NICEVILLE, Fla. – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team (7-0, 0-0 B1G), ranked No. 2 in the latest InterMat Tournament Power Index (TPI), won the final four bouts against No. 9 Cornell (2-1) in the second dual meet for the team at the Collegiate Wrestling Duals in Niceville, Fla., to rally for a win. Penn State's late surge helped Penn State notch a hard-fought 21-16 win over the Big Red at the event held at Northwestern Florida State College and hosted by Journeymen Wrestling.
The dual began at 125 where senior Jake Campbell (Pottstown, Pa.) took on No. 5 Vito Arujau. Arujau notched a fast fall at the :58 mark to give Cornell an early 6-0 lead. Senior Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.), ranked No. 1 at 133, posted a strong 21-9 major over Dominic LaJoie to cut the Cornell lead to 6-4. Senior Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 1 at 141, then dominated Cole Handlovic 13-3 for another major and an 8-6 Penn State lead.
Sophomore Beau Bartlett (Tempe, Ariz.), ranked No. 22 at 149, battled No. 1 Yianni Diakomihalis but dropped an 11-3 major as Cornell retook the lead, 10-8. Sophomore Joe Lee (Evansville, Ind.) made his season debut at 157 against No. 25 Colton Yapoujian but dropped a hard-fought 4-2 decision. The result gave Cornell a 13-8 lead at the dual's midway point.
Junior Creighton Edsell (Wyalusing, Pa.), ranked No. 26 at 165, took No. 9 Julian Ramirez to the wired before dropping a close 7-5 decision and Cornell led 16-8 with four bouts left. Penn State began its comeback. Sophomore Carter Starocci (Erie, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 174, used a third period rideout to post a 3-2 win on riding time over No. 12 Chris Foca. Junior Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Md.), ranked No. 1 at 184, majored No. 15 Jonathan Loew, posting a 15-3 major with 2:49 in riding time as well to cut the Cornell lead to 16-15.
Junior Max Dean (Lowell, Mich.), ranked No. 3 at 197, then gave Penn State the lead once more picking up a 4-2 win over No. 19 Jacob Cardenas on a third period takedown. Sophomore Greg Kerkvliet (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.), ranked No. 4 at 285, then clinched the dual meet with a 5-0 win over No. 18 Lewis Fernandes and the Nittany Lions got the 21-16 dual victory.
Penn State owned a 23-10 margin in takedowns. The Nittany Lions won six of ten bouts and picked up three bonus points off three majors (Bravo-Young, Lee, Brooks).
Two extra matches were contested after completion of the dual meet. While the bouts do not count towards the dual's score, they are official NCAA matches. Baylor Shunk dropped a 14-2 major to Lehigh's Sheldon Seymour at 125 and Donovon Ball posted a strong 11-4 win over Lehigh's Caden Wright at 184.
Penn State is now 7-0 overall while Cornell falls to 2-1. The Nittany Lions will now battle No. 3 Arizona State for the event's Blue Pool title tomorrow night at 8 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. local). Penn State opens up Big Ten action on Friday, Jan. 7, when the Nittany Lions visit the Maryland Terrapins for a 7 p.m. dual in College Park, Md.
All rankings listed by Penn State wrestling are InterMat individual and team TPI. The 2021-22 Penn State Wrestling season is presented 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.
#2 Penn State 21, #9 Cornell 16
December 20, 2021 – Niceville, Fla.
125: #5 Vito Arujau COR pinned Jake Campbell PSU, WBF (0:58) 0-6
133: #1 Roman Bravo-Young PSU maj. dec. Dominic LaJoie COR, 21-9 4-6
141: #1 Nick Lee PSU maj. dec. Cole Handlovic COR, 13-3 8-6
149: #1 Yianni Diakomihalis COR maj. dec. #22 Beau Bartlett PSU, 11-3 8-10
157: #25 Colton Yapoujian COR dec. Joe Lee PSU, 4-2 8-13
165: #9 Julian Ramirez COR dec. #26 Creighton Edsell PSU, 7-5 8-16
174: #1 Carter Starocci PSU dec. #12 Chris Foca COR, 3-2 11-16
184: #1 Aaron Brooks PSU maj. dec. #16 Jonathan Loew COR, 15-3 15-16
197: #3 Max Dean PSU dec. #19 Jacob Cardenas COR, 4-2 18-16
285: #4 Greg Kerkvliet PSU dec. #18 Lewis Fernandes COR, 5-0 21-16
Extra bouts (official NCAA contests, do not count in dual score):
125: Sheldon Seymour LEH maj. dec. Baylor Shunk PSU, 14-2
184: Donovon Ball PSU dec. Caden Wright LEH, 11-4
Records: Penn State (7-0, 0-0 B1G); Cornell (2-1)
Up Next for Penn State: vs. #3 Arizona State, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 8 p.m. Eastern (7 p.m. local), Niceville, Fla.
