UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; January 13, 2019 – No. 1 Penn State (6-0, 2-0 B1G) defeated No. 19 Wisconsin (6-3, 1-3 B1G) in a Big Ten home dual on Sunday. Nearly 6,600 fans watched in sold out Rec Hall as Penn State took down the Badgers 24-13 to remain unbeaten on the year.
Penn State, which trailed at the midway point of a dual for the first time all year, came back on the shoulders of four straight victories to win its 51st straight dual meet. The final four Nittany Lions to wrestled outscored their Badger opponents by a combined score of 54-14, with all 14 Wisconsin points coming via escape.
The dual began at 125 where Penn State sophomore took on No. 15 Connor Brown of Wisconsin. Schnupp may have lost the match 18-9, but he thrilled the Rec Hall crowd in a match that featured seven reversals, three for the Lion sophomore. True freshman Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.), ranked No. 14 at 133, tied the dual at 4-4 with a dominating 12-4 major over Wisconsin senior Jens Lantz. Sophomore Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 4 at 141, suffered his first loss of the season in a hard-fought 12-10 (sv2) bout to Wisconsin Tristan Moran.
Redshirt freshman Brady Berge (Mantorville, Minn.), ranked No. 9 at 149, also suffered a tough loss as Wisconsin junior Cole Martin used a late takedown to secure an 8-7 upset win to push Wisconsin out to a 10-9 lead. Senior Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, moved Penn State closer at the break, notching a dominant 25-10 tech fall over Devin Bahr at the 6:37 mark. Nolf's big win sent Penn State into the halftime lockerroom trailing for the first time all season, 10-9.
Redshirt freshman Mason Manville (Lorton, Va.) made his Penn State dual meet debut at 165, stepping up for No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.) who did not wrestle once again. Manville battled Wick tough but the third-ranked Badger posted a hard-fought 6-1 win to push Wisconsin's lead to 13-9. Junior Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked No. 1 at 174, gave Penn State its first lead of the dual with a dominant 24-5 technical fall over Patrick Spray, ending the match at the 6:13 mark. It was a lead that Penn State would not relinquish.
Senior Shakur Rasheed (Coram, N.Y.), ranked No. 3 at 184, pushed Penn State's lead to 17-3 with a 5-0 shutout win over Badger Mason Reinhardt. Senior Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 at 197, clinched the dual meet with a dominant 14-4 major over UW's Beau Breske, putting Penn State up 21-13. Senior Anthony Cassar (Rocky Hill, N.J.), ranked No. 4 at 285, capped off the strong Lion finish by dominating No. 9 Trent Hillger. Cassar notched the bout's only takedowns, five, and rolled to an 11-5 win to ice Penn State's 24-13 dual meet victory.
Penn State owned a lopsided 38-8 takedown advantage over Wisconsin. The Lions dropped four bouts in a dual for the first time all year but collected six bonus points off two tech falls (Nolf, Hall) and two majors (Bravo-Young, Nickal).
The Nittany Lions have now won 51-straight dual meets dating back to the end of the 2014-15 season. Sanderson's Lions won their last dual of that campaign, went 16-0 in 2015-16, went 14-0 in 2016-17 and went 14-0 in 2017-18. Penn State is now 6-0, 2-0 in Big Ten duals, while Wisconsin falls to 5-3, 1-3 B1G. Penn State will return to action next Sunday, Jan. 20, when it hosts No. 7 Nebraska. The dual is set for 1 p.m. in Rec Hall.
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 24, #19 Wisconsin 13
January 13, 2019 – Rec Hall – University Park, Pa.
