Penn State won its fourth straight NCAA Wrestling Championship. Trailing Minnesota heading into tonight's final round, Penn State looked precariously close to losing its place on the top of the wrestling world. As it turned out, however, in the final ten matches of the season, everything went right for Penn State, and everything went wrong for Minnesota.

Both Minnesota and Penn State sent two wrestlers to tonight's finals. Unfortunately for Minnesota, both of their finalists, Dylan Ness at 157 pounds and Tony Nelson at 285 pounds, lost, and both of Penn State's finalists, Ed Ruth at 184 pounds and David Taylor at 165 pounds, won. As a result of the finals matches, Minnesota earned no team points, and Penn State gained enough to overtake their rivals and win the university's fifth national championship.

The evening featured a number of notable individual performances as well. Two freshmen won national titles, as Northwestern's Jason Tsirtsis at 149 pounds and Missouri's J'den Cox at 197 pounds took home first place. In addition, two wrestlers, Penn State's Ruth and Ohio State's Logan Stieber at 141 pounds, earned their place among the greatest wrestlers in NCAA history after winning their third national championships. Stieber still has another year of eligibility remaining and will look for title number four next year.

Results and descriptions of each match appear below in the order of competition.

174

Championships

1st Place Match - Chris Perry (Oklahoma St.) 30-1 won by decision over Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) 28-2 (Dec 4-0)

In the first final of the night, Howe and Perry met in a battle of past national champs. The two had split matches previously in the year, with Perry winning the last meeting. The match started slowly, but after a period of inactivity, a stalling warning from the referee, and a thunder of boos from the crowd, Perry took decisive action. Using a dramatic fireman's carry, Perry flipped Howe head over heels, flinging him out of bounds, where the Oklahoma State wrestler covered for the takedown. Perry controlled the action for the rest of the bout, and Howe failed to score after the first takedown. After the match, Perry discussed the adjustments he made for this third match against Howe.

"I told everybody I was going to set the tone this match," Perry explained. "I told them I would make adjustments from the last time I wrestled him, and I did. I hand fought him a little more last time. This time I knew he thought I was going to not shoot on him, and I wanted to let him know right off the whistle I'm coming for you. Like coach said before I ran out of the tunnel, go out there and set the tone and let him know you're here to go."

184

Championships

1st Place Match - Edward Ruth (Penn St.) 34-1 won by decision over Jimmy Sheptock (Maryland) 32-1 (Dec 7-2)

In the second final of the evening, Ruth and Sheptock faced off in a match with serious implications on the team national title picture. Sheptock, though the top seed and undefeated on the year, had little competition to offer the Penn State star. On the strength of two takedowns and a reversal, Ruth won his third national title, but failed to win by a large enough margin to earn crucial bonus team points for Penn State. The team race remained wide open, and Ruth had capped off a historically dominant college wrestling career. After his victory, he hinted at Olympic aspirations.

"I'm already thinking about the next step," Ruth said. "I kind of feel like I just got over one tier. It's like right on to the next one. "

197

Championships

1st Place Match - J`Den Cox (Missouri) 38-2 won by decision over Nick Heflin (Ohio St.) 28-2 (Dec 2-1)

After Ruth finished his fantastic college run, the next finals saw the genesis of wrestling's next great star. In the 197 pound finals, true freshman Cox edged out Heflin by a single point, a penalty given to Heflin for stalling. The Ohio State senior came within fractions of a second from finishing a spectacular throw attempt to end the match, but time expired. After the match, the nineteen-year-old Missouri wrestler answered a question about what it felt like to position himself to be one of the greatest college wrestlers ever.

"It felt like a big weight lifted off my chest," Cox responded. "I've told people in interviews about my goal. My goal is to be a four-time national champion. This is the beginning."

285

Championships

1st Place Match - Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina St.) 43-2 won by decision over Anthony Nelson (Minnesota) 30-5 (Dec 4-2)

Following 197 pounds, the big boys of the 285 pound weight class came to the mat. The match started with little action, and the two wrestlers entered the third period tied at zero. In the third period, Gwiazdowski dazzled Minnesota's two-time defending champion with a pair of thunderous takedowns to take the win and championship. Gwiazdowski talked about the strategy needed to defeat an opponent as skilled as Nelson.

"Like I said yesterday, he's good at what he does. And outside of those things, if you could exploit him, you can exploit him," Gwiazdowski explained. "Get angles. That kind of stuff. He's strong, he's tall. And he knows what he's good at. Top wrestling. Got a defense. Work your offense on him, he doesn't come back too well from a hole. "





125

Championships

1st Place Match - Jesse Delgado (Illinois) 30-2 won by decision over Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) 34-2 (Dec 3-2)

Delgado explained the championship-winning takedown after the match.





