:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53751397/Cenzo1.0.jpg)
Just 36 hours ago, 330 of the best collegiate wrestlers took the mats in St. Louis with hopes of becoming a national champion. Now, 210 have been eliminated from the tournament. Only 40 still have a shot at that national title, with another 80 fighting for All-American status.
The “All-American” title sticks with you for the rest of your life. It’s highly coveted. And for the 80 survivors in the consolation bracket, they’re just one win away. But only half of them will be rewarded with it. The other half, who fought hard and made it this far, walk away with nothing but the cuts and bruises. Win, you live. Lose, you die.
Welcome to Session 4 - also known as, the Blood Round.
TEAM STANDINGS
| TEAM | Points- | -Semis- | -R12Consi- | -ELIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | 74 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Ohio State | 59 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Iowa | 58 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Oklahoma State | 47.5 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
Your Penn State Nittany Lions have put on a show. All 8 wrestlers remain standing, 5 chasing individual titles in the semis, and 3 just 1-win away from All-American status. They’re 22-3 in 25 bouts, with 15 bonus point victories. That’s not too shabby.
SESSION FOUR MATCH-UPS
| WT | PSU | ROUND | OPPONENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 141 | Jimmy | R12 | 2-Jack (NCST) |
| 149 | Zpain | Semi | 5-Sorensen (IOWA) |
| 157 | Nolf | Semi | 4-Berger (NEB) |
| 165 | Cenzo | Semi | 2-Massa (MICH) |
| 174 | Hall | Semi | 1-Valencia (ASU) |
| 184 | Bo | Semi | 3-Brooks (IOWA) |
| 197 | Mouse | R12 | 7-Studebaker (NEB) |
| 285 | Nevills | R12 | 15-Solomon (PITT) |
As you might expect, there are no easy matches. Nothing but knock down, drag out brawls the rest of the way. Hopefully we can get all 5 semi-finalists onto the big stage, and the 3 Lions in the consolations onto the podium. But it’s going to be a challenge.
Fun Facts Section
- 170 unseeded wrestlers began the tournament yesterday morning. Just 17 remain, all in the consolations.
- 57 (of 160) seeded wrestlers have been eliminated.
- All 10 undefeated wrestlers at the start of the tournament are still undefeated.
- Penn State’s 23 bonus points leads all squads. In fact, if “PSU Bonus Points” was it’s own team, it’d be in 11th place in the team standings.
Other Stuff
- Like the quarters this morning, each semi-final win with worth 7 team points: 1 for advancing to the final, plus 6 for placing no worse than 2nd. So - let’s win some semi-finals.
- In the first round of consolations, a win is worth 3.5 team points: 0.5 for advancing, plus 3 points for finishing no worse than 8th.
- Your link to Ironhead Byers radio here.
- Your link to ESPN3 here.
- Your link to TrackWrestling dashboard of mat assignments here.
- Your link to Penn State Wrestling Club here
Alright, friends. Let’s have some fun.