Cornell’s Yianni Diakomihalis won his fourth NCAA championship Saturday night in Tulsa. (Photo courtesy NCAA Productions)
It was an historic night filled with emotion at the NCAA Division I national championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday night.
Penn State won their 11th national championship and the tenth since the arrival of veteran head coach Cael Sanderson with two individual champions and five finalists. Carter Starocci (174) and Aaron Brooks (184) joined an elite group of Nittany Lions with three national championships.
Cornell’s Yianni Diakomihalis (149) became just the fifth wrestler in tournament history to win four national titles with teammate Vito Arujau (133) using his lightning quickness to beat two-time national champion Roman Bravo-Young of Penn State to bring home his first championship.
Princeton’s Patrick Glory (125) became the first Tiger to win a national championship since 1951 and Pittsburgh’s undefeated Nino Bonaccorsi (197) became the first Panther to win a NCAA title since his coach Kevin Garvin did in 2008. Andrew Alirez (141) of Northern Colorado became the school’s first-ever national champion.
Penn State won the tournament with 137½ points with Iowa finishing second with 82½ points and Cornell finishing third with 76½ points. Penn State has won 10 of the last 12 tournaments. The 2020 tournament was cancelled due to the pandemic.
The Nittany Lions had eight All-American wrestlers. Bravo-Young (133), freshman Levi Haines (157) and Greg Kerkvliet (285) each finished second with Beau Bartlett (141) and Shayne Van Ness (149) each finishing third. Max Dean (197) was seventh.
“The team had a great weekend, a lot of gutsy performances,” Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson said. “It’s an individual sport as well as a team sport, so as a coach your heart and mind is with the guys that don’t reach their goals. But we’ve got a lot to be happy about and proud of ourselves.
“That’s why we do this is to help these student-athletes reach their goals,” he said. “As you see, obviously, it’s a very difficult thing to do. That’s what we live for. We live to help these guys reach their goals.”
Penn State’s Carter Starocci, shown at the Big 10 championships, won his third NCAA title on Saturday. (Photo courtesy Sam Janicki / SJanicki.com)
Starocci and Brooks became just the fifth and sixth wrestlers, respectively, in school history to win three national championships. Starocci (24-0) caught Nebraska’s Mikey Labriola trying to execute a granby roll and pinned him in 2:46. Brooks outlasted Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa, 7-2 in the final at 184 pounds.
Starocci was still in wrestling mode even after his victory. “It feels good getting a pin, but I wanted to drag him in deep waters and feel his soul leave of his body and just keep coming after him, and him realizing there’s nothing left in the tank and I’m still coming,” Starocci said. “That kind of gets me going. I like that feeling.”
And Starocci wants to keep battling with Labriola (29-2). “He’s a tough kid. I really respect Mikey. He’s a wrestler that wants to wrestle. And I love guys like that. So all hats off to Mikey. He’s a tough competitor. I hope he sticks around for the freestyle scene so we can keep going at it,” Starocci said.
Brooks (17-1) had wrestled Keckeisen, a three-time Big 12 champion, several times, including four times in college. “Iron sharpens iron,” Brooks said. “And every time I have him, I’ve got to bring it. I know if I’m wrestling Parker, it’s going to be a good match.
“Everything I have is from God,” Brooks said. “He gives me the ability to wrestle. When I go out there, if it’s anything, it’s to preach about him. I’m blessed and grateful he’s using me. We all give him the glory, but he chose me for this.”
Facing Michigan’s Mason Parris for the third time this season, Kerkvliet dropped a 5-1 decision at heavyweight with Haines falling to North Carolina’s Austin O’Connor, who won his second national title with a 6-2 win.
Diakomihalis (21-1) joined an elite group of wrestlers with four national championships with his 4-2 victory over Ohio State’s Sammy Sasso at 149 pounds in the final bout of the evening.
Ohio State’s Logan Stieber (2012-15), Oklahoma State’s Pat Smith (1990-92, 1994), Iowa State’s Cael Sanderson (1999-2002) won four titles along with Cornell’s Kyle Dake. who won four titles in four different weight classes from 2010-13 and was there on hand to celebrate with Diakomihalis.
Diakomihalis continued to attack throughout the match to keep Sasso off balance. Diakomilhalis used a granby roll to get a second period reversal and a 2-0 lead. Later in the period, he got a cradle on Sasso to pick up two more near fall points for a 4-1 lead.
