DETROIT, Mich. -- Junior
Yianni Diakomihalis claimed his third national title with a dominant 11-5 decision over Nebraska's Ridge Lovett to capture the 149-pound NCAA wrestling title on Saturday evening at Little Caesars Arena. He joins Kyle Dake '13 as the only Big Red wrestlers to claim at least three national championships, and he'll have an opportunity to match Dake's four crowns next season.
Diakomihalis closed his junior season with a 28-0 record, extending his career mark to 94-1 with a 75-match win streak, just two victories shy of Dake's 77 to close his career. The three-time EIWA champion and Ivy League Wrestler of the Year put on a takedown clinic against the 10th-seeded Badger, who took Diakomihalis to overtime in the semifinals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational before fall, 6-4, in sudden victory.
The junior had five takedowns and was never in danger, rushing out to a 4-1 lead after the first three minutes. His short-time takedown and rideout allowed Diakomihalis to grab the early edge, and he built on it in the second with an escape against the hard-riding Lovett, then notched two more takedowns in the second to build the lead to 9-4. One last takedown left the junior chasing a major decision late, but he settled for celebrating his third national title.
His win boosted the team's tournament points to 54.5, good for seventh in the team race. The Big Red has now finished in the top 10 in every NCAA Tournament it has competed in since 2008. The Big Red has now had at least one individual NCAA champion in 11 of the last 13 events it has competed in and at least one finalist in 13 straight.
Diakomihalis was joined on podiums by fellow All-Americans
Vito Arujau, who took third at 125 pounds, and 184-pounder
Jonathan Loew (eighth) as 2022 All-Americans.
Earlier on Saturday, sophomore
Vito Arujau bounced back from a semifinal loss to dominate a pair of contests to wrap up his second third-place finish, topping Minnesota's Patrick McKee 7-3, then topping Northwestern's Michael DeAugustino for the second time in the tournament, this time by a 10-2 major decision. The two-time All-American and 2022 EIWA champion finished his season with a 20-2 record.
Loew closed his season with an All-America modifier and took eighth on the podium, dropping a tight 7-6 decision to No. 4 seed Parker Keckeisen to fall into the seventh place match, then couldn't get past Iowa State's Marcus Coleman. The 2022 EIWA champ finished with a team-best 30 victories.
125
First Round: #2
Vito Arujau (Cornell) won by major decision over #31 Antonio Lorenzo (Cal Poly), 16-4
Second Round: #2
Vito Arujau (Cornell) won by decision over #15 Brody Teske (Northern Iowa), 9-3
Quarterfinal: #2
Vito Arujau (Cornell) won by7 decision over #10 Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern), 6-0
Semifinal: #3 Patrick Glory (Princeton) won by major decision over #2
Vito Arujau (Cornell), 13-5
Consolation Final: #2
Vito Arujau (Cornell) won by decision over #8 Patrick McKee (Minnesota), 7-3
Third Place Match: #2
Vito Arujau (Cornell) won by major decision over #10 Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern), 10-2
133
Championship Prelim: #32
Dom LaJoie (Cornell) won by decision over #33 Domenic Zaccone (Campbell), 9-5
First Round: #1 Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State) won by major decision over #32
Dom LaJoie (Cornell), 16-4
Consolation First Round: #17 Haiden Drury (Utah Valley) won by decision over #32
Dom LaJoie (Cornell), 10-5
149
First Round: #1
Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) won by decision over #33 Zachary Sherman (North Carolina), 9-2
Second Round: #1
Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) won by decision over #16 Willie McDougald (Oklahoma), 11-5
Quarterfinal: #1
Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) won by decision over #8 Max Murin (Iowa), 6-3
Semifinal: #1
Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) won by decision over #4 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State), 6-3
Final: #1
Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell) won by decision over #10 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska), 11-5
157
First Round: #3 Jacori Teemer (Ariona State) won by decision over #30
Hunter Richard (Cornell), 3-2
Consolation Prelim Round: #30
Hunter Richard (Cornell) won by decision over #32 Jordan Slivka (Ohio), 6-5
Consolation First Round: #30
Hunter Richard (Cornell) won by decision over #19 Kendall Coleman (Purdue), 3-2
Consolation Second Round: #30
Hunter Richard (Cornell) won by decision over #13 Justin Thomas (Oklahoma), 6-5
Consolation Third Round: #11 Austin O'Connor (North Carolina) won by decision over #30
Hunter Richard (Cornell), 8-1
165
First Round: #13
Julian Ramirez (Cornell) won by decision over #20 William Formato (Appalachian State), 8-3
Second Round: #4 Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) won by decision over #13
Julian Ramirez (Cornell), 15-11
Consolation Second Round: #13
Julian Ramirez (Cornell) won by major decision over #14 Joshua Ogunsanya (Columbia), 14-3
Consolation Third Round: #13
Julian Ramirez (Cornell) won by fall over #12
Zach Hartman (Bucknell), 2:48
Consolation Final: #7 Carson Kharchla (Ohio State) won by decision over #13
Julian Ramirez (Cornell), 4-3
174
First Round: #19 Thomas Flitz (Appalachian State) won by decision over #14
Chris Foca (Cornell), 9-6
Consolation First Round: #14
Chris Foca (Cornell) won by fall over #30 Jacob Nolan (Binghamton), 5:16
Consolation Second Round: #13 Matt Finesilver (Duke) won by decision over #14
Chris Foca (Cornell), 8-2
184
First Round: #11
Jonathan Loew (Cornell) won by decision over #22 Layne Malczewski (Michigan State), 11-4
Second Round: #6 Trey Munoz (Oregon State) won by major decision over #11
Jonathan Loew (Cornell), 12-2
Consolation Second Round: #11
Jonathan Loew (Cornell) won by decision over #12 Brit Wilson (Northern Illinois), 11-4
Consolation Third Round: #11
Jonathan Loew (Cornell) won by decision over #20 John Poznanski (Rutgers), 9-4
Consolation Quarterfinal: #11
Jonathan Loew (Cornell) won by decision over #9 Zach Braunagel (Illinois), 3-1 (sv1)
Consolation Semifinal: #4 Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) won by decision over #11
Jonathan Loew (Cornell), 7-6
Seventh Place Match: #8 Marcus Coleman (Iowa State) won by decision over #11
Jonathan Loew (Cornell), 8-3
197
First Round: #14 Greg Bulsak (Rutgers) won by decision over #19
Jacob Cardenas (Cornell), 7-0
Consolation First Round: #19
Jacob Cardenas (Cornell) won by major decision over #30 Cole Urbas (Penn), 11-2
Consolation Second Round: #4 Patrick Brucki (Michigan) won by decision over #19
Jacob Cardenas (Cornell), 8-6 (sv1)
285
First Round: #18
Lewis Fernandes (Cornell) won by decision over #15 Taye Ghadiali (Campbell), 4-0
Second Round: #2 Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) won by fall over #18
Lewis Fernandes (Cornell), 0:52
Consolation Second Round: #18
Lewis Fernandes (Cornell) won by decision over #17 Trent Hilger (Wisconsin), 2-1
Consolation Third Round: #18
Lewis Fernandes (Cornell) won by decision over #10 Nathan Traxler (Virginia Tech), 10-4
Consolation Fourth Round: #12 Christian Lance (Nebraska) won by decision over #18
Lewis Fernandes (Cornell), 4-2 (sv1)
