For the third straight year, Logan Stieber is the nation’s best.
The Ohio State redshirt-junior wrestler became the first Buckeye in program history to win three national titles after defeating No. 4-seed Virginia Tech redshirt-junior Devin Carter Saturday in the 141-pound weight class in Oklahoma City.
“(This) feels great,” Stieber said after the victory, according to an OSU press release. “I know Devin is a really, really tough individual … It felt good to get through my offense and ride hard. And my defense was great and I just kept getting after him.”
Stieber, a three-time All-American and three-time Big Ten Champion, earned the crown in what was his 21st consecutive match win after jumping out to a 2-0 lead by the end of the first period. Entering the third period with a 5-0 advantage, a pair of takedowns helped him secure the 10-1 win.
Stieber wasn’t the only Buckeye wrestler to compete for a national title, as senior Nick Heflin fell in the 197-pound weight class final to Missouri freshman J’Den Cox, 2-1.
Heflin, also a three-time All-American and 2014 Big Ten Champion, narrowly missed out on the title as he almost scored a takedown when time expired. That would have given him a 3-2 victory, but after an official review, the call was confirmed.
In the team competition, OSU finished sixth after totaling 57 points. Penn State won its fourth straight national championship after finishing with 109.5 points as a team.