PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (17-0, 8-0 B1G)
125 #16 Drew Hildebrandt Sr.+ Granger, Ind./Penn 9-3
vs. 2022 field 2-3 // Career in NCAA tournament 5-4
2X All-American (2020, 2021)
133 #1 Roman Bravo-Young Sr. Tucson, Ariz./Sunnyside 17-0
vs. 2022 field 10-0 // Career in NCAA tournament 9-3
3X All-American (2019, 20, 21) // 2021 NCAA Champion // 2X Big Ten Champion (2021, 22)
141 #1 Nick Lee Sr.+ Evansville, Ind./Homeschooled 17-0
vs. 2022 field 9-0 // Career in NCAA tournament 15-4
4X All-American (2018, 19, 20, 21) // 2021 NCAA Champion // Big Ten Champion (2022)
149 #13 Beau Bartlett So. Tempe, Ariz./Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) 14-8
vs. 2022 field 5-7 // Career in NCAA tournament 0-0
157 #16 Brady Berge Sr. Mantorville, Minn./Kasson-Mantorville 9-2
vs. 2022 field 4-1 // Career in NCAA tournament 4-3
174 #1 Carter Starocci So. Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep 18-0
vs. 2022 field 9-0 // Career in NCAA tournament 5-0
All-American (2021) // 2021 NCAA Champion // Big Ten Champion (2022)
184 #2 Aaron Brooks Jr. Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown 16-1
vs. 2022 field 11-1 // Career in NCAA tournament 5-0
2X All-American (2020, 2021) // 2021 NCAA Champion // 2X Big Ten Champion (2020, 21)
197 #1 Max Dean Jr. Lowell, Mich./Lowell 18-1
vs. 2022 field 11-1 // Career in NCAA tournament 7-4
2X All-American (2018, 2019) // Big Ten Champion (2022)
285 #4 Greg Kerkvliet So. Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley 18-2
vs. 2022 field 9-2 // Career in NCAA tournament 4-2
All-American (2021)
Rankings listed are official tournament seed (3/9/22)
THIS WEEK
Penn State (17-0, 8-0 B1G) will take nine wrestlers to the 2022 NCAA Wrestling Championships on March 17-19, 2022, in Detroit, Mich. The three-day event runs Thursday through Saturday and will take place in Little Caesars Arena.
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THIS WEEK'S ACTION:
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; March 10, 2022 -- The Penn State Nittany Lions, under the guidance of head coach Cael Sanderson, will be sending nine wrestlers to the 2022 NCAA Wresting Championships on March 17-19 in Detroit, Mich. Penn State will have four No. 1 seeds at the event.
The NCAA is seeding all 33 wrestlers once again. Please note that the records vs. the field listed below include only results at the qualifying weight. Penn State is sending four seniors, two juniors and three sophomores to the event. The Nittany Lions' nine qualifiers are a combined 70-15 against the field at their respective weights.
Senior Drew Hildebrandt (Granger, Ind.) will be the No. 16 seed at 125. Hildebrandt will take on No. 17 Anthony Noto of Lock Haven in the opening round. He earned a trip to NCAAs with a ninth-place finish at Big Tens. Hildebrandt is 9-3 overall and 2-3 vs. the field.
Senior Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.) will be the No. 1 seed at 133 and will face the winner of the 32/33 pigtail between Cornell's Dominic LaJoie and Campbell's Domenic Zaccone. Bravo-Young won his second straight Big Ten title on Sunday. He is 17-0 overall and 10-0 vs. the field.
Senior Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.) will be the No. 1 seed at 141 and will take on the winner of the 32/33 pigtail between Josh Mason of Bloomsburg and Dylan Cedeno of Virginia. Lee claimed his first Big Ten crown on Sunday in Nebraska. He is 17-0 overall and 9-0 vs. the field.
Sophomore Beau Bartlett (Tempe, Ariz.) will be the No. 13 seed at 149 and will meet No. 20 Collin Realbuto of Northern Iowa in the first round. Bartlett qualified for his first NCAA tournament thanks to a seventh-place finish at Big Tens. He is 14-8 overall and 5-7 vs. the field.
Senior Brady Berge (Mantorville, Minn.) will be the No. 16 seed at 157 and will battle No. 17 Hunter Willits of Oregon State in the opening round. Berge took third place at Big Tens last weekend to earn a trip to Detroit. He is 9-2 overall and 4-1 vs. the field.
