2023 Big Ten Championships

Penn State crowns four champs; Haines upsets Robb; Hawkeyes second with two champs; Husker’s Allred upsets NCAA champ

From Penn State

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – The Penn State Nittany Lions (16-0, 8-0 B1G) stormed the field to claim the 2023 Big Ten Championship, winning the school’s seventh conference title. Four Penn State wrestlers earned individual titles as well. Penn State won the team race with 147.0 points, ahead of second place Iowa’s 134.5. Penn State also qualified nine individuals for the 2023 NCAA Championships in two weeks.

This is Penn State’s seventh conference championship, having also won in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2019. Penn State now has 59 Big Ten Champions, spread among 32 individuals. Penn State’s six finalists tied the school record for finalists in a season (2019). Cael Sanderson was named Big Ten Coach of the Year, earning the honor for the seventh time. Levi Haines was honored as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, becoming Penn State’s eighth honoree.

Roman Bravo-Young (133) and Aaron Brooks (184) both became three-time Big Ten Champions (Penn State’s 8^th and 9^th respectively). Carter Starocci (174) became a two-time Big Ten Champion and Levi Haines (157) become a true freshman Big Ten Champion. Haines upset top-ranked Peyton Robb of Nebraska for his first conference crown

From Iowa

Top seeds Spencer Lee and Real Woods won Big Ten Conference individual titles and Lee took home two of the top individual honors on Sunday night at the 2023 Big Ten Championships at Crisler Arena.

Lee was voted the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year for a third time in his career (2020, 2021) and he was selected as the Outstanding Wrestler of the Big Ten Championships for the first time in his career.  He went 3-0 with two technical fall victories and outscored his opponents, 45-4.

He is the second Hawkeye all-time to earn three Big Ten Wrestler of the Year honors, joining Mark Ironside (1996, 1997, 1998) as a three-time recipient.  Iowa has had 11 wrestlers garner 13 Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships honors and 10 wrestlers have garnered 15 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year accolades.

Lee and Woods are the 209th and 210th Big Ten champions in program history. Woods is the 118th Big Ten champion all-time.  Both were named to the 2023 All-Big Ten team.

The Hawkeyes had all 10 wrestlers place in the top seven of the championships with all 10 qualifying for the NCAA Championships later this month in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Iowa finished the tournament with 134.5 points to finish as the team runner-up, while Penn State won the title with 147 points.

From Nebraska

The Nebraska wrestling team finished third at the 2023 Big Ten Championships with 104.5 team points. Silas Allred highlighted the day, winning the 197-pound Big Ten title. That marks the first Big Ten Champion for NU since Robert Kokesh won in 2015.

The Huskers put five wrestlers in the finals this weekend and clinched seven automatic bids to the NCAA Championships.

Other Notes

• Michigan’s top-ranked Mason Parris ended the Big Tens on a happy note for his home fans as he edged Penn State’s No. 2-ranked Greg Kerkvliet in the heavyweight final.

• Ohio State’s Sammy Sasso, a 2021 NCAA finalist, earned his second Big Ten championship.

• Minnesota walked away with two Big Ten silver medalists on the day, as finalists Aaron Nagao and Michael Blockhus both fell in narrow decisions to the top seeds of their respective brackets.

Big Ten Championships

March 4-5 • Ann Arbor, Mich.

Team Standings

Individual Placement Matches

(includes pre-NCAA automatic qualifiers per weight)

125 pounds (9)

1st — Spencer Lee (Iowa) dec. Liam Cronin (Nebraska), 8-2

3rd — Matt Ramos (Purdue) won by medical forfeit over Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern)

5th — Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) dec. Patrick McKee (Minnesota), 7-3

7th — Dean Peterson (Rutgers) dec. Jack Medley (Michigan), 7-1

133 pounds (9)

1st — Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) dec. Aaron Nagao (Minnesota), 5-2

3rd — Lucas Byrd (Illinois) dec. Chris Cannon (Northwestern), 3-1 sv

5th — Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) dec. Jesse Mendez (Ohio State), 5-3

7th — Brody Teske (Iowa) dec. Joe Heilmann (Rutgers), 8-4

141 pounds (9)

1st — Real Woods (Iowa) dec. Brock Hardy (Nebraska), 2-

3rd — Beau Bartlett (Penn State) dec. Dylan D`Emilio (Ohio State), 5-2

5th — Parker Filius (Purdue) dec. Frankie Tal Shahar (Northwestern), 4-3

7th — Joseph Zargo (Wisconsin) won by medical forfeit over Jakob Bergeland (Minnesota)

149 pounds (9)

1st — Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) dec. Michael Blockhus (Minnesota) 7-5 sv

3rd — Max Murin (Iowa) dec.  Shayne Van Ness (Penn State), 3-2

5th — Graham Rooks (Indiana) won by medical forfeit over Yahya Thomas (Northwestern)

7th — Chance Lamer (Michigan) won by default over Ethen Miller (Maryland)

157 pounds (10)

1st — Levi Haines (Penn State) dec. Peyton Robb (Nebraska) 3-1 sv

3rd — Will Lewan (Michigan) dec. Trevor Chumbley (Northwestern), 3-2

5th — Chase Saldate (Michigan State) dec. Kendall Coleman (Purdue), 6-1

7th — Cobe Siebrecht (Iowa) dec. Derek Gilcher (Indiana),  2-0

165 pounds (8)

1st — Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) dec. Patrick Kennedy (Iowa), 9-6

3rd — Carson Kharchla (Ohio State) won by medical forfeit over Cameron Amine (Michigan)

5th — Maxx Mayfield (Northwestern) dec. Bubba Wilson (Nebraska), 3-1

7th — Alex Facundo (Penn State) dec. Dan Braunagel (Illinois), 3-1

174 pounds (7)

1st — Carter Starocci (Penn State) dec. Mikey Labriola (Nebraska), 6-1

3rd — Ethan Smith (Ohio State) dec. Bailee O`Reilly (Minnesota), 5-3

5th — Nelson Brands (Iowa) dec. Edmond Ruth (Illinois), 5-1

7th — Jackson Turley (Rutgers) dec. Donnell Washington (Indiana), 8-4

184 pounds (9)

1st — Aaron Brooks (Penn State) major dec. Kaleb Romero (Ohio State), 12-2

3rd — Matt Finesilver (Michigan) won by medical forfeit over Isaiah Salazar (Minnesota)

5th — Lenny Pinto (Nebraska) pinned Brian Soldano (Rutgers), 1:09

7th — Abe Assad (Iowa) won by medical forfeit over Layne Malczewski (Michigan State)

197 pounds (9)

1st — Silas Allred (Nebraska) dec. Max Dean (Penn State), 6-3

3rd — Jaxon Smith (Maryland) dec. Zac Braunagel (Illinois) 5-3 sv

5th — Jacob Warner (Iowa) won by medical forfeit over Cameron Caffey (Michigan State)

7th — Braxton Amos (Wisconsin) dec. Michial Foy (Minnesota), 1-0

Heavyweight (9)

1st — Mason Parris (Michigan) dec. Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State), 5-3 sv

3rd — Tony Cassioppi (Iowa) major dec. Tate Orndorff (Ohio State), 10-1

5th — Lucas Davison (Northwestern) won by medical forfeit over Trent Hillger (Wisconsin)

7th — Hayden Copass (Purdue) won by medical forfeit over Boone Mcdermott (Rutgers)