The following (and pdf linked to the right) is the final season-ending notes for the 2021 Penn State Wrestling season! Re-running the season's last recap after our 4-0 run through the NCAA finals, adding up all the numbers and collecting everything we accomplished as one of the youngest teams competing at the 2021 NCAA Championships and throughout the abbreviated campaign!
The final recap follows immediately with the season's notes after that...and the full pdf with updated qualifier bios, full dual/event recaps and stats available via the blue button-link to the right!
#PSUwr
FINAL RECAP (3/20/21 - NCAA Finals)
ST. LOUIS, Mo.; March 20, 2021 –The Penn State Nittany Lions (6-0, 6-0 B1G), under the direction of head coach Cael Sanderson, added four more national champions to its growing list of title-holders at the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Penn State went a perfect 4-0 in the NCAA finals, with all four individuals winning their first individual crowns. The Nittany Lions qualified nine for this year's tournament and the three-day event was held in the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo.
Junior Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.), senior Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), freshman Carter Starocci (Erie, Pa.) and sophomore Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Md.) each won, marking the third time a Sanderson led Penn State team had four or more champions in one year.
Penn State now has 48 national champions in its long history, with 27 of them coming during Sanderson's tenure as head coach. Penn State finished as NCAA national runner-up, trailing only first-place Iowa in the final team standings. In Sanderson's 12 years, Penn State been NCAA Champion eight times, runner-up once (this year), and placed sixth and ninth in 11 total tournaments.
Bravo-Young, the No. 2 seed at 133, met No. 1 Daton Fix of Oklahoma State in the first finals bout of the evening as the session began at 133. Bravo-Young fought off a Fix shot at the 1:50 mark to keep the bout scoreless and a reset sent action back to the center circle. Bravo-Young's first shot was defended by Fix, a fast, low effort with :35 on the clock. The duo finished the period and neutral and the first period ended in a scoreless tie. Fix chose down to start the second stanza. Bravo-Young controlled the action from the top, maintaining control for over 1:20, turning Fix briefly. Fix rolled through but Bravo-Young maintained control and finished the period on top. Tied 0-0 but with 2:00 in riding time, Bravo-Young chose down to start the third period and Fix cut him loose to a 2-0 lead. The official hit Bravo-Young with two quick stalls in the final :40 to give Fix two points and a one-point lead. Bravo-Young's 1:58 riding time sent the action to sudden victory tied 2-2. In the extra time, however, Bravo-Young left no doubt. The Nittany Lion junior picked up his first national title with a fast, low double that tripped Fix to the mat. Bravo-Young collected both the Cowboy's feet and finished off the takedown for a 4-2 (sv) win. Bravo-Young became Penn State's 45th national champion. He went 5-0 with a major and a tech fall and finished the season 14-0.
Lee, the No. 2 seed at 141, met No. 1 Jaydin Eierman of Iowa in Penn State's second straight NCAA title bout. Lee set a fast early tempo, working his way in on a series of single legs that Eierman was forced to fight off. Lee's pressure forced the Hawkeye out of bounds numerous times over the first minute-plus. Eierman worked his way in on a single with :25 left and this time Lee defended the shot. Tied 0-0, Eierman chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Lee fought off another Eierman shot at the 1:00 mark and action returned to the center circle. The duo finished the period on their feet and Lee trailed by one after two periods. Lee chose neutral to start the third period and quickly used a high single to take Eierman down and grab a 2-1 lead. Eierman escaped and the bout was tied 2-2 with 1:35 left in the match. Lee upped the pressure ono Eierrman, forced him into a stall at :35 and then nearly connected on a low single. Lee nearly won the bout in regulation with a late shot but Eierman's defense killed the clock and the match moved into extra time. Like his teammate in the match before, Lee left no doubt in the extra period. The Lion senior roared in towards Eierman early in the extra minute and finished off a high shot for a takedown and the win. Lee's 4-2 (sv) win earned him his first national title. Lee became Penn State's 46th national champion. He went 5-0 with two majors and a tech and finished the season 13-1.
