Penn State wins third straight title at 2013 Big Tens with four mat champs

Penn State won its third consecutive team title at the 2013 Big Ten Wrestling Championships at Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Ill. Sunday afternoon.

The Nittany Lions compiled 151 team points in part by winning four of ten individual titles, one right after the other, starting with David Taylor at 165 pounds, all the way through to Quentin Wright at 197, with Matt Brown and Ed Ruth claiming conference championships at 174 and 184, respectively.

In second place in the team title race was University of Minnesota, with 139 points. Two Golden Gophers won Big Ten crowns: 149-pounder Dylan Ness, and heavyweight Tony Nelson.

Iowa placed third, with 133.5 points. The Hawkeyes had a total of four wrestlers in the finals; however, none won an individual title, including defending Big Ten and NCAA 125-pound champ Matt McDonough.

Ohio State came in fourth, with Buckeye brothers Logan and Hunter Steiber winning championships at 133 and 141 pounds, respectively.

Others claiming individual titles at the 2013 Big Tens include Illinois' Jesse Delgado at 125, and Jason Welch of Northwestern at 157.

In addition to winning four individual titles and the team championship, Penn State was also honored with additional awards. Ed Ruth was named 2013 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, while head coach Cael Sanderson won his third straight Big Ten Coach of the Year (sharing this year's honor with Minnesota's J Robinson).

The Big Ten will be well-represented at the 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Des Moines March 21-23; the conference has 74 qualifier allocations, with the possibility of additional wrestlers earning wildcard slots.

Match Results -- Championship Finals

• 125: No. 3 seed Jesse Delgado (Illinois) dec. No. 1 Matt McDonough (Iowa), 10-4
• 133: No. 1 Logan Steiber (Ohio State) dec. No. 2 Tony Ramos (Iowa), 3-1, SV1
• 141: No. 1 Hunter Steiber (Ohio State) dec. No. 3 Mark Ballweg (Iowa), 8-3
• 149: No. 3 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) pinned No. 4 Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska), 3:37
• 157: No. 2 Jason Welch (Northwestern) pinned No. 4 James Green (Nebraska), 6:38
• 165: No. 1 David Taylor (Penn State) maj. dec. No. 2 Conrad Polz (Illinois), 9-1
• 174: No. 5 Matt Brown (Penn State) dec. No. 2 Mike Evans (Iowa), 7-3
• 184: No. 1 Ed Ruth (Penn State) dec. No. 2 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota), 5-3
• 197: No. 1 Quentin Wright (Penn State) dec. No. 2 Scott Schiller (Minnesota), 5-3
• Hwt: No. 1 Tony Nelson (Minnesota) dec. No. 2 Mike McMullen (Northwestern), 4-1

Final Team Standings

1. Penn State, 151 team points
2. Minnesota, 139
3. Iowa, 133.5
4. Ohio State, 109.5
5. Illinois, 85.5
6. Michigan, 75
7. Nebraska, 61
8. Northwestern, 56
9. Purdue, 38
10. Wisconsin, 37
11. Indiana, 30.5
12. Michigan State, 22

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