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Shorthanded Lions Fight for a 20-16 Win at Penn

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.  – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team (4-0, 0-0 B1G), ranked No. 2 in the latest InterMat Tournament Power Index (TPI), posted a hard-fought 20-16 win at Penn (0-1) in a non-conference road dual in Philadelphia. With three returning All-Americans out, Penn State still won six of nine contested bouts and gave up one forfeit.
 
The dual began at 125 where sophomore Baylor Shunk (Centre Hall, Pa.) lost 8-2 to Penn's Ryan Miller.  With No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young out, junior Brandon Meredith (Limerick, Pa.) stepped in at 133 and suffered a 10-2 major against No. 12 Michael Colaiocco and the Nittany Lions trailed 7-0 early.
 
No. 1 Nick Lee returned to action at 141 and notched the bouts only takedowns in a solid 6-3 win over No. 28 Carmen Ferrante, cutting the Penn lead to 7-3.  Sophomore Beau Bartlett (Tempe, Ariz.), ranked No. 20 at 149, was involved in another thriller, taking No. 23 Anthony Artalona past extra time before using an escape to post a 4-3 (TB) win to bring Penn State to within one, 7-6.  Sophomore Terrell Barraclough (Kaysville, Utah) lost a close 4-2 decision to Doug Zapf at 157 and Penn State trailed 10-6 at the break.
 
Junior Creighton Edsell (Wyalusing, Pa.), ranked No. 32 at 165, picked up a critical win for Penn State. Edsell took No. 33 Lucas Revano into extra time before grabbing the 6-4 victory with a takedown midway through the extra period. Sophomore Carter Starocci (Erie, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 174, rolled over No. 21 Nick Incontrera, tallying five takedowns in a 13-3 major decision.  His win put Penn State up 13-10.
 
With No. 1 Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Pa.) also not wrestling, sophomore Donovon Ball (New Cumberland, Pa.) got the nod at 184 and grabbed an impressive win, an 11-4 victory over Penn's Jesse Martinez to give the Nittany Lions a 16-10 lead. Junior Max Dean (Lowell, Mich.), ranked No. 4 at 197, iced the dual with a strong 10-0 major over Cole Urbas to give the Lions a 20-10 lead. With No. Greg Kerkvliet (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) out at 285 as well, Penn State forfeited heavyweight and settled for the 20-16 victory.
 
Penn State posted a 16-11 edge in takedowns.  The Nittany Lions picked up two bonus points off two majors (Starocci, Dean). 
 
Penn State is now 4-0 overall while Penn falls to 0-1.  The Nittany Lions host Lehigh in Rec Hall on Sunday, Dec. 5, at 2 p.m. in their next action.
 
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 20, Penn 16
December 3, 2021 – The Palestra – Philadelphia, Pa.
 
125: Ryan Miller PENN dec. Baylor Shunk PSU, 8-2                                           0-3
133: #12 Michael Colaiocco PENN maj. dec. Brandon Meredith PSU, 10-2           0-7
141: #1 Nick Lee PSU dec. #28 Carmen Ferrante PENN, 6-3                              3-7
149: #20 Beau Bartlett PSU dec. #23 Anthony Artalona PENN, 4-3 (TB)              6-7
157: Doug Zapf PENN dec. Terrell Barraclough PSU, 4-2                                    6-10
165: #32 Creighton Edsell PSU dec. #33 Lucas Revano PENN, 6-4 (SV)             9-10
174: #1 Carter Starocci PSU maj. dec. #21 Nick Incontrera PENN, 13-3               13-10
184: Donovon Ball PSU dec. Jesse Martinez PENN, 11-4                                    16-10
197: #4 Max Dean PSU maj. dec. Cole Urbas PENN, 10-0                                  20-10
285: Ben Goldin PENN win by forfeit                                                                  20-16
Attendance: 3,272
Records: Penn State (4-0, 0-0 B1G); Penn (0-1)
Up Next for Penn State: Home vs. Lehigh, Sunday, Dec. 5, 2 p.m. in Rec Hall
 
DUAL MEET BOUT-BY-BOUT:
 
125: Sophomore Baylor Shunk (Centre Hall, Pa.) took on Penn junior Ryan Miller.  Shunk fought off an early Miller effort at the 2:00 mark, but the Quaker worked his way into a single leg.  Shunk countered the moved and threw Miller to his back, but the Quaker was able to roll through and after :30 of furious action, neither wrestler scored.  Miller took a 2-0 lead with a takedown at the 1:17 mark, however, and Shunk was unable to work his way out from bottom and trailed 2-0 after one period. Miller chose down to start the second period. Shunk controlled the Quaker long enough to kill the Miller's riding time edge before the Quaker escaped to a 3-0 lead. Miller got in on a low single at the 1:10 mark, forcing a scramble in the middle of the mat.  Shunk fought off the effort for :30 before Miller finished off the move to up his lead to 5-0 after two periods. Shunk chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 score, but Miller had a 1:32 time advantage. Shunk took a series of shots, but Miller countered one at the :50 mark to open up a 7-2 lead after Shunk escaped. Shunk fought off a late Miller shot, and Miller posted the 8-2 win with 2:10 in riding time.
 
