Saturday, March 9
Minneapolis, Minn.
All Day
Northwestern
vs
Big Ten Championships
Champion! Rivera Tops Lee in Overtime to Win B1G Title
3/10/2019 6:38:00 PM | Wrestling
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Sebastian Rivera earned Northwestern's 42nd Big Ten Championship on Sunday, defeating Iowa's Spencer Lee, 6-4, in overtime.
Rivera, the top-ranked 125-pounder in the nation, won the bout in dramatic fashion. Trailing 3-2 in the final seconds of regulation, he notched a takedown to take the lead over Lee, whose riding time advantage pushed the matchup into overtime. In the sudden victory period, Rivera was able to counter an attack from Lee and pull off a tremendous takedown to defeat the Hawkeye for the second time this season.
The championship was the first for a Northwestern grappler since Mike McMullan and Jason Tsirtsis each took first in their weight classes in 2015. Rivera also became the first-ever NU 125-pounder to win a Big Ten title
In all, three Wildcats finished in the top-five, as Ryan Deakin (157) and Conan Jennings (285) both won their fifth-place bouts in commanding fashion. Deakin downed Minnesota's Steve Bleise, whom he lost to yesterday, 10-1, while Jennings dominated Nebraska's David Jensen before he submitted to an injury default.
For Jennings, it was his third and final time placing at Big Tens. He tied his career-best finish of fifth place. Deakin placed for the second-straight year, improving on his 2018 finish.
Chicago's Big Ten Team finished in a tie for eighth place in the team score, NU's best finish since the Big Ten expanded to 14 teams.
Northwestern is set for the NCAA Championships next, on March 21-23 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Four Wildcats punched their tickets to the Championships with their performance at Big Tens (Rivera, Deakin, Jennings and Morland), while others could be chosen via at-large selection this week.
Session III Results
Consolation Semifinals:
157: (4) Alec Pantaleo (MICH) dec. (3) Ryan Deakin, 10-4
285: Youssif Hemida (MD) dec. (6) Conan Jennings, 4-1
Seventh-Place Match:
149: (7) Shayne Oster dec. (8) Malik Amine (MICH), 8-6
165: (7) Bryce Martin (IND) dec. (10) Tyler Morland, 8-3
Session IV Results
Fifth-Place Match:
157: (3) Ryan Deakin maj. dec. (6) Steve Bleise (MINN), 10-1
285: (6) Conan Jennings inj. def. (7) David Jensen (NEB), Injury (6:35)
Championship Finals:
125: (1) Sebastian Rivera dec. (2) Spencer Lee (IOWA), 6-4 (SV-1)
Rivera, the top-ranked 125-pounder in the nation, won the bout in dramatic fashion. Trailing 3-2 in the final seconds of regulation, he notched a takedown to take the lead over Lee, whose riding time advantage pushed the matchup into overtime. In the sudden victory period, Rivera was able to counter an attack from Lee and pull off a tremendous takedown to defeat the Hawkeye for the second time this season.
The championship was the first for a Northwestern grappler since Mike McMullan and Jason Tsirtsis each took first in their weight classes in 2015. Rivera also became the first-ever NU 125-pounder to win a Big Ten title
In all, three Wildcats finished in the top-five, as Ryan Deakin (157) and Conan Jennings (285) both won their fifth-place bouts in commanding fashion. Deakin downed Minnesota's Steve Bleise, whom he lost to yesterday, 10-1, while Jennings dominated Nebraska's David Jensen before he submitted to an injury default.
For Jennings, it was his third and final time placing at Big Tens. He tied his career-best finish of fifth place. Deakin placed for the second-straight year, improving on his 2018 finish.
Chicago's Big Ten Team finished in a tie for eighth place in the team score, NU's best finish since the Big Ten expanded to 14 teams.
Northwestern is set for the NCAA Championships next, on March 21-23 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Four Wildcats punched their tickets to the Championships with their performance at Big Tens (Rivera, Deakin, Jennings and Morland), while others could be chosen via at-large selection this week.
Session III Results
Consolation Semifinals:
157: (4) Alec Pantaleo (MICH) dec. (3) Ryan Deakin, 10-4
285: Youssif Hemida (MD) dec. (6) Conan Jennings, 4-1
Seventh-Place Match:
149: (7) Shayne Oster dec. (8) Malik Amine (MICH), 8-6
165: (7) Bryce Martin (IND) dec. (10) Tyler Morland, 8-3
Session IV Results
Fifth-Place Match:
157: (3) Ryan Deakin maj. dec. (6) Steve Bleise (MINN), 10-1
285: (6) Conan Jennings inj. def. (7) David Jensen (NEB), Injury (6:35)
Championship Finals:
125: (1) Sebastian Rivera dec. (2) Spencer Lee (IOWA), 6-4 (SV-1)
••••••
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