Eric Boggs
The fourth-ranked Ohio State wrestling team delivered an impressive performance on Saturday, winning six of ten matches to secure a decisive 25-14 victory over No. 18 Michigan at the Crisler Center. With this win, the Buckeyes improved their season record to 12-1, while the Wolverines fell to 5-4.
Ohio State set the tone early by claiming victory in the first four matches, establishing a lead that Michigan was unable to overcome. The dual began at 125 pounds, where No. 18 Brendan McCrone dominated Christian Tanefeu with a 12-3 major decision. His victory was the first of three consecutive wins by bonus points, propelling the Buckeyes to an early 13-0 lead.
At 133 pounds, Nic Bouzakis demonstrated his offensive prowess, scoring 12 points in the second period en route to a 19-2 technical fall over Nolan Wertanen. Bouzakis improved to 17-4 on the season and 8-2 in dual meets. The momentum continued at 141 pounds as top-ranked Jesse Mendez remained undefeated (21-0) with a commanding 13-2 major decision over No. 11 Sergio Lemley, marking his ninth victory over a ranked opponent this season. Ninth-ranked Dylan D’Emilio extended Ohio State’s dominance with an 8-2 decision over Cameron Catrabone at 149 pounds, bringing his season record to 15-2.
Michigan responded before intermission when Chase Saldate secured an 8-0 decision at 157 pounds against Sammy Sasso. The Wolverines continued their efforts at 165 pounds, where No. 10 Beau Mantanona defeated e’Than Birden 12-5, narrowing Ohio State’s lead to 16-7.
However, Ohio State quickly regained control at 174 pounds, where fifth-ranked Carson Kharchla delivered a clutch takedown in the final seconds to edge out Joseph Walker with a 5-3 decision, preserving his perfect 9-0 record for the season. The defining moment of the dual came at 184 pounds when Ryder Rogotzke secured a match-clinching pin in just 1:31 against No. 23 Jaden Bullock. This marked Rogotzke’s second pin of the season and his first victory over a ranked opponent in the 2024-25 campaign.
Michigan managed to claim the final two matches of the night, with an 11-2 major decision at 197 pounds and a narrow 4-2 decision by Josh Heindselman over Nick Feldman at heavyweight, the latter determined by a late third-period takedown.
Ohio State will return to action on Friday, February 7, when the Buckeyes face seventh-ranked Minnesota at 7 p.m.
