College wrestling notebook: Franklin Regional grad Michael Kemerer carries Iowa past Penn State

When Iowa defeated Penn State, 19-17, on Friday in a wrestling match that featured the top two teams in country, it was two Franklin Regional grads that led the way.

No. 1-ranked and two-time NCAA 125-pound champion Spencer Lee picked up a technical fall win for the top-ranked Hawkeyes. Lee has outscored his past six opponents 100-2.

But the deciding bout came at 174 pounds when Iowa’s Michael Kemerer, who is ranked No. 2, knocked off No. 1 ranked and returning NCAA champion Mark Hall of Penn State, 11-6. Kemerer improved to 9-0.

Kemerer had three takedowns and a reversal to stun Hall. Kemerer took 7-5 lead in the second period with a takedown and then added another takedown and two escapes to clinch the win.

His win turned out to be the difference in the match after Iowa’s Austin DeSanto gave a medical forfeit to Penn State’s Roman Bravo-Young, who grabbed an early lead with a takedown.

Penn State bounced back to trounce Maryland, 40-3, on Sunday.

THE RANKINGS

The NCAA released the first of four coaches’ panel rankings for the 2019-20 wrestling season last week, but when they are released this Friday there could be a fourth wrestler from the WPIAL occupying the top spots.

Look for Kemerer to be the new No. 1 at 174 pounds, joining Iowa teammate Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional), Ohio State senior Luke Pletcher (Latrobe) and Penn State senior Vincenzo Joseph (Central Catholic) as top-ranked Division I wrestlers from WPIAL schools.

Lee and Joseph are two-time NCAA champions. Lee is ranked first at 125 pounds while Joseph gets the top nod at 165.

Pletcher is a two-time NCAA All-American who is ranked No. 1 at 141 pounds.

Kemerer is ranked No. 2. The Nittany Lions’ Nick Lee is ranked No. 2 at 141, and sophomore Roman Bravo-Young is No. 4 at 133.

Pitt sophomore Micky Phillippi (Derry) is ranked No. 6 at 133.

West Virginia’s Noah Adams earned a No. 2 ranking at 197.

The final rankings will be one of the criteria used as part of the selection process to determine qualifiers and seeding for the 2020 NCAA Division I championships March 19-21 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

The rankings are determined by a vote of 14 coaches in each weight class with two head coaches from each of the seven conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, EIWA, MAC, Pac-12 and SoCon), which is double the amount of voters that had previously been used for the coaches’ panel rankings.

For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. Wrestlers must have participated in at least five matches against Division I opponents in the weight class and have wrestled within the last 30 days to be ranked.

NCAA Wrestling

Division I

Coaches Rankings (Jan. 19, 2020)

Top 5 (plus WPIAL or local wrestlers)

125 pounds: 1. Spencer Lee, Iowa (Franklin Regional); 2. Jack Mueller, Virginia; 3. Pat Glory, Princeton; 4. Nicholas Piccininni; 5. Brandon Paetzel, Lehigh. 15. Luke Werner, Lock Haven; 24. Gage Curry, American (North Hills).

133: 1. Seth Gross, Wisconsin; 2. Austin DeSanto, Iowa; 3. Sebastian Rivera, Northwestern; 4. Roman Bravo-Young, Penn State; 5. Charles Tucker, Cornell; 6. Micky Phillippi, Pitt (Derry); 28. D.J. Fehlman, Lock Haven.

141: 1. Luke Pletcher, Ohio State (Latrobe); 2. Nick Lee, Penn State; 3. Mitch McKee, Minnesota; 4. Real Woods, Stanford; 5. Max Murin, Iowa (Central Cambria); 20. Kyle Shoop. Lock Haven; 24. Cole Matthews, Pitt.

149: 1. Pat Lugo, Iowa; 2. Austin O’Connor, North Carolina; 3. Boo Lewallen, Oklahoma State; 4. Brayton Lee, Minnesota; 5. Brock Mauller, Missouri; 11. Brock Zacherl, Clarion; 29. Jarod Verkleeren, Penn State (Hempfield); 30. Josh Maruca, Arizona State (Franklin Regional).

157: 1. Ryan Deakin, Northwestern; 2. Hayden Hidley, N.C. State; 3. David Carr, Iowa State; 4. Kaleb Young, Iowa (Punxsutawney); 5. Quincy Monday, Princeton; 20. Austin Headlee, North Carolina (Waynesburg); 28. Taleb Rahmani, Pitt; 29. Alexander Klucker, Lock Haven.

165: 1. Vincenzo Joseph, Penn State (Central Catholic); 2. Alex Marinelli, Iowa; 3. David McFadden, Virginia Tech; 4. Evan Wick, Wisconsin; 5. Isaiah White, Nebraska; 7. Josh Shields, Arizona State (Franklin Regional); 10. Jake Wentzel, Pitt (South Park); 11. Ethan Smith, Ohio State (Latrobe); 17. Zach Hartman, Bucknell (Belle Vernon); 25. Nick Kiussus, West Virginia.

174: 1. Mark Hall, Penn State; 2. Michael Kemerer, Iowa (Franklin Regional); 3. Jordan Kutler, Lehigh; 4. Dylan Lydy, Purdue; 5. Bryce Steiert, Northern Iowa; 19. Jacob Oliver, Edinboro; 24. Gregg Harvey, Pitt; 32. Jared Siegrist, Lock Haven.

184: 1. Zahid Valencia, Arizona State; 2. Hunter Bolen, Virginia Tech; 3. Trent Hidlay, North Carolina State; 4. Taylor Lujan, Northern Iowa; 5. Lou Deprez, Binghamton; 8. Aaron Brooks, Penn State; 9. Nino Bonaccorsi, Pitt (Bethel Park).

197: 1. Kollin Moore, Ohio State; 2. Noah Adams, West Virginia; 3. Patrick Brucki, Princeton; 4. Jacob Warner, Iowa; 5. Christian Brunner, Purdue; 14. Jake Woodley, Oklahoma (North Allegheny); 16. Greg Bulsak, Clarion (South Park); 28. Drew Phipps, Bucknell (Norwin).

285: 1. Gabe Steveson, Minnesota; 2. Maron Parris, Michigan; 3. Tony Cassioppi, Iowa; 4. Matt Stencel, Central Michigan; 5. Trent Hillger, Wisconsin; 9. Demetrius Thomas, Pitt; 20. Seth Nevills, Penn State; 25. Jon Spaulding, Edinboro; 28. Tyler Bagoly, Clarion; 33. Brandon Ngati, West Virginia.

Around the NCAA

No. 4 Ohio State falls: The Buckeyes fell at Nebraska on Sunday, 19-14. Pletcher picked up a 10-1 win against Chad Red, but Ethan Smith fell to No. 4 Isaiah White at 165.

Panthers fall at N.C. State: Pitt jumped out to an early lead but couldn’t sustain and fell to No. 4 North Carolina State, 21-12, in ACC action.

The 10^th-ranked Panthers got decision wins by Kellen Stout (Mt. Lebanon) at 197, heavyweight Demetrius Thomas and sophomore Micky Phillippi at 133 to grab a 9-4 lead, but the Wolfpack roared back by winning five of the final six bouts.