Round one lived up to the hype with Isaac scoring a 3-2 win on riding time in front of a near-capacity crowd at St. John Arena in Columbus.
Isaac, who entered as second seed, got on the board first, countering a shot by Bo for a 2-0 lead less than 20 seconds into the match.
“That was big,” Isaac said after improving to 24-2. “Until you get the first points, there are those nerves, but once I got them and rode him for a little bit I calmed down a lot.”
Bo tied the score on a pair of escapes, but could not finish on his feet. Isaac claimed the win after amassing 1:59 of riding time.
“It was different because when I’m in on a leg like that, I usually score,” Bo said after suffering his first loss in his career as a Buckeye.
But it was nothing the Buckeye wasn’t prepared for.
The two began wrestling each other when they were six 6 on Bo’s father’s (Jeff) mats. The difference in their styles has been noticeable from before their time dominating in high school for Graham.
“It’s always been different,” Bo said. “He wrestles tighter matches. He is very strategic and picks his spots and I am a lot more attack, attack, attack. He caught me with a couple of funky things and did a good job wrestling his match.”
The two warmed up just feet from each other prior to the match, but there was never even a glance toward the other prior the start.
“It felt really familiar,” Bo said. “We knew what each other did. When it is done, we are blood and we love each other. He was the better wrestler today. He stopped a lot of good things. Hats off to him.”
Both wrestlers received standing ovations during the awards ceremony, with a large contingent being extended family and Graham supporters who made the trip.
“It was really special to have family come out and to get support from the Ohio State fans,” Bo said. “Unfortunately one of us has to win and one of us has to lose. We have had the same goals since we were six, we wanted to be four-time Big 10 and four-time NCAA champs. It hurts, but that is the way it goes.”
Wisconsin’s Ryan Taylor, a two-time state champ at Graham, finished second at 133. Taylor trailed undefeated Chris Dardanes of Minnesota 3-2 late in the match before getting caught on a four-point move in the final 10 seconds.
Iowa and Ohio State tied for the team title with 120 points. It was Ohio State’s third title and first since 1951. It was the Hawkeyes’ 35th conference crown. Ohio State’s Logan Steiber became the 14th four-time Big Ten champ.
All three former Graham wrestlers received automatic NCAA berths based on their placing at the Big Ten tournament. The NCAA is March 19-21 in St. Louis, and the Jordan showdown could reach chapter two.
“It was big to win this for nationals,” Isaac said. “It means possibly getting a top four seed and making things easier in the early rounds.”
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