Last Updated 10:25 PM, March 18, 2023
Shannon Scovel

Penn State wins the 2023 DI men's NCAA wrestling team title

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Austin O' Connor vs. Levi Haines - 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championship (157 lbs)
13:51
2:07 am, March 19, 2023

Penn State wins the 2023 NCAA wrestling tournament

TULSA — Penn State clinched the 2023 NCAA DI wrestling team title on Saturday morning and crowned two individual national champions on Saturday night to add to the impressive legacy Cael Sanderson is cementing in State College.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FINAL BRACKETS FROM THE 2023 NCAA WRESTLING TOURNAMENT 

Carter Starocci, now a three-time individual champion, kicked off the wins for Penn State as he picked up a statement first-period pin against No. 2 Mikey Labriola. Teammate Aaron Brooks followed up this performance with a dominant win of his own, as he took down No. 1 Parker Keckeisen 7-2, putting on a takedown clinic along the way.

Levi Haines, Greg Kerkvliet and Roman Bravo-Young, Penn State’s three other finalists, took second in their finals matches, with Haines dropping to North Carolina’s now-two time NCAA champion Austin O’Connor at 157 pounds, Kerkvliet losing to Mason Parris at heavyweight and Bravo-Young taking a loss to Cornell’s Vito Arujau. These performances were uncharacteristic for a team that has a nearly perfect record in the finals, but the Nittany Lion didn’t need those victories. Their team lead was too great for anyone to catch them.

But the story wasn’t all about Penn State. Cornell’s Yianni Diakomihalis made history himself when he won his fourth NCAA title, this time against Ohio State’s Sammy Sasso in the 149-pound final. Diakomihalis is the fifth overall wrestler to achieve this feat and the second in Cornell history, with Kyle Dake being the first. Between Diakomihalis and Arujau, Cornell had two NCAA champions in 2023.

Then there’s the Princeton Tigers, who broke a 72-year-old streak without a national champion when 125-pounder Patrick Glory beat Purdue’s Matt Ramos 4-1 to take home gold, the culmination of a long journey for the senior. The Ivy League produced three national champions this year, a major statement for the conference.

Missouri, the Big 12 champions this season, may have come up short of a team trophy, but the Tigers did produce an individual champion in the deepest weight class, as No. 2 Keegan O’Toole took down David Carr for the 8-2 win, a result that contrasts his two earlier season losses to the Cyclone and propelled him to his second overall title.

“It was a blessing to have someone like David move up [to 165 pounds] because he's an elite wrestler,” O’Toole said in advance of his match against Carr. “In the past I might have been able to get away with stuff because of my sheer technique and knowledge of the sport, but wrestling someone like him, I got to be on all the time. I hate losing, but those losses are much more important and valuable to my character and how I bounced back than any win.”

The Missouri Tigers finished fifth as a team. Iowa finished second, despite the fact that the team’s lone finalist, Real Woods, dropped 6-4 to Northern Colorado’s Andrew Alirez. Cornell took third, while Ohio State came in fourth and will take another trophy back to Columbus.

Michigan finished sixth as a team and crowned an individual champion in Mason Parris at heavyweight while and Pittsburgh, a teams outside of the trophy race, finished with a national champion at 197 pounds courtesy of Nino Bonaccorsi. 

FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP SCORES

WEIGHT

CHAMP

SCORE

125

N0. 2 PATRICK GLORY

4-1 over No. 4 Matt Ramos

133

NO. 3 VITO ARUJAU 

10-4 over No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young

141

No. 2 ANDREW ALIREZ

6-4 over No. 1 Real Woods 

149

NO. 1 YIANNI DIAKOMIHALIS

4-2 over No. 2 Sammy Sasso

157

NO. 1 AUSTIN O’CONNOR

6-2 over No. 2 Levi Haines

165

NO. 2 KEEGAN O’TOOLE

8-2 over No. 1 David Carr

174

NO. 1 CARTER STAROCCI

FALL over No. 2 Mikey Labriola 

184

No. 3 AARON BROOKS

7-2 over No. 1 Parker Keckeisen

197 

NO. 1 NINO BONACCORSI

5-3 over No. 7 Tanner Sloan

285

NO. 1 MASON PARRIS

5-1 over No. 3 Greg Kerkvliet
1:53 am, March 19, 2023

149 pounds: No. 1 Yianni Diakomihalis survives No. 2 Sammy Sasso 4-2

THIRD PERIOD: Sasso chooses down to start the third period. Sasso escapes. The score is now 4-2 in favor of the three-time champ from Cornell. Diakomihalis in on a shot. Sasso wards him off. Diakomihalis shoots again. We're scrambling! Time is ticking down. Stalemate. Another shot from Diakomihalis. Sasso is warned for stalling. Scrambling again! Diakomihalis takes the win 4-2. He's a four-time NCAA CHAMPION!