Sophomore Carter Starocci (Erie, Pa.) will be the No. 1 see at 174 and will take on the winner of the 32/33 pigtail bout between Dominic Solis of Maryland and Connor O'Neill of Rutgers in the opening round. Starocci is coming off claiming his first Big Ten title in Lincoln on Sunday. He is 18-0 on the year and 9-0 vs. the field.
Junior Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Md.) will be the No. 2 seed at 184 and will meet No. 31 A.J. Burkhart of Lehigh in the first round. Brooks lost a tough sudden victory decision in the Big Ten finals and took second at the event. He is 16-1 overall on the year and 11-1 vs. the field.
Junior Max Dean (Lowell, Mich.) will be the No. 1 seed at 197 and will take on the winner of the 32/33 pigtail match between Will Feldkamp of Clarion and Matthew Waddell of Chattanooga the opening round. Dean won the Big Ten title in his first trip to the tournament on Sunday. He is 18-1 overall and 11-1 vs. the field.
Sophomore Greg Kerkvliet (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) will be the No. 4 seed at 285 and will face No. 29 Brandon Metz of North Dakota State in the first round. Kerkvliet took third at the Big Ten tournament on Sunday. He is 18-2 overall this season and is 9-2 vs. the field.
Penn State has won eight of the last ten contested NCAA Championships (all since Sanderson's arrival at Penn State and he is in his 13th season this year). The Nittany Lions have won nine NCAA titles overall, owning a championship from 1953. The Nittany Lions won four-straight titles in 2016, '17, '18 and '19 and again in 2011, '12, '13 and '14.
Penn State's qualifiers are headed to the 2022 NCAA Wrestling Championships on March 17-19 in Detroit, Mich. The three-day event will be held in Detroit's Little Caesars Arena. Thursday's sessions begin at 12 p.m. (ESPNU) and 7 p.m. (ESPN); Friday's at 11 a.m. (ESPNU) and 8 p.m. (ESPN); and Saturday's at 11 a.m. (ESPNU) and 7 p.m. (ESPN).
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.
NOTES:
#FUNSTATS
// Most Individual NCAA Titles Since 2011 -- PENN STATE 27, Cornell 10, Oklahoma State 10, Ohio State 9, Iowa 7
// Penn State National Finalists Since 2011 -- 40
// Penn State in NCAA Finals Since 2011 -- 27-13 (Penn State's winning percentage in NCAA finals is .675)
// Penn State in NCAA Semifinals Since 2011 -- 40-4 (Penn State's winning percentage in NCAA semis is .901)
// Penn State Team Championships Since 2011 -- 8 (of 10, no NCAA tournament in 2020)
// Penn State Percentage of Team Titles Won Since 2011 - .800 (no NCAA tournament in 2020)
BRAVO-YOUNG WINS SECOND STRAIGHT BIG TEN TITLE
Senior Roman Bravo-Young won his second straight Big Ten title, claiming the 133-pound crown in Lincoln, Neb. Bravo-Young went 3-0 with a major. He majored #23 Matt Ramos of Purdue 11-3, then beat #8 Dylan Ragusin of Michigan 4-0 to advance to the finals. In the title bout, Bravo-Young beat #3 Austin DeSanto of Iowa 3-1 in the first of five finals for the Nittany Lions.
NICK LEE WINS FIRST BIG TEN TITLE
Senior Nick Lee won his first Big Ten title, winning the 141-pound championship at the 2022 Big Ten tournament hosted by Nebraska. Lee went 3-0 with two tech falls to win. He posted a 16-0 technical fall over #22 Joe Zargo of Wisconsin (5:06) and a 16-1 technical fall over #18 Jake Bergeland of Minnesota (5:06) in the semifinals to earn a trip to the conference title bout. He won by medical forfeit over #2 Jaydin Eierman of Iowa in the finals.
CARTER STAROCCI WINS FIRST BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Sophomore Carter Starocci rolled through the field at 174 to win his first conference title at the Big Ten Championships in Lincoln, Neb. Starocci went 3-0 with a pin to claim the crown. He pinned Maryland's Dominic Solis (2:13) in his first match and then won by medical forfeit over #4 Michael Kemerer of Iowa in the semifinals. He then beat #5 Logan Massa of Michigan in the finals, posting a 5-1 decision.
