TODAY'S ACTION
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; Nov. 27, 2018 -- No. 1 Penn State (1-0, 0-0 B1G) has two intra-state dual meets this coming weekend. The Nittany Lions visit Bucknell (2-1) for the first time ever on Friday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m. Penn State then welcomes No. 10 Lehigh (0-1) to sold out Rec Hall on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 1:30 p.m. for the latest installment of Penn State's longest running rivalry. The dual will air live nationally on the Big Ten Network.
Penn State is coming off winning the 2018 Keystone Classic on Nov. 18, rolling up a lofty 192.0 points and crowning eight champions. This marks the third straight year that Penn State has claimed the crown, wrestled in the University of Pennsylvania's historic Palestra. A total of 18 Nittany Lion wrestlers competed at the event. At a weight where the Lions had more than one athlete competing, the top point scorer at that weight had his points tallied into the team score. The entire Penn State contingent tasted success at the event, with every Nittany Lion collecting at least one victory and 14 of the 18 Penn Staters competing placing. Penn State crowned eight champions at the event. All-in-all, Penn State had 14 place winners: eight champions, one runner-up, one third, one fourth, one fifth and two sixths. Penn State posted a gaudy 60-16 overall record, including 10 majors, 11 technical falls and 21 pins.
The Nittany Lions sport a balanced and talented line-up: Devin Schnupp is 2-3 at 125; true freshman Roman Bravo-Young has exploded out of the games with a 4-0 record at 133; sophomore Nick Lee is 6-0 with four technical falls and ranked No. 4 at 141; redshirt freshman Brady Berge is 4-0 and ranked No. 13 at 149 while classmate Jarod Verkleeren is 5-2; senior Jason Nolf is 5-0 with four pins and ranked No. 1 at 157; junior Vincenzo Joseph is 6-0 with five pins and ranked No. 1 at 165; junior Mark Hall is 5-0 with three pins and ranked No. 2 at 174; senior Shakur Rasheed is 5-0 with four pins and ranked No. 4 at 184; senior Bo Nickal is 4-0 with three pins and ranked No. 1 at 197; senior Anthony Cassar is 4-0 and ranked No. 5 at 285 and classmate Nick Nevills is 3-1 as well.
Bucknell enters the week with a 2-1 record with wins over VMI and Cleveland State and a loss to Buffalo on Nov. 11. The Bison feature a young line-up that could include just one or two seniors. Bucknell is being led by freshman Zach Hartman, who is 6-1 at 157; junior Drew Phipps, who is 7-2 at 197; and Matthew Kolonia, who sports a 6-3 mark at 141.
Penn State leads the all-time series with Bucknell 2-0, including a 36-6 win last Nov. 12 in Rec Hall. The two teams have never wrestled in Lewisburg.
No. 10 Lehigh, which hosts Princeton while Penn State is at Bucknell on Friday, heads into the week 0-1 after a tough road loss at No. 6 Michigan. The Mountain Hawks could send six ranked grapplers into action Sunday in Rec Hall. Senior Scott Parker is ranked No. 8 at 133 and still looking to see his first action of the year; junior Cole Walter is ranked No. 11 at 165 with a 1-2 mark; junior Jordan Kutler is 3-1 at 174 and ranked No. 7; senior Ryan Preisch is 2-1 and ranked No. 7 at 184; sophomore Jake Jakobsen is 4-0 and ranked No. 15 at 197; and sophomore Jordan Wood is 4-0 and ranked No. 6 at 285.
Penn State leads the all-time series with Lehigh 69-34-3. The Nittany Lions have won eight straight, including a thrilling 23-19 victory last Dec. 3 at the PPL Center in Allentown. Penn State won the last meeting in State College, a 33-6 victory on Dec. 4, 2016, in the Bryce Jordan Center. The Lions also won the last meeting in Rec Hall, 24-10 on Nov. 9, 2014.
The Nittany Lions welcome No. 12 Arizona State to Rec Hall for the first time ever on Friday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m. in a dual that airs nationally on ESPN2.
The 2018-19 Penn State wrestling season is sponsored by The Family Clothesline. Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.
