Tonight's Bloodround is often the time we see the glory and satisfaction and relief that can come out when a wrestler earns his first All-American honors, but sometimes a surprise win in the Quarterfinals can provide the same special sports moment. Advancing to the Semifinals guarantees no worse than a 6th-place finish, and confers All-American honors with that guaranteed spot on the podium. American University's 5th-year Senior David Terao (Nico's Semifinal opponent tonight) was 0-2 at this tournament in 2013. In 2014, he got to the Quarterfinals, lost and then lost in the bloodround, just short of All-American honors. In 2015, same thing: 2-0 to the Quarters, then 0-2 to out in the R12. This year, in his last chance, he finally broke through, and this is what that looks like:
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Most of Penn State's remaining wrestlers are still hoping to pull this pose tomorrow night, after earning National Championships, but this is what we watch for. Elation. Redemption, after untold hours of the hardest work imaginable. Until the next opportunity (8pm EDT, ESPN), please enjoy the BSD original photos in the gallery above.