Starocci, the No. 3 seed at 174, faced off against No. 1 Michael Kemerer of Iowa in the third finals bout for the Nittany Lions. Starocci battled the top-seeded Hawkeye in the center circle for the first minute-plus. Kemerer dove in on a shot with 1:25 on the clock that Starocci countered and action moved back up to neutral as time moved below 1:00. Starocci worked in on a single that turned into a :30 scramble but the action ended in a stalemate and the bout moved to the second period tied 0-0. Starocci chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. The Lion freshman stalked the middle of the mat, keeping action on the NCAA logo while looking for an opening on offense. Starocci worked his way in on a single leg with :15 and almost finished off the takedown, but time ran out on the Lion's effort and he led 1-0 after two. Kemerer chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 1-1 tie. The third period ended with neither man scoring and, like his teammates before him, Starocci would need extra time to win his title. And just like Bravo-Young and Lee, Starocci ended the match quickly in sudden victory. He worked in on a high shot, gained control of Kemerer at the waist and took the Hawkeye down for the 3-1 (sv) win, becoming a national champion as a freshman. Starocci became Penn State's 47th national champion. He went 5-0 at the tournament with a major and ends his first collegiate season with a 14-2 record.
Brooks, the No. 1 seed at 184, battled No. 2 Trent Hidlay of North Carolina State in the last of four title bouts for Penn State. Brooks was the aggressor early, forcing Hidlay backwards over the course of the first minute. The action continued in neutral for the next minute with neither wrestler finding an opening. With the clock moving to the :30 mark, Brooks forced Hidlay into a first stall warning. Tied 0-0, Brooks chose down to start the second period. Brooks worked his way into control of Hidlay's shoulders and turned him to his back for a reversal. The Lion bench challenged for two back points but none were given and Brooks led 2-1 at the 1:30 mark. Trailing by one, Hidlay chose down to start the third period. He escaped to a 2-2 tie at 1:40 and the bout continued in neutral. Brooks continued to pressure Hidlay in the center circle. The Lion took a 3-2 lead on another Hidlay stall and the clock moved down to :30. Brooks fought off a solid shot from Hidlay at the :20 mark and the North Carolina State bench challenged for a takedown. The no call stood and Brooks walked away with his first national title on the backs off a 3-2 win. Brooks became Penn State's 48th national champion. He went 5-0 at the tournament with a technical fall.
Freshman Michael Beard (Pottstown, Pa.), the No. 15 seed at 197, finished off his tournament with a sudden victory win in the seventh-place bout during the prior session. He ended the tournament with a 4-2 record that included three majors. The freshman All-American closed out his first season with a 10-6 mark. Freshman Greg Kerkvliet (Grove Heights, Minn.), the No. 9 seed at 285, also won his final match of the tournament, taking seventh-place in the prior session. Kerkvliet went 4-2 during his initial NCAA tournament run, including three majors and a tech fall. He went 10-4 over the course of the season and became a freshman All-American as well.
Junior Brady Berge (Mantorville, Minn.), the No. 12 seed at 157, was unable compete after being injured in the national quarterfinals ended his NCAA tournament run with a 2-1 record, including a major. Berge went 10-3 this year. True freshman Robert Howard (Cranford, N.J.), the No. 23 seed at 125, went 2-2 at 125 and had his tournament end during session three. Freshman Joe Lee (Evansville, Ind.), the No. 23 seed at 165, went 0-2 in his first tournament appearance.
The Nittany Lions went a perfect 4-0 in the finals, marking the third time Penn State has had four or more national champions in one season since Sanderson's arrival (five in 2017, four in 2018). It is the second time Penn State was perfect in the finals when having four or more finalists (5-0 in 2017).