#1 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (1-0, 0-0 B1G)
WT NAME EL HT/HS REC
125 Devin Schnupp So. Lititz, Pa./Warwick 2-3
133 Roman Bravo-Young Fr. Tucson, Ariz./Sunny Side 4-0
141 #4 Nick Lee So. Evansville, Ind./Homeschool 6-0
149 #13 Brady Berge Fr. Mantorville, Minn./Kasson-Mantorville 4-0
Jarod Verkleeren Fr. Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield 5-2
157 #1 Jason Nolf Sr. Yatesboro, Pa./Kittanning 5-0
165 #1 Vincenzo Joseph Jr. Pittsburgh, Pa./Central Catholic 6-0
174 #2 Mark Hall Jr. Apple Valley, Minn./Apple Valley 5-0
184 #4 Shakur Rasheed Sr. Coram, N.Y./Longwood 5-0
197 #1 Bo Nickal Sr. Allen, Texas/Allen 4-0
285 #5 Anthony Cassar Sr. Rocky Hill, N.J./Montgomery 4-0
Nick Nevills Sr. Clovis, Calif./Clovis 3-1
BUCKNELL BISON (2-1)
125 Geo Barzona So. Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain 3-2
OR Jakob Campbell So. Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown 2-2
133 David Campbell So. Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown 1-2
OR Noah Levett Fr. Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area 2-2
141 Matthew Kolonia So. Milford, N.J./Delaware Valley 6-3
OR Joey Gould Jr. Easton, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic 0-0
149 Joey Schiele So. Wharton, N.J./Morris Hills 2-4
157 Zach Hartman Fr. Belle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon 6-1
165 D.J. Hollingshead Sr. Altoona, Pa./Altoona 2-1
174 Nick Stephani Sr. Columbia Cross Roads, Pa./Troy 4-3
OR Frank Guida Jr. So. Allentown, Pa./Parkland 8-5
184 Kyle Inlander Jr. Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood 4-3
197 Drew Phipps Jr. Irwin, Pa./Norwin 7-2
285 Brandon Stokes Jr. Milton, Pa./Milton 2-4
#10 LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS (0-1)
125 Nick Farro So. Morristown, N.J./Delbarton School 3-1
133 #8 Scott Parker Sr. Sellersville, Pa/Pennridge 0-0
OR Brandon Paetzell So. Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg 2-2
141 Ryan Pomrinca Jr. Annandale, N.J./North Hunterdon 0-4
149 Luke Karam So. Bath, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic 0-1
OR Jimmy Hoffman Fr. Drums, Pa./Hazleton 2-2
157 Kent Lane Jr. Catawissa, Pa./Southern Columbia 1-3
165 #11 Cole Walter Jr. Millmont, Pa./Mifflinburg 1-2
174 #7 Jordan Kutler Jr. Sparta, N.J./Blair Academy 3-1
184 #7 Ryan Preisch Sr. New Columbia, Pa./Milton 2-1
OR Andrew Price Jr. Rochester, Mich./Stoney Creek 7-3
197 #15 Jake Jakobsen So. Sciota, Pa./Stroudsburg 4-0
OR Kyle Gentile So. Sellersville, Pa./Pennridge 2-1
285 #6 Jordan Wood So. Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown 4-0
Rankings listed are InterMat TPI/Intermat Individual as of 11/27
THIS WEEK
#1 Penn State (1-0, 0-0 B1G) has two intra-state dual meets this coming weekend. The Nittany Lions visit Bucknell (2-1) for the first time ever on Friday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m. Penn State then welcomes No. 10 Lehigh (0-1) to sold out Rec Hall on Sunday, Dec. 2, at 1:30 p.m. for the latest installment of Penn State's longest running rivalry. The dual will air live nationally on the Big Ten Network.
UP NEXT
The Nittany Lions welcome No. 12 Arizona State to Rec Hall for the first time ever on Friday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m. in a dual that airs nationally on ESPN2.
ON THE AIR
TV - Bucknell: NONE --- Lehigh: BTN
Radio - ESPN Radio 1450
Radio online - Free all year via Lionvision at GoPSUsports.com
Live Web Video - Bucknell: Flo ($) --- Lehigh: BTN2go/BTN-plus ($)
NOTES
PENN STATE PINS ITS WAY TO KEYESTONE CLASSIC TITLE
Penn State won the 2018 Keystone Classic on Nov. 18, rolling up a lofty 192.0 points and crowning eight champions. This marks the third straight year that Penn State has claimed the crown, wrestled in the University of Pennsylvania's historic Palestra. A total of 18 Nittany Lion wrestlers competed at the event. At a weight where the Lions had more than one athlete competing, the top point scorer at that weight had his points tallied into the team score. The entire Penn State contingent tasted success at the event, with every Nittany Lion collecting at least one victory and 14 of the 18 Penn Staters competing placing. Penn State crowned eight champions at the event. All-in-all, Penn State had 14 place winners: eight champions, one runner-up, one third, one fourth, one fifth and two sixths. Penn State posted a gaudy 60-16 overall record, including 10 majors, 11 technical falls and 21 pins.
LIONS CROWN 8 CHAMPS AT KEYSTONE CLASSIC
Penn State had eight wrestlers win titles at the Keystone Classic on Nov. 18 in Philadelphia. Roman Bravo-Young went 3-0 with a pin and a technical fall to win at 133; Nick Lee went 5-0 with a pin, three techs and a major to win at 141; Jason Nolf went 4-0 with three pins and a major to win at 157; Vincenzo Joseph went 5-0 with four pins and a tech to win at 165, earning OW honors; Mark Hall went 4-0 with two pins to win at 174; Shakur Rasheed went 4-0 with three pins and a tech to win at 184; Bo Nickal went 3-0 with two pins and a major to win at 197; and Anthony Cassar went 3-0 with a pin and a major to win at 285.