“I’m wrestling quality guys. And they’re coming to get me. And that’s what they should do, right?,” Diakomilhalis said.
“There’s some special people in my life I wouldn’t be here without like my dad, Mike Grey — you saw the letter from my mom — and brothers, Vito (Arijau). Vito wrestled out of his mind,” Diakomihalis said. “I could sit and talk for 30 minutes about all those people. There’s so many people that pushed me through it. I don’t even know what kind of person I would be without those people.”
Diakomhimalis won his national titles in 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023. The 2020 tournament was cancelled due to the pandemic and the Ivy League teams didn’t compete in the 2021 season.
“It’s tough. I see people telling me I’m old and it’s an advantage,” he said. “College wrestling is very hard. Six years of it beats you up. I’ve had more surgeries than I can count on both my hands. That doesn’t even count the injuries I’ve had without surgeries. It’s been a really tough road. It’s been a lot.”
But he continued to praise the team around him. “It’s so much the other people. And I just can’t express that enough. I’m just the guy you see (on the mat),” he said.
More than 16,800 fans were in the OK Center in Tulsa Saturday for the NCAA finals. This photo is before the semifinals on Friday. (Photo courtesy Jeffrey Nolan)
Arujau (25-1) surprised Bravo-Young with his speed to end the Nittany Lion wrestler’s 56-match winning streak with a 10-4 decision. Two quick takedowns gave Arujau a 4-1 lead after one period. Early in the second period, he got another quick takedown and put Bravo-Young on his back to extend the lead to 8-1.
“I never dreamed about being an NCAA champion,” Arujau said. “For some people, it’s everything. It’s their entire reason for wrestling. But my dream is always to be an Olympian, a gold medalist in the sport of wrestling.”
“It became a milestone (to achieve). And it really kind of stuck with me for a little bit as I’m going through my career, “Arijau said. “And obviously freestyle is where I want to excel at, but this is part of our society in America and you have to do it.”
Don’t be fooled by Arujau’s goals. He was thrilled to win the championship – especially taking down a two-time national champion to do it.
“That’s why I say this is a moment of satisfaction. It’s a moment of validity of my own cause and my own greatness. And I’m very happy to finally have that — not checkmark, but little checkmark, all right, I did that,” Arujau said.
Glory (25-0) was in tears after his 4-1 win over Purdue’s Matt Ramos, who had the big upset of the semifinals with his pin of three-time national champion Spencer Lee of Iowa in the final second. Nothing came easy for Glory due to Ramos’ flexibility. Glory got a second period escape and a third period takedown for a 3-1 lead. Another point for riding team boosted the final total to 4-1.
“It’s super emotional,” Glory said. “Means a lot to my family and the program. I just really can’t put it in terms what it means. Just such an amazing feeling. A lot of hard work, not only by myself but by the community around me. Just feels really amazing.
“This is what it’s all about and it just feels really surreal. Just bawling my eyes out, crying. It’s really hard. It’s really hard to do this,” he sobbed. “I can’t even explain what goes into it. Everyone behind the scenes. The only people that know what it means. Just really special.”
Bonaccorsi (21-0) got a takedown with 48 seconds remaining to take a one-point lead, 4-3 and with an additional point for riding time, he outlasted Tanner Sloan of South Dakota State, 5-3 for the championship.
“I dreamed of this moment. You have no idea, every single day,” Bonaccorsi said. “And I can’t believe it. I put so much effort. I have no words. I’m just so blessed and grateful. And I can’t believe I’m sitting here right now.
“This means everything to me. I was born in Pittsburgh. I’m 20 minutes from Pitt. That’s my hometown. I grew up there going to Steeler games, wrestling matches when I was 8, 9, 10 years old. I always dreamed of wrestling at Pitt and winning a national title. And what better place to do it. I can’t believe it.”
Prior to the start of the season, Alirez, a Colorado native had one goal: win the NCAA national championship and put his hometown (Greeley) on the map. Alirez, who finishes the season with a perfect 28-0 record, fulfilled the pre-determined destiny with a thrilling 6-4 win over No. 1 seed and then-unbeaten (20-1) Real Woods of Iowa.
“I’ve given my entire life to this game, and to be able to reap the benefits, it means everything,” Alirez said. “That’s years and years of sacrifice, especially over this past year. Now that I’m here, I can do nothing but be grateful.” Alirez is the first Northern Colorado wrestler to win a national title in the NCAA Division I tournament.
