Ohio State’s Kyle Snyder wrestles Steven Holloway in the dual-meet against Iowa on Jan. 21 in the Schottenstein Center. Credit: Jack Westerheide | Photo Editor
EAST LANSING, Michigan — Ohio State senior Kyle Snyder won his third Big Ten championship in dramatic fashion, earning his spot back atop the wrestling world at heavyweight.
It took a second sudden victory round between No. 2 seed Kyle Snyder and Michigan’s No. 1 seed Adam Coon. Snyder finally hits on a shot, grabbing Coon’s leg to drag the 6-foot-6, 285-pound wrestler to the ground. Snyder chased him to the edge of the mat before bringing him down again for the takedown and 4-2 win.
The only scoring up until that point was a pair of escapes from both of them.
The win will likely solidify Snyder’s No. 1 national ranking going into NCAAs.
With the win, Snyder becomes the fourth wrestler in school history with three Big Ten championships, including his teammate Nathan Tomasello.
It seems odd that a wrestler as accomplished as Snyder still feels there is much at stake with the result of a single match. But expectations are obviously adjusted for a top-ranked wrestler. The person who has proven the most over the course of his career, had the most to prove going into the finals.
That summed up the atmosphere at the Breslin Center Sunday evening, and Snyder did what he came to East Lansing, Michigan, to prove.
