Ohio State extends lead in NCAA Wrestling Championships

CLEVELAND (AP) — Ohio State sits atop the team leaderboard after three sessions of the NCAA Wrestling Championships.

The Buckeyes extended their lead over defending champion Penn State to 80 1/2-67 during the day session Friday at Quicken Loans Arena. Six Buckeyes will compete in semifinal matches Friday night.

Nathan Tomasello (125 pounds), Luke Pletcher (133), Joey McKenna (141), Micah Jordan (157), Myles Martin (184) and Rio Olympics gold-medalist Kyle Snyder (225) advanced for the Buckeyes, who are trying to win their second team title in four years.

Ohio State went 19-1 on Thursday.

The Nittany Lions, who have won six of the last seven team championships, sent defending individual champions Zain Retherford (149), Jason Nolf (157), Vincenzo Joseph (165), Mark Hall (174) and Bo Nickal (184) into the semifinals.

Ohio State's top-seeded 197-pounder Kollin Moore was swept off his feet and pinned in just 1:30 by Kent State's unseeded Kyle Conel. Penn State 197-pounder Shakur Rasheed gave up a late takedown and lost 5-4 to North Carolina State's Mike Macchiavello.

Lehigh's Darian Cruz, last year's 125-pound champion, will try to defend his title.

Retherford and Snyder are vying for their third individual titles. Illinois' Isaiah Martinez, a runner-up last season, is aiming for his third after advancing at 165 pounds.

Two-time defending champion Dean Heil of Oklahoma State had his attempt at a third title thwarted by Cornell's Yianni Diakomihalis. The freshman stunned Heil with a late takedown to post a 6-5 win at 141 pounds.

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