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Just 36 hours ago, 330 of the best collegiate wrestlers took the mats in Pittsburgh with hopes of becoming a national champion. Now, a staggering 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, will walk away with nothing but the cuts, bruises, and bitter memories.
Win, you live. Lose, you die. Welcome to Session 4, also known as “the Blood Round”.
SESSION FOUR MATCH-UPS
| Round | PENN STATE | WT | OPPONENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| R12 | 10-Sportscenter | 133 | 4-Phillipi (PITT) |
| Semis | 3-Maverick | 141 | 2-McKenna (OHST) |
| Semis | 1-Nolf | 157 | 5-Hidlay (NCST) |
| Semis | 2-Meatball | 165 | 3-Shields (ASU) |
| Semis | 1-Marky | 174 | 4-Amine (MICH) |
| Semis | 1-Bo | 197 | 4-Brucki (PRIN) |
| Semis | 2-Tony Bling | 285 | 3-Steveson (MINN) |
A win on the top half is worth 7 points - that’s 1 point for advancing to the finals, and 6 placement points for finishing at least 2nd. A win in the consolations is worth 3.5 points - 0.5 for advancing, and 3 for placing (at least 8th, or at least 6th, if you win twice). Thus, as always, it pays to be a winner tonight.
CURRENT TEAM STANDINGS
- Penn State: 80
- Ohio State: 66.5
- Oklahoma State: 56
- Iowa: 43
- Michigan: 38.5
ALL-TIME TEAM STANDINGS - END OF SESSION 4
| TEAM | 1997 IOWA | 2005 OKIE STATE | 2017 PENN STATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| RECORD | 10-2 | 8-2 | 7-2 |
| POINTS | 149 | 122 | 121 |
Penn State’s 10-2 record in Session 3 was awesome - but not perfect. Consequently, 97 Iowa is likely out of reach. It will take another great session tonight to keep pace with the 2005 Pokes, and our 2017 Nittany Lions.
Fun Facts Section
- 170 wrestlers began the tournament yesterday morning seeded 17 - 33. Just 15 remain, all in the consolations.
- 55 (of 160) top 16 seeded wrestlers have been eliminated.
- 9 of the 10 undefeated wrestlers at the start of the tournament are still undefeated.
- Penn State’s 22 bonus points leads all squads. If “PSU Bonus Points” was it’s own team, it’d be tied for 17th place in the current team standings.
HELPFUL LINKS
GoPSUSports’ Ironhead Byers radio call
ESPN3 free video stream
Penn State Wrestling Club dynamic team scoring
TrackWrestling dashboard, mat assignments