March 18, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
A total of 70 Big Ten student-athletes from all 11 conference schools are set to compete at the 2009 Division I Wrestling Championships, slated to start Thursday at 11 a.m. at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. Among the crop of individual wrestlers representing the Big Ten at the NCAA Championships, half have earned seeds for the tournament. The event will be hosted by the University of Missouri and the St. Louis Sports Commission.
On the heels of claiming their second consecutive Big Ten title, the Iowa Hawkeyes will look to defend their 2008 NCAA team crown as they march to the arch to vie for the schools' 22nd NCAA team title at the three-day tournament.
The NCAA Championships will take place in six sessions over three days, beginning at 11 a.m. CST on Thursday with pigtail matches and the first round. The second session will resume later that day at 6: 30 p.m. and feature continued preliminary matches. On Friday, competition will begin at 10 a.m. with the quarterfinal round and wrestlebacks. Friday's evening session, featuring the semifinal rounds are slated for a 6 p.m. start. On Saturday, the fifth session is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m., wrapping up the consolation bracket with seventh-place, fifth-place and third-place matches at all weight divisions. The finals are slated for 5:30 p.m. on Saturday evening.
The quarterfinals will air Friday at 11 a.m. CDT on ESPNU and ESPN360.com, and the semifinals at 7 p.m., on ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN360.com. For the third consecutive year, the semifinals will be telecast in a side-by-side format, allowing viewers to see both semifinal matches in each weight class at the same time. ESPNU will telecast the Championship Medal Round on Saturday at 10:30 a.m., and the Finals at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN.
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