Diakomihalis Claims Third NCAA Title; Big Red Takes Seventh In Team Race
SOURCE: cornellbigred.com
March 19, 2022

 


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.


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