Penn State Faces Big Challenge at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships

Michigan leads the Lions heading into Day 2. Both teams have five finalists.

Penn State, the undefeated top-ranked team in the nation, finds itself in a battle for the Big Ten wrestling tournament title after the first day of the championships.

The Nittany Lions drew a stiff challenge from Michigan, which leads the team standings with 116 points. Penn State (111.5 points) is second. The two teams each have five finalists and will square off in a pair of championships bouts with the team title on the line.

Nine of Penn State's wrestlers remain in the tournament, giving the Lions a strong chance to win their seventh Big Ten tournament title under head coach Cael Sanderson.

Roman Bravo-Young (133 pounds), Nick Lee (141), Carter Starocci (174), Aaron Brooks (184) and Max Dean (197) will wrestle for Big Ten titles Sunday.

Here's a look at where Penn State stands heading into Sunday.

125: Second-seeded Drew Hildebrandt had a tough first day in his first Big Ten tournament, going 0-2 to fall to the ninth-place mini-bracket. Hildebrandt (8-3) lost in sudden victory in the quarterfinals and 2-1 in the consolations. Hildebrandt is fortunate that the Big Ten qualifies 10 wrestlers from this weight class to NCAAs. He needs a win Sunday morning to earn a spot in the ninth-place bout and an automatic bid to nationals. Otherwise, Hildebrandt would have to wait for one of the four at-large bids.

133: Defending Big Ten and national champ Roman Bravo-Young meets a familiar opponent in Sunday's finals. Bravo-Young (17-0) and Iowa's Austin DeSanto meet for the seventh time in the last three years, with Bravo-Young on a four-bout win streak. That includes a 3-2 win in their January dual and a 5-2 victory for the 2021 Big Ten title.

ROMAN is finals bound ❗❗ #psuwr pic.twitter.com/XctVtCc1te

— Penn State WRESTLING (@pennstateWREST) March 6, 2022

141: Nick Lee, a returning NCAA champ and four-time All-American, seeks to add the elusive Big Ten title to his resume. He has two bronze medals and two silvers, including last year's loss to Iowa's Jaydin Eierman. The two will meet again in the final. Lee has won the last two bouts, including his overtime victory for the 2021 NCAA title. Lee (16-0) bulldozed his two opponents Saturday for a pair of technical falls. 

149: Seventh-seeded Beau Bartlett will wrestle for seventh place, and an automatic berth to nationals, Sunday. Bartlett went 2-2 Saturday, falling to Rutgers' Michael Van Brill 2-1 in the consolations. Bartlett (14-9) is a key qualifier for Penn State, which is looking to generate more team points in the team-title race.

157: Brady Berge, who spent most of his return season at 165 pounds, fell to Michigan's Will Lewan in a semifinal sudden-victory bout, one that impacted the early team standings. Berge wrestled just two bouts at 157 (both against Rider) before the Big Ten tournament. He was 3-1 at 165 before making the descent.

165: Creighton Edsell, the 10th seed, ended his tournament (and likely his season) with a 1-2 record at Big Tens. Just seven conference wrestlers from this weight class earn automatic bids. Edsell, 11-5 and ranked 23rd nationally, awaits Wednesday's at-large invitations. Four are available at 165.

174: Carter Starocci didn't face off again with Iowa's Michael Kemerer, who took a medical forfeit in their semifinal bout. Starocci (16-0) scored his third pin of the season in Saturday's quarterfinal round. He will face Michigan's Logan Massa in the final, a bout that will factor significantly into the team race. Starocci won their January meeting 3-2 and is 2-0 vs. Massa.

184: Aaron Brooks (16-0) remained unstoppable with two wins Saturday, including a 7-2 semifinal win. Brooks will wrestle for his third straight Big Ten title and has a 30-1 record against conference opponents. Brooks will meet Michigan's Myles Amine for the title. The two wrestled a gem in January, with Brooks scoring a takedown with 20 seconds left for the 3-1 victory. 

197: Second-seeded Max Dean qualified for his first Big Ten final with a 5-2 victory over Cameron Caffey of Michigan State. Dean will meet top-seeded Eric Schultz of Nebraska. Dean (18-1) was a two-time All-American at Cornell before transferring to Penn State this year.

Max Dean punches his ticket to the finals! #psuwr pic.twitter.com/FIVKZKqL4z

— Penn State WRESTLING (@pennstateWREST) March 6, 2022

285: Third-seeded Greg Kerkvliet lost a wrenching semifinal bout to Iowa's Tony Cassioppi, giving up a reversal with 4 seconds left in the third period and the decisive takedown in sudden victory. Kerkvliet was trying to become Penn State's sixth finalist, which would have been one more than Michigan.

Big Ten Wrestling Championships Schedule

Sunday (All Times EST)

Noon: Session 3 Consolation Semifinals (B1G+)

4:30 p.m.: Championships (BTN)

4:30 p.m.: Championship and medal finals (B1G+)

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.