Former Albert Lea wrestler, Ben Berhow, made his way through the Big Ten Championships to earn a place in the NCAA tournament.

Berhow came through with a fourth-place finish Sunday at Penn State.

The national tournament will take place March 19 to 21 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.

Berhow, a sophomore, finished the Big Ten Championship with a 2-2 record en route to fourth place at 285 pounds.

Berhow defeated Eddie Phillips in the first round 10-3 and moved on to face Wisconsin’s Kyle Massey. In a matchup of former Minnesota high school state champions, Massey got the better of Berhow in a 3-2 decision.

Berhow had twice previously defeated Massey during the season.

The two met earlier in the season at the Nation Duals where Berhow got a 5-4 victory and Feb. 13 Berhow scored a 3-2 victory over Massey, who was then ranked No. 8 in the nation.

Berhow, ranked No. 17 in the nation by InterMat, bounced back in the consolation round to get a 3-2 decision against Nathan Everhart for a chance at third. Illinois’ John Wise defeated Berhow 6-3 for third place, but Berhow still earned his first NCAA berth.

Berhow is 24-7 on the season and has four victories by fall.

The Gophers as a team finished fifth overall at the Big Ten meet.

Four other Gophers qualified for the national tournament including: Zach Sanders, Jayson Ness, Mike Thorn, and Tony Safratowich.