Penn State wrestling’s Roman Bravo-Young and Aaron Brooks claim Big Ten titles
After the dust settled from the Big Ten wrestling championships on Sunday, Penn State had crowned two champions.
Roman Bravo-Young (133 pounds) and Aaron Brooks (184) were those champs. It was Bravo-Young’s first conference title, and Brooks successfully defended his title.
The Nittany Lions finished second in the team race with 124 points. Iowa claimed the Big Ten team title with 159.5 points.
Penn State now heads to St. Louis with at least nine wrestlers. It may get 10, but will have to wait until Tuesday. Coach Cael Sanderson had mixed feelings about his team’s performance this weekend.
“I’d have to take time to evaluate the matches. We got nine through and a long shot with Beau Bartlett,” Sanderson said. “I think some guys wrestled well. Some guys wrestled not so well. We’ll have to figure some things out and prepare for nationals.”
Here’s a look at where all of Penn State’s wrestlers finished:
125 Pounds: Robert Howard
Record: 3-3
Place: 6th
Recap: Howard showed what the future could hold for his Nittany Lions’ career. After just competing in just three regular-season matches and earning the No. 11 seed, the true freshman was able to finish sixth in his first Big Ten wrestling championships.
The New Jersey native trailed Northwestern’s Michael DeAugustino late in the third period of their fifth-place match. He was able to secure a takedown but it was a little too late in a 4-2 loss.
Howard took on Ohio State’s Malik Heinselman to start the day off in the consolation semifinals.
Heinselman handed Howard his lone regular season loss. Heinselman tallied a takedown in the first and third period to hand Howard his second collegiate loss, 5-2.
133 Pounds: Roman Bravo-Young
Record: 3-0
Place: 1st
Recap: It seems like Bravo-Young has figured out how to wrestle Iowa’s Austin DeSanto.
He has to do it with one arm behind his back, but he’s able to get the job done.
RBY took DeSanto down with 1:42 left in the first period, DeSanto escaped and it was 2-1 after one period. In the second period, DeSanto tied the bout up early with an escape.
However, the Arizona native put together a nice throw by on DeSanto to secure another takedown. In the third period, RBY added an escape, fought off several DeSanto shots and won his first Big Ten title with a 5-2 victory.
“I think he wrestled well against a tough opponent,” Sanderson said. “Roman just has to keep getting better and finding ways to score. I think he’ll wrestle even better at nationals.”
141 Pounds: Nick Lee
Record: 2-1
Place: 2nd
Recap: Lee had one of the toughest brackets to get through in the championships.
He managed to work his way to the finals, where he took on Iowa’s Jaydin Eierman. Lee recorded the first points of the match with a takedown 20 seconds in.
Eierman didn’t stay down for long. He quickly escaped and took Lee down on a counter trip as Lee looked to score again. Eierman rode Lee out for the remainder of the first period to amass nearly two minutes of riding time.
In the second period, Eierman’s escape was the lone point scored. Lee began on his feet in the third period after not being able to get out from under Eierman in the first period.
The choice paid off for Lee as he earned a takedown to tie the bout at 4-4. Lee let Eierman out in an attempt to get another takedown.
He picked up a stall point from Eierman, but couldn’t get that needed takedown. Eierman’s riding time he built up was the deciding factor in a 6-5 loss for Lee.
149 Pounds: Beau Bartlett
Record: 1-2
Place: Eliminated (Saturday)
Recap: Bartlett is one of six freshmen in the Nittany Lions’ lineup.
He got a quick taste of Big Ten postseason wrestling when Minnesota’s Michael Blockhus recorded a takedown right off the whistle. Bartlett escaped to trail 2-1 after one period.
Bartlett opened the second period with an escape to tie the bout. However, Blockhus tallied another takedown with 1:14 left in the period. Bartlett escaped to trail 4-3 to start the final frame.
Blockhus’ escape was the lone points in the third period as Bartlett was unable to secure a bout-tying takedown in a 5-3 loss.
Bartlett later used a 55-seconds pin of Maryland’s Michael North to reach the consolation quarterfinals.
The true freshman saw his tournament come to an end when he suffered a 7-5 defeat to Northwestern’s Yahya Thomas in sudden victory. His postseason may or may not be over as he is eligible for a wildcard for the NCAA Championships.
157 Pounds: Brady Berge
Record: 3-3
Place: 6th
Recap: Berge found himself in a dogfight to start the day. The redshirt junior took on Minnesota’s Brayton Lee.
