2019 NCAA Championships

2019 NCAAs Match Notes: Quarterfinals

2019 NCAAs Match Notes: Quarterfinals

Match Notes of the quarterfinals of the 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships.

Mar 22, 2019 by Andrew Spey
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There are some flurries outside the PPG Paints Arena here in Pittsburgh, and there are going to be some flurries on the mats inside the PPG Paints Arena. See what we did there? Wordplay!

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There are some flurries outside the PPG Paints Arena here in Pittsburgh, and there are going to be some flurries on the mats inside the PPG Paints Arena. See what we did there? Wordplay!

It's the quarterfinals of the 2019 NCAA Championships. Session three, the last day that all eight mats will be down on the floor. We will provide instant updates of all the action so smash that refresh button on your web browser to get the scoop. 

NCAA Brackets, Live Scores & More on FloArena

Match Notes: First Round | Second Round

It's the sight we adore on a basketball (or hockey) floor: wrestling mats from door to door. Inner four mats (3, 4, 5 & 6) will be quarterfinal bouts, the outer four mats (1, 2, 7 & 8) will be consolation round bouts. Party on friends, and party on Garth. 

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Spencer Lee has Sean Russell, who's he's beaten three times in his career. Piccininni has Glory, who he beat 9-4 in a dual meet. Mueller vs Bresser and Rivera vs Arujau has never happened before. 

Lee snags the first takedown of Session III. Pich with the second. Rivera with the third but a slick cartwheel from Vito gives him the first escape. Lee just got the first full complement of nearfall points to race out to the 6-0 lead. 

No takedowns in the Bresser Mueller match. The go to the second scoreless. Now they go to the third Bresser with a 1-0 lead, Mueller chooses down for the final frame of regulation. 

Rivera and Arujau have been in some absolutely ridiculous scrambles but no one was able to gain the advantage after Rivera's first takedown. Until just now, its 5-2 Seabass in the third. Glory is making a go of it, reversing Pich and getting 1 swipe, but still trailed 6-4. 

Lee with the fall! Big bonus points for the Hawkeyes. 

Rivera prevails 6-2. Glory was right there with Pich, even got a stall point on him, but the veteran Cowboy beats the true frosh Tiger. Pich goes to the semis for the second time in his career. 

Bresser Mueller meanwhile is going to tiebreakers, tied 1-1. And it takes 2 full sequences of overtime but Mueller wins final score 4-1, and Mueller makes the semis for the second time. 

Results

Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern) 28-1 won by decision over Vitali Arujau (Cornell) 28-3 (Dec 6-2)

Jack Mueller (Virginia) 20-0 won in tie breaker - 2 over Ronnie Bresser (Oregon State) 25-2 (TB-2 4-1)

Spencer Lee (Iowa) 21-3 won by fall over Sean Russell (Minnesota) 28-5 (Fall 5:59)

Nicholas Piccininni (Oklahoma State) 33-0 won by decision over Pat Glory (Princeton) 28-5 (Dec 9-5)


133

Phillippi beat Pletcher at the CKLV in a PA vs PA battle, but there's been a lot of season since then, and Pletcher has looked like a hammer the last couple months. Fix beat Erneste 9-2 in a dual this seaon. Suriani beat Lizak 9-2 at Big Tens. Micic vs DeSanto has been a saga, I don't have the time to adequately go into it, but it's appointment viewing, one hundred thousand billion percent fire. 

Suriano gets the first takedown of the four quarterfinal matches. He's got Lizak's leg turked and it looking for backs. Suriano is going to get four backs and is looking for the fall. Lizak is saved by the bell. Suriano takes a 6-0 lead to the second. Lizak chose top in the second, but Suriano stands, turns and reverses him. Bow and arrow for Suriano and its going to be 12-0 at least. And there's the fall! Total destruction from Nick Suriano. 

Micic leading DeSanto 3-0 in the second. No major fireworks yet. Pletcher and Fix hold 2-0 leads.

 DeSanto pushing the pace in neutral in the third. Gets a stall call on Micic. And another for backing out, it's 3-2 with 15 seconds to go. Micic holds on and advances to the semis, DeSanto dropped to the consis. 

