The Big Ten chess board was set in January with a complete lineup of 14 team pawns around the edge of the board eagerly awaiting their chances to advance and capture the conference.
The blue and white pawn has been slowly moving — with every move forward matched with a move back.
But this weekend, Penn State (8-9, 4-3) finally gained the momentum to make a jump after scoring two wins in one weekend — against Nebraska (5-2) on Friday and Iowa (4-3) on Sunday — for the first time this season.
“The margins of difference are so close in all Big Ten matches, so it was nice to come through and play well in some pressure situations,” coach Chris Cagle said.