125: #15 Connor Brown WIS maj. dec. Devin Schnupp PSU, 18-9 0-4
133: #14 Roman Bravo-Young PSU maj. dec. Jens Lantz PSU, 12-4 4-4
141: Tristan Moran WIS dec. #4 Nick Lee PSU, 12-10 (sv2) 4-7
149: Cole Martin WIS dec. #9 Brady Berge WIS, 8-7 4-10
157: #1 Jason Nolf PSU tech fall Devin Bahr PSU, 25-10 (TF; 6:37) 9-10
165: #3 Evan Wick WIS dec. Mason Manville PSU, 6-1 9-13
174: #1 Mark Hall PSU tech fall Patrick Spray WIS, 24-5 (TF; 6:13) 14-13
184: #3 Shakur Rasheed PSU dec. Mason Reinhardt WIS, 5-0 17-13
197: #1 Bo Nickal PSU maj. dec. Beau Breske WIS, 14-4 21-13
285: #4 Anthony Cassar PSU dec. #9 Trent Hillger WIS, 11-5 24-13
Attendance: 6,589 (45th straight Rec hall sellout; 49th of 51 including 4 of 6 in BJC)
Records: Penn State (6-0, 2-0 B1G); Wisconsin (6-3, 1-3 B1G)
Up Next for Penn State: Home vs. #7 Nebraska, Sunday, Jan. 20, 1 p.m., Rec Hall
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Sophomore Devin Schnupp (Lititz, Pa.) got the call for Penn State and took on No. 15 Connor Brown. Schnupp came out and got in on a high single right way but Brown countered, forcing a scramble in the middle of the mat. Schnupp continued to battle but Brown worked his way through the scramble for a takedown and a 2-0 lead at the 1:40 mark. Schnupp fought off a slight cradle attempt by Brown but could not break free of the Badger's strong ride and Brown led 2-0 with 1:47 in riding time after the opening period. Leading by two, Brown chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 3-0 lead. He notched a takedown and led 5-1 after a Schnupp escape. Brown got in on a low single and Schnupp fought off the move for nearly 1:00 before rolling through for a takedown of his own, cutting the lead to 5-3 with :26 on the clock. Brown reversed Schnupp on the reset and then turned him for four back points to lead 11-3 after two periods. Schnupp chose down to start the third period and quickly reversed the ranked Badger to cut the lead to 11-5. Brown returned the reversal and then Schnupp did the same. Yet another reversal for Brown and the Badger led 15-7 with riding time. Schnupp once again reversed the Badger to cut the lead to 15-9 with :40 left. Brown finished off the match with a final reversal and won the thrilling bout 18-9 with 2:03 in riding time.
133: True freshman Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.), ranked No. 14 at 133, battled senior Jens Lantz. Bravo-Young scored quickly, taking the Wisconsin senior down on the edge of the mat. Bravo-Young built up a :48 riding time edge before the Badger escaped to a 2-1 score. Lantz shot low but Bravo-Young countered the shot to force a stalemate and force a reset with 1:15 on the clock. Bravo-Young continued to press on offense, keeping Lantz backing away from his shots. Bravo-Young forced a first stall and then finished on top with a late takedown to lead 4-1 after one. Lantz chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 4-2 score. Bravo-Young's quickness was too much as the Lion moved around a slight Lantz shot for another takedown and a 6-3 lead. The Lion freshman picked up his fourth takedown at the 1:10 mark and built his riding time edge up over 2:00 with a rideout, picking up a stall point on along the way. Leading 9-3 with 2:16 in time, Bravo-Young chose neutral to start the third period. He picked up a fifth takedown early in the final stanza and then countered another Lantz shot, forcing a stalemate while clinching the riding time point with :45 on the clock. The Lion freshman fought off a final Lantz shot and, with 2:19 in riding time, rolled to the 12-4 major.
141: Sophomore Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 4 at 141, met junior Tristan Moran. Lee shot quickly off the starting whistle but Moran countered for the opening takedown and a 2-0 lead at the 2:30 mark. Moran gave up a penalty point on an illegal hold and then Lee tied the bout 2-2 with a quick escape on the reset. Lee shot again, Moran tried to counter but Lee worked his way to a takedown and a 4-2 lead with 1:30 on the clock. Lee went to work on top, looking for a chance to turn the Badger. Moran gave up a first stall warning while Lee worked for back points. Lee tried to turn Moran late in the period but the Badger worked for a reversal to tie the bout at 4-4 after one period. Moran chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-4 lead. Lee shot high on the Badger, finished off the takedown to lead 6-5 and then built his riding time edge to 1:23 before cutting him loose to a 6-6 tie. Lee shot low, initiating a late scramble but Moran fought off the move keep the bout tied. Tied 6-6 but with 1:24 in time to his favor, Lee chose down to start the second period. He deftly reversed the Badger to take an 8-6 lead but Wisconsin called for a review of the reversal. The called was upheld and Lee led 8-6 with 1:20 on the clock. Lee appeared to turn Moran for back points but no call was given. Moran escaped to an 8-7 score and Lee had the riding time point clinched. Lee took a low shot with :30 on the clock and Moran forced a scramble that allowed the Badger to take a 9-8 lead. Lee's riding time pushed the match into sudden victory 9-9. The Lion sophomore shot low and but Moran fought off the move for a full :40. Penn State challenged the lack of a takedown call but it was confirmed and the match moved into a first tie-breaker. Moran chose down to start the first tie-breaker and quickly escaped to a 10-9 lead. Lee then chose down and quickly escaped to a 10-10 tie. The Lion shot low with :08 but time ran out and the bout moved into a second sudden victory. Moran quickly ended the bout with a fast takedown, sending Lee to his first loss of the year.