MAX DEAN CLAIMS BIG TEN TITLE IN FIRST TRIP TO CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
Junior Max Dean, making his first trip to the Big Ten Championships, won the 197-pound title at Nebraska. Dean went 3-0 to win the crown. He beat #12 Greg Bulsak of Rutgers 6-2 in his first bout and then downed #5 Cameron Caffey of Michigan State 5-2 in the semifinals. Dean capped off his perfect run with a 4-2 win over #2 Eric Schultz of host-school Nebraska in the finals.
BERGE AND KERKVLIET TAKE THIRD AT B1G'S, BARTLETT 7TH, ALL EARN AUTOMATIC BIDS TO NCAAs
Senior Brady Berge went 4-1 at the 2022 Big Ten Championship to take third place at 157, with his lone loss a sudden victory setback to #10 Will Lewan of Michigan in the semifinals, to place third and earn a trip to NCAAs. Berge majored #31 Garrett Model of Wisconsin (10-2), beat #9 Kaleb Young of Iowa 5-3, pinned #12 Kendall Coleman of Purdue (2:59) and beat Young again, 3-1 (sv), for third. Sophomore Greg Kerkvliet also went 4-1 at 285, with his lone setback also a sudden victory loss in the semis to #4 Tony Cassioppi of Iowa. Kerkvliet pinned Maryland's Zach Schrader (2:13), beat #11 Christian Lance of Nebraska 7-1, #10 Lucas Davison of Northwestern 5-3 and #3 Mason Parris of Michigan 5-3 for third place, grabbing an AQ slot to Detroit. Sophomore Beau Bartlett went 3-2 at 149 and placed seventh to earn a trip to the NCAA tournament for the first time. Bartlett picked up a 3-2 win over #30 Michael Blockhus of Minnesota and pinned #29 Christian Kanzler of Illinois (3:40) before posting a 3-1 win over Michigan's Kanen Storr to earn the AQ to nationals. Junior Creighton Edsell went 1-2 at 165 and did not place for Penn State.
PENN STATE WITH 10 RANKED WRESTLERS IN FINAL INTERMAT REGULAR SEASON RANKINGS
Penn State has all 10 of its Big Ten tournament starters ranked in the final (2/22) InterMat rankings after the Nittany Lions completed their regular season. Drew Hildebrandt is #5 at 125, Roman Bravo-Young is #1 at 133, Nick Lee is #1 at 141, Beau Bartlett is #17 at 149, Brady Berge is #13 at 157, Creighton Edsell is #23 at 165, Carter Starocci is #1 at 174, Aaron Brooks is #1 at 184, Max Dean is #1 at 197 and Greg Kerkvliet is #5 at 285.
LEE DOWNS #25 KINNER AS PENN STATE SHUTS OUT RIDER IN DUAL SEASON FINALE
Senior Nick Lee notched the bout's only three takedowns to post a hard-fought 6-3 win over #25 Quinn Kinner of Rider in Penn State's 45-0 shutout victory over the Broncs in Rec Hall. Penn State won all ten bouts, eight of which were for bonus. The Lions got decisions from Lee (141) and Creighton Edsell (165), majors from Beau Bartlett (149), Brady Berge (157), Carter Starocci (174) and Donovon Ball (184), a tech from Roman Bravo-Young (133) and three straight pins from Max Dean (197), Greg Kerkvliet (285) and Drew Hildebrandt (125). The Nittany Lions ended the unbeaten season with a 17-0 record.
PENN STATE WINS 8TH B1G REGULAR SEASON (DUAL) TITLE
Head coach Cael Sanderson and the Penn State Nittany Lions capped off a perfect Big Ten dual meet season with a rousing 32-7 win over #6 Ohio State in the 2022 BJC Dual on Feb. 4 and a 21-13 victory over #7 Nebraska two days later on Feb. 6. The weekend sweep allowed the Nittany Lions to finish the Big Ten portion of its dual meet schedule with a perfect 8-0 mark and earned the team its eight Big Ten Regular Season (dual meet) Championship. Penn State won or shared the dual crown in 2012, 2014, 2016, 107, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022.