DUAL MEET BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Senior Jake Campbell (Pottstown, Pa.) got the call at 125 and battled #5 Vito Arujau. Arujau ended the match quickly, taking Campbell down and then turning him to his back. After a brief reset, Arujau picked up the fall at the 0:58 mark.
133: Senior Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.), ranked No. 1 at 133, took on Dominic LaJoie. Bravo-Young took LaJoie down quickly to open up an early 2-1 lead. He added a second takedown quickly, cut LaJoie loose, and continued to press on offense. Bravo-Young finished the first period with a third takedown and led 6-2 after one. LaJoie chose down to start the second period and Bravo-Young cut him loose. The Lion added a fourth takedown and cut to lead 8-4 with 1:40 left in the middle stanza. Bravo-Young added two more takedowns in the second to lead 12-5 after two. He chose neutral to start the third, added two more takedowns and led 16-6 with 1:20 on the clock. Another cut and the Lion went back to work on offense. Bravo-Young tallied four takedowns in the fourth period and, with riding time, posted the 21-9 major decision.
141: Senior Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 1 at 141, wrestled Cole Handlovic. Lee opened up an early 2-0 lead with a takedown at the 2:10 mark. He cut Handlovic loose and worked for a second takedown, picking it up at the :30 mark to open up a 4-1 lead. Lee finished the period on top and carried the 4-1 lead with 1:09 in riding time into the second stanza. Handlovic chose down to start the second period. Lee controlled the action on top while building up over 2:00 in riding time. Handlovic could not get to his feet as Lee maintained offensive position and picked up a stall point to lead 5-1 with :40 on the clock. Lee rode Handlovic for the whole period and led 5-1 with clinched riding time (3:09) after two. Lee chose down to start the third and quickly reversed him. He cut the Big Red wrestler loose and picked up another takedown. Lee cut Handlovic loose with 1:00 on the clock. He picked up another stall point, a takedown and 3:13 in riding time to roll to the 13-3 major.
149: Sophomore Beau Bartlett (Tempe, Ariz.), ranked No. 22 at 149, faced No. 1 Yianni Diakomihalis. Diakomihalis notched the first takedown to open up a 2-1 lead with 2:20 on the clock in the opening period. The duo battled evenly for the next minute, with Bartlett fighting off a Cornell shot but picking up a stall warning with :40 on the clock. Diakomihalis added a second takedown as the period ended and led 4-1 after one. Diakomihalis chose down to start the second period and rolled out to an escape and a 5-1 lead. Bartlett fought off a Cornell shot at the 1:10 mark, nearly turning it into a counter takedown, but action moved out of bounds and the young Lion trailed 5-1. Bartlett continued to work the middle of the mat, gave up a stall point and then a takedown to trail 8-1 after two. Bartlett chose down to start the third period and worked his way to an escape and an 8-2 score with 1:40 on the clock. Bartlett shot low on Diakomihalis on the reset, but the Big Red wrestler was able to step aside the effort and maintain his 8-2 lead. Diakomihalis used a strong double leg off a reset to open up a 10-3 lead with 1:00 on the clock. Bartlett fought off a late Diakomihalis shot as the bout ended, but Cornell picked up a riding time point and Bartlett dropped an 11-3 major to the top-ranked wrestler.
157: Sophomore Joe Lee (Evansville, Ind.) made his season debut at 157 and met No. 25 Colton Yapoujian. Lee picked up a quick takedown and opened up an early 2-1 lead after a fast Yapoujian escape. The duo battled through a scramble on the edge of the mat as the clock hit the 1:00 mark and a reset sent action back to the middle of the mat with Lee still holding a 2-1 edge. Lee carried that one-point lead into the second period. Yapoujian chose down to start the second period and worked his way to an escape and a 2-2 tie with 1:32 on the clock. Yapoujian took a 4-2 lead with a takedown at the 1:00 mark. The Nittany Lion sophomore could not work his way free of a strong Cornell ride and Yapoujian led 4-2 after two. Lee chose neutral to start the third period. The Lion steadily shot against the Big Red grappler and, with 1:25 on the clock, worked to counter a low Cornell effort but Yapoujian was able to fight off the move as the clock moved down to the 1:0 mark. Lee worked to break through the Cornell defense, but Yapoujian was able to glide back from every shot that Lee took, and the Lion sophomore dropped a 4-2 decision.