149: Redshirt freshman Brady Berge (Mantorville, Minn.), ranked No. 9 at 149, met Badger junior Cole Martin. Berge scored quickly and led 2-1 after a Martin escape. The Lion freshman's offensive pressure led to a quick second takedown and Berge led 4-2 with :44 in riding time at the 1:30 mark. Berge continued to dominate the match on his feet, quickly taking Martin down again to lead 6-2. Berge worked to turn Martin but the Badger managed an escape to cut the lead to 6-3. Berge led 6-3 with 1:12 in riding time after one. Martin chose down to start the second period and Martin escaped to a 6-4 score. Berge took a low shot that Martin quickly countered, tying the score at 6-6 with a takedown at the :40 mark. Berge was unable to escape and the bout moved to the third period tied 6-6. Berge chose down to start the third period and steadily worked his way to a 7-6 lead at the 1:35 mark. Berge fought off a Martin shot at the :50 mark, another at the :40 mark but could not fight of a final shot at the :25 mark. Martin led 8-7 with :20 left and then rode Berge out for an 8-7 upset win.
157: Senior Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, met Wisconsin's Devin Bahr. Nolf scored two seconds into the bout and led 2-1 after cutting Bahr loose. He moved out to a 4-1 lead with a second takedown, cut Bahr loose, and then blew through a third takedown to lead 6-2 at the 1:40 mark. The Lion senior added two more takedowns to lead 10-4 after the opening period. Bahr chose down to start the second period and Nolf cut him loose to a 10-5 score. Nolf's furious offense led to a sixth takedown and a 12-6 score. Nolf took Bahr down a seventh time and led 14-7 with :50 on the clock. Nolf took Bahr down once more and added two back points for an 18-7 lead with over 2:00 in riding time after the middle stanza. Bahr chose down to start the third period and Nolf cut him loose to an 18-8 score. Nolf took the Badger down again, cut him loose to a 20-9 score, and then upped his lead to 22-9 with 1:15 on the clock with a tenth takedown. Nolf took a 23-10 lead with a second stall and then ended the match with a final takedown for the 25-10 tech fall at the 6:37 mark.
165: Redshirt freshman Mason Manville (Lorton, Va.) made his Penn State dual meet debut at 165, stepping in for No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), who did not wrestle once again. Manville took on No. 3 Evan Wick of Wisconsin. Wick worked a low single into an early takedown to lead 2-0. Manville could not work his way out from a strong Wick ride until Wick cut him loose to a 2-1 score at the :55 mark. Manville immediately took a low shot after his escape but Wick countered for a second takedown and a 4-1 lead with :30 on the clock. Wick finished off the rideout and led 4-1 with 2:11 in time after one. Wick chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. Manville connected on a low single at the :55 mark but Wick was able to force a stalemate with :45 left in the period. Trailing 5-1, Manville chose neutral to start the third period. He worked Wick's shoulders down, forcing the Badger to play defense for the first half of the final period. The Lion forced Wick into a first stall with :50 left. Manville continued to look for an opening but Wick was able to stay clear of Manville's offense long enough to kill the clock. Wick posted the hard-fought 6-1 win.