Pletcher wins a workmanlike 3-1 victory and gets revenge over Micky. Fix is cruising to the semis, leading 10-2 late in the match. And that seals it. Fix to the semis in his first NCAA tournament. 

Results

Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) 33-1 won by major decision over John Erneste (Missouri) 20-5 (MD 11-3)

Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) 26-5 won by decision over Micky Phillippi (Pittsburgh) 21-3 (Dec 3-1)

Nick Suriano (Rutgers) 27-3 won by fall over Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) 30-6 (Fall 4:24)

Stevan Micic (Michigan) 17-0 won by decision over Austin DeSanto (Iowa) 20-5 (Dec 3-2)


141

Yianni and Demas have never met each other. Big 12 and EIWA matchups are not all that common. Eierman and Shoop have likewise not met, although next year they will be in the same conference as the MAC absorbs the EWL. It's all Big Ten on the bottom half of the bracket: Lee v Murin and McKee v McKenna. 

Eierman draws first blood and now has a 4-1 lead over Shoop. McKenna takes McKee down, nearly to his back, but McKee avoids the swipes. Or does he? They will review. And it's overturned, two nearfall for McKenna, he leads 4-0. McKenna about to get four more. He leads 8-1 going to the third. 

Lee and Murin go to the second scoreless. Lee escapes quickly to take the 1-0 lead. Nothing from neutral so we go to the third, Murin with an opportunity to get an escape point. Murin gets the escape to Lee rides out Murin for the 4-1 victory. 

In short time in the first, Yianni won't be denied. Diakomihalis finds a way, like he always does in these scrambles, and gets the takedown with just 4 seconds left in the period. 

Eierman slows the pace and is going to make it to the semis after a regular decision. Yianni and Demas have been putting on a show, both have alien like ability, but Yianni is just a little more alien, and he leads 5-1 late in the third. Yianni wins 5-1 and McKenna wins 10-1. 

Results

Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) 27-0 won by decision over Dom Demas (Oklahoma) 31-8 (Dec 5-1)

Jaydin Eierman (Missouri) 26-3 won by decision over Kyle Shoop (Lock Haven) 33-7 (Dec 8-3)

Nick Lee (Penn State) 30-2 won by decision over Max Murin (Iowa) 17-9 (Dec 4-1)

Joey McKenna (Ohio State) 23-2 won by major decision over Mitch McKee (Minnesota) 22-6 (MD 11-1)


149

O'Connor and Finesilver have wrestled like, 800 times already this year. Or maybe just four. Mitch won the last three. Micah beat Lugo in their one meeting, but that was back in 2016 when Lugo wrestled for Edinboro. Kolodzik has never wrestled true frosh Mauller. Neither has Ashnault ever wrestled Degen.

Kolodzik going right after Mauller. Second or third shot lands and he leads 2-0. Ashnault gets an early takedown over the long and rangy Jarrett Degen. Schnaulty gets his two-on-one tilt going for two nearfall. An escape and takedown runs it up to a 6-1 lead for the Scarlet Knight. 

Micah leads Lugo 4-1. Mitch and AOC had a scoreless first period. 

Degen has the lead down to 3 points, but Ashnault has over a minute of RT and choice in the third. Micah with a comfortable 7-2 lead late in the second. Mitch AOC locked in a 1-1 ACC grudge match in the third. And now they're going to sudden victory. O'Connor in the clutch! He wins when it matters most and UNC has a semifinalist!

Ashnault chooses down in the third. Degen gets the RT under a minute and cuts him to give Ashnault a 4 point lead with less than a minute to go. Ashnault gets a takedown to ice it. Rutgers gets their second semifinalist and their first four-time All-American. 

Results

Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) 30-0 won by decision over Jarrett Degen (Iowa State) 27-7 (Dec 10-3)

Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) 24-3 won by decision over Brock Mauller (Missouri) 31-3 (Dec 5-3)

Austin O`Connor (North Carolina) 32-5 won in sudden victory - 1 over Mitch Finesilver (Duke) 30-4 (SV-1 3-1)

Micah Jordan (Ohio State) 28-2 won by decision over Pat Lugo (Iowa) 22-8 (Dec 10-3)


157

More good matchups here at 157 (duh). Pantaleo lost to Hidlay last year in Cleveland 10-2. Nolf has beaten Pagdilao by major. Kaleb Young gave his Big Ten rival Ryan Deakin a tough match but lost 6-2 at the Midlands. ODU's Larry Early has never faced Nebraska's Tyler Berger.