166: Junior Creighton Edsell (Wyalusing, Pa.), ranked No. 26 at 165, faced off against No. 9 Julian Ramirez. Ramirez took an early 2-1 lead with a takedown in the opening minute and then added a second takedown with 1:30 on the clock to lead 4-2. Edsell nearly tied the bout with a takedown on the edge of the mat, but Ramirez was able to slip out of bounds and force a reset with 1:12 on the clock. Edsell took another high shot, but Ramirez defended the shot and kept his 4-2 lead as the clock moved to the :20 mark. Ramirez chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-2 lead. Edsell picked up the tempo and took a low shot that Ramirez countered, forcing a scramble in the center circle at the :30 mark. Edsell fought off the effort and trailed 5-2 after two. Edsell chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 5-3 score, but Ramirez had riding time. Edsell took the Big Red grappler down to tie the bout, but Ramirez was able to escape to a 6-5 lead. With 1:12 in time, Ramirez posed the 7-5 win over Edsell with 1:12 in riding time.
174: Sophomore Carter Starocci (Erie, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 174, took on No. 12 Chris Foca. Starocci fought off an early Foca effort, forcing a scramble with a low single. Foca fought off the move briefly and then finished off a counter takedown to open up a 2-0 lead at the :45 mark. Starocci quickly escaped to cut the lead to 2-1 with :35 left in the opening period. Trailing by one, Starocci chose down to start the second period. He quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie and went to work on offense. Foca was able to defend each Starocci effort and keep the bout tied as the clock moved to the 1:00 mark. Tied 2-2, Foca chose down to start the third period. Starocci controlled the action from the top position and worked to break Foca down on offense. Starocci worked his riding time edge up over 1:00 with a strong ride and continued to control the action from the top position as the clock moved under the :25 mark. Starocci maintained control still, after a reset with :23 left and finished the bout off with a third period rideout and, with 1:38 in riding time, posted the 3-2 win.
184: Junior Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Md.), ranked No. 1 at 184, met No. 15 Jonathan Loew. Brooks wasted no time in opening up a big lead. Brooks came out and took Loew down, throwing him to his back for another four back points and led 6-0 before the clock hit the 2:40 mark. Brooks cut Loew loose and added a second takedown in the final seconds to lead 8-1 after the opening period. Loew chose down to start the second period and escaped to an 8-2 score. Brooks quickly took Loew down for a 10-3 lead after cutting the Big Red grappler loose. Brooks picked up another takedown as the period ended and led 12-3 with 2:14 in riding time after two periods. Brooks chose neutral to start the third period. Loew called for injury time at the 1:23 mark and Brooks took neutral on the reset. The Lion junior continued to shoot, forcing Loew to back away throughout the third period. Brooks took a 14-3 lead with :30 left and had his riding time point clinched. He finished the bout on top and rolled to the 15-3 major with 2:49 in riding time.
197: Junior Max Dean (Lowell, Mich.), ranked No. 3 at 197, battled No. 19 Jacob Cardenas. Dean fought off an early Cardenas single to keep the bout scoreless as the first period got underway. The Lion junior worked the middle of the mat for the next two minutes, looking for an opening on offense. Dean battled the Big Red wrestler through a scoreless first period and chose down to start the second period. Dean quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead to open up the middle stanza. Cardenas notched a takedown at the 1:15 mark and Dean escaped to a 2-2 tie with 1:10 left in the middle period. The second period ended in a 2-2 tie. Cardenas chose neutral to start the third period. The duo battled in neutral to the 1:00 mark. Dean countered a Cardenas shot and worked his way into a takedown with :50 on the clock to take a 4-2 lead. Action moved out of bounds and forced a reset with :30. Dean was able to control the Big Red wrestler for the remainder of the bout and walked away with a strong 4-2 win.
285: Sophomore Greg Kerkvliet (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.), ranked No. 4 at 285, took on No. 18 Lewis Fernandes. The duo battled evenly for the opening minute-plus with neither wrestler threatening early. As the clock moved below the 1:00 mark, Kerkvliet roared through a strong double leg to open up a 2-0 lead with :15 on the clock. He finished the period on top and led 2-0 after one. Kerkvliet chose down to start the second period and rolled through a reversal and a 4-0 lead. Kerkvliet then built up over a minute in riding time with a strong ride and ended the period on top to lead 4-0 with 1:45 in time after two periods. Fernandes chose neutral to start the third period. Kerkvliet worked the center circle but was not able to close in through the Cornell defense as the clock moved to the :30 mark. The Nittany Lion sophomore finished the bout on his feet and, with 1:45 in time, rolled to the 5-0 win.