SECOND PERIOD: Diakomihalis chooses down to start the second period, and Sasso is locked in on a hard ride, but Diakomihalis reverses him to put himself on the board first. Caution on Diakomihalis on the reset. Sasso escapes. Diakomihalis leads 2-1. Sasso in on an attack, but Diakomihalis fends him off, looking to create some action for himself. Diakomihalis searches for the cradle, and he locks it up, but Sasso works out of it. Diakomihalis will head into the third period with a 4-1 lead. 

FIRST PERIOD: Diakomihalis' quest for history starts right now. We came into this tournament with two wrestlers going for their fourth national titles. One dropped on Friday night. Here comes the second one! Diakomihalis is in on a shot, as the Ohio State fans express their support for Sammy Sasso, now a two-time finalist. Sasso fends off the attack to draw a stalemate. Back to neutral. And now Sasso is in on a shot. Stalemate. Scoreless first period. 

 

1:30 am, March 19, 2023

141 pounds: No. 2 Andrew Alirez outlast No. 1 Real Woods 6-4

THIRD PERIOD: Woods chooses down to start the third period. Alirez looks so tough on top. Woods is out. The score is now 6-4 in favor of Alirez. Alirez goes for an ankle pick, but Woods pushes him off. Time is running out. Woods needs something big. Thirty seconds left. Iowa wants another stalling call against Alirez. Short time. Andrew Alirez is a 2023 NCAA champion for Northern Colorado! 

SECOND PERIOD: Alirez chooses down to start the second period. Woods looks like he's working for a turn. The Hawkeye has made it clear that he's improved his top game this year, and this is his moment to shine, if he can take it. Iowa wants Alirez to be hit for stalling. The ref agrees and warns Alirez. Woods has Alirez on his back, but Alirez gets out, and now he has Woods in trouble. Woods works back to his stomach, but that's four near fall points for the Bear. Woods is now warned for stalling. What a sequence. Let's unpack it: Woods turned Alirez for two back points, but Alirez notched a two-point escape and two back points of his own. Then, Alirez was hit for stalling, making the score. Challenge. After an extended challenge delay, the score is now 6-2, with Alirez earning four near fall points instead of two. Woods escaped, so it's 6-3. 

FIRST PERIOD: This match features a Big Ten champion versus a Big 12 champion, two undefeated All-Americans battling it out for the ultimate prize. Scoreless first period. 
1:11 am, March 19, 2023

133 pounds: No. 3 Vito Arujau upsets No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young 10-4

THIRD PERIOD: This crowd is on their feet. Bravo-Young chooses down to start the third period, and he picks up the reversal, narrowing the Big Red's lead 8-4. But Arujau escapes and nearly takes down Bravo-Young again. Challenge on the call. It's now 9-4 Arujau, and the Cornell junior has done it, he's beaten the champ. Vito Arujau is a 2023 NCAA champion at 133 pounds! 

SECOND PERIOD: Arujau is taking control. He picks up two points to start the second period with a reversal and back points, extending his lead 8-1. Bravo-Young escapes, and it's 8-2 Arujau midway through the second period. This match looks far different than Bravo-Young's last two national finals matches against Daton Fix which were both decided by one takedown. Arujau will enter the third period with an 8-2 lead. 

FIRST PERIOD: These two athletes are SO fast. Arujau keeps reaching for Bravo-Young's wrist, and the Big Red junior is on the board first with a takedown against the two-time NCAA champion Roman Bravo-Young. Another takedown for Arujau, and he had Bravo-Young in danger there for a second, nearly putting the Nittany Lion on his back. Wow. Wow. Wow. What a start for Arujau. A big mat return creates another opportunity for Arujau to pick up back points, but he'll settle for his 4-1 lead heading into the second period. 

 

12:52 am, March 19, 2023

125 pounds: No. 2 Patrick Glory beats No. 4 Matt Ramos 4-1

THIRD PERIOD: Ramos chooses neutral to start the third. Glory leads 1-0. Glory is in on a shot. Ramos scrambles, but Glory gets it. That's a takedown. Glory is less than 90 seconds away from a national title, an achievement that would be the first for Princeton since 1951. Glory rides Ramos, looking for the turn. He's got the Boilermaker on his back, but Ramos scrambles back to safety. Glory leads 3-0 as they go out of bounds. Time ticks down. 'Let's go Glory' chants fill the BOK Center. Glory is warned for stalling. Ramos comes to his feet, but doesn't quite escape. Glory has Ramos on his back again, but he's hit for locked hands. Patrick Glory is an NCAA champion with a 4-1 win over Matt Ramos! 

