Ohio State’s Ben Davino Defeats Penn State’s Marcus Blaze in Semifinals
On Friday, March 20 in Cleveland, Ben Davino of Ohio State defeated Marcus Blaze of Penn State in the 133-pound semifinal. The match moved into multiple overtime periods and produced a controversial late sequence.
Davino prevailed on riding time in tiebreakers to reach the championship match. Marcus Blaze is now 24-2 for the season, and both losses came against Davino.
The pro-Ohio State crowd reacted strongly when they believed Davino secured a sudden-victory takedown that went uncalled. A subsequent video review did not overturn the on-mat ruling.
Oklahoma State freshman Jax Forrest advanced to the final after a 14-3 win over Aaron Seidel. Seidel is a Northern Lebanon graduate and represented Virginia Tech in the semifinal.
Davino will meet Jax Forrest in the title bout on Saturday. Marcus Blaze heads to the consolation semifinals the same day, as the NCAA Championships continue in Cleveland.
Match details
| Wrestler | School | Result | Score / Decider | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Davino | Ohio State | Defeated Marcus Blaze | Riding time tiebreaker | Friday, March 20 |
| Jax Forrest | Oklahoma State | Defeated Aaron Seidel | 14-3 | Friday, March 20 |
What to watch next
The 133-pound final will pit Ben Davino against Jax Forrest for the national title. Consolation matches and placement rounds will fill Saturday’s schedule.
This report was prepared for Filmogaz.com using coverage by Frank Bodani, who follows Penn State athletics. Fans can expect continued live updates from the NCAA Championships in Cleveland.
