Kaleb Romero

High School:
Mechanicsburg
Year:
Redshirt Senior
Hometown:
Mechanicsburg, Ohio

SEASON	W-L	DUAL	B1G	MD	TF	PIN
2017-18 (redshirt)	11-1	--	--	2	--	--
2018-19	11-6	3-5	2-3	2	1	2
2019-20	19-7	9-3	5-3	3	1	0
2020-21	11-6	5-2	5-2	3	0	0
2021-22	17-6	5-1	4-1	6	0	4
2022-23	27-6	11-2	5-1	8	5	3
CAREER	85-31	33-13	21-10	22	7	9

CAREER HONORS
• Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2021)
• NCAA Qualifier (2020/174/6-seed/canceled, 2021/174/7-seed/2-2, 2022/7-seed/4-3/6th, 2023/6-seed/3rd/6-1). NCAA Record: 12-6
• Big Ten Championships (2020/4th, 2021/5th, 2022/4th, 2023/2nd). Big Ten Championships Record: 11-6 record
• NWCA Scholar All-America (2019, 2020, 2022)
• All-American (2022/6th, 2023/3rd at NCAAs)
• Academic All-Big Ten (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
• OSU Scholar-Athlete (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
• Ohio State’s Most Courageous Award (2022)

“?????? ???????????????????? ???? ?????? ???????? ???? ?????????????????? ?????????? ?????????? ???? ?????????? ??????????????.”
– @jjaggers2x @KalebRomero7 earns this year’s Most Courageous award as he garners his first All-American honors. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/cA29bD2l4Y

— Ohio State Wrestling (@wrestlingbucks) April 14, 2022

YEAR-BY-YEAR

2022-23 (Redshirt Senior)

Won the 2022 Michigan State Open with a 4-0 record in the Open Division
Finished second at the 2023 Big Ten Championships
Earned All-America status for the second time with a third-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships

MSU Open — Nov. 5, 2022/ Open Division – 174
Kaleb Romero-1^st Place
Champ. Round 2 – Kaleb Romero (Ohio State) won by major decision over Dylan Connell (Illinois) (Maj 18-5)
Quarterfinal – Kaleb Romero (Ohio State) won by tech fall over Ankhaa Enkmandakh (Northwestern) (TF 21-4)
Semifinal – Kaleb Romero (Ohio State) won by major decision over Jaden Bullock (Michigan) (Maj 14-6)
1st Place Match – Kaleb Romero (Ohio State) won by decision over Matthew Finesilver (Michigan) (Dec 12-5)

2023 Big Ten Championships, March 4-5
Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Kaleb Romero (2-1/2nd
184 | (2) Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. (7) Lenny Pinto (NEB) | D, 4-3
184 | (2) Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. (3) Isaiah Salazar (MINN) | D, 3-2
184 | (1) Aaron Brooks (PSU) def. (2) Kaleb Romero (OSU) | MD, 12-2

2023 NCAA Championships, March 16-18
BOK Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Kaleb Romero: (6-1/3rd)
184 | Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. Caleb Hopkins (Campbell) | MD, 10-2
184 | Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. Colton Hawks (Missouri) | D, 5-3
184 | Aaron Brooks (PSU) def. Kaleb Romero (OSU) | D, 4-1
184 | Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. Brian Bonino (Drexel) | MD, 15-6
184 | Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. Gavin Kane (North Carolina) | MD, 11-3
184 | Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. Trey Munoz (Oregon State) | MFF
184 | Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. Trent Hidlay (NC State) | SV-1 3-1

2022-23 Duals
184 | No. 4 Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. No. 9 Hunter Bolen (VT) | D, 4-2
184 | No. 4 Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. Jack Wehmeyer (COL) | TF, 22-6
184 | No. 4 Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. No. 13 Gavin Kane (UNC) | D, 5-4
184 | No. 5 Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. Tyler Bates (KSU) | TF, 25-10
184 | No. 5 Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. Colin Fegley (LH) | MD, 16-6
184 | No. 3 Parker Keckeisen (UNI) def. No. 5 Kaleb Romero (OSU) | D, 3-1
184 | No. 5 Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. No. 22 Tate Samuelson (LU) | D, 10-4
184 | No. 5 Kaleb Romero (r-Sr.) def. Drayton Harris (IU) | Fall, 3:59
184 | No. 5 Kaleb Romero (OSU) vs. No. 14 Brian Soldano (RUT) | Fall, 6:46
184 | No. 5 Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. Chase Mielnik (UMD) | TF, 22-7
184 | No. 5 Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. No. 8 Matt Finesilver (UM) | D, 7-4
184 | No. 5 Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. Lucas Daly (MSU) | TF, 21-6
184 | No. 1 Aaron Brooks (PSU) def. No. 5 Kaleb Romero (OSU) | D, 3-2