SECOND PERIOD: Glory chooses bottom to start the second period, and he's out quickly to put himself on the board first. Ramos is warned for stalling. Shot from Glory. The Tiger has been so close so many times. But his escape will be the lone point of the period. 

FIRST PERIOD: This may have been an unexpected pairing at 125 pounds after Purdue's Matt Ramos upset No. 1 Spencer Lee to earn his shot against No. 2 Patrick Glory of Princeton, but there's no doubt these guys are here to scrap. 'Patrick Glory' chants fill the arena quickly. The 2022 NCAA finalist has wanted this opportunity since he lost to Nick Suriano in last year's national tournament. He's in on the first shot, but Ramos fends him off. Stalemate. Another shot for Glory. He's working for it, but Ramos is fast and flexible. Scrambling! Stalemate. Wow. Ramos' defense is so stellar. Shot Glory. Princeton wants a stall call against Ramos. Glory earned numerous stall calls against Suriano in last year's final. He's a pace-pusher. 

12:34 am, March 19, 2023

285 pounds: No. 1 Mason Parris overpowers No. 3 Greg Kerkvliet

THIRD PERIOD: Kerkvliet chooses down to start the third period. Break for injury time. Kerkvliet holds on to his knee. Kerkvliet returns to the mat, but Parris gets choice for position, and he picks down. Parris escapes. It's 5-1 Parris with riding time, and the Wolverine is a national champion! 


SECOND PERIOD: Parris chooses bottom to start the second period, and he escapes. That gives the Wolverine a 3-0 lead. Parris is hit for stalling as the wrestlers go out of bounds, but the crowd doesn't like it. The second period will end with Parris ahead 3-0. 

FIRST PERIOD: Greg Kerkvliet goes in on an early shot, but Mason Parris responds, and the Wolverine will be on the board first with the takedown. Penn State has already had two NCAA champions tonight. Will Kerkvliet upset Parris to become the third? The Wolverine is doing everything he can to stop that, and he works to ride Kerkvliet. No easy escapes in this bout. Stalemate. Parris works for a turn, and the crowd wants a stalling call against Kerkvliet. The ref agrees. Kerkvliet is warned for stalling. The Wolverine ends the period on top with a 2-0 lead after a powerful ride. 

 

12:10 am, March 19, 2023

197 pounds: No. 1 Nino Bonaccorsi edges out No. 7 Tanner Sloan 5-3

THIRD PERIOD: Bonaccorsi chooses neutral to start the third period. He has Sloan's leg on the edge, and they go off the mat. Another shot from Bonaccorsi, and he picks up the takedown. The Panther now has a 4-3 lead with 43 seconds to go. Nino Bonaccorsi is an NCAA champion for the firs time in his career with a 5-3 win!

SECOND PERIOD: Bonaccorsi defers, and Sloan chooses down to start the second. Bonaccorsi pushes for the ride, but Sloan escapes, only to have Bonaccorsi take him down to put the Panther ahead 3-2. Thirty seconds to go in the second period. 

FIRST PERIOD: South Dakota State has not had an NCAA champion since 2018 when Seth Gross made history for the program and won a title at 133 pounds. But here comes Sloan looking to add his name to that list. No. 1 Bonaccorsi though, a 2021 finalist, will be a tough task. Sloan had Bonaccorsi in trouble there for a moment, putting him close to his back, but we're back to neutral wrestling. 

 

11:54 pm, March 18, 2023

184 pounds: No. 3 Aaron Brooks outscores No. 1 Parker Keckeisen 7-2

THIRD PERIOD: Brooks chooses down to begin the third period and picks up an automatic point for Keckeisen's third caution. He adds another point with his escape and takes a 6-2 lead. This is looking like Brooks' moment (again). Keckeisen isn't giving up, but Brooks' offense. He takes the win 7-2 win with riding time. Aaron Broos of Penn State is a three-time NCAA champion! 

SECOND PERIOD: Keckeisen chooses down to start the second period. He escapes quickly, narrowing Brooks' lead 2-1. But Brooks is in on the leg again, looking for that second takedown, and he gets it. Penn State has been on fire tonight. There's no fear in these athletes, and, while it's cliche to say, Brooks, like Starocci, looks so free and loose on the mat. One minute remaining in the second period. Keckeisen escapes. It's 4-2 Brooks. Brooks will end the period with a two-point advantage. 

