2023 Big Ten Champs Head to Tulsa
The Big Ten Championships panned out as most would’ve expected with Penn State crowning four individual champions and clinching the team title before the finals matches ended. This is Penn State’s seventh Big Ten title and the six finalists tied the program record. It was also coach Cael Sanderson’s seventh time to be named Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Perhaps the most exciting climb to the top of the podium came at 157 from true freshman, Levi Haines. Seeded seventh going into the tournament, Haines made his presence known in a stacked weight class battling his way to the finals and ultimately taking down veteran Peyton Robb from Nebraska in sudden victory. His tournament performance and impressive season earned him the honor of Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Other champions include RBY, Carter Starocci, and Aaron Brooks. This makes RBY and Aaron Brooks three-time Big Ten champs and Starocci two-time Big Ten champ. Max Dean and Greg Kerkvliet were the other two finalists but dropped their final matches to take second place. Dean fell behind in his match and couldn’t stick to his usual low-scoring rideout plan to win. He was forced to take more shots and got caught, leading to his downfall. Kerkvliet dropped a tough matchup with long foe Mason Parris from Michigan. No doubt the two will meet again in Tulsa.
Big Ten Championship Results
Team Scores:
- Penn State – 147.0
- Iowa – 134.5
- Nebraska – 104.5
Individual:
133: No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young - FIRST PLACE
Finals Match: No. 13 Aaron Nagao, Minnesota, 5-2
141: No. 4 Beau Bartlett - THIRD PLACE
3rd Place Match: No.18 Dylan D’Emilio, Ohio State, 5-2
149: No. 13 Shayne Van Ness - FOURTH PLACE
3rd Place Match: No. 6 Max Murin, Iowa, 2-3
157: No. 7 Levi Haines - FIRST PLACE
Finals Match: No. 1 Peyton Robb, Nebraska, 3-1 (sudden victory)
165: No. 9 Alex Facundo - SEVENTH PLACE
7th Place Match: No. 25 Dan Braunagel, Illinois, 3-1
174: No. 1 Carter Starocci - FIRST PLACE
Finals Match: No. 2 Mikey Labriola, Nebraska, 6-1
184: No. 1 Aaron Brooks - FIRST PLACE
Finals Match: No. 5 Kaleb Romero, Ohio State, 12-2
197: No. 3 Max Dean - SECOND PLACE
Finals Match: No. 10 Silas Allred, Nebraska, 3-6
285: No. 2 Greg Kerkvliet - SECOND PLACE
Finals Match: No. 1 Mason Parris, Michigan, 3-5 (sudden victory)