Ohio State
Big Ten Championship **
Sasso, Romero Wrestle for B1G Titles Sunday
3/4/2023 9:28:21 PM | General, Wrestling
Big Ten Championship Info | How to Watch | NCAA Allocations
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Sammy Sasso advanced to wrestle in his fourth Big Ten Championship finals after a pair of wins Saturday at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He will be joined by Kaleb Romero, who won his semifinal bout at 184 for the right to wrestle for a championship Sunday.
Sasso, the No. 1 seed, will face Michael Blockhus of Minnesota, the No. 6 seed, for the Big Ten title.
Sasso has finished second twice previously and owns one title (2021).
.@sammysasso advances to the #B1GWrestle finals on an 8-2 decision! ?@wrestlingbucks x @B1GWrestling pic.twitter.com/8PCcz8HVRi
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) March 5, 2023
Romero, the No. 2 seed, will take on No. 1 seed Aaron Brooks of Penn State. Romero is wrestling in his first finals at the conference championship.
.@KalebRomero7 holds tough for the win and advances to the #B1GWrestle finals! @wrestlingbucks x @B1GWrestling pic.twitter.com/AJe60XBbqK
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) March 5, 2023
Ohio State also has five Buckeyes with a chance for a third-place finish Sunday.
Jesse Mendez (133), Dylan D’Emilio (141), Carcon Kharchla (165) and Tate Orndorff (HWT) will continue in the consolation rounds for a chance at third.
Mendez won his quarterfinal bout before a loss in the semifinals Saturday evening. D’Emilo battled back through the consolation bracket with a pair of wins after suffering a first round loss. Orndorff won his first-round bout Saturday morning before a loss in the quarterfinals. He advanced with a win in the consolation round Saturday night.
Kharchla and Smith won twice Saturday morning before falling in the semifinals in the evening session.
Ohio State advanced five to the semifinal round after the morning sessions.
Mendez (133), Sasso (149) and Romero (184) won their quarterfinal bouts after receiving first round byes. Kharchla (165) and Smith (174) advanced after winning twice Saturday morning.
Saturday Results
125 | (3) Matt Ramos (PUR) def. (14) Andre Gonzales (OSU) | TF, 18-1
Ramos scored first with a takedown to lead after the first 2-0. The lead increased to 8-1 after two with Ramos scoring a four-point near fall before a Gonzales escape and another Ramos takedown. Ramos went on to win by technical fall, 18-1.
Consolation Rnd. 1
125 | (11) Tristan Lujan (MSU) def. (14) Andre Gonzales (OSU) | D, 4-1
125 | (11) Tristan Lujan (MSU) def. (14) Andre Gonzales (OSU) | MD, 8-0
133 | (2) Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. (7) Joe Heilmann (RUT) | D, 4-0
After a bye in the opening round, Mendez and Heilmann were scoreless after the first period. Mendez built two minutes of riding time after another scoreless period. Mendez escaped early in the third for a 1-0 lead. His first point in the Big Ten championships. He added a takedown and a point for riding time to win 4-0 by decision and advance to the semifinals.
133 | (6) Aaron Nagao (MINN) def. (2) Jesse Mendez (OSU) | SV, 6-4
Mendez quickly moved to a 4-0 lead with a takedown and two-point near fall. He led 4-1 after the first. Nagao added an escape point early in the second before adding a takedown to tie it at 4-all after two periods. The bout went to overtime where Nagao got the winning takedown to win, 6-4.
141 | (8) Parker Filius (PUR) def. (9) Dylan D’Emilio (OSU) | D, 3-1
There was no score in the first before D’Emilio got the escape early in the second for a 1-0 lead. Filius got a late escape and takedown in the third to win by decision, 3-1.
Consolation Rnd. 1 – Bye
Consolation Rnd. 2
141 | (9) Dylan D’Emilio (OSU) def. (11) Cole Mattin (MICH) | D, 4-1
Consolation Rnd. 3
141 | (9) Dylan D’Emilio (OSU) def. (10) Joseph Zargo (WIS) | MD, 10-1
149 | (1) Sammy Sasso (OSU) def. (9) Chance Lamer (MICH) | MD, 12-4
After an opening round bye, Sasso scored a takedown early in the first. He added another after a Lamer escape for a 4-1 lead after three minutes. Another Lamer escape set the bout to the third with Sasso leading 4-2. An escape and takedown put Sasso on top 7-3. Two more takedowns and a point for riding time earned a win by major decision (12-4) for the Buckeyes. The win placed Sasso into the semifinals.
149 | (1) Sammy Sasso (OSU) def. (4) Max Murin (IOWA) | D, 8-2
Sasso scored a late takedown in the first to lead 2-0 after one. A quick escape and then a takedown made it 5-0 Sasso. Murin got an early escape in the third but Sasso countered with a takedown. With a point for riding time, Sasso advanced to the finals with an 8-2 win by decision.
157 | (5) Cobe Siebrecht (IOWA) def. (12) Paddy Gallagher (OSU) | MD, 8-0
After a Siebrecht takedown and four-point near fall, the match went to the second with Iowa leading 6-0. Siebrecht added an escape point in the second and with riding time won by major decision, 8-0.
