A Look Back at Penn State Wrestling’s Roman Bravo-Young’s Career
Roman Bravo-Young, possibly one of the most dominant wrestlers ever at 133 pounds, is the newest legend among Penn State wrestling graduates.
Bravo-Young just concluded his career with a 101-10 record, two national championships, and three Big Ten Championships. He was also a finalist for the Hodge Trophy in 2022.
Bravo-Young went 182-0 at Sunnyside High School in Tucson, Arizona, and won four consecutive state championships before moving to Happy Valley. He also became one of just three wrestlers to earn the Arizona State Championship Outstanding Wrestler award for all four years of high school.
Bravo-Young gained the starting position and a 25-7 record during his first year at Penn State. The then-true freshman missed some time due to a right leg injury, but he quickly returned and became an All-American, finishing ninth at the NCAA Championships.
The Nittany Lion began his COVID-addled sophomore season with a 12-1 record in dual meets before moving on to the Big Ten title, where he upset No. 8 Sammy Alvarez of Rutgers and No. 2 Austin DeSanto of Iowa to advance to the title match.
Bravo-Young’s only loss over the next three years came in the 2020 finals against No. 10 Sebastian Rivera.
When the NCAA Tournament was canceled because to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bravo-Young was named first-team All-American.
Bravo-Young’s supremacy actually began during his junior season, when he went undefeated (14-0). He also won the Big Ten championship, was named Penn State’s Male Athlete of the Year, and earned first-team All-Big Ten recognition.
His junior year also saw the start of a rivalry between Bravo-Young and Oklahoma State’s Daton Fix, whom the Nittany Lion would eventually upset en route to his first NCAA title.
Bravo-Young astonished the fans at 133 pounds during his senior year, going 22-0 with four major decisions, four technical falls, and four pins.
Bravo-Young faced Fix in the finals of the 2022 NCAA tournament for the second time in a row. But Bravo-Young won 3-2, overcoming Fix for his second title and became one of five Nittany Lions to stand on the platform.
Bravo-Young did not reveal his exact plans following the season, but in May 2022, he decided to return to Happy Valley once more.
His final season at Penn State yielded a 20-1 record, with his most memorable victories coming against Michigan’s Dylan Ragusin and former Penn State wrestler Brody Teske.
Unfortunately for Bravo-Young, he was defeated by Cornell’s Vito Arujau 10-4 in the title battle, leaving him in second place for the season.
Prior to it, Bravo-Young had broken the 50-win mark and temporarily possessed the longest winning streak in collegiate wrestling after Iowa’s Spencer Lee suffered a stunning defeat.
Bravo-Young will be remembered for his vast record of accomplishments in Happy Valley, and while his specific plans are unknown, the experienced athlete should have no trouble competing wherever he goes next.
