The 2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships took place from March 18–20, 2021, in St. Louis, Missouri at the Enterprise Center. The tournament was the 90th NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship, following the cancellation of the 2020 edition, and featured 63 teams across that level.[1][2]
 | |
| Teams | 63 |
|---|---|
| Format | Knockout |
| Finals site | St. Louis Enterprise Center |
| Champions | Iowa Hawkeyes (24th title) |
| Runner-up | Penn State Nittany Lions |
| Semifinalists | |
| Winning coach | Tom Brands (4th title) |
| Attendance | 25% capacity |
| Television | ESPN Networks |
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the event was forced to occur with modifications.[3] Due to the same reason, the Ivy League was unable to compete through the season, leaving out notable teams like Cornell and Princeton, therefore notable wrestlers such as two-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis and returning All-American Vito Arujau.[4]
In the tournament, Iowa clinched its first NCAA title since 2010 and finished with one individual national champion, while the defending Penn State became the runner-up of the tournament with four individual national champions.[5][2] Little Rock made its NCAA tournament debut with one national qualifier, while it was also the last year for Stanford and Fresno State.[6][7] Shane Griffith became the second ever NCAA champion from Stanford, and as a response to the cut of the school's wrestling team (Stanford eventually decided to keep the program), he wore a black singlet with no logo during the finals match, and was named the Outstanding Wrestler afterwards.[8] North Carolina also saw its first National champion since 1995, with Austin O'Connor at 149 pounds.[9]
Team results
edit- Note: Top 10 only
- (H): Team from hosting U.S. state
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | 129 |
| 2 | Penn State | 1131⁄2 |
| 3 | Oklahoma State | 991⁄2 |
| 4 | Arizona State | 74 |
| 5 | Michigan | 69 |
| 6 | NC State | 68 |
| 7 | Minnesota | 64 |
| 8 | Missouri (H) | 64 |
| 9 | Ohio State | 461⁄2 |
| 10 | Northwestern | 45 |
Individual results
edit- Note: Table does not include wrestlebacks
- (H): Individual from hosting U.S. State
Source:[2]
| Weight | First | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| 125 lbs | #1 Spencer Lee Iowa |
#3 Brandon Courtney Arizona State |
#15 Patrick McKee Minnesota |
| 133 lbs | #2 Roman Bravo-Young Penn State |
#1 Daton Fix Oklahoma State |
#4 Austin DeSanto Iowa |
| 141 lbs | #2 Nick Lee Penn State |
#1 Jaydin Eierman Iowa |
#4 Tariq Wilson NC State |
| 149 lbs | #2 Austin O'Connor North Carolina |
#1 Sammy Sasso Ohio State |
#25 Yahya Thomas Northwestern |
| 157 lbs | #2 David Carr Iowa State |
#4 Jesse Dellavecchia Rider |
#1 Ryan Deakin Northwestern |
| 165 lbs | #8 Shane Griffith Stanford |
#3 Jake Wentzel Pittsburgh |
#6 Keegan O'Toole Missouri (H) |
| 174 lbs | #3 Carter Starocci Penn State |
#1 Michael Kemerer Iowa |
#4 Mikey Labriola Nebraska |
| 184 lbs | #1 Aaron Brooks Penn State |
#2 Trent Hidlay NC State |
#4 Parker Keckeisen Northern Iowa |
| 197 lbs | #4 A.J. Ferrari Oklahoma State |
#6 Nino Bonaccorsi Pittsburgh |
#1 Myles Amine Michigan |
| 285 lbs | #1 Gable Steveson Minnesota |
#2 Mason Parris Michigan |
#5 Tony Cassioppi Iowa |
References
edit- ^ Scovel, Shannon. "2021 college wrestling championship: Selection show time, key dates | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
- ^ a b c "Penn State steals show in NCAA finals, Iowa claims 24th team title". InterMat. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
- ^ "What to expect from the 2021 college wrestling season | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
- ^ "College Wrestling 2021: RTCs could help programs in shortened season". WIN Magazine. 2020-12-01. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
- ^ "Iowa clinches team title during Saturday's medal round". InterMat. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
- ^ "Historic Second Season Comes to a Close for Little Rock Wrestling". Little Rock Athletics. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
- ^ "Fresno State to drop wrestling program". InterMat. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
- ^ Falk, Steven. "Shane Griffith enables Stanford wrestling program to go out on top with NCAA Tournament title". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
- ^ "Mission Complete: Austin O'Connor Wins 149-Pound National Championship". University of North Carolina Athletics. Retrieved 2021-03-21.