No. 6 Nick Lee of Penn State controls No. 2 Joey McKenna of Ohio State in a front headlock during the 141-pound bout of the Ohio State-Penn State dual. Lee took the victory over McKenna in a back-and-forth match, by decision, 7-6. Ohio State lost the dual against Penn State 28-9. Credit: Sal Marandino | For The Lantern
The Ohio State wrestling team advanced five wrestlers to the final day of the NCAA Championships but left without a single individual NCAA champion for the first time since 2011.
No. 6 Ohio State (12-2, 7-2 Big Ten) had three bouts in the finals to attempt to win an individual championship, but failed to win any of the matches. Ohio State finished runner up as a team for the third straight season to Penn State.
Ohio State senior Joey McKenna, the No. 2 seed in the country at 141 pounds, lost to No. 1 Cornell sophomore Yianni Diakomihalis for the second time this season in a thrilling sudden victory overtime defeat by decision 6-4.
Diakomihalis has now won back-to-back NCAA Championships for Cornell.
Ohio State senior Myles Martin, the No. 1 seed in the country at 184 pounds, after a disappointing loss in the semifinals redeemed himself by finishing third in his last NCAA Championships.
Martin defeated No. 4 Illinois redshirt senior Emery Parker in the consolation semifinals by a 5-2 decision to advance to the consolation finals.
In the consolation finals, Martin won a tightly contested match by a 5-3 decision against No. 8 Lehigh redshirt senior Ryan Preisch.
With the win, Martin became the seventh four-time All-American in Ohio State history.
Ohio State redshirt junior Kollin Moore, the No. 2 seed in the country at 197 pounds, finished runner up to the only wrestler to defeat him all season: No. 1 Penn State senior Bo Nickal in a 5-1 decision.
Moore has lost only three times all season, but they all came from Nickal.
Like Moore, Ohio State redshirt senior Micah Jordan, the No. 2 seed in the country at 149 pounds, faced the only opponent he has lost to all season.
Jordan suffered the same fate as Moore losing in a 9-4 decision to No. 1 Rutgers redshirt senior Anthony Ashnault.
Ohio State junior Luke Pletcher, the No. 5 seed in the country at 133 pounds, advanced to the consolation finals by defeating No. 7 Iowa sophomore Austin DeSanto in a close 7-6 decision.
Pletcher lost in the consolation finals to No. 2 Michigan redshirt junior Stevan Micic by a 6-2 decision and finished fourth overall for the 133-pound weight class in the 2019 NCAA Championships.
No. 6 Ohio State concluded its season in Pittsburgh Saturday, but will have two All-Americans returning next season in Pletcher and Moore.
