2022 NCAA Division I Championships – 149 Pounds

#1 Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) dec. #8 Max Murin (Iowa), 6-3. – Cornell’s two-time NCAA champion broke out of a scoreless first period with a takedown in the second and third period for a workmanlike decision.

#4 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) dec. #5 Kyle Parco (Arizona State), 5-1 OT. – The returning NCAA finalist Buckeye caught the head and ankle of Parco in a sudden victory scramble, establishing control for a takedown and two near fall swipes 24 seconds into the overtime period.

#11 Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) pinned #3 Austin Gomez (Wisconsin), 6:30 – In an exciting match that saw both wrestlers display upper-body throwns, the Hokie countered a cement mixer to give him a 10-5 lead and an fall after Gomez ended up on his back. Gomez scored the match’s first takedown before Andonian added his own to lead 3-2 after one period. A second-period takedown enlarged the Hokie’s lead to 6-4 entering the third when Andonian scored two more takedowns, when it appeared Gomez was ready to score.

#10 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) pinned #2 Tariq Wilson, 4:16 – Trailing 2-1 after giving up a first-period takedown to the Wolfpacker, the Husker made the most of his riding position in the second frame when he used a pair of cross-faced cradles to first take a 5-2 lead, then used a similar hold to pin Wilson.

Only two higher-seeded wrestlers lost matches as Appalachian State’s #6 Jon Millner lost a 16-11 shootout with Virginia Tech’s #11 Bryce Andonian. A pair of six-point throws helped the Hokie lead 8-3 after one period and 14-6 after two periods.

The other “upset” came when Nebraska’s #10 Ridge Lovett defeated Campbell’s #7 Josh Heil, 8-1. The Husker scored a reversal and two-point nearfall in the second period.

A pair of past All-Americans — Northwestern’s Yahya Thomas and Iowa State’s Jarrett Degen —  lost in this round after being seeded lower than their opponen.

Thomas, who came back to claim third place in 2021 as a No. 25 seed, was seeded No., 19 and lost 13-10 to Duke’s Josh Finesilver. The final four points came in the final 51 seconds on a takedown and two-point nearfall for the Blue Devil, who trailed 8-7 after two period.

Degen, who claimed seventh place in 2019, lost 10-7 to Oklahoma’s Willie McDougald. Trailing 4-2 after two periods, the Sooner used a reversal, four-point nearfall and takedown to earn the victory.

Two higher-seeded wrestlers who lost were Rutgers’s No. 12 Mike Van Brill, who fell 7-5 to Cleveland State’s Marcus Robinson. Meanwhile, Penn’s Anthony Artalona, seeded No. 18, defeated Cal Poly’s No. 15 Legend Lamer, 3-2. Robinson scored a takedown and two-point nearfall in final 12 seconds for the upset. Artalona scored his bout’s only takedown in the first period.

Penn State’s Beau Bartlett got a scare before rallying to beat Northern Iowa’s Colin Realbuto, 5-4. The Panther led and earned a riding time point before the Nittany Lion scored a takedown with eight seconds left.

Back to WIN’s 2022 Championships Central

Head-to-Head Meetings between Top-10 Ranked Wrestlers:

Session I (First Round) Notes/Quotes – March 17 (beginning 12 noon EST)

Session II (Second Round) Notes/Quotes – March 17 (beginning 7 p.m. EST)

Session III (Quarterfinal) Notes/Quotes – March 18 (beginning 11 a.m. EST)

Session IV (Semifinal) Notes/Quotes – March 18 (beginning 8 p.m. EST)

Session V (All-American Round) Notes/Quotes – March 19 (beginning 11 a.m. EST)

Session VI (Finals) Notes/Quotes – March 19 (beginning 11 a.m. EST)