Takedown Report

Penn State wins Big Ten title with seven champs; Ohio State sweeps postseason awards

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Penn State crowned seven champions and set a school record with 184 team points on its way to earning the Nittany Lions’ 10th Big Ten title in their own Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday evening.
Ohio State, after crowning two champions, finished second with 148.5 team points, while Nebraska earned third place with 116.5. Iowa and Michigan rounded out the top five with 87 and 86.5 team points, respectively. Penn State and Ohio State became two of just four programs nationwide to earn automatic bids for all 10 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, joining Oklahoma State (Big 12) and Virginia Tech (ACC). Eight of the 10 No. 1 seeds claimed individual titles, while No. 2 seeds Ben Davino (Ohio State) and PJ Duke (Penn State) won titles as 133 and 157 pounds, respectively.
Duke, a true freshman from Slate Hill, N.Y. who was WIN’s Junior Dan Hodge Trophy recipient in 2025, was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler after he earned a major decision over returning NCAA champion Antrell Taylor (Nebraska), 12-4. Meanwhile, Ohio State swept all three season-long awards including Coach of the Year, Wrestler of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors, with Tom Ryan, Jesse Mendez and Ben Davino claiming each, respectively.
Penn State senior Levi Haines became PSU’s fourth four-time Big Ten champion after the 174-pounder outlasted Nebraska’s Christopher Minto, 2-1, in the title bout. Haines was awarded a point for an illegal figure-four to the head in the opening frame, which proved to be the difference in the match. When the smoke settled, a total of 87 wrestlers from the Big Ten conference earned automatic bids to the 2026 NCAA DI Wrestling Championships, set for March 19-21 in Cleveland’s Rocket Arena.
Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson briefly reflected on his team’s performance after claiming another conference title, saying, “Overall, this is a very tough conference tournament with a lot of great wrestlers. We’re excited to move into the Nationals and are happy with this weekend. … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2026/03/10/penn-state-wins-big-ten-title-with-seven-champs-ohio-state-sweeps-postseason-awards/

March 15, 2026 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | ncaa, sports