Penn State's perfect final run gave the Lions a 31-9 final record here in St. Louis. The Lions tallied 17.0 bonus points off 11 majors and four tech falls. Penn State was also 4-0 in sudden victory bouts, including winning three in the finals. The Penn State now has 232 all-time All-Americans including this year's six, with 69 of those coming in Sanderson's 12 years. Lee is the 15th four-time All-American in Penn State wrestling history. Bravo-Young is the 32nd three-time All-American in Lion history.
Penn State has won eight of the last ten contested NCAA Championships with last year's being cancelled by the NCAA (all since Sanderson's arrival at Penn State and he just finished his 12th season this year). The Nittany Lions have won nine NCAA titles overall, owning a championship from 1953. Penn State won four-straight titles in 2016, '17, '18 and '19 and also won four-straight in 2011, '12, '13 and '14.
Penn State finished its dual meet schedule with a perfect 6-0 mark, 6-0 in the Big Ten, and earned a share of its seventh Big Ten Regular Season Championship with 5-0 Iowa. The Nittany Lions finished as Big Ten tournament runners-up two weekends ago.
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.
NOTES
PENN STATE PERFECT IN THE NCAA FINALS!
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestlers stole the show on the final night of the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships. head coach Cael Sanderson and his Lions went a perfect 4-0 in the national finals, becoming the only team with multiple champions. All four Penn Staters - Roman Bravo Young at 133, Nick Lee at 141, Carter Starocci at 174 and Aaron Brooks at 184 - won their first individual titles and the Nittany Lions ended the year as national runners-up.
NICK LEE BECOMES PENN STATE'S 15TH 4X ALL-AMERICAN; WINS HIS FIRST NATIONAL TITLE AT 141
Senior Nick Lee won his first NCAA title at 141 and became Penn State's 15th four-time All-American at the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis. Lee went 5-0 with a tech and two majors. He beat #3 Sebastian Rivera of Rutgers 9-3 in the NCAA semifinals and then downed #1 Jaydin Eierman of Iowa 4-2 in sudden victory in the national finals. Lee's win was the second in Penn State's perfect 4-0 run in title bouts. Lee ended the campaign with a 13-1 overall record.
ROMAN BRAVO-YOUNG BECOMES 3X ALL-AMERICAN; WINS HIS FIRST NATIONAL TITLE AT 133
Junior Roman Bravo-Young won his first NCAA individual title at 133 and became a three-time All-American in the process at the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis. Bravo-Young went 5-0 with a major and a tech fall. He took care of #3 Korbin Myers 5-3 in the semifinals and then beat #1 Daton Fix of Oklahoma State 4-2 in sudden victory in the NCAA title bout. Bravo-Young's win was the first of a perfect 4-0 run in the finals for Penn State. Bravo-Young ended the year with a 14-0 record and was a Hodge Trophy finalist.
AARON BROOKS BECOMES 2X ALL-AMERICAN; WINS HIS FIRST NCAA CROWN AT 184
Sophomore Aaron Brooks won his first NCAA individual title at 184 and became a two-time All-American at the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis. Brooks went 5-0 with a tech fall. He beat #4 Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa 6-4 in the national semifinals and then downed #2 Trent Hidlay of North Carolina State 3-2 in the championship bout, capping off a perfect 4-0 run in the NCAA finals for the Nittany Lions. Brooks ended the season with a 14-0 record and was a Hodge Trophy finalist.
CARTER STAROCCI EARNS ALL-AMERICAN HONORS AS A FRESHMAN; WINS NCAA TITLE AT 174
Freshman Carter Starocci won an NCAA title at 174 in his first trip to the NCAA tournament, becoming a national champion at the 20021 NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis. Starocci went 5-0 with a major. He beat #2 Demetrius Romero of Utah Valley 2-0 in the national semifinals to reach the title bout. He took care of #1 Michael Kemerer of Iowa 3-1 in sudden victory to become a freshman national champion. Starocci ended the season with a 14-2 overall record.
