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Spencer Lee finally breaks through for Big Ten title, aims for third national title | TribLIVE.com
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Spencer Lee finally breaks through for Big Ten title, aims for third national title

Bill Beckner
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AP
In this March 23, 2019, file photo, Iowa’s Spencer Lee, left, celebrates his win over Virginia’s Jack Mueller (not shown) in their 125-pound match in the finals of the NCAA wrestling championships in Pittsburgh. Ten of the Hawkeyes’ 13 dual-meet wins came against nationally ranked teams, including a 13-day stretch in January in which they defeated Nebraska, Ohio State and Penn State, teams that finished in the top five in the final national rankings. They go into this weekend’s Big Ten championships in Piscataway, N.J., with every wrestler seeded in the top three in their individual classes.

It’s hard to believe Spencer Lee has never won a conference title before Sunday. The Iowa wrestler has won everything else at the college level, and always strives for something greater.

But he finally added Big Ten gold to his decorated career.

Lee, a junior out of Franklin Regional, was named the Big Ten Conference Wrestler of the Year after he won his first conference championship and helped lead the Hawkeyes to their first outright team title since 2010.

He had finished second and third in previous seasons.

The top-seeded Lee defeated No. 2 Devin Schroder, 16-2, in the 125-pound final and will take his No. 1 ranking into the NCAA Division I Championships March 19-21 in Minneapolis, Minn.

Lee is 18-0 and has outscored his opponents, 254-18. He is a two-time national champion.

“I just have to keep scoring points and maybe work on my offense a little more,” Lee said. “There are things to improve on. I think that (there) are a lot of slow moments, both just working on top and bottom probably pretty boring. Maybe I need to get back on my feet some more.”

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

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