We're really doing it. It's finally here. We've all waited long enough. Get your screens ready or just follow along with all the words I type, it's time for the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships!

Watch the NCAA Championships Watch Party LIVE on FloWrestling

Thursday-Saturday, March 18-20

Do you have your brackets ready? I hope you mocked at least one friend who bragged about how long they spent on their measly singular basketball bracket. Fools. 

You, filling out one single NCAA basketball bracket online: "Isn't this fun?"

Me, filling out 10 NCAA wrestling brackets, front and back side, by hand: "You are like a little baby to me."

— Andrew Spey (@SpeyWrestle) March 18, 2021

It's session IV, which is the best of all the rounds, if we're being honest. Semifinals, with a trip to the finals and prime time exposure on ESPN, plus the bloodround, which separates the All-Americans from the mere National Qualifiers. 

It's also the return of everyone's favorite mat configuration, the celebrated dog bone formation. 

I have no confirmed that there is, in fact, no dog bone formation. This is a violence visited upon the entire wrestling community, imo. 

125 Pounds

Spencer Lee (Iowa) vs Drew Hildebrandt (Central Michigan) - Spencer with the first takedown in under a minute. Two-on one tilt and Lee looks as good as ever. 6-0, plus one for a second stall call on Hildebrandt. Lee takes bottom to start the second. Hildy putting on a ride. RT rounding that one minute mark and counting down. Stalemate, restart, Spencer sits and is out. RT down to 51 seconds in Lee's favor. 8-0. Third period, Hildy chooses top. Why not, I don't hate it. And Lee is out in about 20 seconds. RT down to 27 but Lee has a 9-0 lead. Takedown and rideout for the match and Lee wins 12-0. Major decision and Lee is back in the theoretically lead in the Hodge Trophy chase!

Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) vs Taylor Lamont (Utah Valley) - No points after a minute. Tactical first period, Courtney chooses down for the second. Escapes for the first point. No more scores. Flip it up, LaMont is out in the third. 1-1 in neutral, RT not a factor. We go to sudden victory. Now tiebreakers. Courtney rides out LaMont. Next tiebreaker period LaMont cuts Courtney, they go neutral, Courtney leads 2-1. LaMont can't get thru and the Sun Devils have a finalist!

Semifinal Results

Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) DEC Taylor Lamont (Utah Valley), 2-1 TB1

Spencer Lee (Iowa) MD Drew Hildebrandt (Central Michigan), 11-0

Bloodround Results

Patrick Mckee (Minnesota) DEC Brody Teske (Northern Iowa), 9-2

Eric Barnett (Wisconsin) DEC Devin Schroder (Purdue), 5-4

Sam Latona (Virginia Tech) DEC Michael Deaugustino (Northwestern), 9-7 SV1

Killian Cardinale (West Virginia) DEC Jakob Camacho (NC State), 6-5 TB2

Finals Matchups

Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) vs Spencer Lee (Iowa)

133 Pounds

Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) vs Austin Desanto (Iowa) - Fix and DeSanto in a scramble, no love lost between these two. Fix comes out on top and he starts his ride. DeSanto out quickly though. Shot by DeSanto, coming out the back door. Fix has far ankles, we go to the second. Fix is up and out with a 3-1 lead. Second period ends in collar ties. DeSanto escapes quickly to make it 3-2 Fix. Daton on a shot, a scramble ensues. Stalemate. Clock ticking down, less than 20 to go. Fix doesn't let DeSanto get near his legs. Daton Fix is back in the NCAA finals!

Korbin Myers (Virginia Tech) vs Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) - RBY pounces on Myers first and collects two. Myers out quickly. We got to the second, Myers on bottom. Myers is out to tie it up, RT at 31 seconds for RBY. No more scores. To the third, RBY chooses neutral. He chases down Myers legs on a reshot and makes it 4-2. Several restarts but RBY isn't letting Myers out. 20 seconds to go, RT nearly locked. Myers eventually escapes but its 5-3 final with the RT point. RBY will wrestle in his first NCAA finals match!

