Sebastian Rivera, Rutgers*, 2019 and 2020
* Sebastian Rivera won his two Big Ten titles with the Northwest before moving to Rutgers.
Sebastian Rivera is Mr. Big Ten and has earned conference titles at both 125lb and 133lb early in his career after final wins over Spencer Lee and Roman Bravo-Young in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Rutgers’ graduate student finished third in last year’s tournament behind Jadin Ayerman and Nick Lee, but he’s back at 141 pounds, hoping to claim his first championship at that weight.
BEST SUMMARY: Relive Sebastian Rivera’s best victories.
Rivera has received bonuses from almost every athlete he has faced this year, and now he has a chance to show his skills again against the best players from the Big Ten. Can Rivera win 141 pounds? He’s not the only returning champion aiming for such a feat, and he’ll have to go through a deep bracket to reach his goals, but he’s an absolute contender.
Stevan Micic, Michigan 2018
Stevan Micic was there and he enters this tournament as one of the most experienced wrestlers in the field. After placing third in his first Big Ten tournament in 2017, Micic ran down the field at 133 lbs in 2018 ahead of Jared Simmons, Ben Thorton, Jason Renteria and Luke Pletcher en route to the title.
RETURN: Here are the full results for the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
After that first championship, Micic finished sixth in the Big Tens in 2019, spent two Olympic seasons in the red jerseys and is now back to make one last shot. He will enter this tournament with a seed outside the top five, but Micic has the experience and skill level needed to top his seed and become a threat at 141 pounds.
Nick Suriano, Michigan*, 2019
*Nick Suriano won a Big Ten title with Rutgers before moving to Michigan.
While Stevan Micic has moved up in weight class since his last Big Ten title, teammate Nick Suriano has dropped down as he competed in the 125lb weight class in his final NCAA season. The Michigan graduate student is chasing another conference and national championship crown, and he is a more experienced and savvy wrestler than he was even when he won the 2019 tournament against Luke Pletcher in 2019.
MEET NICK SURIANO: The Complete Story of the 2019 NCAA Champion
Suriano spent his 2020 and 2021 redshirt seasons learning new skills as a competitive freestyle wrestler, and he translated that intensity into his folk style game. His strength is exceptional, his attention is second to none, and his discipline is top notch. Suriano is dangerous, and he is faced with the question of how to become a two-time Big Ten champion, a two-time NCAA champion.
Roman Bravo-Young, Pennsylvania 2021
Roman Bravo-Young won his first Big Ten title last season by defeating Austin DeSanto 5-2 and then went on to win the 133-pound national championship against Daton Fix in overtime. The Pennsylvania retiree has not lost a match since March 2020 and has no intention of breaking that streak.
NITTANY LIONS ROAR: Here’s How Penn State Beat Iowa 19-13 This Year
In his 14 matches this season, Bravo-Young has earned a 60%+ bonus and he is unquestionably the leader in this weight class. DeSanto has two career wins over Bravo-Young, but Nittany Lion has owned the rivalry in his last four fights and his team expects him to continue that trend.
Jadyn Ayerman, Iowa 2021
Iowa’s Jadin Ayerman is accustomed to winning conference tournaments – he’s already won four of them. The Iowa graduate student began his career with the Missouri Tigers, where he won three All-American honors and three MAC championships before moving to the Hawkeyes in his final seasons. Eyerman continued his tradition of excellence by representing Black and Gold, earning his fourth overall conference title when he defeated Nick Lee 6-5 in last year’s Big Ten Finals.
HAWKS ON TOP: Relive Iowa’s 2021 Big Ten Title
While Lee has won the last two games in this rivalry, Ayerman has a win over the defending NCAA champion and is looking to become the first five-time conference champion this weekend with another win over the Nittany Lion.
Sammy Sasso, Ohio State 2021
Sammy Sasso has been described as a savage by head coach Tom Ryan, and the 2021 Big Ten champion and NCAA finalist is well positioned to complement his positive reputation and extensive resume. Sophomore fourth-year Buckeye comes into the tournament with just one loss in a year — a 6-2 decision against two-time NCAA champion Yanni Diacomichalis — but he hasn’t lost a Big Ten game since March 2020.
REWIND: Check out the full results and headlines for the 2020 Big Ten tournament.
Sasso is scared but in control and his ability to stay calm in tight matches this year has been especially noticeable. Last year, he beat Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett in the final of that tournament 5-2 after beating Peyton Omani and knocked out Michigan’s Kanen Storr earlier in the tournament. What results will the leader Buckeye show this year in his quest to claim another Big Ten title?
Ryan Deakin, Northwest, 2020 and 2021
Ryan Deakin has owned the Big Ten tournament for the past two seasons, defeating Iowa’s Caleb Young last year and passing Purdue’s Kendall Coleman in 2020. slow down.
