IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Penn State Nittany Lions (14-0, 6-0 B1G) ranked No. 1 in the latest InterMat Tournament Power Index (TPI), defeated homestanding Iowa (11-1, 5-1 B1G) 19-13 in a showdown of the Big Ten's last two unbeaten teams. Iowa entered the dual ranked No. 2 in dual meets and No. 3 in TPI by InterMat.
Penn State won three straight bouts to start the dual, but Iowa answered with three wins of its own to tie the dual meet at 10-10 after six matches. Another Nittany Lions three-win streak from 174 to 197 allowed Penn State to secure the victory.
Senior Drew Hildebrandt (Granger, Ind.), ranked No. 7 at 125, opened up the dual with a major decision, using four late back points and riding time to roll to a 9-0 major over Jesse Ybarra. Senior Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.), ranked No. 1 at 133, scored all three of his points in the second period (an escape and a takedown) to notch a hard-fought 3-2 win over No. 3 Austin DeSanto. Bravo-Young's victory gave Penn State an early 7-0 lead.
Senior Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 1 at 141, used a quick takedown in extra time to post a thrilling 6-4 (sv) win over No. 2 Jaydin Eierman to make it three straight out of the gates for Penn State. Penn State led 10-0. Sophomore Beau Bartlett (Tempe, Ariz.), ranked No. 19 at 149, lost a tough 4-1 decision to No. 10 Max Murin as the Hawkeyes cut Penn State's lead to 10-3. Sophomore Terrell Barraclough (Kaysville, Utah) battled No. 12 Kaleb Young for seven tough minutes at 157 but dropped a 2-0 decision. Penn State carried a 10-6 lead into the halftime break.
Senior Brady Berge (Mantorville, Minn.), ranked No. 11 at 165, suffered a 10-2 major decision loss to No. 5 Alex Marinelli and Iowa tied the dual at 10-10. Sophomore Carter Starocci (Erie, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 174, retook the lead for Penn State. The Lion sophomore won a thrilling 2-1 (tb) match over No. 2 Michael Kemerer, escaping quickly in his tie-breaker period and holding Kemerer for the full :30 to win the match. His victory put Penn State up 13-10. Junior Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Md.), ranked No. 1 at 184, added to Penn State's lead with a dominant 8-3 win over No. 17 Abe Assad to put the Nittany Lions up 16-10.
Junior Max Dean (Lowell, Mich.), ranked No. 2 at 197, clinched the dual with a thrilling comeback victory. Dean, trailing 3-0 after two periods, scored eight unanswered points in the third period to post an 8-3 victory over No. 4 Jacob Warner. Dean used an escape, a stall point, a takedown and four near fall points as the bout ended to put Penn State up 19-10 and secure the team win. Sophomore Greg Kerkvliet (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.), ranked No. 3 at 285, led early over No. 5 Tony Cassioppi but dropped a tough 7-2 decision in the dual's final bout, making the final score 19-13 in Penn State's favor.
Penn State owned a slim 10-8 edge in takedowns and picked up one bonus point on Hildebrandt's major. The win snapped Iowa's 29-dual overall win streak and 22-dual win streak at home.
Penn State is now 14-0 overall, 6-0 in Big Ten action. Iowa falls to 11-1, 5-1 B1G. The Nittany Lions close out Big Ten action next weekend at home. Penn State hosts Ohio State on Friday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m. in the 2022 BJC Dual. The team then hosts Nebraska on Sunday, Feb. 6, at 12 p.m. in Rec Hall. Both events are B1G Network national telecasts.
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.
