NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Stieber-led Buckeyes earn first team title
By Craig Sesker ST. LOUIS – The record-setting sellout crowd of 19,715 fans
stood and cheered. We have another four-time NCAA champion and a first-time
team champion. Logan Stieber and his powerful Ohio State team made history
on a magical night at the NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Scottrade Center. The top-seeded Stieber defeated No. 2 Mitchell Port of Edinboro 11-5 to win the 141-pound national championship on March 21. Stieber won NCAA titles at 133 his first two seasons before
adding his last two at 141 the last two years of his remarkable career. Stieber raised his arms and then pumped his right fist as the
dream season he envisioned became reality. “I’m extremely proud of my teammates,” said Stieber, who
was named Outstanding Wrestler. “This is something I have dreamed of since I came to Ohio State. To finally do it is unbe- lievable.” The Buckeyes put the finishing touches on their first national
title in school history and finished with 102 points, 18 ahead of second-place Iowa. “This feels great – I’m so proud of how our guys competed,”
said Ohio State coach Tom Ryan, who was named Coach of the Year. “1921 was the year Ohio State started wrestling. We’ve gone 94 years since the beginning of the program to winning our first NCAA championship. I’m so happy for all the support we’ve received from everyone. We felt all year we had the team to win a national championship.” Stieber joins Oklahoma State’s Pat Smith, Iowa State’s Cael Sanderson and Cornell’s Kyle Dake as four-time NCAA champi- ons. Stieber won the final 50 matches of his brilliant career. Stieber’s teammate, freshman Nathan Tomasello, earned a 9-
5 win over unseeded freshman Zeke Moisey of West Virginia in the 125 finals. “It was crazy,” Tomasello said. “Zeke threw everything at me.
He was tough to score on and he was a great opponent. I just had to stay focused, calm and ready.” Edinboro finished third with 75.5 points, followed by Missouri
(73.5) and Cornell (71.5). Oklahoma State junior Alex Dieringer scored six takedowns
on double-leg attacks to down Indiana’s Taylor Walsh 14-7 in the 165 finals. Dieringer captured his second straight national title after winning at 157 last year. Dieringer capped a 34-0 season and now has won 49 straight matches. He earned his 100th career win. “It’s pretty special, knowing I got 100 wins and it’s only my junior season, and on top of that get a national title,” Dieringer
12 USA Wrestler
Senior Logan Stieber captured his fourth NCAA title for team champion Ohio State. Tony Rotunio photo.
said. “It feels good. I’m excited.” Junior Nick Gwiazdowski of North Carolina State held off Michigan sophomore Adam Coon 7-6 to win his second straight national title at heavyweight. Coon tied the match 6-6 with a late takedown, but Gwiazdowski gained an escape with 15 seconds left to prevail. Gwiazdowski has won 55 straight matches. “I knew it was going to be a war,” Gwiazdowski said. “It was
not going to be easy. He doesn’t stop. I had to wrestle the whole time.” Iowa State senior Kyven Gadson electrified the crowd by launching Ohio State freshman Kyle Snyder to his back to score a dramatic second-period fall in the 197 finals. Gadson fought off a Snyder shot attempt and then locked Snyder up before planting him on the mat with a spectacular throw. “There wasn’t a lot of offense going around and I didn’t really
commit to anything until I saw that move show up,” Gadson Continued on page 13
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