NICK LEE DOWNS #8 CHAD RED TO LEAD PENN STATE OVER #7 NEBRASKA; NAMED B1G W.O.W. (2/8)
Senior Nick Lee dominated #6 Chad Red Jr. at 141 to lead Penn State to a 21-13 victory over Nebraska in sold out Rec Hall on Feb. 6. Lee notched the bout's only takedown in the first period and added an escape and 1:20 in riding time to post a 4-1 win. The victory came two days after Lee majored #20 Dylan D'Emilio of Ohio State 13-3 in the BJC Dual. Aaron Brooks was also impressive in the win, majoring #9 Taylor Venz 14-4 at 184. Lee's weekend sweep earned him Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors for the week ending 2/6/22.
NITTANY LIONS DISMANTLE #6 OHIO STATE 32-7 IN 2022 BJC DUAL
Penn State dismantled No. 6 Ohio State on Feb. 4 in the 2022 BJC Dual. Wrestled in front of nearly 16,000 fans in the sold out venue, the Nittany Lions won eight of ten bouts over the Buckeyes. Drew Hildebrandt (125), Roman Bravo-Young (133), Nick Lee (141), Terrell Barraclough (157), Creighton Edsell (165), Aaron Brooks (184), Max Dean (197) and Greg Kerkvliet (285) all grabbed victories. Hildebrandt, Lee, Brooks, Dean and Kerkvliet downed ranked opponents.
NEARLY 16,000 FANS PACK SOLD OUT JORDAN CENTER FOR 2022 BJC DUAL VICTORY OVER OHIO STATE
For the seventh time, Penn State sold out the near-16,000 seat Bryce Jordan Center for its annual BJC Dual. 15,991 people packed the building to see Penn State's 32-7 victory over No. 6 Ohio State on Feb. 4. The crowd is the fourth largest indoor crowd for an NCAA wrestling dual meet. The top six indoor crowds all occurred in the BJC at Penn State and eight of the top ten. The top two crowds for an NCAA dual meet both occurred outside at football stadiums. The indoor record is 15,998, set on Feb. 10, 2018, when Penn State hosted Iowa.
TONY NEGRON WINS EDINBORO OPEN TITLE
Junior Tony Negron moved up to 165 for the Edinboro Open on Feb. 6 and rolled to the class' title. Negron went 4-0 overall, plus a win vs. a non-collegiate foe, with a major. He downed Iowa State's Austin Kraisser 10-6 in the finals. Imran Heard also competed at 149, going 2-2 with a major.
PENN STATE TAKES OUT HAWKEYES IN IOWA CITY,
WINNING third road dual in seven days
Penn State closed out a rugged road swing of three B1G road duals in seven days by beating #3 Iowa in Iowa City, 19-13, on Jan. 28. Penn State, wrestling at Iowa for the fifth time in the last seven meetings between the teams, won six of ten bouts to post the victory in the dual between the Big Ten's last two unbeaten teams at the time. Penn State won the dual's first three bouts (Drew Hildebrandt at 125, Roman Bravo-Young at 133, Nick Lee at 141) and then three in row in the back half (Carter Starocci at 174, Aaron Brooks at 184, Max Dean at 197) to claim victory. Seven days earlier, Penn State won at #3 Michigan and five days earlier the Lions won at Michigan State.
MAX DEAN'S WIN AT 197 CLINCHES VICTORY AT IOWA; NAMED B1G WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Junior Max Dean scored eight unanswered points in the third period to roll to an 8-3 win over #4 Jacob Warner to clinch Penn State's 19-13 victory at Iowa on Jan. 28. Dean used an escape, a stall point, a takedown and four back points to overcome a 3-0 deficit against Warner. Drew Hildebrandt majored Jesse Ybarra 9-0 at 125, Roman Bravo-Young beat #3 Austin DeSanto 3-2 at 133, Nick Lee posted a 6-4 (sv) win over #2 Jaydin Eierman at 141, Carter Starocci notched a 2-1 (tb) win over #2 Michael Kemerer at 174 and Aaron Brooks downed #17 Abe Assad 8-3 at 184 as Penn State won six of ten bouts in the road victory. Dean was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week (2/1) for his efforts.