The pair traded escapes in regulation to force a sudden victory period. In that period, Lee pulled off a slick single leg takedown of Berge for the 3-1 win, sending Berge to the fifth-place match.
Berge never made the call for the fifth-place match with Purdue’s Kendall Coleman. The Nittany Lions’ wrestler medical forfeited to finish sixth.
165 Pounds: Joe Lee
Record: 2-3
Place: 8th
Recap: Lee took on Northwestern’s David Ferrante in the seventh-place bout.
Ferrante led 2-0 after a first period takedown was the lone points. In the second period, Lee threw Ferrante to his back, but was unable to finish it off. Ferrante reversed Lee and put him on his back, but ran out of time trying to secure a fall.
Lee was unable to tally any takedowns in the third period as he fell to Ferrante 10-6, to end his Big Ten Championships’ debut.
174 Pounds: Carter Starocci
Record: 3-1
Place: 2nd
Recap: Starocci, who was named the Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Year, had a tremendous Big Ten Championships as a freshman. He worked his way through his bracket and into the finals.
But it was just a matter of time on when the clock would strike midnight on Starocci’s run, and it did against Iowa’s Michael Kemerer in the finals.
Kemerer tallied a takedown with one minute left in the first period to hold a 2-1 lead. In the second period, the veteran in Kemerer took Starocci down with just enough time to secure two near-fall points.
Starocci trailed 7-1 to open the third period. The redshirt freshman escaped quickly in the final frame, but Kemerer’s experience and defense was the difference in the 7-2 loss for Starocci.
184 Pounds: Aaron Brooks
Record: 3-0
Place: 1st
Recap: Brooks faced a familiar foe in Nebraska’s Taylor Venz in the finals.
Brooks pinned Venz in last year’s semifinals on way to his first title. This year, the result was the same Brooks beating Venz, but it wasn’t a pin.
Venz came out and scored a takedown right away. Brooks was unfazed, escaping and getting a takedown of his own to lead 3-2 after one period.
The sophomore in Brooks earned a reversal and used a nice snap down to record a takedown of Venz. The Maryland native led 7-3 to start the third period.
Brooks earned another takedown and had 3:03 in riding time to secure a 10-5 win, and successfully defended his throne.
197 Pounds: Michael Beard
Record: 3-3
Place: 6th
Recap: Beard faced a taller wrestler in Northwestern’s Lucas Davison in the fifth-place match.
The duo came out and went for throws early. Beard connected on one, but wasn’t able to secure a takedown.
Davison was shaken up and went in for concussion protocols. He came back and things were rolling again. The pair were tied 2-2 after two periods. Beard earned a takedown, while Davison had two escapes.
Davison tacked on two third-period takedowns to top Beard 6-4.
Beard had his work cut out for him in the consolation semifinals as he took on Michigan State’s Cameron Caffey, who fell to Aaron Brooks in the 184-pound Big Ten finals last season.
Beard was unable to stop several Caffey takedown attempts as the Spartans’ wrestler had four total in the bout. Beard was able to secure a takedown of his own late, but he was too far behind in the 12-6 loss.
285 Pounds: Greg Kerkvliet
Record: 4-2
Place: 4th
Recap: Kerkvliet got a taste of a true heavyweight when he took on Iowa’s Tony Cassioppi in the third-place match.
The redshirt freshman took on the much larger Cassioppi and was just out matched. Cassioppi took down Kerkvliet numerous times and Kerkvliet just couldn’t get out.
Cassioppi built up 3:30 in riding time to earn a 9-0 major decision over the Penn State wrestler.
Kerkvliet began his day taking on Nebraska’s Christian Lance, who medical forfeited Saturday night to Minnesota’s Gable Steveson.
It was a surprise to see Lance take on Kerkvliet, but the redshirt freshman had no problems with the senior in Lance.
Kerkvliet snapped off four takedowns and used a riding time point to help secure a 10-2 major decision to advance to the consolation finals.