#1 Penn State 19, #3 Iowa 13
January 28, 2022 – Iowa City, Iowa
125: #7 Drew Hildebrandt PSU maj. dec. Jesse Ybarra IOWA, 9-0 4-0
133: #1 Roman Bravo-Young PSU dec. #3 Austin DeSanto IOWA, 3-2 7-0
141: #1 Nick Lee PSU dec. #2 Jaydin Eierman IOWA, 6-4 (sv) 10-0
149: #10 Max Murin IOWA dec. #19 Beau Bartlett PSU, 4-1 10-3
157: #12 Kaleb Young IOWA dec. Terrell Barraclough PSU, 2-0 10-6
165: #5 Alex Marinelli IOWA maj. dec. #11 Brady Berge PSU, 10-2 10-10
174: #1 Carter Starocci PSU dec. #2 Michael Kemerer IOWA, 2-1 (tb) 13-10
184: #1 Aaron Brooks PSU dec. #17 Abe Assad IOWA, 8-3 16-10
197: #2 Max Dean PSU dec. #4 Jacob Warner IOWA, 8-3 19-10
285: #5 Tony Cassioppi IOWA dec. #3 Greg Kerkvliet PSU, 7-2 19-13
Attendance: 14,905
Records: Penn State (14-0, 6-0 B1G); Iowa (11-1, 5-1 B1G)
Up Next for Penn State: home vs. Ohio State, Friday, Feb. 4, 7 p.m. (BJC); home vs. Nebraska, Sunday, Feb. 6, 12 p.m. (Rec Hall).
DUAL MEET BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Senior Drew Hildebrandt (Granger, Ind.), ranked No. 7 at 125, took on freshman Jesse Ybarra. Hildebrandt worked the center circle as the first minute wound down. He nearly scored on a quick slide-by at the 2:15 mark but Ybarra was able to move away from the shot and keep the bout tied 0-0. As the clock hit 1:00, Hildebrandt and Ybarra continued to hand fight in neutral. Hildebrandt has another shot defended as the period ended and the first period ended in a 0-0 tie. Ybarra chose neutral to start the second period. Hildebrandt continued to shoot from neutral as Ybarra played defense but could not break through to score. He finally worked a low single into a double for the bout's first takedown at the :50 mark to take a 2-0 lead. Hildebrandt went to work on top, looking to turn the Hawkeye for back points. Ybarra was able to keep from getting turned but Hildebrandt finished on top to lead 2-0 with :49 after two. Hildebrandt chose down to start the third period and quickly reversed the Hawkeye to up his lead to 4-0. He controlled the action on top long enough to build up over 1:00 in riding time and then began working for a turning combination. Hildebrandt forced Ybarra into a stall warning and clinched his riding time point. Hildebrandt than worked Ybarra to his back for four nearfall points and, with the riding time point, posted a 9-0 major decision.
133: Senior Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.), ranked No. 1 at 133, met No. 3 Austin DeSanto. Bravo-Young defended an early DeSanto shot as the Hawkeye worked his way in on a high single. The Lion was able to force action out of bounds and keep the match scoreless at the 1:48 mark. DeSanto shot low off the whistle and Bravo-Young forced a quick stalemate after the reset. DeSanto shot quick off the reset again, working in on a high shot. But Bravo-Young once again forced a stalemate with :40 left in the opening period. The first period finished in neutral, but Bravo-Young gave up a stall warning in the process. DeSanto chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Bravo-Young gave up a stall point and trailed 2-0 at the :40 mark. Bravo-Young notched the bout's first takedown with :22 and finished the period on top. Tied 2-2, Bravo-Young chose down to start the third period. DeSanto was able to control the action on top for a bit, but Bravo-Young escaped to a 3-2 lead with 1:15 on the clock. DeSanto worked a high single into a scramble, but Bravo-Young forced a stalemate with 1:00 left in the bout. Bravo-Young controlled the center of the mat from the :30 point on and killed the clock with a late shot to post a 3-2 win.