Consolation Rnd. 1
157 | (13) Andrew Clark (RUT) def. (12) Paddy Gallagher (OSU) | D, 4-1
165 | (5) Carson Kharchla (OSU) def. (12) Robert Kanniard (RUT) | TF, 20-5 6:14
Kharchla got on the board first with a takedown. He added two more and a four-point near fall to lead 10-2 after the first. Another takedown and four-point near fall made it 16-4 after five minutes of action. With a pair third-period takedowns Kharchla won by technical fall, 20-5.
165 | (5) Carson Kharchla (OSU) vs. (4) Alex Facundo (PSU) | D, 3-1
Kharchla got the first points of the match with a takedown late in the first for a 2-0 lead after three minutes. A quick OSU escape put the Buckeyes up 3-0 in the second. Facundo escaped to open the third to make it 3-1 but Kharchla held on to advance to the semifinals with a 3-1 win by decision.
165 | (1) Dean Hamiti (WIS) def. (5) Carson Kharchla (OSU) | MD, 14-2
Hamiti jumped out to a 6-0 with a takedown and four-point near fall. After a Kharchla escape, Hamiti added another takedown to lead 8-1 after the first. An escape and takedown in the second increased the lead to 11-1 Wisconsin. Hamiti advanced to the finals with a 14-2 win by major decision. Kharchla will battle for a third-place finish Sunday.
174 | (3) Ethan Smith (OSU) def. (14) Cooper Noehre (PUR) | D, 11-6
Smith struck first with a pair of takedowns before another made it 6-2 going into the second. The lead remained in Ohio State’s favor after two, with the Buckeyes leading 8-4. Noehre added an escape point early in the third before another Smith takedown made it 10-5. With a point for riding time, Smith won the bout by decision, 11-6.
174 | (3) Ethan Smith (OSU) def. (6) Donnell Washington (IND) | MD, 10-1
Smith and Washington were scoreless after the first three minutes. Washington escaped early in the second for a 1-0 lead. Smith countered with a takedown to lead 2-1 after two. Smith added a point with an escape and added another takedown. A four-point near fall and a riding time point give Smith the win by major decision, 10-1. The win sent the redshirt senior to the semifinals.
174 | Mikey Labriola (NEB) def. (3) Ethan Smith (OSU) | D, 4-3
Neither Smith nor Labriola scored in the first three minutes. Smith scored first with an escape in the second. Labriola scored a reversal to take a 2-1 lead in the third before Smith tied it at 2-all with an escape. A late takedown earned Labriola a 4-3 win by decision.
184 | (2) Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. (7) Lenny Pinto (NEB) | D, 4-3
The third Buckeye with a bye in the opening round, Romero trailed after the first, 2-1. Pinto went up 3-1 with an escape to start the second. Romero escaped early in the third and took the lead at 4-3 with a takedown to win by decision and advance to the semifinals.
184 | (2) Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. (3) Isaiah Salazar (MINN) | D, 3-2
Romero scored first with an escape early in the second after neither wrestler put points on the board in the first. Romero added a takedown to lead 3-1 with two minutes left. Salazar added an escape point to start the third but Romero advance to the finals with a 3-2 win by decision.
197 | (7) Gavin Hoffman (OSU) def. (10) Nick Willham (IND) | D, 6-3
Hoffman scored the opening takedown to lead 2-1 after the first. An escape to open the second made it 3-1 Hoffman. Another takedown for the Buckeyes upped the lead to 5-2 with two minutes to go. With a point for riding time, Hoffman won by decision, 6-3.
197 | (2) Silas Allred (NEB) def. (7) Gavin Hoffman (OSU) | D, 6-2
Allred scored first to lead 2-1 following a Hoffman escape. Allred added an escape point to lead 3-1 to open the second period. Hoffman added an escape point to open the third but Allred added a late takedown to win by decision, 6-2.
Consolation Rnd. 2
197 | (8) Braxton Amos (WIS) def. (7) Gavin Hoffman (OSU) | D, 6-1
HWT | (7) Tate Orndorff (OSU) def. (10) Hayden Copass (PUR) | D, 2-0
After a scoreless first, Orndorff escaped in the second to lead 1-0. Copass was unable to score in the third and with a point for riding time, Orndorff won by decision, 2-0.
HWT | (7) Tate Orndorff (OSU) vs. (2) Greg Kerkvliet (PSU) | MD, 9-1
Kerkvliet scored first with a takedown for a 2-0 lead after three minutes. A Kerkvliet reversal and takedown around an Orndorff escape increased the Penn State lead to 6-1 after two. Kerkvliet went on to win by major decision, 9-1.
Consolation Rnd. 2
HWT | (7) Tate Orndorff (OSU) def. (9) Jaron Smith (MD) | D, 4-2
Consolation Rnd. 3
HWT | (7) Tate Orndorff (OSU) def. (6) Boone McDermott (RUT) | Inj.
#GoBucks
