Penn State already clinched its third straight NCAA Division I wrestling team title on Friday at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, but the Nittany Lions had the chance to add to a stellar weekend on Saturday.
Penn State's Aaron Brooks made history by becoming a four-time national champion at 197 pounds, once again showing his dominance on Saturday.
NCAA Wrestling @NCAAWrestlingHistory has been made...Aaron Brooks is a 4x NATIONAL CHAMPION!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NCAAWrestling?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NCAAWrestling</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/pennstateWREST?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pennstateWREST</a> <a href="https://t.co/EVq6sfsmlI">pic.twitter.com/EVq6sfsmlI</a>
His teammate, Carter Starocci, was also a four-time national champion when the dust settled on Saturday. The Nittany Lions have been the standard in collegiate wrestling, and Brooks and Starocci are examples of their sustained success.
NCAA Wrestling @NCAAWrestlingCarter Starocci is just the sixth ever 4x NATIONAL CHAMPION!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NCAAWrestling?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NCAAWrestling</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/pennstateWREST?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pennstateWREST</a> <a href="https://t.co/JB2sNrcCuo">pic.twitter.com/JB2sNrcCuo</a>
Here's a look at the final standings at the NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Tournament.
Top 10 Teams
1. Penn State (172.5)
2. Cornell (72.5)
3. Michigan (71)
4. Iowa State (68.5)
5. Iowa (67)
6. Arizona State (64.5)
7. Virginia Tech (64)
8. Ohio State (62)
9. Nebraska (60.5)
10. Oklahoma State (56)
Penn State's dominance continued this year, and the Nittany Lions now have 11 national championships since 2011 and have won three straight now. Penn State has built a powerhouse out of its wrestling program, and it's clear the Nittany Lions are the team to beat next season.
Nittany Lions' Greg Kerkvliet defeated Lucas Davison in a 13-4 major decision to win his first national championship, and Levi Haines remained undefeated with a 4-0 shutout over Jacori Teemer to give Penn State another.
Aside from Penn State's dominance this weekend, several other teams put together solid showings. Caleb Henson gave Virginia Tech its second national champion in program history and Arizona State, Cornell and Northern Iowa also had champions on Saturday.
NCAA Wrestling @NCAAWrestling🏆2024 INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS🏆<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NCAAWrestling?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NCAAWrestling</a> <a href="https://t.co/THi99eDjEw">pic.twitter.com/THi99eDjEw</a>
Penn State now heads into the offseason flying high, but the Nittany Lions certainly have a target on their back next year. Whether a team can take them down will be the question.
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