MICHAEL BEARD TAKES 7TH AT 197; EARNS ALL-AMERICAN LAURELS AS A FRESHMAN
Freshman Michael Beard became an All-American during his first trip to nationals. Beard went 4-2 with three majors to place seventh. he downed the #18, #31 and #13 seeds to earn All-America laurels and then beat #8 Stephen Buchanan of Wyoming in the seventh place match. Beard ended his season with a 10-6 overall record and was one of six Penn State All-Americans.
GREG KERKVLIET FINISHES 7TH AT 285; BECOMES ALL-AMERICAN AS A FRESHMAN
Freshman Greg Kerkvliet capped off his shortened rookie season by becoming an All-American in his first trip to nationals. Returning to training and competition one day before Penn State's final dual of the season, Kerkvliet went 4-2 with three majors and a tech fall to place seventh in St. Louis. He majored the #24 and #8 ranked wrestlers before dropping a 7-4 decision to #1 Gable Steveson of Minnesota in the quarterfinals. He picked up a major over Oklahoma State's Austin Myers and majored #21 Tate Orndorff of Ohio State in the seventh-place bout. Kerkvliet went 10-4 on the year.
ROBERT HOWARD AND BRADY BERGE GRAB TWO WINS EACH; JOE LEE MAKES FIRST TRIP TO NCAAs
Junior Brady Berge won his first two matches at 157 at the 2021 NCAA Championships before suffering a tournament-ending injury in the quarterfinals to #4 Jesse Dellavecchio of Rider. The injury ended Berge's quest for All-America status with a 2-1 record. True freshman Robert Howard also picked up two wins at 125 in his first trip to nationals, going 2-2 with his two losses coming to eventual All-Americans. Freshman Joe Lee rounded out Penn State's nine-person contingent in St. Louis, competing at 165 for the Nittany Lions.
BROOKS WINS SECOND STRAIGHT BIG TEN TITLE AT 184
Sophomore Aaron Brooks rolled through the conference field to win a second straight title at the 2021 Big Ten Wrestling Championships held in Penn Stat's Bryce Jordan Center. The Nittany Lion sophomore went 3-0 at 184 to make it two in a row for the Hagerstown native. Brooks downed #16 Nelson Brands of Iowa 14-8 in the quarterfinals, majored #18 John Poznanski of Rutgers in the semifinals, and took care of #14 Taylor Venz of Nebraska in the finals. Brooks is now 6-0 all-time in the Big Ten Championships. He earned first-team All-Big Ten with his conference crown.
BRAVO-YOUNG WINS FIRST BIG TEN TITLE AT 133
Junior Roman Bravo-Young took down the field at 133 to win his first-ever Big Ten title at the 2021 Big Ten Wrestling Championships held in Penn Stat's Bryce Jordan Center. The Arizona-native went 3-0 overall to claim the championships. He beat Purdue's Jacob Rundell 9-3 in the quarterfinals, Nebraska's Chris Cannon 8-3 in the semifinals, and took down #3 Austin DeSanto of Iowa 5-2 in the title bout. He earned first-team All-Big Ten with his conference crown.
STAROCCI BIG TEN RUNNER-UP AT 174, NAMED 2021 BIG TEN FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Freshman Carter Starocci went 3-1 in his first-ever Big Ten Championship, advancing the conference finals at 174 before losing to #1 Michael Kemerer of Iowa, and earning runner-up status and a trip to the NCAA Championships. Starocci pinned Maryland's Phillip Spadafora in the first round, beat #6 Kaleb Romero of Ohio State 2-0 in the quarters, and took down #2 Mike Labriola of Nebraska 3-1 (sv) in the semis. Starocci was named the 2021 Big Ten Freshman of the Year after the tournament ended, becoming Penn State's seventh overall and second straight (Brooks earned the title last year).