BLUMER LEADS PENN STATE CONTINGENT AT MAT-TOWN
Six members of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team competed at the Mat-Town Open today at Lock Haven University. Three Nittany Lions placed at the event as wrestlers competed both attached and unattached. Redshirt freshman Joey Blumer led Penn State with a runner-up finish at 149. Blumer went 2-1, advancing to the finals before losing in the title bout. Sophomore Brian Friery picked up a win at 157, placing fourth. His victory was a major. Redshirt freshman Scott Obendorfer placed fourth at 141 as well, going 2-2.
LIONS USE SEVEN PINS TO DOMINATE #24 KENT STATE
Penn State opened up the 2018-19 season in stellar fashion, rolling to a 52-3 victory over #24 Kent State in sold out Rec Hall on Nov. 11. The Lions won nine of ten bouts, including seven pins and two technical falls. Penn State got pins from two freshmen in their collegiate debuts. True freshman Roman Bravo-Young got a pin at 133 and redshirt freshman Jarod Verkleeren got a fall at 149. Also picking up pins were Jason Nolf at 157, Vincenzo Joseph at 165, Mark Hall at 174, Shakur Rasheed at 184 and Bo Nickal at 197. Nick Lee (141) and Anthony Cassar (285) got the tech falls.
GARDNER AND MANVILLE PLACE AT BEARCAT OPEN
Seven members of the Penn State Nittany Lions competed at the 2018 Bearcat Open in Binghamton, N.Y., today. Two Nittany Lions came away as place-winners at the day-long event at Binghamton. Wrestlers competed both attached an unattached at the open tournament. Sophomore Luke Gardner and freshman Mason Manville led the Nittany Lions, each placing fourth at their respective weight classes. Gardner went 4-2 with a major and a pin to finish fourth at 149. Manville went 3-2 at 174, earning fourth place as well. Sophomore Bo Pipher went 2-2 with a pin at 157 as well.
5 LIONS BEGIN OPEN TOURNEY SEASON AT CLARION
Five members of head coach Cael Sanderson's Nittany Lion wrestling team competed at the Clarion Open today, officially opening up the 2018-19 open tournament season. Every Nittany Lion competing came away with at least one victory. Sophomore Alex Nicholas posted the most victories for Penn State, going 3-2 with a technical fall at 285. Sophomore Brian Friery went 2-2 with a tech fall at 157 as well. Sophomore Justin Lopez posted a 2-2 mark at 125 while red-shirt freshman Scott Obendorfer went 1-2 with a pin 141. Redshirt freshman Austin Hoopes went 1-2 at 184.
NATIONAL TV DATES SET FOR 2018-19 SEASON
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, winner of seven of the last eight NCAA titles, will have a bevy of games air nationally on the Big Ten Network and ESPN2 this season. All times listed are Eastern. Please note that all dates and times are subject to change. Penn State's home dual with Lehigh on Sunday, Dec. 2, will air nationally on the BTN. The dual will take place in Rec Hall and starts at 1:30 p.m. Arizona State comes to Penn State for a dual in Rec Hall on Friday, Dec. 14, for a 6 p.m. dual that will air live nationally on ESPN2. The 2018 BJC Dual against Michigan on Friday, Feb. 1, will air on the BTN. The dual in the 16,000-seat venue begins at 7 p.m. The Nittany Lions trek to Columbus, Ohio, to take on Ohio State on Friday, Feb. 8, at 8:30 p.m. and the dual will also air on the BTN. In addition, the Big Ten Network will air the Big Ten Championships live on Sunday, March 10. The entire two-day tournament will also stream live on BTN2go/BTN-Plus. ESPN and its family of networks will once again air the entire three-day NCAA Championships on March 23-25 from Pittsburgh's PPG Paints Arena. ESPN will announce details of its ever-expanding coverage later. All eight of Penn State's duals will stream live online as well. Check the Penn State wrestling schedule at GoPSUsports.com for a complete listing. BTN2go/BTN-Plus ($) and Lionvision (free) will be available for seven of the dates. ESPN typically streams much of its live ESPN/2/U contents as well and streaming of the PSU/ASU dual in December will be confirmed later.
FORMER LION GREAT DAVID TAYLOR A WORLD CHAMP!
Former Penn State wrestling great David Taylor roared through the world's best to win the 2018 World Championship at 86 kg. The four-time All-American, four-time NCAA finalist and two-time NCAA Champion went 5-0 in a two-day run in Budapest, Hungary, to win his first world championship. Taylor began his title run by going 4-0 on day one of the event. The former Nittany Lion opened up one of the tournament's toughest draws by downing former World and Olympic Champion Hassan Yazdanicharti of Iran 11-6. He then rolled to a 10-0 technical fall over Hajy Rajabau of Belarus. Taylor posted an 8-0 decision over Cuba's Yurieski Torreblanca in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Taylor met Russia's Dauren Kuruglieve and, after taking a kick to the head in the first period, fell behind 5-1. But in typical Taylor fashion, the former Lion roared back in the second period, reeling off six straight unanswered points to post a 7-5 victory and advance to Sunday's World Championship bout. Taylor, the tournament's No. 2 seed, met No. 1 seed Fatih Erdin of Turkey in the championship match. Taylor left no doubt to his dominance by bolting out to a quick 4-0 lead and rolling to a 12-2 technical fall over his Turkish opponent.