2021-22 (Redshirt Senior)

Preseason No. 11 at 184 by InterMat
Academic All-Big Ten
NCAA Qualifier
All-American
Champion at the Cliff Keen Invitational (184)
Finished Fourth at the Big Ten Championships
Finished Sixth at the NCAA Championships

Extra Matches
184 | Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. Chase Mielnik (UMD)| Fall, 4:01

2021 Cliff Keen Invitational
(Dec. 3-4, 2021, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas)
184 (Romero is No. 5 seed/4-0 First)
Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. Sam Deprez (BING) | Fall, 4:18
Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. No. 18 Darrien Roberts (OKLA) | D, 3-2
Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. No. 11 Tate Samuelson (WYO) | D, 6-3
Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. No. 15 Taylor Venz (NEB) | D, 7-3

2022 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, Lincoln, Nebraska, March 5-6
184 (Romero, 3-2, 4th)
Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. Jack Jessen (NU) | MD 18-5
Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. Christopher Weiler (WIS) | MD 10-1
Myles Amine (MICH) def. Kaleb Romero (OSU) | D, 4-2
Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. Kyle Cochran (MD) | D, 5-2
Zac Braunagel (Illinois) def. Kaleb Romero (OSU) | SV-1 3-1

2022 NCAA Championships, Detroit, Michigan March 17-19
Romero at the 2022 NCAA Championships (4-3/Sixth)
184 | (7) Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. (26) D. Washington (IND) | MD, 13-2
184 | (7) Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. (10) Taylor Venz (NEB) | D, 7-1
184 | (2) Aaron Brooks (PSU) def. (7) Kaleb Romero (OSU) | D, 13-2
184 | (7) Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. (30) Max Lyon (PUR) | MD, 15-6
184 | (7) Kaleb Romero (OSU) def. (8) Marcus Coleman (ISU) | MD, 13-4.
184 | (5) Bernie Truax (CP) def. (7) Kaleb Romero (OSU) | D, 3-1
184 | (3) Trent Hidlay (NCST) def. (7) Kaleb Romero (OSU) | D, 3-

2020-21 (Redshirt Junior)
• Posted an 11-6 overall record with a 5-2 mark in duals
• Earned five wins vs. ranked opponents
• Finished fifth at the Big Ten championships

2019-20 (Redshirt Sophomore)
• Took a big leap in second non-redshirt season
• Registered a 19-7 overall record to earn the No. 6 seed for the NCAA Championships as an expected All-American
• Fourth-place effort in the Big Ten Championships punched an automatic berth to nationals
• Amassed 10 wins over nationally ranked opponents including five against top-12 foes
• Went 9-3 in dual starts and 5-3 during the B1G gauntlet
• Endured a midseason stretch which pitted him against a dozen top-25 adversaries in 13 bouts
• Opened the ’19-20 campaign as a Michigan State Open champion to lay claim to the 174-pound starting gig
• ‘Black shirt’ recipient

2018-19 (Redshirt Freshman)
• Posted an 11-6 season record with two major decisions, two pins and a tech fall
• Made eight duals starts overall and five during the Big Ten slate
• Ohio Intercollegiate Open and Mat-Town Open II Champion
• Picked up a pair of B1G dual victories, including a 12-4 major decision over Cole Wysocki (Purdue)

2017-18 (Redshirt)
• Posted an 11-1 record while reaching the finals in all three tournaments competed in
• Edinboro Open champion
• Purple Raider Open co-champion (shared honor with OSU teammate Fritz Schierl)
• Placed second in the Cleveland State Open
• Registered a pair of major decisions

PRIOR TO OHIO STATE
• Four-time Ohio state champion
• Compiled 202 career wins (202-3), including a flawless 52-0 record in both his junior and seasons
• Did not yield an offensive point his entire senior year
• Won by fall in 52 seconds in the state finals hosted at the Schottenstein Center
• Led Mechanicsburg High to its first-ever team state title in 2017
• Division III Most Outstanding Wrestler
• Ohio’s 2017 Dave Schutlz High School Excellence Award recipient
• Ranked No. 12 overall nationally by Intermat and No. 1 at 170 pounds
• Top-ranked ‘pound-for-pound’ senior in Ohio
• Undefeated at both the NWCA Scholastic Duals and AAU Scholastic Duals
• First Team All-Ohio quarterback
• Class salutatorian

PERSONAL
• Son of Mindy and Patrick Romero
• Has two sisters, Lacey and Courtney
• Earned a Marketing (Business) undergraduate degree and is now pursuing a master’s of Human Resource Management degree