Ohio State redshirt junior Paddy Gallagher celebrates after winning his matchup against No. 24 Purdue Sunday. The Buckeyes went on to defeat the Boilermakers 34-10. Credit: Liam Ahern | Lantern Photographer
The Buckeyes remain golden.
Unlike its down-to-the-wire win against No. 17 Rutgers, Ohio State (11-0, 3-0 Big Ten) left no doubt against No. 25 Purdue (8-3, 1-2 Big Ten), dominating the Boilermakers 34-10 Saturday at the Covelli Center.
But it was Purdue who struck first, as undefeated No. 1 Matt Ramos edged No. 11 Brendan McCrone in a narrow 3-1 decision.
However, it didn’t take long for the Buckeyes to get on the board, as No. 10 Nic Bouzakis won and got to bust out the red beanie.
The red beanie, which Bouzakis wore post-match isn’t just a celebration after triumph—it’s a tribute to his brother, Greco, who passed away from cancer in 2016.
“Recognizing Greco was meaningful today,” Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan said. “[Nick’s] story is pretty powerful for him and the program. Those beanies have a bigger, deeper meaning than just Nick throwing a hat on after a match.”
Following the major decision from Bouzakis, two-time All-American and No. 1 Jesse Mendez continued his dominance, improving to 19-0 on the season with a 13-2 major decision over Purdue’s Greyson Clark, which also extended the Buckeyes’ lead to 8-3.
Ohio State maintained its momentum at 149 pounds as No. 9 Dylan D’Emilio pinned Isaac Ruble, securing the first fall victory of the meet and stretching the Buckeyes’ lead to 14-3.
Purdue answered back at 157 pounds before the break, though.
No. 7 Joey Blaze defeated No. 17 Sammy Sasso in a 5-1 decision, cutting the Buckeyes’ lead to 14-6. The Covelli Center crowd voiced their displeasure, pleading for stalling calls against Blaze, who responded by taunting the Buckeye faithful as boos filled the arena.
After intermission, Ohio State responded emphatically with back-to-back fall victories. No. 9 Paddy Gallagher and No. 6 Ryder Rogotzke delivered dominant performances at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively, pushing the lead to an insurmountable 26-6. Gallagher, who had given up an early takedown, executed a reversal that led to his second pin of the season.
“Now that I’m up a weight, I feel a lot better,” Gallagher said. “I have a lot of trust in my cardio, so if I give up a takedown, it doesn’t really matter.”
No. 19 Rogotzke followed with a decision victory at 184 pounds against Orlando Cruz. Purdue finally responded at 197 pounds, as Ben Vanadia secured a 17-5 major decision against Ohio State’s Gavin Bell. Bell, who typically competes at 184 pounds, wrestled up due to an injury sustained by Seth Shumate in practice Friday.
“We thought it would be best to sit [Seth] and rest him,” Ryan said. “We’ve got a big couple of weeks ahead against the upper echelon of college wrestling.”
The Buckeyes capped off their dominant performance with a 19-4 technical fall victory by heavyweight No. 7 Nick Feldman, sealing a commanding 34-10 final.
Next, Ohio State will face a significant test Saturday when it travels to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to take on No. 2 Iowa.
Gallagher said the magnitude of the matchup won’t be underestimated by the Buckeyes.
“Not everyone gets to compete in Carver-Hawkeye Arena,” Gallagher said. “It’s the craziest place to compete, and we’re looking forward to it. We think we can win.”