Young attacks right off the whistle and has Deaking scrambling with a bodylock. A neutral danger zone count give Young the first 2 points of the match. Deakin is out after 25 seconds to cut the lead in half. Another TD for Young makes it 4-1. Now 4-2.

Berger leading 3-2 over Early, a takedown for Berger, then reversal for Early and an escape for Berger is how the scoring when in their first period. 

Nolf has 4 TDs on Pagdilao I think. Pantaleo got the only takedown so far in his match with Hidlay. He leads 2-1 going into the second period. 

Deakin answers with a takedown of his own to gain the lead. It's 5-4, Young's choice in the third, he takes bottom, RT not a factor. Yet anyway. 

Berger leads 4-2 with RT over a minute halfway through the third. Hidaly and Pantaleo tied 3-3, RT not a factor late in the third. 

Tech-fall for Jason Nolf. Deakin shooting in on Young, trying to win it before sudden victory as Young tied it up with the escape before Deakin got a minute of RT. Young gets hit with a stall warning but no points yet. Overtime. Young shoots first, the hit the mat, and Young gets the TD! The Hawkeyes have their second semifinalist. 

Hidlay and Pantaleo also going into sudden victory. Down to the final 20 seconds. Shot by Hidlay, and he converts! Hidlay will go to the semifinals for the second straight year. 

Results

Jason Nolf (Penn State) 29-0 won by tech fall over Christian Pagdilao (Arizona State) 24-9 (TF-1.5 7:00 (23-6))

Hayden Hidlay (NC State) 23-2 won in sudden victory - 1 over Alec Pantaleo (Michigan) 20-8 (SV-1 5-3)

Kaleb Young (Iowa) 23-5 won in sudden victory - 1 over Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) 31-5 (SV-1 7-5)

Tyler Berger (Nebraska) 27-3 won by decision over Larry Early (Old Dominion) 24-6 (Dec 5-2)


165

165, one of my favorites! Shields gutted out a 3-2 victory over Steiert at Midlands. Cenzo has two wins over ZayZay but they were both very close. Wick pinned Marsteller in the second period of the third-place bout in Cleveland. They probably have the largest discrepancy in body types of any quarterfinal matchup. Mekhi Lewis has never faced the #1 seed Alex Marinelli before in folkstyle, but he did beat him in freestyle in the junior world team trials challenge tournament finals last summer. 

Wick with the first takedown of the round. He locks up a cradle. Wick does it again! Wisconsin gets a semifinalist just like that! 1:25 into the first period. 

Shields gets the first takedown in his match and is attempting to ride out the period. He does. Mekhi and Alex are scoreless after 3 minutes. Ditto for Cenzo and Isaiah. White escapes early in the second to take the early lead. 

Cenzo escapes early in the third to knot up the score. Marinelli escapes in the second and there are no scores from neutral. Lewis will get a chance on bottom. Shields leads 3-0 in the third and they start in neutral.

Two for Sheilds to likely ice the match. It's 1-1 Lewis Marinelli. Elbow post knee pull connects for Alex but Mekhi is comfortable with one leg in the air and escapes dangers.

The arena erupts as simultaneous insanity occurs. Cenzo with the OT takedown over White, Lewis with the short time takedown over Marinelli. This is the loudest the PPG Paints Arena has been. Awesome finishes to both matches. 

Results

Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) 26-2 won by decision over Alex Marinelli (Iowa) 25-1 (Dec 3-1)

Evan Wick (Wisconsin) 31-4 won by fall over Chance Marsteller (Lock Haven) 24-3 (Fall 1:25)

Joshua Shields (Arizona State) 30-3 won by decision over Bryce Steiert (Northern Iowa) 25-8 (Dec 6-0)

Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) 26-1 won in sudden victory - 1 over Isaiah White (Nebraska) 22-8 (SV-1 3-1)


174

This will be the first match between Labriola and DLew. Ben Harvey gave Zahid Valencia a super tough 7-6 back in 2016 at the CKLV. Kutler and Amine have wrestled thrice in the last two season, Amine winning the last two bouts. Hall has a 6-2 victory over Lujan at last year's NCAAs. 