NICK LEE TAKES BIG TEN RUNNER-UP SPOT AT 141
Senior Nick Lee went 2-1 at the 2021 Big Ten Championships, advancing to the 141-pound finals where he fell in a thrilling 6-5 bout to #1 Jaydin Eierman of Iowa. Lee posted a 16-1 technical fall over Ohio State's Dylan D'Emilio in the quarterfinals and the beat #3 Sebastian Rivera of Rutgers 8-6 (sv) in the semifinals. The runner-up tag made Lee a four-time NCAA qualifier.
FIVE NITTANY LIONS EARN QUALIFYING SPOTS IN NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS AS FRESHMEN, BERGE EARNS SECOND
While Penn State's four Big Ten tournament finalists all earned NCAA qualifier spots, five other Nittany Lions placed at the event as well to punch their tickets to St. Louis for nationals. Junior Brady Berge took sixth at 157 with a 3-2 record and earned his second trip to nationals. Penn State entered the Big Ten tournament with six freshmen in the line-up. Carter Starocci advanced to the finals (see note above) to earn a trip. True freshman Robert Howard went 3-3 at 125 and took sixth place to earn a trip; freshman Joe Lee went 2-3 to take sixth at 165 to earn his spot; and freshman Michael Beard went 3-3 at 197 to grab a bid. Freshman Greg Kerkvliet went 4-2 at 285 in his first Big Ten tournament, placing fourth and earning a trip to nationals. He downed #13 Trent Hillger and #12 Christian Lance in the process. His two losses were to #2 Mason Parris and #3 Tony Cassioppi.
BEAU BARTLETT MOVES UP TO 149 FOR B1G TOURNAMENT
True freshman Beau Bartlett moved up from 141 to 149 to compete in his first Big Ten Championships in the Bryce Jordan Center on March 6-7, 2021. Bartlett went 1-2 in his debut outing, pinning Maryland's Michael North for his victory. He dropped a heart-breaking 7-5 (sv) decision to #17 Yahya Thomas to bow out of the event.
PENN STATE WINS SHARE OF 2021 REGULAR SEASON TITLE
Penn State claimed a share of the 2021 Big Ten Dual Meet Championship, the seventh regular season crown for the Lions since head coach Cael Sanderson's arrival in Happy Valley. The Nittany Lions went 6-0 in the conference and shared the title with 5-0 Iowa.
SIX NITTANY LION FRESHMEN MAKE REC HALL DUAL DEBUTS IN 44-0 SHUTOUT OF MARYLAND
Penn State closed out the 2021 dual meet season by shutting out Maryland 44-0 on Feb. 22. The Lions featured a line-up that had seven underclassmen; one sophomore and six freshmen. All six freshmen won in their Rec Hall dual debuts. Greg Kerkvliet saw his first action of the season, getting a pin in both the dual meet and extra bouts. Beau Bartlett also went 2-0, winning in the dual and extras at 149. Robert Howard won at 125; Joe Lee won at 165; Carter Starocci won at 174 and Michael Beard won at 197.
PENN STATE ROLLS OVER OHIO STATE IN COLUMBUS
Carter Starocci took down #3 Kaleb Romero and Michael Beard's pin sealed the deal in Penn State's 28-12 win over #11 Ohio State in Columbus on Feb. 19. Starocci used a rideout in the tie-breaker to down Romero 2-1 and Beard pinned Gavin Hoffman at the 1:20 mark. Penn State won seven of ten bouts, getting victories from Roman Bravo-Young (133), Nick Lee (141), Brady Berge (157), Starocci (174), Aaron Brooks (184), Beard (197) and Seth Nevills (285).
SANDERSON GETS 200TH CAREER COACHING WIN
as penn state downs #2 michigan on the road
Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson earned his 200th career collegiate coaching victory on Feb. 14, 2021, when the Nittany Lions notched an 18-13 victory at #2 Michigan. Sanderson's victory total includes three seasons at Iowa State. His full and up-to-date coaching record can be found on page three off these notes.