Big Ten Championships
Sunday at Bryce Jordan Center
Team key: Illinois (Ill.), Indiana (Ind.), Iowa (I), Maryland (M), Michigan (Mich.), Michigan State (MSU), Minnesota (Minn.), Nebraska (N), Northwestern (NW), Ohio State (OSU), Penn State (PSU), Purdue (P), Rutgers (R), Wisconsin (W)
Team scores:1. Iowa 159.5, 2. Penn State 124, 3. Nebraska 105.5, 4. Michigan 92, 5. Minnesota 77.5, 6. Purdue 76, 7. Northwestern 74, 8. Michigan State 73.5, 9. Ohio State 69.5, 10. Rutgers 52
Finals
125: Spencer Lee, I, tech. fall Devin Schroder, P, 21-3 (4:30); 133: Roman Bravo-Young, PSU, dec. Austin DeSanto, I, 5-2; 141: Jaydin Eierman, I, dec. Nick Lee, PSU, 6-5; 149: Sammy Sasso, OSU, dec. Ridge Lovett, N, 5-2; 157: Ryan Deakin, NW, dec. Kaleb Young, I, 6-0; 165: Alex Marinelli, I, dec. Ethan Smith, OSU, 3-2; 174: Michael Kemerer, I, dec. Carter Starocci, PSU, 7-2; 184: Aaron Brooks, PSU, dec. Taylor Venz, N, 10-5; 197: Myles Amine, Mich., dec. Eric Schultz, 7-3; 285: Gable Steveson, Minn., major dec. Mason Parris, Mich., 12-4
Third-Place match
285: Tony Cassioppi, I, major dec. Greg Kerkvliet, PSU, 9-0
Fifth-Place match
125: Michael DeAugustino, NW, dec. Robbie Howard, PSU, 4-2; 157: Kendall Coleman, P, med. forfeit Brady Berge, PSU; 197: Lucas Davison, NW, dec. Michael Beard, PSU, 6-4
Seventh-Place match
165: David Ferrante, NW, dec. Joe Lee, PSU, 10-6
Consolation semifinals
125: Malik Heinselman, OSU, dec. Howard, PSU, 5-2; 157: Brayton Lee, Minn., dec. Berge, PSU, 3-1 (SV); 197: Cameron Caffey, MSU, dec. Beard, PSU, 12-6; 285: Kerkvliet, PSU, major dec. Christian Lance, N, 10-2
Semifinals
133: Bravo-Young, PSU, dec. Chris Cannon, NW, 8-3; 141: N. Lee, PSU, dec. Sebastian Rivera, R, 8-6 (SV); 174: Starocci, PSU, dec. Mikey Labriola, N, 3-1 (SV); 184: Brooks, PSU, major dec. John Poznanski, R, 10-2
Consolation quarterfinals
125: Howard, PSU, dec. Dylan Ragusin, Mich., 3-1 (SV); 157: Berge, PSU, major dec. Caleb Licking, N, 12-2; 165: Gerrit Nienhuis, P, pinned J. Lee, PSU, 4:29; 197: Beard, PSU, dec. Thomas Penola, P, 6-5; 285: Kerkvliet, PSU, dec. Trent Hillger, W, 7-3
Consolation second round
125: Howard, PSU, major dec. Dylan Shawver, R, 10-1; 149: Yahya Thomas, NW, dec. Beau Bartlett, PSU, 7-5 (SV); 157: Berge, PSU, major dec. Michael Doetsch, M, 10-2; 165: J. Lee, PSU, pinned Andrew Sparks, Minn., :44; 197: Beard, PSU, dec. Matt Wroblewski, Ill., 6-2; 285: Kerkvliet, PSU, major dec. Christian Rebottaro, MSU, 16-5
Consolation first round
125: Howard, PSU, major dec. Zach Spence, M, 16-4; 149: Bartlett, PSU, pinned Michael North, M, :55; 165: J. Lee, PSU, dec. Josh Otto, W, 4-2
Quarterfinals
133: Bravo-Young, PSU, dec. Jacob Rundell, P, 9-3; 141: N. Lee, PSU, tech. fall Dylan D’Emilio, OSU, 16-1 (3:12); 157: Kendall Coleman, P, dec. Berge, PSU, 3-2; 174: Starocci, PSU, dec. Kaleb Romero, OSU, 2-0; 184: Brooks, PSU, dec. Nelson Brands, I, 14-8; 197: Myles Amine, Mich., dec. Beard, PSU, 8-6 (SV); 285: Mason Parris, Mich., major dec. Kerkvliet, PSU, 11-3
First round
125: Barnett, W, dec. Howard, PSU, 3-2; 149: Blockhus, Minn., dec. Bartlett, PSU, 5-3; 157: Berge, PSU, major dec. Johnny Mologousis, Ill., 13-4; 165: Jonathan Spadafora, M, dec. J. Lee, PSU, 7-5 (SV); 174: Starocci, PSU, pinned Philip Spadafora, M, 4:47; 197: Beard, PSU, dec. Billy Janzer, R, 7-3; 285: Kerkvliet, PSU, major dec. Jack Heyob, NW, 16-5
This story was originally published March 7, 2021 at 7:27 PM.