DEAKIN OWNS VEGAS: The Northwestern Star won CKLV for the third time in her career this season.
Deakin last lost to a conference opponent in March 2019 when Young beat him twice in the NCAA Tournament, but Deakin defeated Young 6–0 in their final meeting. Deakin has already been on the podium twice in his illustrious career, and this year he will look to finish his tenure with the Wildcats with gold in both the Big Tens and the NCAA.
Alex Marinelli, Iowa 2019-2021
No one on this list of returning conference champions holds more Big Ten titles than Alex Marinelli. Leader Hawkeye has been a star in this tournament since his sophomore year, defeating NCAA champion Vincenzo Joseph twice for gold. Last year, after beating Ohio State’s Ethan Smith, Marinelli won his third conference victory in a classic 3-2 decision, but this time he’ll face a new challenger, Buckeye.
Rivalry Time: Revisiting Penn State vs. Iowa Pre-Postseason Rivalry
Ohio State freshman Carson Harkla handed Marinelli his first loss of the season in January to earn the top spot on the grid, but the Bull will be looking to return to the top of the podium in his final outing at this tournament. If he wins, Marinelli will join Hawkeye’s elite roster of four-time Big Ten champions including Joe Scarpello, Mike DeAnna, Ed Banach, Barry Davis, Dwayne Goldman, Jim Heffernan and Mark Ironside. It’s all on the line.
Michael Kemerer, Iowa 2021
Michael Kemerer has had a storied career with the Iowa Hawkeyes, earning three All-American honors, an NWCA first-team All-American honor, and an NCAA runner-up in 2021. However, one of his best career victories was his last. year in the 2021 Big Ten title game when he beat Penn State’s Carter Starocci 7-2 to capture his first conference title. Starocci would go on to win the NCAA and beat Kemerer again in the Iowa-Pennsylvania double, but Kemerer is competitive with the Nittany Lion and could upset the champion and defend his crown.
KEMDAWG IN CARVER: Iowa defeated Penn State in a 2020 double match, the main event being Kemerer’s victory over Mark Hall.
A recent loss to Nebraska’s Mikey Labriola put Kemerer in 4th place in the preselection, which could lead to a semi-final against Starocci, but expect this veteran Hawkeye to be on top and ready for this matchup. Iowa won the Big Tens as a team last year, and if the program wants a similar result this year, Kemerer will have to play a big part in it, earning upset wins and bonus points.
Aaron Brooks, PA 2020 and 2021
A two-time Big Ten and NCAA champion, Aaron Brooks enters this year’s conference tournament undefeated, and he is by far the top contender to take home the gold again. Brooks was the leader of this Nittany Lion No. 1 team, and his 71% bonus rate shows how much he dominated the 2021-2022 season.
TWO LEADERS: Penn State Nittany Lions Finished 2021 Regular Season as Top Team
Throughout his collegiate career, Brooks has earned a 44-1 record, with his only loss coming to Nebraska’s Taylor Wentz, but sophomore Nittany Lion has fought back that loss twice, most recently in the 2021 NCAA Championship 9-4 and in the 2021 Big Ten. final 10-5. Despite his young age, Brooks’ list of achievements is long and he knows how to win at this stage.
Miles Amin, MI 2021
Miles Amin is one of those rare wrestlers who, like his teammate Nick Suriano, decided to drop down a weight class in his last year of eligibility. After winning the Big Ten tournament at 197 pounds, Amin returned to 184 pounds in search of another chance at glory. He will likely have to beat returning Big Ten and NCAA champion Aaron Brooks to reach his goals, and Brooks beat him 3-1 in their previous meeting this year, but Amin is up for the challenge.
ONE ON ONE: Hear Miles Amin talk about what wrestling in Michigan means to him.
In an interview with NCAA.com, Amin said his main reason for returning to collegiate wrestling this season was to compete against this historic Michigan team. A Big Ten win would be the perfect set-up for the finale of the storybook Amin wants to write with the Wolverines.
Gable Stevenson, Minnesota 2020 and 2021
This list of returning Big Ten champions includes a number of elite wrestlers, but Minnesota’s Gable Stevenson stands in a class of his own. By winning an Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Olympics, Steveson outlasted all the collegiate rivals that stood in his way this season. He specialized on world junior champion Mason Parris, he dominated under-23 world champion Tony Cassioppi 17-7 and coached the All-American Tate Orndorf, all within six weeks.
WEIGHT STATE: Gable Stevenson leads the heavyweight division
Steveson has two Big Ten titles and an NCAA title, and his goal this postseason will be to add another conference championship and national crown to that collection. Heavyweight is a deep weight class, but Steveson brings different skill and strength to the mat.