Missouri sophomore Keegan O’Toole became the third wrestler in school history to win multiple national titles with his 8-2 win over No. 1 seed David Carr of Iowa State at 165 pounds. O’Toole had lost twice this season to Carr in a dual meet and at the Big 12 Tournament.
Cheshire official Nick Gross was selected to officiate during the tournament and was the lead official for the match at 184 pounds. Former President Trump also attended the finals in Tulsa.
2023 NCAA Division I championships
At Tulsa, Oklahoma
Team results (top 20): 1. Penn State 137½, 2. Iowa 82½, 3. Cornell 76½, 4. Ohio State 70½, 5. Missouri 64½, 6. Michigan 58½, 7. Arizona State 55, 8. Nebraska 54, 9. Virginia Tech 49, 10. NC State 48, 11. Iowa State 47, North Carolina 42, 13. Princeton 37½, 14. South Dakota State 37, 15. Minnesota 30½, 16. Northern Iowa and Wisconsin 29, 18. Oklahoma State and Air Force 28½, 20. Purdue and Lehigh 28
125
Final: Pat Glory (Princeton) dec. Matt Ramos (Purdue), 4-1
3. Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) dec. Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) 4-2 OT
5. Liam Cronin (Nebraska) dec. Spencer Lee (Iowa) medical forfeit
7. Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech) dec. Killian Cardinale (West Virginia) 7-6
133
Final: Vito Arujau (Cornell) dec. Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State), 10-4
3. Michael McGee (Arizona State) dec. Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) 2-1
5. Aaron Nagao (Minnesota) dec. Jesse Mendez (Ohio State) 4-0
7. Sam Latona (Virginia Tech) dec. Kai Orine (NC State) 3-1
141
Final: Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) dec. Real Woods (Iowa), 6-4
3. Beau Bartlett (Penn State) dec. Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina) 4-1
5. Clay Carlson (South Dakota State) dec. Brock Hardy (Nebraska) injury default, 2:11
7. Parker Filius (Purdue) dec. Dylan D`Emilio (Ohio State) 8-4 OT
149
Final: Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) dec. Sammy Sasso (Ohio State), 4-2
3. Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) dec. Kyle Parco (Arizona State) 7-2
5. Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) dec. Max Murin (Iowa) 12-3
7. Brock Mauller (Missouri) dec. Michael Blockhus (Minnesota) 6-2
157
Final: Austin O`Connor (North Carolina) dec. Levi Haines (Penn State) 6-2
3. Josh Humphreys (Lehigh) dec. Jared Franek (North Dakota State) 8-0
5. Ed Scott (NC State) injury default over Peyton Robb (Nebraska)
7. Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech) dec. Will Lewan (Michigan) 6-4
165
Final: Keegan O`Toole (Missouri) dec. David Carr (Iowa State) 8-2
3. Quincy Monday (Princeton) dec. Cameron Amine (Michigan) 3-2
5. Shane Griffith (Stanford) dec. Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) 4-1
7. Michael Caliendo III (North Dakota State) dec. Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois) 6-2
174
Guaranteed Places
Final: Carter Starocci (Penn State) pin Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) 2:46
3. Chris Foca (Cornell) dec. Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) 3-2, 2 OT
5. Nelson Brands (Iowa) dec. Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) 4-2, OT
7. Ethan Smith (Ohio State) dec. Peyton Mocco (Missouri) 12-2
184
Final: Aaron Brooks (Penn State) dec. Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa), 7-2
3. Kaleb Romero (Ohio State) dec. Trent Hidlay (NC State) 3-1, 2 OT
5. Marcus Coleman (Iowa State) dec. Trey Munoz (Oregon State) medical forfeit
7. Will Feldkamp (Clarion) pin Gavin Kane (North Carolina) 2:38
197
Final: Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) dec. Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State), 5-3
3. Rocky Elam (Missouri) dec. Bernie Truax (Cal Poly) 5-2
5. Jacob Warner (Iowa) dec. Ethan Laird (Rider) 7-3
7. Max Dean (Penn State) dec. Jacob Cardenas (Cornell) 4-2
285
Final: Mason Parris (Michigan) dec. Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State), 5-1
3. Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force) dec. Tony Cassioppi (Iowa) 4:16
5. Lucas Davison (Northwestern) dec. Zach Elam (Missouri) 4-3
7. Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) dec. Trent Hillger (Wisconsin) injury default
2023 NCAA Division I wrestling tournament brackets and results
