March 8, 2009
The 2009 Big Ten Wrestling Championships could be best described as the “year of the repeat” as top-ranked Iowa captured its second consecutive conference title and six wrestlers returned to defend their individual crowns, Sunday in University Park, Pa. The Hawkeyes captured their 33rd team title as well as two individual titles, posting a 141.0 composite score to overcome the field by 27.5 points. Illinois retained its runner-up position from Saturday’s preliminary rounds, finishing in second place with 113.5 points, while Michigan edged Wisconsin 92.5-88.0 to round out the top three spots.
Illinois’ Mike Poeta (157), Indiana’s Angel Escobedo (125), Iowa’s Brent Metcalf (149), Michigan’s Kellen Russell (141) and Steve Luke (174), and Michigan State’s Franklin Gomez (133) all posted repeat first-place finishes in each of their respective weight classes. Hawkeye junior Daniel Erekson (285), Tyrel Todd (197) of Michigan, Northwestern senior Jake Herbert (184), and Wisconsin’s Andrew Howe (165), also earned top honors, completing this year’s crop of new individual title holders.
Final Team Standings
| Place |
Team |
Score |
| 1 |
Iowa |
141.0 |
| 2 |
Illinois |
113.5 |
| 3 |
Michigan |
92.5 |
| 4 |
Wisconsin |
88.0 |
| 5 |
Minnesota |
86.0 |
| 6 |
Ohio State |
80.0 |
| 7 |
Penn State |
79.5 |
| 8 |
Northwestern |
73.5 |
| 9 |
Indiana |
67.5 |
| 10 |
Purdue |
52.0 |
| 11 |
Michigan State |
45.5 |
Final Results: Complete Release in PDF Format 
Recap / Championship Central
