Penn State wrestling sends five to NCAA finals, leads team race entering final day

Penn State wrestling has always performed well in the NCAA semifinals under head coach Cael Sanderson.

This year was no different.

The Nittany Lions qualified five of six wrestlers for Saturday’s finals on Friday night inside Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich. It gives Sanderson’s side a commanding lead in the team race with just one day left in this year’s tournament.

Here’s how it happened.

Penn State takeaways from session four of the NCAA Championships

According to Penn State radio announcer Jeff Byers, Penn State entered Friday with a mark of 40-4 in NCAA semifinal matches under Sanderson.

That record now stands at 45-5.

Roman Bravo-Young qualified for his second straight final by again beating Iowa’s Austin DeSanto. This time, the Nittany Lion netted a 3-2 victory.

“First of all, I have to thank [DeSanto], because he pushes me,” Bravo-Young told ESPN. “I’ve wrestled him eight times now.

“Back in the finals now. I have to find a way. Just happy and grateful. It’s awesome. Lot of hard work. And one more match [Saturday]. Just get ready for that. But, I’m excited right now.”

Nick Lee came next at 141 pounds and earned the right to defend his NCAA title by beating Real Woods of Stanford, 3-2. Like DeSanto, Woods was a game opponent for the Penn State wrestler. But, the Nittany Lion was better when it mattered most.

Carter Starocci then punched his second straight finals ticket by topping Hayden Hidlay of North Carolina State in dominating fashion, 10-3, at 174 pounds.

Aaron Brooks of Penn State took on Trent Hidlay next. The Lions 184-pounder controlled the match but needed a third period escape to tie the match at four and force sudden victory. Then, the defending champ shot 11 seconds into sudden victory and got behind the North Carolina State wrestler to return to the finals with a 6-4 win.

At 197, Max Dean controlled Ohio State’s Gavin Hoffman throughout to the tune of a 9-3 decision. The top-seeded Penn State wrestler is into the finals, as well.

Finally, at heavyweight, Greg Kerkvliet put up a tremendous effort opposite gold medalist and Minnesota top-seed Gable Steveson, but lost, 8-3. He’s into the consolation medal round, which will be contested Saturday morning.

Team race update

It’s a two-team race for the NCAA title. And, it’s the same two teams that fought for the Big Ten title.

Penn State enters Saturday with 108 team points to Michigan’s 84.5. They are the only two programs still capable of winning the title. The Wolverines edged the Lions in the conference tournament by 1.5 points.

The Lions have not yet clinched the national title. But, it has five finalists and one wrestler in the consolation semifinals. Michigan, then, has four consolation semifinalists and two finalists.

In other words, Saturday morning’s session will tell the tale in terms of how this race will play out. But, the long and short of it is this: Barring a perfect day for Michigan and a disastrous one for Penn State, the Lions are on track to win their first NCAA title since 2019.

Penn State has eight team titles under Sanderson and nine overall entering the day.

Consolation round action, or the blood round as it is called, kicks off at 11 a.m. on ESPNU. The finals are at 8 p.m. on ESPN.

Session four results for Penn State

133 pounds: No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young, Penn State wins by decision over No. 5 Austin DeSanto, Iowa, 3-2.

141 pounds: No. 1 Nick Lee, PSU wins by decision over No. 4 Real Woods, Stanford, 3-2

174 pounds: No. 1 Carter Starocci, Penn State wins by decision over Hayden Hidlay, North Carolina State, 10-3

184 pounds: No. 2 Aaron Brooks, PSU wins by decision over Trent Hidlay, North Carolina State, 6-4 in sudden victory.

197 pounds: No. 1 Max Dean wins by decision over Gavin Hoffman, Ohio State, 9-3

285 pounds: No. 1 Gable Steveson, Minnesota wins by decision over No. 4 Greg Kerkvliet, 8-3

Full NCAA Wrestling Championships finals matchups

125 pounds: No. 1 Nick Suriano, Michigan vs. No. 3 Pat Glory, Princeton

133 pounds: No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young, Penn State vs. No. 2 Daton Fix, Oklahoma State

141 pounds: No. 1 Nick Lee, Penn State vs. No. 15 Kizhan Clarke, North Carolina

149 pounds: No. 1 Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell vs. No. 10 Ridge Lovett, Nebraska

157 pounds: No. 5 Quincy Monday, Princeton vs. No. 2 Ryan Deakin, Northwestern

165 pounds: No. 5 Shane Griffith, Stanford vs. No. 2 Keegan O`Toole, Missouri

174 pounds: No. 1 Carter Starocci, Penn State vs. No. 2 Mekhi Lewis, Virginia Tech

184 pounds: No. 1 Myles Amine, Michigan vs. No. 2 Aaron Brooks, Penn State

197 pounds: No. 1 Max Dean, Penn State vs. No. 6 Jacob Warner, Iowa

285 pounds: No. 1 Gable Steveson, Minnesota vs. No. 2 Colton Schultz, Arizona State

Note: Greg Kerkvliet wrestles Michigan’s Mason Parris in the 285-pound consolation semifinal on Saturday morning.