141: Senior Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 1 at 141, met No. 2 Jaydin Eierman. Lee and Eierman worked neutral in the center circle over the bout's first :30. Lee ticked off a couple high shots that kept Eierman on defense as the first period hit the midway point. Lee nearly connected on a high single with 1:20 left in the period but Eierman was able to fight off the effort. The remainder of the first period was contested in neutral and the bout moved to the second stanza tied 0-0. Eierman chose down to start the second period. Lee was able to maintain control of the Hawkeye for :40 before Eierman moved out of bounds to force a reset. Eierman escaped to a 1-0 lead with 1:13 left in the period. Eierman nearly turned Lee to his back on a throw, but Lee rolled through, countered another Eierman effort and took the Hawkeye down to lead 2-1. Eierman escaped but Lee continued to press and notched a late takedown on the edge of the mat as the period ended. Leading 4-2, Lee chose neutral to start the third period. Lee worked in neutral as the third period hit the :30 mark. But Eierman oved through a double as the period ended to take Lee down and send the bout to sudden victory. Lee took just less than :30 to end the extra period, countering an Eierman shot and grabbing the 6-4 (sv) win with a takedown.
149: Sophomore Beau Bartlett (Tempe, Ariz.), ranked No. 19 at 149, battled No. 10 Max Murin. Bartlett worked the center circle for the opening minute, looking for an opening. Murin was able to defend each Bartlett effort as the first period hit its midway point. The first period ended in a 0-0 tie and Bartlett chose down to start the second stanza. Bartlett was unable to break free of Murin's control as the Hawkeye worked up over 1:00 in riding time. Bartlett rolled to an escaped to lead 1-0, but Murin had 1:26 in riding time. Murin then got in deep on a low single but Bartlett was able to force a scramble and kill the clock. Murin chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie, but he had a 1:20 riding time edge. As the clock hit 1:00, Murin turned a high shot into a takedown and took a 3-1 lead. He finished the period on top and Bartlett dropped a 4-1 decision.
157: Sophomore Terrell Barraclough (Kaysville, Utah) took on No. 12 Kaleb Young at 157. Young took a high single with 2:15 on the clock but Barraclough fought it off and forced a stalemate with 2:00 left in the period. Barraclough got in on a high single and Young forced a scramble and a stalemate with 1:20 left in the period. Barraclough continued to shoot, taking high singles that forced the Hawkeye into defense. The first period ended in a 0-0 tie. Young chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Action returned to neutral with Barraclough taking the shots and Young playing defense. Barraclough and Young finished the second period on their feet and Young led 1-0 after two periods. Barraclough chose down to start the third period. Young was able to control the Lion for over a minute, working his riding time advantage over 1:00. Barraclough was not able to break free of Young's control and Young, with riding time, posted a 2-0 win.
165: Senior Brady Berge (Mantorville, Minn.), ranked No. 11 at 165, met No. 5 Alex Marinelli. Berge fought off early Marinelli pressure but gave up a stall warning :50 into the bout. Marinelli nearly connected on a low shot, but Berge was able to skip away and keep the bout tied 0-0. With the first period at its' midway point, Marinelli took a low shot and took a 2-0 lead with a takedown. Berge was unable to get to neutral as Marinelli built up over 1:00 in riding time. Marinelli led 2-0 after one period with a rideout and chose down to start the second period. The Hawkeye escaped to a 3-0 lead with 1:48 on the clock. Berge gave up a stall point with :25 left in the period and trailed 4-0 after two. Berge chose down to start the third period. Berge escaped to a 4-1 score with 1:21 left in the bout. Marinelli took the Lion down on the edge of the mat to open up a 6-1 lead with :49 left to wrestle with the riding time point clinched. Berge escaped to a 6-2 score. Berge gave up another stall point and then a final takedown and, with riding time, Marinelli posted the 10-2 major decision.
