NCAA fifth-place finisher at 125 lbs Patrick McKee (photo/Tony Rotundo; WrestlersAreWarriors.com)How good is the Big Ten?
When the 2022 NCAA Championships came to a close last Saturday night, 39 of the 80 total All-Americans came from the Big Ten Conference - including 8 of the 10 champs and 11 of the 20 finalists. The last time a single conference was responsible for that many individual champions was 1986, when the Big Ten also crowned 8 champs.
How good is the Big Ten?
When Penn State mathematically clinched the team title on Saturday afternoon, it marked the 15th consecutive national tournament won by a Big Ten team, the longest championship streak by a single conference since the tournament started in 1928.
How good is the Big Ten?
When the team race was finalized on Saturday night, the league finished with each of the top 3 teams - Penn State, Michigan, Iowa - as well as 4 of the top-5, 5 of the top-10, 9 of the top-20 and 10 of the top-25. All 14 teams scored at least one point.
How good is the Big Ten?
Four of the 10 third-place finishers lost to a Big Ten wrestler on the front side of their respective brackets. There were also 19 Big Ten wrestlers eliminated by another Big Ten wrestler, including 3 in the bloodround: Lucas Byrd over Dylan Ragusin at 133, Kaleb Romero over Max Lyon at 184, and Mason Parris over Tate Orndorff at 285.
How good is the Big Ten?
At least three Big Ten wrestlers earned All-American honors at all 10 weights. There were six Big Ten wrestlers that earned All-American honors at heavyweight and five that earned the distinction at 197.
You get the idea by now.
Here's a quick glance at more fun facts, interesting figures and other information from all 14 Big Ten teams from the 2022 NCAA Wrestling Championships.
Illinois
Lucas Byrd was Illinois' only All-American. After a first-round loss, he won five straight wrestleback matches and finished fifth at 133 pounds. He is the 40th multiple-time All-American in Illinois history.
Zac Braunagel lost in the bloodround at 184. Prior to that, he won 7 straight matches between the Big Ten and NCAA Championships - 5 in a row to take third at the conference tournament, then his first 2 at the national tournament to reach the quarterfinals. He finished the year 17-9, and went 7-3 in the postseason.
Indiana
The Hoosiers had a rough go of it, with both qualifiers getting bounced from the tournament on the first day - DJ Washington went 0-2 at 184 while 133-pounder Brock Hudkins had to withdraw after his first-round win due to an injury.
In doing so, Indiana wrestlers are now a combined 9-24 at the last four national tournaments (2022, 2021, 2019, 2018), a rough follow-up since Nate Jackson became a two-time All-American in 2017.
Iowa
The Hawkeyes took third, their 13th team trophy under head coach Tom Brands in the last 15 national tournaments. That's the fifth most all-time for any single head coach, trailing Harold Nichols (27), Dan Gable (20), John Smith (17) and Dave McCuskey (14).
Iowa has had at least one All-American for 50 consecutive national tournaments, and at least one NCAA finalist every year since 1990. This year, 5 Hawkeye wrestlers earned All-American honors and Jacob Warner made the finals at 197. Iowa has had at least five All-Americans at every national tournament since 2014.
Warner was the first NCAA finalist for Iowa at 197 pounds since Ryan Fulsaas in 2004. Iowa has not had an NCAA champion at 165 pounds or above since Jay Borschel won at 174 in 2010.
This was the first year Iowa did not have an All-American at 125 pounds since 2013. Tony Cassioppi is Iowa's first multi-time All-American at heavyweight since Bobby Telford (three-time, 2012, 2014-15).
Michael Kemerer capped his Iowa wrestling career with a 100-12 career record, and 11 of his 12 losses came to guys who previously reached the NCAA finals. Alex Marinelli capped his Iowa wrestling career as one of 17 four-time Big Ten champs, but one of just two four-time Big Ten champs to not win an NCAA title (the other: Mike DeAnna).
Maryland
The Terps didn't have a single NCAA qualifier in 2021. This year, they had 3 - and they went a combined 2-6.
Michigan
Team 100 scored 95 points, the most ever by a Michigan team at the NCAA Championships, to finish second for the fourth time in program history, the fourth-most all-time.
Nick Suriano, maybe the best free-agent signing in NCAA wrestling history, became Michigan's first champ at college wrestling's lightest weight, and the first Wolverine wrestler to win a title since Kellen Russell won two in 2011-12. He's also the first wrestler to win twice for two different schools since Steve Mocco won for Iowa in 2003 and Oklahoma State in 2005.