Semifinal Results

Roman Bravo-young (Penn State) DEC Korbin Myers (Virginia Tech), 5-3

Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) DEC Austin Desanto (Iowa), 3-2

Bloodround Results

Lucas Byrd (Illinois) DEC Micky Phillippi (Pittsburgh), 6-2 TB1

Chris Cannon (Northwestern) DEC Zach Price (South Dakota State), 9-4

Louie Hayes (Virginia) F Chance Rich (Cal State Bakersfield), 2:10

Michael Mcgee (Arizona State) DEC Matthew Schmitt Morgantown, WV (Missouri), 10-6

Finals Matchups

Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) vs Daton Fix (Oklahoma State)

141 Pounds

Nick Lee (Penn State) vs Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers) - These two had a spectacular bout at Big Tens. Lee was the victor but not by much. A couple minutes of shots, mostly from Lee, no scores. Great low attack by Rivera and he eventually collects two. He hangs on an ankle too long and gets a stall call. Does get the ride out. 2-0 Rivera at the break. Lee escapes quickly in the second. Rivera picks up another stall, that'll cost him a point. Then Lee gets a takedown and rideout and now he's in control. 4-2 going into the third. Rivera chooses down, and he's out in a hurry. 4-3, RT not a factor. Rivera attacking, Lee reattacks, takedown Lee, and swipes! He wins 9-3! Another great match, Penn State hanging around!

Jaydin Eierman (Iowa) vs Tariq Wilson (NC State) - Very interesting contrast of styles here, both with unique approaches to offense. Nice couple flurries but no scores yet. Tariq reaching in, Eierman counters, has Wilson on his back. And there's the fall! Was there some daylight under that shoulder blade? I dunno, but the result is a pinfall for Eierman and a trip to his first NCAA finals!

We get an Iowa vs Penn State final at 141. Love to see it.

Semifinal Results

Jaydin Eierman (Iowa) F Tariq Wilson (NC State), 2:59

Nick Lee (Penn State) DEC Sebastian Rivera (Rutgers), 9-3

Bloodround Results

Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) DEC Real Woods (Stanford), 11-4

Dylan Duncan (Illinois) DEC Dresden Simon (Central Michigan), 8-6

Zachary Sherman (North Carolina) DEC Dom Demas (Oklahoma), 2-1 TB1

Chad Red (Nebraska) DEC Allan Hart (Missouri), 8-7

Finals Matchups

Jaydin Eierman (Iowa) vs Nick Lee (Penn State)

149 Pounds

Boo Lewallen (Oklahoma State) vs Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) - Boo in on a single, Sasso hops in, gets a whizzer in and we have a stalemate. Now Sasso in on a single and he climbs his way up for two. Lewallen ecapes after 14 seconds. 2-1 late in the first. Lewallen starts the second on bottom, he's up and out quickly. Now Boo on another single. Sasso sits the corner. This is where he feasts. Cradle locked up. Lewallen goes over. Mat is slapped and the Buckeyes have a finalist! The Cozy Boy, Classic Slammin Sammy Classo! 

Austin O'Connor (North Carolina) vs Brock Mauller (Missouri) - Very tactical first period. Three minutes and no scores. Mauller starts the third on bottom. He escapes, but that is the end of the point scoring in the second. O'Connor's turn on bottom. He's out quickly. Neutral in the third, 1-1, riding time not a factor. 90 seconds until a winner is declared or we go to overtime. My bet is on over time, let's see. And I am correct, sudden victory. AOC in on a couple very nice shots but stone hips from Mauller stops him in his tracks. AOC shoots in the final few seconds, Mauller gets hit for stalling, reattack Mauller though and he gets a TD with 1 second left! Or does he? He does not. My mistake, just going by the score bug on the screen. We go to tiebreakers. AOC out quickly in TB-1. Mauller's turn on bottom in TB-2. AOC drops to an ankle and picks up a stall. 12 seconds to go on the restart. Mauller can't escape, Austin O'Connor is going to the finals. Tar Heels will wrestle on Saturday night!

Semifinal Results

Austin O'connor (North Carolina) DEC Brock Mauller (Missouri), 2-1 TB1

Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) F Boo Lewallen (Oklahoma State), 4:01

Bloodround Results

Jonathan Millner (Appalachian State) DEC Josh Finesilver (Duke), 10-7

Jaden Abas (Stanford) DEC Max Murin (Iowa), 2-1 TB1

Yahya Thomas (Northwestern) DEC Mitch Moore (Oklahoma), 3-1

Kyle Parco (Fresno State) DEC Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech), 7-4

Finals Matchups

Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) vs Austin O'Connor (North Carolina)