FIRST PERIOD: Lots of heavy hands to start this match, but no score yet. Brooks has Keckeisen's leg, and he scores a takedown. He takes the 2-0 lead. Caution on Keckeisen. Brooks ends the first period on top with 2-0 advantage. 

 

11:43 pm, March 18, 2023

174 pounds: No. 1 Carter Starocci pins No. 2 Mikey Labriola

FIRST PERIOD: Penn State's Carter Starocci dominated Nebraska's Mikey Labriola in their last meeting in the Big Ten finals, but Labriola came here to scrap. Starocci gets in on a leg, and that's a two-point takedown for the Nittany Lion. Chants of 'Let's go Mikey' fill the arena from the Nebraska side. The Penn State fan base responses with 'Penn-State' chants. This is a loud arena tonight. But, in the middle of the mat, it's still Starocci and Labriola. Starocci has Labriola on his back, and that's a fall. Carter Starocci is a three-time NCAA champion! 

11:22 pm, March 18, 2023

165 pounds: No. 2 Keegan O'Toole tops No. 1 David Carr 8-2

THIRD PERIOD: O'Toole chooses down to start the third period, and he's out quickly, extending his lead to 3-1. Shot by Carr! The crowd wants two points, but O'Toole is holding tough. Now we're scrambling again! This match has lived up to the hype. Now it's two points for O'Toole! The Tiger is really separating himself in this one. It's 5-1 O'Toole, and he has riding time. Carr is going to need something big! But it's O'Toole looking to turn Carr. He picks up two back points. He's leading 7-1 with riding time, and Keegan O'Toole of Missouri is a two-time NCAA champion with an 8-2 win over 2021 NCAA champion David Carr! 

SECOND PERIOD: Carr chooses down to start the second period, but he needs to get out fast to avoid letting O'Toole get his riding up over a minute. Carr escapes, but O'Toole has 1:03 of riding time. O'Toole goes in on another shot. We're scrambling! Carr's looking for a takedown, and he nearly gets it. That's two! Actually no takedown. The scoreboard just changed. But Iowa is challenging. No takedown. O'Toole holds the 2-1 lead with riding time heading into the third. 

FIRST PERIOD: We've seen this match twice before, and one of those matches happened in this very arena just two weeks ago when Iowa State's David Carr pinned Keegan O'Toole in overtime for the win. Now we'll see the match, with an NCAA title on the line. Missouri's Keegan O'Toole goes in for the first shot, and he's got Carr's leg in the air. The flexibility and strength of Carr here is incredible, and he scrambles down to the mat and sprawls out. Now he's got O'Toole in a bad spot, but he's called for potentially dangerous. Carr takes a shot, then another, but it's O'Toole who gets in on a leg. Carr sprawls again, but that's two for O'Toole for the first takedown of the match. He's made adjustments. He's ready for Carr. Less than a minute to go in the first period, and O'Toole leads 2-0. Caution on Carr. O'Toole rides out Carr for the period and accumulates 37 seconds of riding time. 

10:54 pm, March 18, 2023

157 pounds: No. 1 Austin O'Connor takes down No. 2 Levi Haines 6-2

THIRD PERIOD: O'Connor chooses bottom to start the third period, and he escapes. He leads 1-0 with 1:45 of riding time now. Two-point takedown for O'Connor. He now leads 3-1 after Haines escapes, but he picks up another takedown almost instantly. That's 5-1 lead for the Tar Heel. Haines escapes. It's 5-2 in O'Connor's favor, and O'Connor also has riding time locked. The crowd starts to cheer. They are feeling this for O'Connor. Time expires, and Austin O'Connor from the University of North Carolina is a two-time NCAA champion! 

SECOND PERIOD: Haines chooses down to start the second period. O'Connor has Haines in trouble, nearly turning him to his back, but Haines fights back to his stomach. The Tar Heel senior, though, liked what he felt there, and he's back looking for a turn again. The wrestlers go out of bounds. Reset. Haines works to fight out, and he's on his back again, and he picks up the two near fall points. This has been a punishing ride from O'Connor. Penn State challenges the near fall points. The call on the mat is reversed. North Carolina is not happy. The score remains tied, but O'Connor has about 90 seconds of riding time. And he's looking for the turn again. What a poised, powerful period for the Tar Heel. O'Connor rides out Haines for the entire period. That's two minutes of riding time for O'Connor.

FIRST PERIOD: Penn State has a true freshman in Haines taking on a seasoned University of North Carolina veteran in O'Connor in this first bout, and we're off! Haines is in on a shot, but O'Connor defends. Scoreless first period. 

