NCAA Wrestling: Lee, Kemerer, Marinelli remain

Despite a strong showing in the early session Thursday, only three Hawkeye wrestlers remain on the front side of the bracket — Spencer Lee, Michael Kemerer, and Alex Marinelli. All others remain in the wrestlebacks. Joey Gunther has been eliminated.

After finishing Session I on the top of the leaderboard, a lackluster Thursday evening session hindered the Hawkeyes, who enter today’s action behind Ohio State and Penn State in third place. Grappling begins at 10a, by the way.

As we discussed yesterday, Lee gets NIck Piccininni this morning, followed by Nathan Tomasello if he emerges victorious. Seeing as Buckeye wrestlers went 19-1 yesterday, a victory would be that much sweeter.

The only loser I’ll call out here is Brandon Sorensen. After wrestling really tight, Lock Haven’s Ronald Perry — the 15 seed — stunned him with a third-period takedown. Yes, he can still get to the podium, but with that loss, the senior is perhaps one of the best Hawkeye grapplers to never win a national title. Luckily we level-set your expectations.

Kemerer rattled off victories over a man with two last names, Coleman Hammond, and Paul Fox. Jason Nolf of Penn State looms this morning.

Marinelli picked up a pair of third-period pins and will square off with fourth-seeded Chad Walsh of Rider.

125: Spencer Lee tech fall Alonzo Allen of Chattanooga, 18-0, tech fall Luke Welch of Purdue, 18-0
141: Vince Turk major dec Kyle Shoop of Lock Haven, dec. Cole Weaver of Indiana, 4-3, lost 5-2 to Bryce Meredith of Wyoming
149: Brandon Sorensen dec Jared Prince of Navy, 11-6, lost 3-2 to Ronald Perry of Lock Haven
157: Michael Kemerer pinned Coleman Hammond of CSU Bakersfield in 1:38, pinned Paul Fox of Stanford in 4:52
165: Alex Marinelli pinned Jacob Morrissey of Purdue in 6:20, pinned Nick Wanzek of Minnesota in 6:15
174: Jacobe Smith of Oklahoma State major dec. Joey Gunther, 13-2, Joe Johnson of Harvard knocked out Gunther with a 3-1 decision
184: Mitch Bowman major dec. Canten Marriott of Mizzou, 10-2. Myles Martin of Ohio State major dec. Bowman, 17-5
197: Cash Wilcke dec. Eric Schultz of Nebraska, 4-3. Virginia Tech’s Jared Haught dec. Wilcke, 5-3
HWT: Sam Stoll pinned Antonio Pelushi of Franklin & Marshall in 2:25, lost to Youssif Hemida of Maryland, 7-2