Wrestling: No. 7 Ohio State falls to rival No. 3 Michigan in packed Covelli Center

Gabe Burggraf
Sat, 15 Jan 2022 22:22:14 +0000
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Ohio State redshirt sophomore Carson Kharchla stares down freshman Cale Hoskinson during the Ohio State-Notre Dame College match Nov. 23. Ohio State won 51-0. Credit: Casey Smith | Assistant LTV Sports Producer

Ohio State welcomed Michigan to the Covelli Center mat Friday in a battle between unbeaten squads, one forced to add a tally to its loss column.

The No. 7 Buckeyes (5-1) were defeated by the No. 3 Wolverines (5-0) 29-8. Ohio State won only two of 10 bouts in the match, with victories by redshirt junior No. 2 Sammy Sasso and redshirt sophomore No. 7 Carson Kharchla.

Michigan’s match control began in the 125-pound division.

Wolverine graduate student No. 1 Nick Suriano drew first blood with two first-period takedowns, defeating Buckeye senior No. 18 Malik Heinselman by 11-3 decision.?

Michigan took two more victories before Sasso used a 4-1 second period to separate from Wolverine redshirt sophomore Cole Mattin.

Wolverine redshirt junior No. 15 Will Lewan put Michigan back on track with a 6-3 victory against Ohio State redshirt junior Jashon Hubbard in the 157-pound weight class.

At halftime, Michigan held a commanding 14-3 advantage, one it wouldn’t relinquish.

Following the break, Kharchla scored four takedowns in the first period en route to a 22-6 technical fall against Michigan redshirt sophomore Pat Nolan.

In a matchup of undefeated 184-pounders, Michigan graduate student No. 2 Myles Amine defeated Ohio State redshirt senior No. 7 Kaleb Romero with an overtime takedown for the 3-1 victory.?

Kharchla said the Buckeyes appreciated having 4,125 fans in Covelli Center, which provided a familiar atmosphere after their 2021 absence.

“It felt like we were wrestling back in high school,” Kharchla said. “Having the fans back and being able to support us and cheer, that was pretty sweet, especially for the dual like tonight.”

Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan said the team’s message is to learn moving forward.

“We’re not defined in our best moments and we’re not defined in our worst,” Ryan said. “Come tomorrow morning, you got to take something from it. Every opportunity is a chance to learn.”

The Buckeyes will return to the Covelli Center to face Iowa Friday at 8 p.m. The meet will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.