Zahid has two takedowns in less than a minute. Hall also has an early takedown.

Lewis gets a takedown and rideout for a 2-0 lead over Labriola going into the second. Kutler and Amine go scoreless after 3 minutes. 

Far-side cradle from Lewis, he rolls Labs over and gets the fall. Daniel Lewis is a four-time All-American! And Zahid Valencia is a three-time AA. He has a much easier time with Ben Harvey this time, pinning him in the first. . Harvey's Cinderella run can still continue on the backside. 

Lujan and Hall in a tight 2-2match. Hall gets a reversal in the third to regain the lead and has to riding time over a minute. Amine gets the escape in the second to take the 1-0 lead over Kutler. 

Mark Hall becomes the fourth Nittany Lion to make the semis. PSU can still get two more. Kutler and Amine are knotted up 1-1 with less than a minute to go in the third. RT not a factor. 

Kutler and Amine going to sudden victory. A mad scramble and nearly a danger zone TD for Kutler but it was not to be. We go to tiebreakers. Kutler out quickly in the first TB. Amine took about 29 seconds to escape in his. But Amine stays alive and we go to SV2. With 7 seconds to go, Myle Amine dives for Kutler's second ankle and he'll get it! In as dramatic a fashion as you can win, Amine will go to the semifinals!

Results

Mark Hall (Penn State) 29-0 won by decision over Taylor Lujan (Northern Iowa) 26-6 (Dec 5-3)

Myles Amine (Michigan) 20-3 won in sudden victory - 2 over Jordan Kutler (Lehigh) 23-5 (SV-2 4-2)

Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) 29-2 won by fall over Ben Harvey (Army West Point) 31-10 (Fall 2:12)

Daniel Lewis (Missouri) 27-1 won by fall over Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) 28-7 (Fall 4:29


184

Who knows what's going happen after the wild round of 16. Colbray vs Ness means either a #10 or #15 seed will make the semis. Foster beat Zavatsky twice at the CKLV. Dean and Bonaccorsi have yet to wrestle each other. Same for Martin and Presich, but that match is the one you can feel most confident about the outcome.

Foster jumps out to a quick 2-0 lead. Martin gets a takedown followed shortly by Dean in short time of his match with Nino. Foster rides ZZ for 1:34 before the Hokie escapes. Ness and Colbray go scoreless after 3 minutes. 

Colbray escapes in the second to the score first points of his match with Ness. Foster escapes quickly in the second to preserve his riding time advantage.

It's 3-3 and a scramble with Ness and Colbray ensues. Ness has a cradle locked, they roll through, no points awarded, but the UNC corner wants it reviewed, so the referees will oblige. 

Foster leads 3-1 as Zavatsky chooses down to start the third. ZZ escapes in a couple of seconds to make it 3-2. RT at 1:27 in favor of Foster. Reattack from Foster gives him two more crucial points. it's 5-2 now, RT ticking up, nearly locked up. 

Myles Martin advances to the semis with a major decision. His career will finish no worse than 1, 5, 2, 6, but that last AA finish will likely be higher. 

Dean punches a ticket to the semis and will be an All-American for the second time. It's still Nino Bonaccorsi's city, it's just not as much his city as it was before that match. 

Foster rides out Zavatsky in the third and will be an All-American for the second time, going 3-0 over Zavatsku this season. 

Ness and Colbray are tied 5-5 with 20 seconds to go. RT not a factor. This match will go to overtime. Ness shoots, Colbray defends, but Ness will not be denied. Mr. March continues his march through the bracket! Chip Ness is an NCAA semifinalist!

