NEB WRE: B1G Recap: Lovett Advances to Finals

College Park, Md. - Ridge Lovett advanced to the Big Ten Finals, and the Nebraska wrestling team is in third with 89 points at the 2024 Big Ten Championships. 

Semifinals 

In the 149 semis, No. 1 Lovett (149) faced Penn State’s No. 4 Tyler Kasak. Lovett used an escape and a third-period takedown to secure the 4-0 victory and a spot in Sunday’s finals. At 165, No. 5 Antrell Taylor wrestled Wisconsin’s No. 1 Dean Hamiti, and Hamiti got the pin in the first period sending Taylor to the consolation. 

At 184, No. 2 Lenny Pinto met No. 3 Bernie Truax of Penn State in a rematch of the dual earlier this year. The two traded escapes before Truax got the takedown in Period Three to secure the 4-2 win. At 197, No. 4 Silas Allred fell to Penn State’s No. 1 Aaron Brooks by major decision, 14-2. Pinto and Allred will join the other Huskers in the consolation semifinals. 

Consolation Quarterfinals 

No. 4 Jacob Van Dee (133) defeated No. 10 Cayden Rooks of Indiana 11-6, No. 4 Brock Hardy (141) got the major decision over No. 10 Vance Vombaur of Minnesota 10-2, No. 5 Peyton Robb topped No. 9 Trevor Chumbley of Northwestern 5-0 and No. 10 Nash Hutmacher (HWT) defeated Maryland’s No. 5 Seth Nevills 7-0 as the group advanced to Sunday’s consolation semifinals. 

Smith wrestled No. 1 Matt Ramos of Purdue and fell 5-2, and moved on to the 125 seventh-place match. 

Consolation Second Round 

Smith started off strong for the Huskers with an 8-2 decision over Indiana’s No. 14 Blaine Frazier at 125. Van Dee then got the top-10 victory at 133 with his 10-8 decision over Ohio State’s No. 3 Nic Bouzakis. Hardy defeated No. 11 Kall Miller of Maryland 5-3 before Robb earned the 15-0 tech. fall over No. 11 Al Desantis of Rutgers. Rounding out the group advancing was Hutmacher who faced Minnesota’s No. 8 Bennett Tabor and defeated him by major decision, 9-1.  

No. 12 Bubba Wilson (184) scored an escape and reversal, but No. 6 Jackson Turley of Rutgers pinned Wilson in Period Three. 

Quarterfinals

Lovett advanced to the semis at 149 with his second period pin over No. 8 Graham Rooks of Indiana. Taylor defeated No. 4 Caleb Fish of Michigan State in sudden victory and got the 8-5 decision. At 184, Pinto defeated No. 10 Roman Rogotzke of Indiana 14-7, and Allred topped Minnesota’s No. 5 Garrett Joles, 5-4 at 197. 

No. 4 Patrick McKee of Minnesota defeated Smith 5-2 at 125. Van Dee then scored a last second takedown against Penn State’s No. 5 Aaron Nagao, but it wasn’t enough as Van Dee fell by decision, 4-3. Hardy battled No. 5 Sergio Lemley of Michigan, but fell 4-2, and Robb dropped his match to Iowa’s No. 4 Jared Franek 7-3. 

Consolation First Round

After a loss in the first round, Wilson faced No. 13 DJ Shannon of Michigan State in consolation. Wilson secured the 7-3 victory and moved on. 

First Round 

Action for the Huskers started with Smith at 125 against Northwestern’s No. 12 Massey Odiotti where Smith secured the 24-8 tech. fall. Van Dee followed suit at 133 with a tech. fall against Northwestern’s No. 13 Patrick Adams. Hardy recorded a pin against Northwestern’s No. 13 Kolby McClain at 141, and Robb tech. falled Maryland’s No. 12 Michael North at 157. 

At 165, Taylor defeated No. 12 Maxx Mayfield of Northwestern by decision, 7-2, and Allred got the tech. fall over No. 13 Bobby Striggow of Michigan at 197. Wilson and Hutmacher battled, but Wilson fell at 174 by major decision and Hutmacher lost by decision at heavyweight. 

Wrestling resumes Sunday at 11 a.m. (CT) with the consolation semifinal and seventh-place matches, and championship bouts start at 3:30 p.m. (CT).