157 Pounds

Hayden Hidlay (NC State) vs David Carr (Iowa State) - Carr hit with an early stall has Hidaly goes digging for underhooks and takes ground. An extended scramble and Carr picks up the takedown. He leads 2-0 late in the first. Gets the rideout. Carr on bottom in the second. Escape after 15 ticks makes it 3-0 Carr. No more scores. Hidlay on bottom in the third. He escapes. 3-1, RT not a factor. Hidlay attacking, Carr counters, he gets the takedown! 5-1. Hidlay gets a reversal. 5-3, 36 seconds on the clock, 34 ticks of RT. We break for blood time. Carr has a stall warning. Carr escapes, 6-3. Stall to make it 6-4. Hidlay can't chase him down. David Carr will wrestle in the NCAA finals! 

Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) vs Jesse Dellavecchia (Rider) - Deakin with a deep leg attack but Jesse scrambles and earns a stalemate (gonna use Jesse instead of Dellevecchia for most of this live blog, just a heads up). Another long scramble, somehow Jesse wriggled his way out of danger and we get a restart with 45 seconds on the clock, no scores. Another scramble, still no points. To the second. Deakin underneath. Escape Deakin stands, Jesse rocks him back, throws in a half, he's got swipes. He's got more, he's got a pinfall! They slap the mat! Rider has a finalist! Or does he? Jeez didn't know you could review this. We'll see. Still waiting. No idea what's going on. Maybe illegal hold? I dunno, doesn't matter, nothing changes, Jesse Dellevecchia advances to wrestle on Saturday night! 

Semifinal Results

David Carr (Iowa State) DEC Hayden Hidlay (NC State), 6-4

Jesse Dellavecchia (Rider) F Ryan Deakin (Northwestern), 3:18

Bloodround Results

Wyatt Sheets Stilwell, OK (Oklahoma State) FOR Brady Berge (Penn State)

Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) DEC Jared Franek (North Dakota State), 3-2

Brayton Lee (Minnesota) DEC Jarrett Jacques (Missouri), 4-1

Kaleb Young (Iowa) MD Jacob Wright (Wyoming), 10-2

Finals Matchups

David Carr (Iowa State) vs Jesse Dellavecchia (Rider)

165 Pounds

Ethan Smith (Ohio State) vs Jake Wentzel (Pittsburgh) - First takedown for Smith after Wentzel does the splits for a bit. Wentzel's out and we're back to neutral. Another flurry but no scores, 2-1. Smith chooses bottom to start the second, Wentzel putting on a tough ride. RT clock climbs over a minute. Wentzel takes down to start the third. He reaches back, reverse somersaults and attacks Smith. He gets the reversal and is wrestling mean. Wentzel gets the rideout and wins 4-2! Pitt has a finalist!

Shane Griffith (Stanford) vs Zach Hartman (Bucknell) - Some excellent flurries but no scores. Hartman comes close in short time but its a scoreless first. Hartman starts on bottom, Griffith gets the reversal. Griffith being stingy on top, he's got56 seconds of riding time, and Hartman barely escapes before the period runs out. 2-1, Hartman takes bottom now. He's out but not before RT goes up to 1:16 for Griffith. Hartman will need a score somehow. Late in the third Griffith pancakes Hartman to the mat. Two and nearfall. Perhaps a fall! Griffith will settle for four nearfall and the win! 9-2, and Stanford, much to the disgrace of their shameful administration, has a finalist!

Semifinal Results

Jake Wentzel (Pittsburgh) DEC Ethan Smith (Ohio State), 4-2

Shane Griffith (Stanford) DEC Zach Hartman (Bucknell), 9-2

Bloodround Results

Keegan O'Toole (Missouri) DEC Luke Weber (North Dakota State), 5-1

Travis Wittlake (Oklahoma State) M FOR Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech)

Cameron Amine (Michigan) M FOR Alex Marinelli (Iowa)

Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) MD Peyton Hall (West Virginia), 13-4

Finals Matchups

Jake Wentzel (Pittsburgh) vs Shane Griffith (Stanford)

174 Pounds

Michael Kemerer (Iowa) vs Bernie Truax (California Poly) - Kemerer on a single early. Fights through a whizzer and collects two. Truax is out after 22 seconds. Kemerer gets another TD and he leads 4-1, over a minute of RT already. Kemerer gets the rideout, then chooses neutral for the second period. RT at 1:52. Truax figures he'll give top a try against Kemerer. Not a terrible idea imo. Kemerer escapes though, and now leads 5-1. Truax goes for broke, slips, Kemerer gets two more and wins 8-1 to advance to the finals! Iowa vs Penn state again like at 141. Not too shabby. 

