2023 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Notebook • 197 pounds

WIN Magazine will provide notes and quotes about the 197-pound wrestlers at the 2023 NCAA Division I Championships in Tulsa, Okla.

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Semifinals (March 17 – 7 p.m.)

#1 Nino Bonaccorsi (Pitt) dec. #4 Ethan Laird (Rider), 10-4 — In a battle of two Pennsylvania natives who never won a high school state title, it was the Panther who scored a takedown in all three periods and controlled his way to his second NCAA finals appearance.

#7 Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State) dec. #3 Rocky Elam (Missouri), 7-2 — The lowest seed to reach the finals, Sloan surrendered the first takedown but tied the bout with an escape and a penalty point. In the second period, the Iowa native broke open the match with a four-point nearfall and added a late escape to give the Jackrabbits a national finalist.

Quarterfinals (March 17 – 11 a.m.)

197 pounds

#1 Nino Bonaccorsi (Pitt) dec. #8 Silas Allred (Nebraska) 5-3 — The Panther, a 2021 NCAA finalist — scored two takedowns in the first period then held off a good ride by the young Cornhusker for his second All-American honor.

#4 Ethan Laird (Rider) dec. #12 Zac Braunagel (Illinois), 3-2 — Laird broke a 1-1 tie with a takedown in the final 30 seconds of regulation but was nearly taken down in the waning seconds on the edge of the mat. The Illini coaches threw a challenge brick, but the call was confirmed, giving Rider a semifinalist for the first-time All-American.

#3 Rocky Elam (Missouri) dec. #11 Jaxon Smith (Maryland), 6-3 — The Tiger scored a takedown in both the first and third periods to lead 5-0 before the Terp got on the board with an escape and takedown in the final 38 seconds.

#7 Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State) dec. #2 Bernie Truax (Cal Poly), 6-4 SV — The pair traded takedowns in regulation, but it was Sloan who converted a high crotch to a double takedown on the edge of the mat to earn his first All-American honor and a trip to the semifinals.

Second Round (March 16 – 6 p.m.)

There will be two new finalists at 197 pounds as defending champ Max Dean of Penn State and 2022 runner-up Jake Warner of Iowa both lost in the second round.In a rematch of the 2023 Big Ten final (with a similar outcome), Nebraska sophomore and No. 8 ranked Silas Allred ended the reign of Penn State’s defending national champ Max Dean when he scored a 7-2 victory. The Husker ended any doubt when he scored a third takedown late in the match before adding a 1:02 riding time advantage. Warner, meanwhile, lost to Missouri’s No. 3 seed Rocky Elam, 6-2, as the Tiger scored a takedown in both the first and second periods.
Illinois’ No. 12 seed Zac Braunagel rallied to score two takedowns in the final period, the second coming with 37 seconds left to earn a 7-6 victory over Lehigh’s No. 5 seed Michael Beard. The Mountain Hawk had scored a takedown in both the first and second periods to lead 5-2 after two periods.
Rider’s Ethan Laird scored a takedown with 21 seconds left to give the No. 4 seed a 3-1 victory over Iowa State’s No. 13 Yonger Bastida.
Maryland’s No. 11 seed Jaxon Smith was leading NC State’s No. 6 Isaac Trumble 4-1 when the Terp scored the fall in 2:16.

First Round (March 16 – 11 a.m. CDT)

North Dakota State’s #16 Owen Pentz was leading Wisconsin’s #17 Braxton Amos, 3-0, when the Badger was forced to injury default.
Penn State’s defending national champ Max Dean, seeded #9, defeated Campbell’s Levi Hopkins, 6-1, as the Nittany Lion scored takedowns in the second and third period after a scoreless first period. This sets up a rematch of the 2023 Big Ten finals against Nebraska’s Silas Allred, who beat Virginia’s Michael Battista, 13-7
In a battle of former All-Americans, Iowa’s defending national runner-up and No. 14 seed Jacob Warner held off Michigan State’s No. 19 Cam Caffey, 5-1, scoring a second-period takedown and third-period reversal.

All-American Round (March 18 – 10 a.m.)

Finals (March 18 – 6 p.m.)