Check out the article below for current team scores and an overview of the team race at the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships.
March 16-18 Resumes yesterday at 4:00 PM UTC
2023 NCAA Championships Watch Party
Top 10 after session 3
Penn State puts 7 in semifinals!
Penn State had a historic quarterfinal Friday morning with all 7 of their quarterfinalists making it to the semifinals. Roman Bravo-Young, Beau Bartlett, Shayne Van-Ness, Levi Haines, Carter Starocci, Aaron Brooks and Greg Kerkvliet were the 7 Nittany Lion wrestlers who reached the semifinals. Not only does a birth in the semifinals guarantee them a place in the top 6, but each semifinalist also earned Penn State 7 team points. Besides the semifinalists, Max Dean is still living for All-American honors and will wrestle Jaxon Smith in the round of 12 on Friday night.
The battle for a team trophy is exciting!
Iowa may be in second place, but there are 7-8 other teams with a realistic chance of making the top four and taking home a team trophy. There are significant points available in the next round with 7 points on the line for a semi-final win and 3.5 points up for grabs with a round of 12 win. With so many teams still chasing a trophy, the Friday night round will be crucial for any team in the top ten.
Check out the chart below to see an overview of the points potential for each team on Friday night:
* We will update this article at the end of each session, so check back Friday evening for the latest update.
More content from 2023 NCAAs:
SEE OLDER TEAM RACE UPDATES BELOW
Top 10 after session 2
Penn State With 7 In Quarters – Iowa Trails With 5
Penn State placed 7 of their 9 wrestlers in the quarterfinals and has a 4.5 point lead over Iowa, which has only 4 wrestlers in the quarterfinals. Although Alex Facundo went 0-2 and Max Dean lost to Silas Allred, the Nittany Lions built their lead with 11 bonus points from their winning wrestlers. Those bonus points alone would be enough to match the entire current team in 15th place.
Of the teams after Penn State in the top 10, Missouri has the most in the quarterfinals with 6 wrestlers vying for a spot in the semifinals on Friday morning. After that, the Tigers have 3 wrestlers left alive in the comfort group. Subsequently, both Nebraska and Virginia have 5 wrestlers in the quarters. Nebraska has only 2 alive in the consolation group, while Virginia Tech has 3 wrestlers fighting at the back still alive for All-American honors.
Iowa Head Coach Tom Brands summarizes Day 1 for the Hawkeyes:
Top 10 after session 1
Bonus Points The Difference for Penn State in Session 1
Penn State had won 8 of their 9 wrestling first-round matches on Thursday. NC State, Iowa and Missouri also had 8 wrestlers win, but Penn State took the lead by getting bonus points from 5 wrestlers with pins on 3 weights. Each win in the championship rounds is worth 1 point, with a major decision earning an extra point, a technical fall 1.5, and a pin 2. If the teams behind the Nittany Lions hope to keep up, they’ll need to step up their production of increase bonus points.