Ohio State redshirt junior wrestler Bo Jordan moved on in the championships bracket at the NCAA championships. Credit: Courtesy of OSU Athletics

ST. LOUIS — After the first day of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, Ohio State sits in second place with 26 points, trailing only Penn State at 30.5. Five Buckeyes remain alive in the championship bracket, while three others will look to contribute from the consolation bracket.

The Buckeyes are looking to capture their second NCAA title in three years after winning it all at the 2015 tournament.

Seven Buckeyes secured wins in the first round, and six of those came with bonus points, headlined by junior heavyweight Kyle Snyder’s 12-takedown technical fall.

OSU was also aided by major decisions from redshirt junior Nathan Tomasello at 133 pounds, redshirt sophomore Micah Jordan at 149 pounds, redshirt junior Bo Jordan at 174 pounds, sophomore Myles Martin at 184 pounds and redshirt freshman Kollin Moore at 197 pounds in the first round.

Freshman 141-pounder Luke Pletcher also won in the first round — 8-5 over Michigan’s Sal Profaci — but was taken down by Rutgers’ Anthony Ashnault in the second round.

Martin got close to a technical fall in the first leg with his 23-10 win over Bucknell’s Garrett Hoffman, but suffered a loss to Illinois’ Emery Parker in the second round.

Martin won a national championship at 174 pounds in 2016, but will not have the chance to repeat after the loss.

The other five Buckeyes – Tomasello, Micah Jordan, Bo Jordan, Moore and Snyder – won their second round matchup and advanced to the quarterfinals, which will take place Friday morning.

Oklahoma State, who sent 10 wrestlers to the tourney, advanced nine of those wrestlers, and Penn State advanced eight. OSU is sandwiched between those two schools on the leaderboard after Day 1.

Three Buckeyes have previously won a national championship — Tomasello won in 2015 and placed third in 2016, Snyder won in 2016 and Martin won as a true freshman in 2016.

After winning the Big Ten tournament on March 5, and with impressive wrestling throughout the roster, the Buckeyes are aiming to move up the leaderboards.

Redshirt freshman Jose Rodriguez won his first consolation bracket matchup with a fall in the first period at 125 pounds. Redshirt sophomore and 165-pounder Cody Burcher lost his first matchup in both the championship and consolation brackets, and was eliminated from competition.

Friday Morning Schedule:
Championship Bracket
No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (OSU) vs. No. 8 Zane Richards (ILL)
No. 4 Micah Jordan (OSU) vs. No. 5 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa)
No. 3 Bo Jordan (OSU) vs. No. 11 Alex Meyer (Iowa)
No. 3 Kollin Moore (OSU) vs. No. 6 Preston Weigel (OKST)
No. 1 Kyle Snyder (OSU) vs. No. 8 Michael Kroells (MINN)

Consolation Bracket
Jose Rodriguez vs. No. 5 Tim Lambert (NEB)
No. 12 Luke Pletcher vs. Christopher Carton (Iowa)