Cornell’s Yianni Diakomihalis became the fifth Division I wrestler to win four national titles and Penn State won its 10th team title in 12 years at the NCAA wrestling championships held in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Diakomihalis defeated Sammy Sasso of Ohio State in the 149-pound final. Penn State secured its team title by finishing with 137.5 points, with Iowa and Cornell placing second and third, respectively. The Nittany Lions had two wrestlers, Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks, winning their third consecutive titles. Vito Arujau of Cornell defeated Roman Bravo-Young of Penn State for the 133-pound title, while Spencer Lee of Iowa, who aimed to win his fourth title, lost in the semifinals. Other winners at the championships included Andrew Alirez of Northern Colorado, Austin O’Connor of North Carolina, Keegan O’Toole of Missouri, Nino Bonaccorsi of Pitt, and Mason Parris of Michigan.
Cornell’s Diakomihalis Wins Fourth Title and Penn State Claims 10th Team Title in 12 Years at NCAA Wrestling Championships
Cornell’s Yianni Diakomihalis has made history as the fifth Division I wrestler to win four national titles. Meanwhile, Penn State secured its 10th team title in 12 years at the NCAA wrestling championships held in Tulsa, Oklahoma, over the weekend. The former President of the United States, Donald Trump, was in attendance.
Diakomihalis secured his fourth title by defeating Sammy Sasso of Ohio State 4-2 in the 149-pound final. He now joins an elite group of wrestlers that includes Cael Sanderson (who coaches Penn State), Kyle Dake, Logan Stieber, and Pat Smith as the only four-time champions in Division I history.
Penn State clinched the team title even before the evening session began, finishing with 137.5 points. Iowa came in second with 82.5 points, and Cornell placed third with 76.5 points. Two Penn State wrestlers, Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks, won titles for the third consecutive year. Starocci secured his title at 174 by pinning Nebraska’s Mikey Labriola early in the second period. Brooks, who was seeded third in the 184-pound class, defeated top-seeded Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa 7-2 to claim his title.
Vito Arujau of Cornell, seeded third in the 133-pound class, defeated Penn State’s Roman Bravo-Young, the unbeaten No. 1 seed and two-time defending champion, 10-4 to claim the title. Spencer Lee of Iowa, who was vying to win his fourth title, lost in the semifinals to Purdue’s Matt Ramos at 125 on Friday night. Lee medically forfeited out of Saturday’s action and finished sixth.
In other finals, at 141, Northern Colorado’s Andrew Alirez defeated Iowa’s Real Woods 6-4 in a matchup of unbeatens. At 157, North Carolina’s Austin O’Connor won his second national title with a 6-2 win over Penn State true freshman Levi Haines. At 165, Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole repeated his win by defeating Iowa State’s David Carr 8-2. The second-seeded O’Toole avenged his two losses to Carr this season by dominating the third period. Carr, who was the champ at 157 in 2021, was unbeaten and seeded first this season. At 197, Pitt’s Nino Bonaccorsi, seeded first, finished the season unbeaten by defeating South Dakota State’s Tanner Sloan 5-3. And at 285, Michigan’s Mason Parris completed an unbeaten season with a 5-1 win over Penn State’s Greg Kerkvliet, seeded third.
The NCAA wrestling championships showcased some of the country’s top wrestlers competing for individual and team titles. It was a momentous occasion for Diakomihalis and Penn State, who continue to cement their places in the annals of collegiate wrestling history.
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