174: Sophomore Carter Starocci (Erie, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 174, took on No. 2 Michael Kemerer. Starocci and Kemerer worked the center circle, for the opening minute. Starocci took a high single that Kemerer defended, and the bout continued tied 0-0. Starocci worked a high shot into another scramble that Kemerer turned into a stalemate with 1:13 on the clock. Starocci turned another single into a scramble, nearly taking Kemerer down. But the Hawkeye was able to fight through the effort and get back to his feet without giving up the takedown. Tied 0-0 after a scoreless first period, Starocci chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Starocci controlled the center circle, forcing Kemerer into a stall warning while getting in deep on a shot. Kemerer scrambled through and a stalemate was called with :31 left in the middle period. Starocci fought off a late Kemerer shot and killed the clock, sending the bout to the third period with the Lion leading 1-0. After an Iowa challenge that did not work, Kemerer escaped to a 1-1 tie on the reset. Neither wrestler was able to find an opening as the clock hit :30. Starocci took a low single and Kemerer countered, nearly scoring. But Starocci was able to kill the clock and the bout moved to sudden victory. A Starocci induced scramble led to a stalemate with :35 left in the extra period. Starocci forced another late scramble that led to the officials awarding a takedown as the period ended. But the action was reviewed, and time had expired, sending the bout to a tiebreaker. Starocci was down first and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Kemerer was down next. Starocci was able to keep control of Kemerer for the full :30 and walked away with a thrilling 2-1 (tb) victory.
184: Junior Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Md.), ranked No. 1 at 184, battled No. 17 Abe Assad. Brooks scored quickly, taking Assad down in the opening seconds to take a 2-1 lead after cutting the Hawkeye loose. Seconds later, the Lion notched a second takedown and opening up a 4-1 lead with 1:35 on the clock. Brooks built his riding time up over 1:00 with a strong ride keeping control of the Hawkeye. With the clock moving below :30, Brooks settled in on offense and finished the period on top to lead 4-1 with 1:51 in riding time after one. Brooks chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead at the 1:30 mark. He took another low shot, grabbling one Assad ankle then another to lead 7-2 after cutting the Hawkeye loose. Brooks forced Assad into a stall warning with :30 left and then turned a late shot into a scramble. But Assad was able to kill the clock and Brooks led 7-2 with 1:40 in time after two. Assad chose down to start the final period and Brooks cut him loose to a 7-3 lead. Brooks fought off an Assad high single to force a stalemate with :56 left in the bout. Brooks finished the bout in neutral and, with 1:52 in riding time, posted the strong 8-3 win.
197: Junior Max Dean (Lowell, Mich.), ranked No. 2 at 197, faced off against No. 4 Jacob Warner. The duo battled evenly through the opening minute-plus with neither wrestler finding any openings on offense. Dean took a slight shot at the 1:15 mark but Warner countered, moved around and took the Lion down to an early 2-0 lead. Dean was unable to break free of Warner's ride, but the Hawkeye got hit with a stall warning with :15 left in the period, stopping riding time. Dean scrambled his way to a near reversal and appeared to have Warner in danger for back points as the period ended. The officials did not award any points and Dean trailed 2-0 after one. Warner chose down to star the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Dean got off a series of quick shots in the middle of the mat, but Warner was able to move away from the Lion and maintain his lead as the clock hit :45. Trailing 3-0, Dean chose down to start the third period. He quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. Needing takedowns, Dean began to shoot Warner backwards. He picked up a stall point and then turned a low shot into a scramble and a takedown to open up a 4-3 lead. He then turned Warner to his back and finished with four near fall points to post the thrilling 8-3 win.
285: Sophomore Greg Kerkvliet (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.), ranked No. 3 at 285, met No. 5 Tony Cassioppi. Kerkvliet scored quickly, taking Cassioppi down just over :30 into the bout to lead 2-1 after a quick Iowa escape. Kerkvliet went back to work on his feet, maintaining position in the center circle as he looked for more offense. Cassioppi hit a shoulder throw, taking Kerkvliet down to take a 3-2 lead with 1:02 on the clock. Kerkvliet was unable to break free of Cassioppi's ride and trailed 3-2 after the opening period. Kerkvliet chose neutral to start the second period. The twosome battled through a scoreless period with Kerkvliet two shots that Cassioppi was able to defend. Leading 3-2, Cassioppi chose down to start the third period. Kerkvliet cut the Hawkeye loose to a 4-2 score at the 1:35 mark and nearly connected on a shot. But Cassioppi countered for shoulder control and took the Lion sophomore down for another takedown and a 6-2 lead. Cassioppi finished the period on top and, with 1:25 in riding time, posted the 7-2 win.