174: Junior Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn., ranked No. 1 at 174, met Badger Patrick Spray. Hall took Spray down quickly to open up an early 2-1 lead. He then used a high single to force a scramble and steadily worked his way to a second takedown and a 4-1 lead with 1:58 on the clock. Hall built up a nice riding time edge with a strong ride and then turned Spray for four back points. He reset, and then turned the Badger once more before the period ended to lead 12-1 with over 2:00 in time after the opening stanza. Spray chose down to start the second period and Hall cut him loose to a 12-2 score. Hall then used shoulder control to force Spray down for another takedown and a 14-2 lead with 1:32 on the clock. Hall tripped Spray to the mat for a 16-3 lead with :25 on the clock and finished on top to carry that lead, and over 3:00 in riding time, into the third period. Looking for a potential pin, Hall chose top to start the third period. Hall let Spray loose after :30 and then took an 18-5 lead with another takedown. He then worked his way to control of Spray's shoulders, threw him to the mat and nearly finished off the pin. Spray managed to roll out of trouble but Hall's final takedown and four near fall points gave the Lion a 24-5 tech fall at the 6:13 mark.
184: Senior Shakur Rasheed (Coram, N.Y.), ranked No. 3 at 184, battled Mason Reinhardt. Rasheed countered an early Reinhardt shot, took the Badger down, and then worked to lock up a cradle on the edge of the mat. Reinhardt was able to move out of bounds, forcing a reset with Rasheed leading at the 1:59 mark. Rasheed continued to look for a chance to turn Reinhardt, building up a large riding time edge while dominating action from the top. Reinhardt was able to keep from being turned, but the Badger gave up a point with two stalls during the rideout. Leading 3-0 with nearly 3:00 in time, Rasheed chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-0 lead. Rasheed worked the middle of the mat but could not break through Reinhardt's defense and the lion led 4-0 with 2:39 in riding time after two periods. Reinhardt chose neutral to start the third period. Rasheed continued to look for his shots and kept Reinhardt backing away for the bulk of the third period. Rasheed countered a slight Reinhardt shot late and, with 2:39 in riding time, rolled to the 5-0 shutout win.
197: Senior Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 at 197, met UW's Beau Breske. Nickal worked the first 80 seconds in the middle of the mat and broke through the Badger's defense for a takedown at the 1:25 mark to take a 2-1 lead. Breske got hit with a first stall and Nickal continued to circle, using a high single to take a 4-1 lead at the :50 mark. Nickal controlled the action with a strong ride and led 4-1 with over 1:00 in time after one period. Breske chose down to start the second stanza and Nickal cut him loose to a 4-2 score. Nickal picked up a fifth point on another Wisconsin stall and led 5-2 after two periods. Nickal chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 6-2 lead. Nickal opened up a 7-2 lead on another stall and then took Breske down to lead 9-2 with 1:20 on the clock. Nickal moved out to an 11-3 lead with :35 left on the clock. He cut Breske loose with :25 left and nearly finished off the match with a throw but the official stopped the action out of bounds. Nickal picked up a final takedown and, with the riding time point, rolled to a 14-4 major.
285: Senior Anthony Cassar (Ricky Hill, N.J.), ranked No. 4 at 285, took on No. 9 Trent Hillger in a battle of ranked heavyweights. The ranked duo battled evenly for :45 seconds before Cassar connected on a low single to take a 2-0 lead. Hillger was able to escape quickly, cutting the lead to 2-1 with 1:50 on the clock and action resumed neutral in the center circle. Trailing 2-1, Hillger chose down to start the second period and worked his way to an escape and a 2-2 tie. Cassar continued to press on offense, however, and turned a low single into a second takedown and a 4-3 lead with 1:15 on the clock. Cassar used his quickness to slide behind Hillger for a third takedown and a 6-3 lead with :45 left in the period. Hillger was able to escape before the period and Cassar blazed through a late low shot to take the Badger down and lead 8-4 after two periods. Cassar chose neutral to start the third period. Hillger took a low shot but Cassar deftly countered for a fifth takedown and a 10-4 lead with 1:10 to wrestle. With over 1:00 in riding time, Cassar cut Hillger loose and began looking for bonus points. With :30 on the clock, Cassar forced a scramble but Hillger was able to lock up the Lions' waste and keep from giving up the takedown. Cassar's riding time edge gave him a final point and he walked away with a strong 11-5 decision.