COCHRAN AND FACUNDO WIN MAT-TOWN II TITLES
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team sent 12 wrestlers to Lock Haven University's Mat-Town Open II on Saturday, Jan. 29. Two Nittany Lions won individual titles at the event while three others placed in the top four. Freshman Lucas Cochran won the title at 184. He went 3-0 overall with a technical fall and a major decision. Freshman Alex Facundo won the crown at 165. Facundo posted a 4-0 overall record, all for bonus. Facundo had three majors and a pin to claim the title. Freshman Brian Borden finished second at 165, dropping a bout to teammate Facundo in the finals. Borden went 3-1 overall. Freshman Gary Steen placed third at 125, posting a 4-1 overall record at the tournament. Junior Imran Heard took fourth 149. Heard went 4-2 with two pins.
KERKVLIET'S PIN AT 285 CAPS OFF 28-9 WIN AT MSU
The Penn State Nittany Lions finished off a two-dual sweep in the state of Michigan on Sunday, Jan. 23, by rolling over homestanding Michigan State 28-9 in East Lansing. Penn State picked up major decisions from Drew Hildebrandt at 125 and Nick Lee at 141, a tech fall from Carter Starocci at 174 and a pin from Greg Kerkvliet at 285 as part of the Lions' seven wins in the dual.
BROOKS, KERKVLIET GRAB TOP-2 WINS AS LIONS DOMINATE #3 MICHIGAN 29-6 IN ANN ARBOR
Penn State won eight of ten bouts in a dominating 29-6 win at #3 Michigan on Friday, Jan. 21, in Crisler Arena. Both Aaron Brooks and Greg Kerkvliet grabbed impressive wins over second-ranked foes as Penn State totalled six ranked wins overall. Brooks used a third period takedown to notch a 3-1 win over #2 Myles Amine at 184. Kerkvliet rolled up three takedowns in an impressive 8-5 win over #2 Mason Parris at 285. Other ranked wins included Roman Bravo-Young's 8-1 victory over #8 Dylan Ragusin at 133, Brady Berge's win 3-1 win over #10 Cameron Amine at 165, Carter Starocci's 3-2 victory over #6 Logan Massa at 174 and Max Dean's 6-4 (sv) win over #8 Patrick Brucki at 197. The Nittany Lions gave up only five takedowns as a team in the victory.
BROOKS' MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS PSU'S WIN OVER INDIANA; NAMED B1G WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Junior Aaron Brooks majored #8 D.J. Washington 13-4 in the marquee match-up in Penn State's 29-11 victory over Indiana. Brooks' win was one of five straight to close out the dual for the Nittany Lions in Rec Hall. Drew Hildebrandt took down #25 Jacob Moran in his Rec Hall debut at 125 as well. He was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for the week ending Jan. 11, his second honor of the season to that date.
DREW HILDEBRANDT'S DEBUT PIN STARTS PENN STATE'S RUN IN 46-0 SHUTOUT AT MARYLAND
All-American transfer Drew Hildebrandt pinned Maryland's Zach Spence in the first period (1:38) in his debut match for Penn State at 125. Hildebrandt's initial win started a perfect run for the Nittany Lions in a 46-0 shutout victory on the road in College Park. Aaron Brooks majored #12 Kyle Cochran 19-7 at 184 and Greg Kerkvliet teched #26 Zach Schrader at 285 in bouts between ranked opponents.
LUCAS COCHRAN TAKES 4TH AT F&M OPEN
Freshman Lucas Cochran went 3-2 at the Lehman/F&M Open on Friday, Jan. 7. Cochran picked up three wins with a major and advanced to the semifinals. Gary Steen (125), Brian Borden (165) and Levko Higgins (197) all picked up solo wins at the event as well.
BEARD TAKES SECOND AT SOUTHERN SCUFFLE TO LEAD 10-MAN PENN STATE CONTINGENT
Sophomore Michael Beard was the No. 2 seed at 197 at the Southern Scuffle and took second at the two-day event. Beard began the tournament with three wins on Saturday. He posted technical falls over Duke's Kaden Russell (18-2; 2:36) and Eli Sheeren of Buffalo (17-2; 5:36) to begin the tournament and closed out Saturday with a 9-2 win over Navy's XJaxon Smith in the quarterfinals. Beard beat No. 20 Cameron Caffey of Michigan State in the semifinals and then took an injury default loss during the first period of the finals to No. 4 Rocky Elam of Missouri. Junior Brandon Meredith competed at 133 and advanced to the quarterfinals before losing his first match. He went 3-1 overall plus one loss to a non-collegiate wrestler. Sophomore Joe Lee wrested at 157 and won his first two matches to advance to the quarterfinals. He ended the tournament with a 2-2 mark overall. Junior Seth Nevills took to the mat at 285 for the first time this year. Nevills went 3-2 overall with a pin in his first action of the season.
