Big Ten Wrestling Tournament: Austin Gomez upset by Graham Rooks in 149 lbs. quarterfinals
No. 7 Graham Rooks (Indiana) pulled off one of the biggest stunners of the first session of the Big Ten Wrestling Tournament. He defeated No. 2 Austin Gomez (Wisconsin) 6-5 to advance to Saturday night’s semifinals.
In the third period, Rooks and Gomez were tied 4-4 before the Hoosier landed a takedown to take a 6-4 lead. Gomez escaped to cut it to 6-5 by Rooks was able to hold off the defending Big Ten champion for the upset.
Rooks improved his record to 27-6 on the season and earned the biggest one of the year.
Rooks will take on Minnesota’s Michael Blockhus in Saturday night’s semifinals. Gomez fell to the wrestlebacks and will take on Maryland’s Ryan Miller.
Rooks went 1-2 at the 2022 Big Ten Tournament and did not qualify for NCAAs. He went 1-2 at the 2021 NCAA Championships.
With Rooks’ upset win over Gomez, the Indiana star punched his ticket to the 2023 NCAA Tournament in Tulsa (Okla.).
The 109th Big Ten Wrestling Championships were held from March 4-5, 2023, at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., with the University of Michigan playing host to the event for the first time since 2010. All 14 conference schools participated in the championships, which began Saturday, March 4, with the first-round, quarterfinal, semifinal and wrestleback matches taking place during Sessions I and II.
Action continues Sunday, March 5, with consolation semifinals and seventh-place matches getting underway during Session III and the first-, third- and fifth-place matches highlighting Session IV.