 advantage. Another injury timeout and Brands escape put the Hawkeye up 6-3. Brooks quickly took him down at the :45 mark and cut the lead to 6-5 with. Brand escaped one more time and led 7-5 after two. Brooks chose down to start the third period and rolled through a reversal to tie the bout briefly before Brands escaped to an 8-7 lead. Brooks was undaunted. He lifted the Hawkeye at the waist, took him to his back and opened up a 13-8 lead with the takedown and four nearfall points. Brooks finished the bout on top and, with 2:59 in riding time, posted the 14-8 come-from-behind victory to roll into the semifinals and earn a bid to the NCAA Championships.
See above story for this session's recap.
197: #15 Michael Beard, Fr., Pottstown, Pa.
Rd. 1: Billy Janzer, Rutgers – W, 7-3 dec.
Qtr: #2 Myles Amine, Michigan – L, 6-8 (sv) dec.
Cn. 2: Matt Wroblewski, Illinois – W, 6-2 dec.
Cn. Q: #17 Thomas Penola, Purdue -- W, 6-5
Cn. S: tomorrow
Beard met Billy Janzer of Rutgers in round one. Beard, ranked No. 15 by InterMat, scored midway through the opening period to lead 2-0. He maintained control of Janzer for the rest of the period and carried that lead with 1:37 in riding time into the second period. Beard took a 3-0 lead with a quick escape to start the second period. Janzer picked up a late takedown and Beard escaped to lead 4-2 with 1:17 in riding time after two. Janzer escaped to start the third period. Beard fought off a slight Janzer shot, forced a stalemate, and then drove through a high single for a takedown and a 6-3 lead, with the time point clinched. Beard's 7-3 decision moved him into the quarterfinals where he took on No. 2 Myles Amine of Michigan. Amine scored early in the period, opening up a 2-1 lead after a quick Beard escape. Beard took a 3-2 lead with a fast high double and Amine escaped to tie things up with :50 left in the opening period. Amine escaped to a 4-3 lead to start the second period. Down by one, Beard escaped to a 4-4 tie to start the third period and the bout resumed tied in neutral. With :30 left, Beard took Amine down to take a lead but Amine quickly reversed the Lion and tied things up at 6-6. The bout moved into sudden victory where Amine secured the 8-6 (sv) win with a takedown, sending Beard to consolation action in session two.
See above story for this session's recap.
285: #6 Greg Kerkvliet, Fr., Grove Heights, Minn.
Rd. 1: Jack Heyob, Northwestern – W, 16-5 maj. dec.
Qtrs: #2 Mason Parris, Michigan – L, 3-11 maj. dec.
Cn. 2: Christian Rebottaro, Michigan State – W, 16-5 maj. dec.
Cn. Q: #13 Trent Hillger, Wisconsin – W, 7-3 dec.
Cn. S: tomorrow
Kerkvliet took on Jack Heyob of Northwestern in the opening round. Kerkvliet, ranked No. 6 by InterMat, took Heyob down early, taking a 2-0 lead just :06 into the bout. He cut the Wildcat loose with 1:48 on the clock and quickly took the Wildcat down a second time. Kerkvliet would total three first period takedowns to lead big after the opening stanza. Kerkvliet added on two takedowns and an escape to lead 11-3 after two periods. The Lion freshman continued to work on top in the third period and rolled to a lopsided 16-5 major decision with 4:47 in riding time. His win pushed him into the quarterfinals where he took on No. 2 Mason Parris of Michigan. Parris notched the first takedown of the bout to lead 2-0. Parris got hit with a stall at the 1:35 mark but maintained offensive control for the rest of the period and led by two with 1:58 in riding time after the opening period. The second-ranked Wolverine added another takedown in the second period and led 4-0. Kerkvliet took Parris down to cut a 5-0 lead to 5-2 but Parris would work his way through the rest of the period and posted an 11-3 major, knocking Kerkvliet into session two's consolation action.
See above story for this session's recap.