BARTLETT'S WIN OVER #5 PARCO HIGHLIGHTS LOPSIDED 29-10 WIN OVER #3 ARIZONA STATE
Sophomore Beau Bartlett posted a thrilling 3-1 sudden victory decision over #5 Kyle Parco to spark Penn State in a 29-10 win over #3 Arizona State in the Blue Pool Final of the Collegiate Duals in Niceville, Fla. Bartlett's takedown in extra time was one of many highlights as Penn State dominated the Sun Devils, winning seven of ten bouts. Roman Bravo-Young beat #14 Michael McGee 6-2 at 133, Nick Lee majored #15 Jesse Vasquez 14-3 at 141, and Max Dean majored #8 Kordell Norfleet at 197 in other ranked victories for Penn State.
PENN STATE TOPS #9 CORNELL IN FLORIDA
Penn State won six of ten bouts to outlast #9 Cornell 26-11 at the Collegiate Duals in Niceville, Fla. Penn State got four straight wins over ranked wrestlers to close out the dual for the victory. Carter Starocci beat #12 Chris Foca 3-2 at 174, Aaron Brooks majored #15 Jonathan Loew 15-3 at 184, Max Dean downed #19 Jacob Cardenas 4-2 at 197 and Greg Kerkvliet shutout #18 Lewis Fernandes 5-0 at 285.
BROOKS TAKES DOWN #4 KECKEISEN AS LIONS TOP UNI; NAMED B1G W.o.W. (12/29)
Junior Aaron Brooks downed #4 Parker Keckeisen to lead Penn State to a 29-9 win over #22 Northern Iowa in the first of three duals for Penn State at the Collegiate Duals in Niceville, Fla. Brooks' win was one of seven for Penn State in the win, which included Roman Bravo-Young pinning #31 Kyle Biscoglia, Nick Lee majoring #26 Cael Happel and Beau Bartlett beating #28 Triston Lara. Brooks won three matches in Florida overall and was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week (12/29).
LEE'S 100TH CAREER WIN SPARKS WIN OVER LEHIGH
Senior Nick Lee dominated Lehigh's Connor McGonagle, rolling to a 13-6 win with 3:36 in riding time to earn the 100th victory of his illustrious Nittany Lion career. Lee's win helped spark a short-handed Penn State team to a 23-16 victory over the visiting Mountain Hawks in sold out Rec Hall on Dec. 5.
EDSELL, BALL COME UP BIG IN WIN OVER LEHIGH
With multiple starters out in Penn State's dual vs. Lehigh on Dec. 5, junior Creighton Edsell and sophomore Donovon Ball came up with big wins as Penn State outlasted visiting Lehigh 23-16 in Rec Hall. Edsell used a riding time point to notch a 2-1 win over No. 27 Brian Meyer at 165 and Ball downed J.T. Burkhart 5-3 at 184 for his second win in three days.
STAROCCI AND BARTLETT GRAB RANKED WINS AS LIONS WIN AT PENN
With three starters out in Penn State's dual at Penn on Dec. 3, Sophomores Carter Starocci and Beau Bartlett notched big ranked wins to lead Penn State to a hard-fought 20-16 win in Philadelphia. Starocci dominated #21 Nick Incontrera 13-3, adding 2:53 in riding time during his major decision victory at 174. Bartlett used an escape in extra time to notch a 4-3 (TB) win over #23 Anthony Artalona at 149 as well.
BEAU BARTLETT DOWNS #20 P.J. OGUNSANYA TO LEAD LIONS TO 32-7 WIN OVER ARMY WEST POINT
Sophomore Beau Bartlett posted a thrilling 3-1 (sv) win over #20 P.J. Ogunsanya to help lead Penn State to a rousing 32-7 win over Army West Point on Nov. 18 in sold out Rec Hall. The dual meet was wrestled in front of nearly 6,500 fans in a sold-out Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions have wrestled in front of 56 straight sellouts in Rec Hall and 62 of 64 including six of eight sellouts at the 16,000-seat Bryce Jordan Center). The dual also marked the first time Penn State wrestled in front of its home fans since Feb. 23, 2020, when Penn State beat American in Rec Hall.
