Sammy Sasso wins second Big Ten title for Ohio State wrestling

Ohio State 149 pounder Sammy Sasso took down Minnesota’s Michael Blockhus 7-5 in sudden victory to win his second Big Ten title, and first since 2021.

He gave up the first takedown but rallied back to take a 3-2 lead into the second period. However, Sasso trailed 5-4 going into the third period and started down. 

But with an escape and solid defense, he sent it to overtime where he scored the winning takedown.

149: Sammy Sasso of @wrestlingbucks wins his second #B1GWrestle Championship title at 149 following a 7-5 win in sudden victory vs. Minnesota’s Michael Blockhus. pic.twitter.com/1keqj1F4xy

— Big Ten Wrestling (@B1GWrestling) March 5, 2023

Sasso improved his record to 25-2 on the season and is on the shortlist of national title contenders in Tulsa. He took 5th place last season and 2nd in 2021.

The Buckeye did not lose a single match against Big Ten opponents leading into the tournament and kept that streak going throughout the weekend. He’ll have to go through a grinder of a bracket in order to win his first national title.

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The 109th Big Ten Wrestling Championships were held from March 4-5, 2023, at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., with the University of Michigan playing host to the event for the first time since 2010. All 14 conference schools participated in the championships, which began Saturday, March 4, with the first-round, quarterfinal, semifinal and wrestleback matches taking place during Sessions I and II. 

Action continues Sunday, March 5, with consolation semifinals and seventh-place matches getting underway during Session III and the first-, third- and fifth-place matches highlighting Session IV.