In a match full of scrambles and tangled limbs, Delgado claimed his second title with a razor thin decision over Garrett. Time after time, Garrett shot in on Delgado's legs, and time after time, Delgado scrambled out of danger. When the Illinois wrestler got his chance to score, he made it count, converting a winning takedown in the second period. Delgado stepped off the mat and discussed his experience in scoring the winning points.





"He was pretty solid that whole match," said Delgado. " I didn't really get the angle I wanted to. But he messed up one time, and I capitalized. He was out of position for a split second, half a second, maybe. I saw it, took advantage of it. I knew if I got to his leg, I was going to finish. And that's where I got and only had to do it one time."





133

Championships

1st Place Match - Tony Ramos (Iowa) 32-2 won in tie breaker - 1 over Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) 31-5 (TB-1 3-1)





Two very familiar opponents faced off for the last time in college as Ramos an Graff met in the 133 pound finals. Very little transpired in regulation time, as neither wrestler could find an opening in their opponent's defense. The match went to a final tie breaker, where in a wild scramble, Ramos caught Graff on his back and scored the winning near-fall points. Once the match was over, Ramos discussed the process of putting Graff on his back at the end of the match.



"I knew he liked to roll," explained Ramos. "As soon as he hit that roll, I was just finding some way to score. I caught that arm and I was like, you know, if I just fall back a little bit, did a quick calc, just glad I got it this year, unlike last year. That's why you don't roll. For young kids, never roll. Solid wrestling always wins."





141

Championships

1st Place Match - Logan Stieber (Ohio St.) 30-1 won by major decision over Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) 18-1 (MD 10-1)





The 141 pound title match was never in doubt as Stieber controlled Carter from start to finish. The Ohio State superstar took down his Virginia Tech opponent four times, and never came close to conceding a point in his third straight NCAA championship win. Unlike after his previous NCAA victories, Stieber was willing to answer a question about his possible fourth national title next year.





"Yeah, I'm ready for number four," Stieber responded. "But you know how I'll treat number four? Training wise, like I trained number one, two and three. I'm always calm. I always try to be relaxed. So my coach will have me ready and I'll be ready to go once next season comes around. "





149

Championships

1st Place Match - Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) 32-3 won in sudden victory - 1 over Joshua Kindig (Oklahoma St.) 24-9 (SV-1 3-1)





Both Tsirtsis and Kindig continually stalked and attacked each other throughout regulation time of their 149 pound championship match, but neither could break through for an offensive score. The match went to sudden-death overtime, where the Northwestern wrestler finally managed to convert on a gutty takedown attempt. Tsirtsis wrapped up Kindig's legs halfway through the overtime period an secured his first national title. Even after getting his hand raised, Tsirtsis seemed in a state of disbelief over what had happened.





"I don't think it's hit me yet that I'm an NCAA champ," said Tsirtsis. "I get to keep that claim for the rest of my life. It's what you work for as a wrestler ever since you set your goals as a little kid."





157

Championships

1st Place Match - Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma St.) 32-1 won by major decision over Dylan Ness (Minnesota) 23-6 (MD 13-4)





Dieringer delighted the home-state crowd, crushing Ness, and extinguishing Minnesota's hopes at a national championships. The Oklahoma State sophomore swarmed his Minnesota opponent from the start, taking him down and turning him for three back points in the first period. Dieringer never looked back, and Ness never seemed close to pulling off one of his signature big moves. With his national championship in hand, Dieringer explained how he wrestled smart against such a dangerous adversary.





"Once I got that near fall, I was up 5-0 I think, I knew I had it locked because I know how to wrestle smart when it comes to a guy like that," Dieringer admitted. "I've wrestled him many times before. And his shots aren't easy to stop. He shoots low ankles. That's what he tries, sometimes doubles, but he just plain crashes right to them. So I knew he was coming."





165

Championships

1st Place Match - David Taylor (Penn St.) 34-0 won by decision over Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma St.) 28-4 (Dec 6-0)

With Penn State's team national title already in the bag, Taylor came out to the mat for the last time in a Penn State singlet looking composed, and relaxed. The Penn State phenom capped off his career with a second national title by utterly shutting down a superb wrestler in Oklahoma State's Caldwell. Taylor scored the takedowns he needed on his feet, and never gave Caldwell room to breathe while riding him on the mat. Taylor's wins caps off an amazing four seasons where he made the national finals four times, and helped Penn State win four national championships.

Next year's championships take place in St. Louis.

Final Team Scores