STAROCCI TAKES DOWN #2 MASSA IN PENN STATE'S WIN AT MICHIGAN; NAMED B1G WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Freshman Carter Starocci used a four-point turn in the tie-breaker period to take down sixth-year senior Logan Massa of Michigan in Penn State's dual victory over the Wolverines. Starocci and No. 2 Massa ended regulation and sudden victory tied 1-1 before the Lion freshman used the back points to break away for a 7-1 (tb) win at 174. Starocci earned Big Ten Wrestler of the Week (2/16) honors for his efforts.
FRESHMAN ROBERT HOWARD WINS COLLEGIATE DEBUT
Nittany Lion freshman Robert Howard made his Penn State and collegiate debut in Penn State's dual meet at Michigan on Feb. 14 and came away victorious. Howard picked up takedowns in the first and second period to down UM's Jack Medley 6-5 at 125. His win helped spark Penn State to an 18-13 victory in Ann Arbor.
BROOKS MAJORS #10 WEILER AND BEARD SHINES IN DEBUT AS PENN STATE WINS AT WISCONSIN
Sophomore Aaron Brooks took care of #10 Chris Weiler of Wisconsin in a marquee match-up at 184 to lead Penn State to a 34-6 win in Madison on Feb. 2. The Lions won all nine contested bouts and went 4-0 in extra matches to go 13-0 in live action and 13-1 overall (giving up a forfeit at 125). True freshman Michael Beard made his collegiate debut in fine fashion as well, posting an 18-2 technical fall over Andrew Salemme at the 4:43 mark. Beard tallied four takedowns, three two-point turns and a four-point tilt to grab the win.
NITTANY LIONS ROUT #16 NORTHWESTERN TO CLOSE OUT TRI-DUAL IN EVANSTON
Penn State won seven of ten bouts to roll through No. 16 Northwestern in the final dual at a tri-meet in Evanston on Jan. 30, grabbing a 29-13 victory. Carter Starocci picked up his first dual win as a Nittany Lion at 174 and classmate Joe Lee capped off a 2-0 debut day with another win at 165. Roman Bravo-Young notched a pin at 133 and Nick Lee grabbed a major at 141. Brady Berge notched a decision at 157. Aaron Brooks (184) and Seth Nevills (285) both picked up tech falls to close out the action.
LIONS TAKE DOWN INDIANA 24-15 IN SEASON OPENER
The Penn State Nittany Lions won six of ten bouts in the season opener against Indiana, posting a 24-15 victory in the first dual at a tri-meet hosted by Northwestern on Jan. 30. Freshman Joe Lee picked up a win at 165 in his Lion dual debut. Roman Bravo-Young notched a win at 133, Nick Lee got a tech fall at 141, Brady Berge posted a decision at 157, Aaron Brooks opened his season with a major at 184 and Seth Nevills capped off the dual with a pin at 285.
PENN STATE PICKS UP 13 WINS IN TRI-MEET EXTRA BOUTS
Head coach Cael Sanderson's squad took advantage of a day of wrestling in Evanston, Ill., as the squad totalled 13 wins in extra bouts wrestled during the Penn State/Indiana/Northwestern tri-meet on Jan. 30. Penn State went 13-3 overall during extra action, going 7-0 against Indiana and 6-3 vs. Northwestern. True freshman Beau Bartlett went 3-0 at 141 in the first action of his collegiate career. Sophomore Konner Kraeszig went 3-0 at 165 and sophomore Creighton Edsell went 3-0 at 174. Luke Gardner went 2-0 at 149 and Terrell Barraclough picked up a win at 149 as well.
MILESTONES
Individual records and milestones that are in play as of now:
* 100 Career victories
Nick Lee, 96
* 200 Career coaching wins (overall career)
Cael Sanderson, 202
* 100 Career Big Ten coaching wins
Cael Sanderson, 88
* 175 Career coaching wins at Penn State
Cael Sanderson, 158