Carter Starocci (Penn State) vs Demetrius Romero (Utah Valley) - A couple of attacks from each guy but nothing terribly close to a takedown. Scoreless after three minutes. Starocci chooses bottom and escapes in 12 seconds. Single leg for Starocci but Romero wrestles himself out of danger. Nothing doing the rest of the way. Romero chooses down for the third, a bold move against Starocci. Romero getting chewed up, RT over a minute for Starocci. Restart with 31 seconds in the third. RT at 1:17. Romero can't break free, third-period rideout for the freshman! Impressive way to make the finals in your first NCAA tournament!

Semifinal Results

Carter Starocci (Penn State) DEC Demetrius Romero (Utah Valley), 2-0

Michael Kemerer (Iowa) DEC Bernie Truax (California Poly), 8-1

Bloodround Results

Logan Massa (Michigan) DEC Kaleb Romero (Ohio State), 6-1

Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) DEC Clay Lautt (North Carolina), 8-4

Daniel Bullard (NC State) DEC Austin Murphy (Campbell), 7-0

Jackson Turley (Rutgers) DEC Andrew Mcnally (Kent State), 7-5

Finals Matchups

Carter Starocci (Penn State) vs Michael Kemerer (Iowa)

184 Pounds

Aaron Brooks (Penn State) vs Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) - Brooks runs down the first takedown. Climbed up a single leg. Keckeisen is out quickly to make it 2-1. That's how he period ends. Broos chooses down. He's out in 8 seconds or so, leads 3-1. Keck on a shot, can't finish, blood time for Brooks. Small cut on his nose loosk like it. Brooks on a single, far ankle scramble. Brooks overpowers and collects two more. Ride out, Keck takes down in the third. Keckeisen is out, needs to find his offense in the next 90 seconds. Trails 5-2 and Brooks has 1:02 of RT. Keckeisen shooting, Brooks keeping him at bay. A takedown in the final seconds, looks like Brooks got bonked on the nose again. Ouch. But he'll have plenty of time to nurse his noggin, as he's not wrestling until Saturday night. Aaron Brooks wins 6-4 and is in the finals!

Trent Hidlay (NC State) vs John Poznanski (Rutgers) - Lots of action but no scores yet, 90 seconds in. Lots of underhooks and over unders but no scores in the first period. Poznanski takes down and is out in four seconds. Single leg for Hidlay, Poz does the splits, Trent drags him to the center, but can't finish. Expertly timed defense from Poz. Hidlay's turn on bottom in the third. Hidlay's out after about 20 seconds. 1-1, just over a minute left in the third, RT not a factor. Hidlay on a single on the edge. Again the splits and defense from Poz. We go to sudden victory, still 1-1. Poz on bottom for TB-1. Big mat return by Hidlay, and he'll get the ride out. Hidlay needs to escape and then avoid giving up anymore points. He's out in about 5. 14 seconds to go on the restart, Trent leads 2-1. Trent has a stall to give. He gets one but there's 3 seconds left. That'll do it, the rideout was the key to victory! Another subdued roof-raising as Trent Hidlay makes the finals! 

Rematch of Fargo 2017!

Semifinal Results

Trent Hidlay (NC State) DEC John Poznanski (Rutgers), 2-1 TB1

Aaron Brooks (Penn State) DEC Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa), 6-4

Bloodround Results

Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois) F Devin Kane (North Carolina), 2:58

Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) DEC Rocky Jordan (Ohio State), 7-3

Lou Deprez (Binghamton) DEC Owen Webster (Minnesota), 6-1

Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State) DEC Taylor Venz (Nebraska), 8-2

Finals Matchups

Aaron Brooks (Penn State) vs Trent Hidlay (NC State)