GREG KERKVLIET NAMED BIG TEN W.O.W. (11/16)
Sophomore Greg Kerkvliet was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for the week ending Nov. 14, 2021. Kerkvliet went 2-0 in Penn State's season-opening action at Spooky Nook in Manheim, Pa., on Nov. 13. The Lion heavyweight picked up a pin in Penn State's 47-3 win over Sacred Heart and then dominated No. 24 Gary Traub of Oregon State, rolling to a 16-0 tech fall (4:15) in Penn State's 32-7 victory over the Beavers.
LEE, BARTLETT, KERKVLIET NOTCH RANKED WINS IN 32-7 WIN OVER OREGON STATE
Senior Nick Lee dominated #10 Grant Willits in Penn State's 32-7 win over Oregon State on Nov. 13, rolling to an 11-4 victory at 141. Lee's win was one of three ranked victories for the Lions in the win. Sophomore Beau Bartlett posted a 1-0 win over #24 Cory Crooks at 149 and sophomore Greg Kerkvliet rolled to a 16-0 tech fall (5:58) over #24 Gary Traub at 285. Penn State won eight bouts in the dual. Aaron Brooks had a pin and Max Dean had a major as well.
SHUNK, DEAN WIN PENN STATE DEBUTS IN 47-3 SEASON-OPENING WIN OVER SACRED HEART
Sophomore Baylor Shunk and junior Max Dean each won their Penn State dual meet debuts in Penn State's 47-3 win over Sacred Heart on Nov. 13, the dual opener for the Lions. Shunk posted an 18-0 tech fall (4:15) over Kyle Randall and Dean rolled to an identical 18-0 tech fall (3:00) over Dante Del Bonis. Penn State won nine of ten bouts in the victory. Roman Bravo-Young, Nick Lee, Carter Starocci, and Greg Kerkvliet all had pins; Shunk, Dean, and Aaron Brooks had tech falls; and Beau Bartlett and Creighton Edsell had majors.
BEARD GOES 3-0 AT JOURNEYMEN COLLEGIATE
Sophomore Michael Beard posted a 3-0 record to win his round-robin pool at the Journeymen Collegiate in Manheim, Pa., on Nov. 14. Beard majored JT Davis of Lehigh 22-8, teched Lock Haven's Parker McClellan 15-0 and majored #20 JT Brown of Army.
MATT LEE RUNNER-UP AT BEARCAT OPEN
Freshman Matt Lee led a contingent of seven wrestlers at the Bearcat Open in Binghamton, N.Y., on Nov. 14. Lee went 3-1 (plus one victory over a non-collegiate wrestler) with a tech fall to place second at 165. David Evans went 3-0 at 133 and placed fourth while Jack Kelly posted a 4-2 mark to finish sixth at 174. Aurelius Dunbar went 4-2 at 157, Brian Borden with 2-2 at 165 and Levko Higgins went 2-2 at 197.
EVANS TAKES 2ND AT CLARION OPEN; THREE OTHER LIONS PLACE
Eight members the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team took part in the Clarion Open on Nov. 6 in the first open tournament of the 2021-22 season. For Penn State, the Clarion Open is the first open tournament in almost two years after last season's abbreviated campaign. Redshirt freshman David Evans led the way with a second-place finish at 133. Evans went 3-1 with a pin, advancing to the finals before dropping his first match. True freshman Alex Facundo rolled up five wins with three majors and two pins and placed fifth. The true freshman's only loss was a tie-breaker defeat. Classmate Brian Borden placed sixth at 165, going 5-1 as well with a pin and three majors. True freshman Lucas Cochran finished fifth at 197, posting a 5-1 record with two majors and a pin. True freshman Shayne Van Ness began the tournament with two wins at 149. Van Ness picked up a major and a pin in just :54 before taking a medical forfeit (not a loss) and ending his action with a 2-0 mark. True freshman Sean Wang went 2-2 with a major at 141. True freshman Jack Kelly went 1-2 at 174. True freshman Gary Steen also competed at 125.
MILESTONES
Individual records and milestones that are in play as of now:
* 100 Career victories
Nick Lee, 113
* 200 Career coaching wins (overall career)
Cael Sanderson, 219
* 100 Career Big Ten coaching wins
Cael Sanderson, 96
* 175 Career coaching wins at Penn State
Cael Sanderson, 175
