Colt broken at Big Ten tourney, trotting on to NCAAs

After returning to his old stomping grounds back on Jan. 15 and stomping on Michigan State’s Ben Boudro with a 12-2 major decision to help lead the Ohio State Buckeyes to a 19-16 dual meet win over the Spartans in the Dungeon at West Holmes High School, former Knights wrestler, four-time State qualifier (2004, ‘05, ‘06, ‘07), three-time State champion (‘05, ‘06 and ‘07), two-time National High School Champion (‘06 and ‘07) and current Ohio State senior Colt Sponseller finished as the runner-up at the Big Ten Championships on Sunday, March 6.

Wrestling at Welsh-Ryan Arena on the campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., Sponseller – the sixth-ranked 165-lb. NCAA wrestler at the Division I level – dropped a 3-1 sudden victory decision to defending Big Ten champion and defending NCAA DI Champion, Andrew Howe (NCAA DI No. 2) of the University of Wisconsin in the title match, after rolling past University of Indiana junior Ryan LeBlanc, with an 8-1 decision in the quarterfinals, and picking up a 2-0 decision over University of Minnesota sophomore Cody Yohn (NCAA DI No. 12) in the semifinal round.

While the victories over LeBlanc and Yohn gave the former West Holmes wrestler 101 career wins at Ohio State, following a scoreless first period between Sponseller and Howe, the Badgers grappler chose the down position to start period number two, escaping from the Buckeyes senior in less than 30 seconds to take a 1-0 lead.

Both wrestlers stayed on their feet for the rest of the second period, but Sponseller assumed the down position at the start of the third and final period, working his own escape to tie the match at one apiece, before both wrestlers went back to their feet for the rest of regulation.

Neither wrestler could score a takedown as the third period ticked away, but 15 seconds into the one-minute overtime period Sponseller shot in for a takedown, failing to get in deep enough to complete the move however.

Howe countered Sponseller’s move into a double-leg takedown attempt and the former Knight couldn’t fight it off as the Badgers junior completed the two-point maneuver to wrap up his second straight conference title and knock off Sponseller for the fifth time in five career matches.

“When the match went into overtime I just kind of got lazy and he took advantage of it,” said Sponseller after dropping to 21-5 on the season. “I have to score. I didn’t take advantage of what was given to me today. I am going to have to push the pace at nationals. Basically, I have to be focused and wrestle smart and just go out there and win.”

Ohio State finished eighth as a team, with 57.0 points, as Penn State (139.0) edged Iowa (138.0) for the Big Ten title and Wisconsin (103.5) finished fourth behind Minnesota (109.5) – while Michigan (5th, 86.5), Illinois (6th, 64.0), Northwestern (7th, 62.0), Purdue (9th, 51.0), Indiana (10th, 50.0) and Michigan State (11th, 49.5) rounded out the final team standings.

But Sponseller and three of his Ohio State teammates – sophomore Ian Paddock (133-lbs.), redshirt freshman Nick Heflin (171-lbs.) and redshirt sophomore C.J. Magrum (184-lbs.) – will move on to the NCAA DI National Wrestling Championship Tournament, Thursday, March 17 through Saturday, March 19, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa., as Sponseller hopes to meet Howe again and hopes that the sixth time is the charm in this rivalry.

Sponseller bowed out in the fifth round of wrestlebacks at the National tournament a year ago.