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MINNEAPOLIS — University of Iowa sophomore Alex Marinelli won the 165-pound Big Ten title on Saturday, defeating Penn State’s top-ranked Vincenzo Joseph, 9-3, in the finals of the conference tournament at Williams Arena.
Marinelli used a six-point move to gain control of the match in the second period, putting Joseph feet-to-back to grab a 6-1 lead. He added a takedown in the third period to improve to 23-0 on the season and win his first Big Ten title.
“After the match it was weird because I felt like I could keep going,” Marinelli said. “I didn’t realize the match had ended and never focused on the score. That’s how it should be. You shouldn’t worry about the score, the time, or about how you feel. I didn’t know anything in that match except to just wrestle.
“Tonight was about getting to my attacks and that’s it. I didn’t have to be content and I went out there and wrestled.”
Marinelli shared the tournament’s most outstanding wrestler award with Penn State’s Jason Nolf. Marinelli was 3-0 this weekend with wins against the No. 1 and No. 3 wrestlers in the country. It marks the 10th time in school history a Hawkeye has won the award, and the first time since Brent Metcalf won it in 2009.
The conference title is the 200th Big Ten individual title in school history.
Iowa placed third in the team race with 107.5 points. Penn State won the title with 157.5 points. Ohio State placed second with 122.5.
Marinelli was one of eight Hawkeyes to reach the award stand. Spencer Lee placed second at 125. Pat Lugo and Jacob Warner placed third at 149 and 197, respectively. Austin DeSanto and Kaleb Young placed fourth at 133 and 157, respectively. Cash Wilcke placed fifth at 184, and Max Murin placed seventh at 141.
All eight wrestlers earned automatic berths to the national tournament in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on March 21-23.
“Let’s get ready to go,” said Iowa head coach Tom Brands. “We’re going to relax a bit here and get some good recovery to be ready to go. These guys take great pride in doing it right.”
The Big Ten Conference tournament is one of eight NCAA qualifying tournaments across the country.
The NCAA is expected to announce the tournament qualifiers Tuesday. The entire brackets will be released Wednesday. Iowa’s Sam Stoll and Mitch Bowman will pursue at-large berths.
CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
125 – #1 Sebastian Rivera (NU) dec. #2 Spencer Lee (IA), 6-4 SV1
165 – #2 Alex Marinelli (IA) dec. #1 Vincenzo Joseph (PSU), 9-3
THIRD-PLACE RESULTS
133 — #6 Ethan Lizak (MINN) dec. #2 Austin DeSanto, 6-2
149 – #3 Pat Lugo (IA) dec. #5 Cole Martin (WIS), 11-6
157 – #4 Alec Pantaleo (MICH) dec. #5 Kaleb Young (IA), 5-3
197 – #3 Jacob Warner (IA) dec. #5 Eric Shultz (NEB), 7-5 SV1
FIFTH-PLACE RESULTS
184 – #5 Cash Wilcke (IA) mff. #9 Nick Gravina (RUT)
TEAM STANDINGS
1 Penn State 157.5
2 Ohio State 122.5
3 IOWA 107.5
4 Minnesota 101.5
5 Nebraska 96.5
6 Michigan 76.5
7 Wisconsin 76.0
8 Northwestern 53.5
8 Rutgers 53.5
10 Purdue 42.0
11 Illinois 39.5
12 Indiana 31.0
13 Michigan State 29.5
14 Maryland 13.0