Myles Amine set the all-time record for 24 career wins at the NCAA Championships, and is also the first five-time place-winner in tournament history. Each of Michigan's 6 All-Americans finished fifth or better.
Michigan State
RayVon Foley and Cam Caffey accounted for all 4 points for the Spartans in Detroit. The other three Michigan State qualifiers combined to go 0-6.
Minnesota
Minnesota finished with three All-Americans, extending a streak of 36 consecutive national tournaments with an All-American, the second-longest active All-American streak.
Gable Steveson's second consecutive NCAA title at heavyweight gave Minnesota a second consecutive year with a national champion. Only 2 schools have an active streak of consecutive years with a national champ: Penn State (11) and Minnesota (2).
Patrick McKee, a two-time All-American, won 5 straight wrestleback matches to take fifth at 125. That came after he won 4 consecutive wrestleback matches for third at the Big Ten Championships, which came after he won 6 consecutive wrestleback matches for third at the 2021 national tournament. That's 16 straight wrestleback wins in a row.
Jakob Bergeland went 5-5 as a redshirt freshman during the 2018-19 season. This year: 23-9 and an All-American at 141. He was the only first-time senior qualifier to earn All-American honors.
Nebraska
Nebraska finished with five All-Americans for the first time since 2008, extending a streak of 33 consecutive national tournaments with an All-American, the third-longest active All-American streak. The Huskers' fifth-place team finish was their highest since taking fourth in 2009.
Mikey Labriola became a 3-time All-American. Christian Lance, who started his career at Division II Fort Hays State, is Nebraska's first All-American at heavyweight since Tolly Thompson in 1997.
Northwestern
Northwestern's sixth-place finish was anchored by four All-Americans, the most by the school since 2007. The Wildcats were also the only team in the top-six who did not have a wrestler who transferred in score points.
Ryan Deakin became Northwestern's first NCAA champion since 2014, when Jason Tsirtsis won. Deakin is also the first NCAA champ under Northwestern coach Matt Storniolo.
Ohio State
This was the first year since 2011 that Ohio State did not have an NCAA finalist.
Gavin Hoffman went from the 21-seed to sixth-place at 197 pounds, the largest seed-place differential (15) in the tournament.
Penn State
Penn State has now won 10 NCAA team titles all-time, becoming just the third school to reach double digits, joining Oklahoma State (34) and Iowa (24). Nine have come in the last 11 years under head coach Cael Sanderson, giving him third place for the most ever by a single coach behind Dan Gable (15) and Ed Gallagher (11).
In 12 NCAA tournaments, Sanderson's Penn State teams have won nine team titles and took second once. He's coached 70 All-Americans and 32 national champs. In 12 NCAA tournaments, Gable's Hawkeye teams won nine team titles, took second twice and third once, and he coached 86 All-American and 25 national champs in that span.
Penn State's 32 NCAA title winners since 2010 are far and away the most by any program. Cornell is currently second … with 12.
Over the last 12 NCAA Championships, Penn State wrestlers are 46-6 in the semifinals - 30-2 since the 2015 tournament - and 32-14 in the finals. Since 2017, Penn State wrestlers are 21-3 overall in the NCAA finals and have won 11 in a row. The Nittany Lions have had a national champ each of the last 11 national tournaments.
Max Dean joined older brother Gabe as an NCAA champion, making them the third brother duo to both win NCAA titles over the last two decades. The others: Ben and Max Askren, both for Missouri, and Mark and Chris Perry - Mark for Iowa, Chris to Oklahoma State.
Purdue
Max Lyon went 4-2 at 184 pounds but did not place at the NCAA Championships, winning in the wrestleback pigtail match and then falling in the bloodround. He was the only wrestler in the tournament to win four matches and not finish on the podium. There were 9 All-Americans who only won three matches at the NCAA Championships.
Rutgers
Sebastian Rivera became just the second third-place finisher at the NCAA Championships in Rutgers history. He also finished the season with a 30-1 overall record, one of just two wrestlers to hit 30 wins this season (the other: Northern Iowa's Parker Keckeisen). Rivera also led the nation with 14 technical falls.
Greg Bulsak was a four-time NCAA qualifier for Clarion, but finished eighth at 197 pounds to become an All-American for the first time. Rutgers has produced two or more All-Americans in each of the past seven seasons.
Wisconsin
Three Badger wrestlers earned All-American honors, the most since 2015, when they also had three All-Americans.
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