The lights at the Scottrade Center dim as four spotlights begin to whirl around the square wrestling mat. Music begins to echo across the stands, and colored flames line the yellow and green runways that lead the wrestlers to the center of the mat from opposite sides of the stadium. Banners, spanning the entirety of the stands, flash the two opposing wrestlers’ names as well as stoic pictures of them. The final round of the 2017 NCAA Wrestling National Championships was ready to kick off.

The three-day competition came to a close with the finals on Saturday, March 18 in St. Louis. Nearly 18,000 fans came out to cheer on the 20 wrestlers who competed in 10 weight classes that range from 125 to 285 pounds.

“The finals bring the best of the United States in one competition, and it is enjoyable to watch,” freshman and EHS wrestler Ben Lunn said. “As an athlete myself, I imagine what it takes to be at their levels and visualize the pressure they are put under.”

The finals started with Missouri’s J’den Cox beating Minnesota’s Brett Pfarr 8-2 for the 197-pound title, marking his third consecutive NCAA championship. He took a moment after his match to reflect on his win.

“I was soaking in being in my home state and accomplishing something I’ve dreamed of since I was a little kid,” Cox said in his post-match interview. “To get to accomplish it here in St. Louis, my home state, and represent all the MU fans, words can’t describe it.”

The matches continued with Kyle Snyder’s (Ohio State) 6-3 win at 285 pounds and Darian Cruz’s (Lehigh) 6-3 win at 125 pounds. Cruz competed against Minnesota’s Ethan Lizak. The two grew up in Eastern Pennsylvania and have wrestled each other since being at the 44-pound weight class.

Iowa’s Cory Clark clinched the 133-pound title against South Dakota State’s Seth Gross 4-3. Clark celebrated his win by throwing his associate coach Terry Brands to the mat which was followed by a unanimous gasp from the crowd.

Two 141 pounders, Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) and George DiCamillo (Virginia), stepped up to the mat next with Heil coming away with a 6-3 win.

Penn State and Missouri had two consecutive matchups, with PSU victorious in both. At 149 pounds, Penn State’s Zain Retheford teched Missouri’s Lavion Mayes 18-2 in 6:43, and Penn State’s Jason Nolf beat Missouri’s Joey Lavallee 14-6 at 157 pounds.

Penn State continued their winning streak with Vincenzo Joseph at 165 pounds. His two-time NCAA champion opponent, Illinois’ Isaiah Martinez, had beaten Joseph three times earlier this season and was hungry for his fourth win. This hunger was matched, however, by Joseph who pinned the untouchable Martinez at the 5:26 mark.

“I came in ready to wrestle,” Joseph said in his post-match interview. “I knew it was going to be a good match. He’s an unbelievable hand fighter, and his strength and pressure are ridiculous, so I mentally prepared going into that match knowing I had to keep up with that.”

The 174 pounders were up next with Penn State’s Mark Hall and Ohio State’s Bo Jordan facing off. Hall came out with a 5-2 victory.

The finals came to a close with the 184-pound match between Bo Nickal (Penn State) and Gabe Dean (Cornell). Nickal became the first to defeat Dean earning him the NCAA championship title in a close match that ended 4-3.

Nickal’s win brought Penn State’s final score up to 146.5 points and secured their sixth NCAA team championship in the last seven years. PSU made history as they became the first team since 2005 to have five individual national champions.