133: With No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young out, junior Brandon Meredith (Limerick, Pa.) took on No. 12 Michael Colaiocco. Colaiocco took a 2-0 lead with at takedown at the 2:00 mark and built up over 1:00 in riding time with a strong ride. Meredith got called for stalling at the :35 mark and Colaiocco finished the period on top to lead 2-0 with 2:00 in riding time. Colaiocco chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Meredith fought off a quick low shot from the Quaker, but Colaiocco quickly moved in on another and took a 5-0 lead with another takedown.  Trailing 5-0, Meredith chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 score.  The Lion looked for offense in the middle of the mat and got in on a high single with50 on the clock.  But the ranked Quaker countered the moved and worked his way around for a takedown of his own to lead 7-2 with clinched riding time at the :30 mark. Colaiocco added a late takedown to post the 10-2 major decision.
 
141: Nick Lee, ranked No. 1 at 141, returned to action against No. 28 Carmen Ferrante. Lee took Ferrante down at the 1:00 mark with a high single leg, taking an early 1-0 lead. The Lion senior added a second takedown quickly to open up a 4-1 lead with 1:25 left on the clock.  Lee built up over 1:00 in riding time with a strong ride, finishing the period on top to lead 4-1 with 1:48 in riding time after the opening stanza. Ferrante chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 4-2 score at the 1:45 mark. Lee turned another low shot into a third takedown with 1:02 on the clock. Leading 6-2, Lee worked his time advantage up to 2:14 before the Quaker escaped to a 6-3 score. Lee carried a 6-3 lead with 2:15 in time into the third period. Lee chose down to start the third period.  The Lion was unable to break free of a strong Ferrante ride and settled for the 6-3 victory.
 
149: Sophomore Beau Bartlett (Tempe, Ariz.), ranked No. 20 at 149, met No. 23 Anthony Artalona.  Artalona scored quickly with a takedown in the middle of the mat, but Bartlett escaped right away and went to work on his feet trailing 2-1. The duo traded shots over the next minute before Artalona got ion on a single leg.  Bartlett countered the shot and worked his way into control of the Quaker's shoulders.  The period ended in neutral, and Bartlett trailed 2-1 after one. Bartlett chose down to start the second period.  Artalona kept control of Bartlett long enough to build up a 1:30 time edge before Bartlett rolled through a slick move to reverse the Quaker and take a 3-2 lead. Bartlett finished the period on top and led 3-2 after two. Artalona chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 3-3 tie. Bartlett worked the middle of the mat for the next minute, looking for an opening on offense.  With riding time not, a factor, Bartlett took a low shot at the :40 mark, fought off an Artalona counter, and finished the period in neutral, sending the bout to sudden victory. Bartlett countered a quick Penn shot and countered, nearly locking up a single.  But Artalona was able to step back and keep the bout tied 3-3 as the clock hit 1:20. With the clock moving down under :40, neither wrestler found any offense and the bout moved to a tiebreaker. Artalona was down first, and Bartlett was able to break the Quaker down, controlling the action on top for the full :30 to keep the bout tied. Bartlett was down next and Artalona allowed him up to a 4-3 Bartlett lead. Bartlett finished the period in neutral and notched the thrilling 4-3 (TB) win.
 
157: Sophomore Terrell Barraclough (Kaysville, Utah) met Doug Zapf at 157. Barraclough fought off an early Zapf shot to keep the bout scoreless :30 into action.  He took a high shot with 2:10 on the clock but Zapf forced a stalemate and action continued in neutral. The duo battled evenly for the next minute, circling the center of the mat. Barraclough fought through the first period in neutral and the match moved to the second period tied 0-0. Zapf chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead.  Barraclough and Zapf continued to work the center of the mat in neutral until Zapf connected on a low single at the 1:00 mark to take a 3-0 lead. Barraclough escaped to a 3-1 score with :30 on the clock. Trailing 3-1, Barraclough chose down to start the third period. The Lion sophomore was unable to escaped and Zapf worked his riding time advantage up over 1:00. With the clock moving down under 1:00, Barraclough tried to work his way to his feet, but Zapf continued to control the Lion.  Barraclough escaped to a 3-2 score with :15 left but could not finish off the comeback with a late takedown and lost 4-2 (Zapf had riding time).
 
