Michigan State University
Big Ten Championship
Two Spartans Reach Podium at B1G Championships, Two More Punch Tickets to NCAA Tournament
3/10/2024 10:40:00 PM | Wrestling
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Two members of the Michigan State wrestling team posted podium finishes on the final day of the 2024 B1G Championships on Sunday inside the Xfinity Center on the campus of Maryland. In total, Michigan State wrestling had four wrestlers qualify for a spot at the NCAA Championships.
"This is the toughest tournament that we're competing in, everyone thinks the NCAA Tournament is but it's not, because it's the best conference in the country," said head coach Roger Chandler. "Our guys adjusted as the tournament went on, especially today. They learned how to step up to the competition and wrestle each situation instead of looking ahead. Because of that, we got four automatic bids."
Graduate 184-pounder Layne Malczewski and senior 157-pounder Chase Saldate each reached the podium with seventh place finishes in their respective weight classes.
Malczewski, who was slated for one more match in the seventh-place bout, went head-to-head against Wisconsin's Shane Liegel for the second time this season. The two met in East Lansing earlier in the year, with Malczewski walking away with an 8-2 decision. It was a different day but the same result as Malczewski knocked off Liegel with an 8-5 victory to claim seventh place. Malczewski is now a five-time NCAA national qualifier. The graduate continues to add his name into the record books as he earned his 103rd career victory to pass current MSU associate head coach Chris Williams for 20th in program history.
In Saldate's seventh place match, the senior made quick work against No. 9 seed Trevor Chumbley of Northwestern with a first period pin at the 2:05 mark. It was Saldate's 11th fall of the season, adding to his career high. Saldate continues climbing in the record books as it marks his 28th career fall, tying for eighth in program history. With the seventh-place finish, the Gilroy, California, native is NCAA bound for the fourth time in his illustrious career.
Redshirt junior Tristan Lujan clinched a national championship berth for the first time in his career, taking ninth in the 125-pound weight class. Entering the final day of the B1G Championships, Lujan was placed in the ninth-place bracket where he would win two matches to punch his ticket to Kansas City. Lujan started his day against Northwestern's Massey Odiotti, where he executed two first period takedowns en route to an 11-6 victory.
In a battle for the final guaranteed spot, the Selma, California, native ran into a familiar foe in Ohio State's Brendan McCrone. The two wrestlers faced each other twice this season, splitting the matches. Going into the final period with a 1-0 lead, Lujan rode McCrone for most of the round, taking away his riding time advantage while picking up four back points and blanking McCrone in a 5-0 victory.
141-pounder Jordan Hamdan went 1-1 on the day. After dropping a close 10-9 battle to Purdue's Greyson Clark in the bracket for 11th place, Hamdan would bounce back to defeat Kal Miller from Maryland, 6-3, for the final automatic bid into the national tournament. It was Hamdan's second time besting Miller this season (previously defeated in the dual at Maryland, 6-1). Hamdan will be making his second career national championships appearance, previously earning a spot as a redshirt freshman back in 2021.
Senior 165-pounder Caleb Fish would drop his first match on Sunday to Northwestern's Maxx Mayfield, 5-3. A last second takedown from Maylor was the difference maker in the match. Fish rebounded in his final match of the day with a second round pin of Ohio State's Bryce Hepner at the 4:00 mark. Fish claimed the 11th spot and is in hopes for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
As a team, MSU scored a total of 23.5 team points and placed 13th. Penn State collected the B1G Team Championship with a 170.5 team score.
"These guys earned their spots. I'm very proud of them for fighting through adversity and staying locked in to the bitter end," said Chandler.
UP NEXT
For Michigan State and its four automatic qualifiers, it will shift its focused to the NCAA Championships at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri on March 21-23.
Fish will know his fate on Tuesday, March 12th, when the NCAA announces its at-large qualifiers. Lujan, Hamdan, Saldate and Malczewski will learn their seedings on Wednesday, March 13th, at 8 p.m. ET as announced by NCAA.
WRESTLING MATCH RESULTS
2024 B1G CHAMPIONSHIPS
XFINITY CENTER | COLLEGE PARK, Md.
Day One
125 Pounds // No. 10 Seed // Tristan Lujan
Day Two
Ninth-Place Semifinal | No. 10 Tristan Lujan (MSU) dec. No. Massey Odiotti (NU) 11-6
Ninth-Place Finals | No. 10 Tristan Lujan (MSU) dec. No. 8 Brendan McCrone (OSU) 5-0
141 Pounds // No. 8 Seed // Jordan Hamdan
Day Two
11th Place Bracket Round Two | No. 12 Greyson Clark (PUR) dec. No. 8 Jordan Hamdan (MSU) 10-9
11th Place Bracket 3rd Place Match | No. 8 Jordan Hamdan (MSU) dec. No. 11 Kal Miller (MD) 6-3
157 Pounds // No. 6 Seed // Chase Saldate
Day Two
Seventh-Place Match | No. 6 Chase Saldate (MSU) fall over No. 9 Trevor Chumbley (NU) 2:05
165 Pounds // No. 4 Seed // Caleb Fish
Day Two
11th Place Bracket Semifinals | No. 12 Maxx Mayfield (NU) dec. No. 4 Caleb Fish (MSU) 5-3
11th Place Bracket 3rd Place Match | No. 4 Caleb Fish (MSU) fall over No. 8 Bryce Hepner (OSU) 4:59
174 Pounds // No. 13 Seed // DJ Shannon
Day Two
Ninth-Place Bracket Round Two | No. 13 DJ Shannon (MSU) INJ No. 8 DJ Washington (IND)
Ninth-Place Bracket Finals| No. 12 Bubba Wilson (NEB) dec. No. 13 DJ Shannon (MSU) 8-6
184 Pounds // No. 6 Seed // Layne Malczewski
Day Two
Seventh-Place Match | No. 6 Layne Malczewski (MSU) dec. No. 7 Shane Liegel (WIS) 8-5
Players Mentioned
