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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – University of Iowa junior Brandon Sorensen advanced to the consolation finals of the 2017 Big Ten Wrestling Championships with a 10-2 major decision against Rutgers’ Kenny Theobold on Sunday afternoon at Assembly Hall.
Sorensen will wrestle Michigan’s Zac Hall for third place later this afternoon. He was one of three Hawkeyes wrestling for podium spots at the conference championships.
Alex Meyer was seconds away from moving onto the third-place match, but surrendered an escape in the final 20 seconds and lost, 3-2, to Illinois’s Zac Brunson. Meyer will wrestle Wisconsin’s Ryan Christensen for fifth place at 174.
Cash Wilcke dropped a 7-2 decision to Purdue’s Christian Brunner in the seventh place match. Wilcke placed eighth at the tournament, one spot outside of an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships.
Wilcke and 165-pounder Joey Gunther could earn at-large tournament berths. The NCAA will announce the complete tournament field on Tuesday, March 7.
Topher Carton, who was bounced from the conference tournament after three matches, rebounded with consecutive wins to earn the Big Ten’s ninth and final automatic qualifying spot at 141. Carton will make his first appearance at the NCAA Championships on March 16-18.
The Big Ten Championship finals begin today at 2 p.m. (CT) and are televised on BTN. Thomas Gilman, Cory Clark, Michael Kemerer, and Sammy Brooks are wrestling for conference titles. Sorensen and Meyer’s third and fifth place matches will be contested with each corresponding weight class.
The Hawkeyes are in third place entering the final medal round.
CONSOLATION SEIMIFINAL RESULTS
149 – #2 Brandon Sorensen (IA) major dec. #5 Kenny Theobold (RUT), 10-2
174 – #3 Zach Brunson (ILL) dec. #5 Alex Meyer (IA), 3-2
7th PLACE RESULTS197 – #8 Cristian Brunner (PUR) dec. #7 Cash Wilcke (IA), 7-2
9th PLACE RESULTS
141 – #6 Topher Carton (IA) dec. #9 Sal Profaci (MICH), 8-3
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHUPS125 – #1 Thomas Gilman (IA) vs. #3 Tim Lambert (NEB)
133 – #3 Cory Clark (IA) vs. #1 Nathan Tomasello (OSU)
157 – #2 Michael Kemerer (IA) vs. #1 Jason Nolf (PSU)
184 – #2 Sammy Brooks (IA) vs. #4 Myles Martin (OSU)
3rd PLACE MATCHUPS149 – #2 Brandon Sorensen (IA) vs. Zac Hall (MICH)
5th PLACE MATCHUP
174 – #5 Alex Meyer (IA) vs. #11 Ryan Christensen (WIS)
TEAM SCORES
1. Ohio State 123.5
2. Penn State 116.5
3. Iowa 99.5
4. Nebraska 96.5
5. Minnesota 90.0
6. Illinois 81.5
7. Michigan 74.5
8. Wisconsin 65.5
9. Rutgers 59.5
10. Michigan State 37.5
11. Maryland 30.0
12. Purdue 26.0
13. Indiana 24.5
14. Northwestern 18.0