10:45 pm, March 18, 2023

Jared Franek wins the Elite 90 Award

The North Dakota State All-American is honored for the second year in a row for his 4.0 GPA in Sports Management. What an accomplishment for the Bison student athlete! 

7:00 pm, March 18, 2023

How to watch the 2022 NCAA wrestling national finals

The 2023 NCAA DI men's wrestling tournament will conclude at 6pm CT/7pm ET with the ten national finals matches on ESPN. The parade of All-Americans will begin at 5:35pm CT. 

6:39 pm, March 18, 2023

Penn State has mathematically clinched the 2023 NCAA wrestling tournament team title

4:58 pm, March 18, 2023

Third-place matches

285: No. 2 Wyatt Hendrickson pins No. 4 Tony Cassioppi 
Wyatt Hendrickson has Tony Cassioppi in trouble early picking up a takedown and two backpoints, but Iowa challenges. Near fall is overturned, it's 4-2, Hendrickson. Cassioppi chooses down to start the second, and he picks up a reversal, but Hendrickson responds with a big move, and that's a fall for the Falcon. Wyatt Hendrickson will finish this tournament in third place. The crowd rewards him with a standing ovation and LOUD chants of U-S-A. What a moment for the Air Force All-American. 

197: No. 3 Rocky Elam beats No. 2 Bernie Truax 5-2
The first period ends with Zach Elam in the lead 2-1 after a takedown and an escape from Truax. One minute to go. Elam leads 3-2. Elam gets another one at the buzzer and picks up the 5-2 win over Bernie Truax. 

184: No. 6 Kaleb Romero outscores No. 2 Trent Hidlay 3-1 in SV
Heading into the third period, Hilday holds the 1-0 lead after his escape. Romero escapes, and we're all tied up 1-1. Overtime! Romero is on a shot in short time, and he nearly gets it. Ohio State challenges the call, wanting a takedown. Takedown Romero! The Buckeye senior finishes his career in third place. 

174: No. 4 Chris Foca outrides No. 3 Mekhi Lewis 3-2
Overtime! Mekhi Lewis loves these close matches, and he has a history of finding ways to win, but we'll see what Foca can do here. Tie-breakers! Lewis escapes in 18 seconds. Lewis rides Foca hard, but the Big Red All-American escapes after four seconds. He'll take this one, as Lewis drops to fourth. 

165: No. 5 Quincy Monday beats No. 11 Cam Amine 3-2
A takedown from Monday gives him the 3-1 lead with one minute to go in the third period. Monday takes the win, and he ends his career with a second All-American honor and a third-place finish. 

157: No. 5 Josh Humphreys shuts out No. 4 Jared Franek 8-0
Lehigh's Josh Humphrey puts a punishing ride on North Dakota State's Jared Franek, and he holds a 6-0 lead with two minutes of riding time. Humphreys takes the win 8-0. 

149: No. 12 Shayne Van Ness beats No. 3 Kyle Parco 7-2
Penn State's Shayne Van Ness is resilient and poised. He fends off a scramble from Parco and turns it into an attack of his to take a 2-0 lead going into the second period. Parco escapes, but Van Ness leads 2-1. Shot from Parco, bu Van Ness defends. The freshman has really found his groove here in this tournament. Van Ness with another takedown, and he leads 5-1 with one minute to go in the third period. Another takedown for Van Ness, and he'll take third with a 7-2 win. 

141: No. 6 Beau Bartlett tops No. 10 Lachlan McNeil 4-1
Big mat return from Beau Bartlett as the Nittany Lion works to ride McNeil at the start of the second after a scoreless first period. McNeil escapes, so he's on the board first. Bartlett escapes, and it's 1-1 with one minute to go in the third period. Takedown Bartlett. Now he's looking for back points! He'll take the win 4-1. 

133: No. 4 Michael McGee beats No. 2 Daton Fix 2-1
Arizona State's Michael McGee keeps Fix scoreless through the first period. Scrambling! McGee nearly had Fix in trouble, but the Cowboy recovers. One minute remaining in the second period, and it's still 1-0 McGee after the escape to start the period. Fix with an escape in short time to score a takedown, but it's challenged. No takedown. McGee takes the win in sudden victory. Daton Fix is now now 2-2-2-4 in his four NCAA tournament appearances. 

125: No. 10 Brandon Courtney outlasts No. 8 Anthony Noto 4-2 SV
In sudden victory, Courtney secures the takedown, ending his tournament with bronze while Noto finishes out a stellar All-American run with a fourth-place finish.