165: Junior Creighton Edsell (Wyalusing, Pa.), ranked No. 32 at 165, met No. 33 Lucas Revano. Edsell took a quick low single that he rolled through. Revano countered and the scramble ended in a stalemate at the 2:00 mark. The two wrestlers worked the center of the mat in neutral before Edsell worked a low shot into a takedown and a 2-0 score at the 1:22 mark. Edsell controlled the action from the top position, building up over 1:00 in time with the strong ride.  Revano escaped to a 2-1 score as the period ended and Edsell led by one after one. Edsell chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 3-1 score with :44 in riding time.  The Lion junior slid back from a slight Revano shot at the 1:00 mark and continued to work the center of the mat on his feet.  Edsell finished the period in neutral and led 3-1 after two. Revano chose down to start the third period and Edsell controlled him long enough to build up over 1:00 in riding time. Revano moved out of bounds at the 1:30 mark, forcing a reset and blood time for Penn. Revano escaped after the reset to cut the score to 3-2 but Edsell had 1:27 in riding time. Edsell was strong on his feet, staving off Revano's late shots until the :10 mark. Revano's takedown gave him a 4-3 lead but Edsell's riding time tied the bout up and sent it to sudden victory. The duo traded early low shots as the period hit its midway point and then Edsell quickly slid to the side and behind Revano for a takedown and the 6-4 (SV) win at with 1:10 on the clock.
 
174: Sophomore Carter Starocci (Erie, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 174, took on No. 21 Nick Incontrera. Incontrera got in on a quick single, but Starocci deftly countered the shot and notched his own takedown to open up an early 2-0 lead. Starocci set a fast pace after a Penn escape, turning a low single into a cradle on the edge of the mat. Starocci got no back points but picked up the takedown to lead 4-2 after cutting Incontrera loose. Starocci notched a third takedown at the :28 mark and finished the period on top to lead 6-2 with 1:26 in time. Incontrera chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 6-3 score.  Starocci quickly went to work, taking numerous shots before connecting on a low single, forcing a low single that appeared to be a takedown.  Not takedown was awarded and a reset with :50 on the clock ensued.  Starocci picked up a fourth takedown with :20 left in the period and finished on top to carry an 8-3 lead with 2:33 in time into the third period. Starocci chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 9-3 lead.  He slid into a low shot, pulled Incontrera back into the mat, locked up a cradle and rolled the Quaker out of bounds for another takedown and an 11-3 lead.  With riding time clinched, Starocci worked the top position, looking for a chance to turn the Quaker for back points.  Starocci picked up a stall point and, with 2:53 in time, rolled to the 13-3 major decision.
 
184: With No. 1 Aaron Brooks out, sophomore Donovon Ball (New Cumberland, Pa.) battled Jesse Martinez 184. Ball and Martinez rolled through a scramble in the first :40 with Ball nearly notching the takedown. But action moved out of bounds and returned to neutral with 2:10 left in the opening period.  Ball was the aggressor throughout and Ball finished off the first at the 1:20 mark and picked up an extra penalty point in the process.  Martinez escaped to a 3-1 score, but Ball continued to move in on offense, picking up another takedown to open up a 5-1 lead with :35 on the clock. Ball finished the period on top and carried that lead into the second period. Ball chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 6-1 lead. Ball worked neutral for the next minute, looking for a chance to score again. With :40 on the clock, Ball lifted Martinez's leg up, pulled him back onto the mat and finished off a takedown with :20 on the clock.  He added two back points and led 10-1 after two. Martinez chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 10-2 score.  Ball forced Martinez into a first stall warning as the clock hit 1:15. Ball got in on a low single, but Martinez countered the shot and picked up his first takedown with :35 on the clock, cutting the score to 10-4. Ball escaped at the :10 mark and posted the strong 11-4 decision.
 
197: Junior Max Dean (Lowell, Mich.), ranked No. 4 at 197, took on Cole Urbas. The duo battled evenly for the first two minutes plus with neither wrestler finding an opening.  Dean broke through with a high single at the :40 mark and finished off the takedown with :31 on the clock.  Dean finished the period on top and led 2-0 after one. Dean chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Dean forced Urbas into a first stall warning with 1:10 on the clock and then finished off another takedown at the :50 mark for a 5-0 lead. Dean went to work on top, building up over 1:00 in time with a rideout to lead 5-0 after two. Urbas chose top to start the third period, but Dean quickly escaped to a 6-0 lead.  Dean added a third takedown with 1:20 left to open up an 8-0 lead. He worked his time edge back up over 1:00 and went to work looking to turn Urbas.  Urbas was able to fight off Dean's turning efforts but gave up a stall point in the process.  Dean finished on top and, with 2:15 in time, rolled to the 10-0 major.
 
285: With No. 4 Greg Kerkvliet (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) also out, Penn State forfeited at 285.