197 Pounds

Myles Amine (Michigan) vs AJ Ferrari (Oklahoma State) - Amine is the veteran, a three-time All-American who spent all last season successfully qualifying for the Olympics. He will represent San Marino in Toyko. Ferrari the true freshman phenom. Ferrari counters Amine's offense and gets the first takedown. Amine works for the escape, stepping on AJ's kidney in the process. 1:03 of RT for AJ. He'll be in bottom for the second period. Amine works RT down to 29, then Ferrari breaks free, leads 3-1. Ferrari in deep on a single, Amine defends, and barely escapes danger. To the third, Amine goes down. Restart with 1:36 on the clock. 54 seconds on the RT clock. Amine granbies. RT at 1:02 after a stalemate. Amine has a massive contusion over one of his eyes that's taped up. 1:12 left on the clock. Now 1:03 after Amine stands and is run out bounds. 3-1 Ferrari, RT soon to be locked. Ferrari gets a stall call but he keeps running Amine down. 16 seconds left, RT point is locked, Ferrari zeroing in on a victory. Ferrari's nose is leaking like a sieve. Just two seconds to go though. False start amine and Ferrari icks up an extra point. He will win 5-1! And he slams his head gear down on the mat. Pysche, no he doesn't, he faked us all out with that celebration. Amazing stuff from true freshman AJ Ferrari!

Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) vs Jake Woodley (Oklahoma) - Woodley trying to make the finals as the #26 seed, which is kind of ridiculous. He's got a single leg early but Nino breaks the grip and wrestles back to neutral. Nino grabs a leg, works his way up and collects the first two. Woodley escapes and we go to the second, 2-1 Nino. Woodley on bottom. RT climbs over a minute. Big rideout for Bonaccorsi. He leads 2-1 with 2:20 of RT. Nino on bottom in the third. He escapes quickly and RT is all but locked up. 3-1, 4-1 with RT. Woodley attacks but can't break through. Bonaccorsi will join his teammate Jake Wentzel in the finals! Big day for the Pitt Panthers!

Semifinal Results

Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) DEC Jake Woodley (Oklahoma), 4-1

AJ Ferrari (Oklahoma State) DEC Myles Amine (Michigan), 5-1

Bloodround Results

Rocky Elam Kansas City, MO (Missouri) MD Kordell Norfleet (Arizona State), 9-1

Jacob Warner (Iowa) DEC Cameron Caffey (Michigan State), 4-1

Michael Beard (Penn State) MD Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State), 9-1

Stephen Buchanan (Wyoming) DEC Thomas Penola (Purdue), 6-2

Finals Matchups

Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) vs AJ Ferrari (Oklahoma State)

285 Pounds

Gable Steveson (Minnesota) vs Tony Cassioppi (Iowa) - Gable wastes no time getting a takedown on Cassioppi as we move on to our last semifinal bouts of the evening. Cass gets out but Steveson brings him right back down. Second period, 4-1 Steveson. Two escapes for Cass and two takedowns for Steveson and it's 8-3. Gable chooses down, is out, and takes Cassioppi down with a slick ankle pick. He leads 11-3 and will go after that bonus. Release, duck under, wasn't pretty but got the job done. Another escape. 13-5, 30 seconds to go. 15-5, Steveson knifing through Cassioppi's defenses. 16-6 is the final, Gable dominates his way to the finals! Heavyweight U gets their first finalist at 285 since Tony Nelson. 

Gannon Gremmel (Iowa State) vs Mason Parris (Michigan) - Parris shoots in underneath Gremmel and gets the first takedown. Escape and another TD to make it 4-1. Same score to the second. Parris takes down. Parris so smooth on his low level attacks. Misdirection, finds an angle and scoops up two ankles for the clean finish. It's 7-1 Parris. Now Parris runs an arm bar. Gremmel flips over and that's all she wrote. Mason Parris into the finals with a pinfall! 

Semifinal Results

Bloodround Results

Tate Orndorff (Ohio State) DEC Ethan Laird (Rider), 7-2

Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) F Nathan Traxler (Stanford), 0:44

Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) MD Austin Harris (Oklahoma State), 13-5

Trent Hillger (Wisconsin) DEC Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force), 6-3

Finals Matchups

Mason Parris (Michigan) vs Gable Steveson (Minnesota)

So do we have a team race? It's Iowa 109, Penn State 94.5. Penn State has 4 finalist, Iowa has 3. Two finals matches (141 and 174) will be PSU vs Iowa. Penn State has two wrestling for 7th, Iowa has one wrestling for 7th and three more alive for 3rd, no worse than 6th. 

I dunno, someone else can figure out the odds but it's not a done deal yet!

That's all for tonight. A shame about the lack of dog bone formation but I get it with covid and not having a full crew etc. Anyway, that's all for tonight, rest up for medal matches in the morning and the finals on prime time! Apologies for the typos, see you tomorrow!