Results

Myles Martin (Ohio State) 23-0 won by major decision over Ryan Preisch (Lehigh) 22-4 (MD 11-2)

Maxwell Dean (Cornell) 24-5 won by decision over Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) 21-7 (Dec 6-0)

Drew Foster (Northern Iowa) 26-5 won by decision over Zachary Zavatsky (Virginia Tech) 26-4 (Dec 6-2)

Chip Ness (North Carolina) 22-12 won in sudden victory - 1 over Samuel Colbray (Iowa State) 28-7 (SV-1 6-4)


197

Cal Poly's sole qualifier Thomas Lane will attempt to continue his Cinderella run, although he's got a tall order against the monstrous Pat Brucki. Bo Nickal pinned Nathan Traxler in first period last time they met in the Southern Scuffle. Moore will be the favorite against Sleigh, though they have never wrestled before in college. Same deal for Weigel and Brunner. 

Moore, Brucki and Nickal all socre quick takedowns. Weigel pulls Brunner up to his feet, and then whips him over in one of the most violent cement jobs I have ever seen. The Cowboys get a semifinalist and big bonus points. 

Lane reversed Brucki to tie it up, whereas Moore has a 6-2 lead over Sleigh. Nickal leads Traxler 6-2 and is, as always, looking for the pinfall. 

Brucki regains the lead with a late second period takedown. Traxler has thus far avoided the pinfall, though trails 9-3 in the third. Sleigh is mounting a comeback on Moore, though Moore still 13-8 to start the third. 

Lane comes so close to making the finals as a #21 seed, but Brucki survives to gives Princeton two semifinalist. Traxler avoids the pin and only loses by major decision to Bo Nickal, and Moore wins a wild bout with Sleigh, 17-11.

Results

Bo Nickal (Penn State) 28-0 won by major decision over Nathan Traxler (Stanford) 30-6 (MD 14-4)

Patrick Brucki (Princeton) 32-1 won by decision over Thomas Lane (Cal Poly) 22-12 (Dec 4-3)

Preston Weigel (Oklahoma State) 14-0 won by fall over Christian Brunner (Purdue) 25-10 (Fall 0:58)

Kollin Moore (Ohio State) 22-2 won by decision over Tom Sleigh (Virginia Tech) 23-7 (Dec 17-11)


285

Dhesi is one of the few top heavies that Steveson has not wrestled in his true freshman year. Cassar beat Hillger 11-5 in a dual meet in January. Stoll and Wood are unfamiliar opponents. Same for #1 seed Derek White and #9 seed Matt Stencel.

Steveson predictably scores the first takedown. The nimble Gopher has a 2-0 advantage over Amar Dhesi. 

Elbow post freight train double for Cassar and Hillger can't stop it. The Nittany Lion has a 2-0 lead. White leads 3-0 on Stencel, though Stencel is hanging tough with him. Wood and Stoll had a scoreless first. In the second Wood escaped but then there was nothing else in neutral. 

Gable Steveson doing his thing against UWW Junior World Champ Amar Dhesi, leading 8-1after two periods. Stencel escapes in the third to make it 3-1, RT not a factor, but he's running out of time to mount the comeback. White holds on and Oklahoma State gets another semifinalist. 

Anthony Cassar couldn't crack the Penn State lineup last season. This year he makes the semifinals. 

Steveson coasts to a 11-1 major decision over Dhesi with nearly four minutes of riding time. Wood gets the third period ride out over Sam Stoll to win 2-0 and gives the Mountain Hawks their first and only semifinalist of the tournament. 

Results

Derek White (Oklahoma State) 31-1 won by decision over Matt Stencel (Central Michigan) 29-5 (Dec 3-1)

Jordan Wood (Lehigh) 24-3 won by decision over Sam Stoll (Iowa) 11-6 (Dec 2-0)

Gable Steveson (Minnesota) 33-1 won by major decision over Amar Dhesi (Oregon State) 12-2 (MD 11-1)

Anthony Cassar (Penn State) 28-1 won by decision over Trent Hillger (Wisconsin) 24-7 (Dec 4-0)


Folks, that was another insane sesh here in the PPG Paints Arena. The NCAA Tournament, it is a good event in my humble opinion. 

That marks the midway point of the tournament, at least session-wise. We're coming back tonight, with the celebrated dogbone formation of six mats. Semifinals, bloodround, a theoretically sauced up crowd. BE THERE MY FRIENDS.