Big Ten Wrestling: Hawkeyes Crown 3 On The Way To Team Title

Iowa had three individual champions on the way to the team title at the Big Ten wrestling championships in Piscataway, N.J.

The Hawkeyes scored 157.5 points for the program's first team title since 2010, a 24.5-point margin over second-place Nebraska.

Spencer Lee, Pat Lugo and Alex Marinelli won individual championships, while Michael Kemerer finished second.

Lee was named the conference's wrestler of the year, while Iowa's Tom Brands was named coach of the year.

“Job well done. We are not downplaying this,” Brands said. “The reason why it does get downplayed is because there is another important event. It’s cliché but we have to get ready (for the NCAA championships) and there is work to do. But we definitely give ourselves credit. You don’t see what is behind the scenes. We appreciate a job well done, and that was a job well done and it was a battle.”

For the 36th time, and the first time since 2010, @Hawks_Wrestling is on top of the @B1GWrestling world. pic.twitter.com/12eqqYdvOv
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 8, 2020

Lee, the top seed at 125, added his first Big Ten title to an impressive career resumé, defeating Devin Schroder of Purdue, 16-2. Lee had a third-place and second-place finish in his first two years.

“I just have to keep scoring points and maybe work on my offense a little more," Lee said. "There are things to improve on. I think that (were) are a lot of slow moments, both just working on top and bottom probably pretty boring. Maybe I need to get back on my feet some more."

Lugo, the second seed at 149, defeated top seed Sammy Sasso of Ohio State, 2-1. It was Lugo's first Big Ten championship, and clinched the team title.

“I just grinded my teeth and got down," Lugo said. "I got to where I was good. If I’m in my ties I’m the best in the world, not just the country, the best in the world. That’s how much my confidence has grown since last year, just being around guys like Spencer Lee, Alex Marinelli, Michael Kemerer. That winning is contagious, that confidence is contagious. It’s just like catching the flu — you hang out with guys that have the flu and you’re going to catch the flu. If you hang out with guys that’s winning you’re going to start winning.”

Marinelli won his second consecutive Big Ten crown, defeating Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State, 3-2. Marinelli defeated Joseph in last year's championship match and is 3-1 against him lifetime.

Marinelli became the first Hawkeye to win back-to-back titles since Sammy Brooks did in 2016-17.

“When it’s the Big Ten tournament you know you are going to have to beat the guy on the other side of the bracket if you want to win the tournament," Marinelli said. "So, yeah, (Joseph's) on my mind but I’m taking it a match at a time. When the moment came, I attacked on it. I have great coaches that preach staying in your match, tackle the first one then the next one, then the finals.”

Kemerer could not add to the Hawkeyes' title run, falling, 8-5, to Penn State's Mark Hall at 174.

Jacob Warner and Tony Cassioppi each had third-place finishes.

Warner won by injury default over Penn State's Shakur Rasheed at 197. Cassioppi defeated Wisconsin's Trent Hillger, 4-0, at 285.

Austin DeSanto and Abe Assad finished fourth.

DeSanto lost to Wisconsin's Seth Gross, 5-3, in the third-place match at 133. Assad lost to Nebraska's Taylor Venz, 6-4, in the third-place match at 184.

Max Murin finished fifth at 141.

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