PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (16-0, 8-0 B1G)
2023 BIG CHAMPIONS; 2023 B1G REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONS
133 #1 Roman Bravo-Young Sr.+ Tucson, Ariz./Sunnyside 16-0
(vs. the 2023 field: 8-0 // Career in NCAA tournament: 14-3)
4X All-American (2019, 20, 21, 22) // 2X NCAA CHAMPION (2021, 22)
3X B1G CHAMPION (2021, 22, 23)
141 #6 Beau Bartlett Jr. Tempe, Ariz./Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) 22-2
(vs. the 2023 field: 12-2 // Career in NCAA tournament: 1-2)
149 #13 Shayne Van Ness Fr. Somerville, N.J./Blair Academy 19-6
(vs. the 2023 field: 9-6 // Career in NCAA tournament: 0-0)
157 #2 Levi Haines Fr. Arendtsville, Pa./Biglerville 21-1
(vs. the 2023 field: 12-1 // Career in NCAA tournament: 0-0)
1X B1G CHAMPION (2023)
165 #13 Alex Facundo Fr. Essexville, Mich./Davison 19-4
(vs. the 2023 field: 4-4 // Career in NCAA tournament: 0-0)
174 #1 Carter Starocci Jr. Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep 19-0
(vs. the 2023 field: 11-0 // Career in NCAA tournament: 10-0)
2X All-American (2021, 22) // 2X NCAA CHAMPION (2021, 22)
2X B1G CHAMPION (2022, 23)
184 #3 Aaron Brooks Sr. Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown 12-1
(vs. the 2023 field: 8-1 // Career in NCAA tournament: 10-0)
3X All-American (2020, 21, 22) // 2X NCAA CHAMPION (2021, 22)
3X B1G CHAMPION (2020, 21, 23)
197 #9 Max Dean Sr. Lowell, Mich./Lowell 20-3
(vs. the 2023 field: 9-3 // Career in NCAA tournament: 12-4)
3X All-American (2018, 19, 22) // 1X NCAA CHAMPION (2022)
1X B1G CHAMPION (2022)
285 #3 Greg Kerkvliet Jr. Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley 15-2
(vs. the 2023 field: 7-2 // Career in NCAA tournament: 8-3)
2X All-American (2021, 22)
Individual Rankings listed are official tournament seed (3/8/23)
THIS WEEK
Penn State (16-0, 8-0 B1G) heads west for the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships on Thursday through Saturday, March 16-18, 2023, in Tulsa, Okla. The three-day event, which will crown the team champion and ten individual national champions, will take place in Tulsa's BOK Center. Thursday's sessions are at 12 and 7 p.m.; Friday's at 12 and 8 p.m.; and Saturday's at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. The tournament will be broadcast on the ESPNU (early sessions) and ESPN (evening sessions). All times are Eastern.
UP NEXT
Season complete :(
ON THE AIR
TV - ESPNU (early sessions) and ESPN (evening sessions)
Radio online - Free all year via Lionvision at GoPSUsports.com
Live Web Video - ESPN+
THIS WEEK'S ACTION:
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State wrestling team (16-0, 8-0 B1G) will have five top-three seeds at the 2023 NCAA Championships in Tulsa, Okla. The three-day tournament runs March 16-18, 2023, in Tulsa's BOK Center. The six-session title tournament features sessions at 12:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 16; 12:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Friday March 17; and 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 18 (all times Eastern). The NCAA tournament will be broadcast national on the ESPN and ESPNU.
This marks the 10th time in head coach Cael Sanderson's tenure at Penn State that his squad has nine or more qualifiers. Penn State's two top-seeds are returning national champions Roman Bravo-Young (133) and Carter Starocci (174).
Bravo-Young is the No. 1 seed at 133 and will face the winner of the 32/33 pigtail between McGwire Midkiff of North Dakota State and Ethan Oakley of Appalachian State in the first round. Bravo-Young won his third straight Big Ten title on Sunday. He is 16-0 overall and 8-0 vs. the field at this year's tournament.
Starocci is the No. 1 seed at 177 and will face the winner of the 32/33 pigtail between No. 32 Will Miller of Appalachian State and No. 33 John Worthing of Clarion in his first bout. Starocci won his second straight Big Ten title on Sunday. He is 19-0 this season and 11-0 vs. the field.
True freshman Levi Haines is the No. 2 seed at 157. He will meet No. 31 Ashton Eyler of Lock Haven in his first NCAA tournament bout. Haines won the Big Ten title this past Sunday. He is 21-1 this season and 12-1 vs. the field.
Returning NCAA Champion Aaron Brooks is the No. 3 seed at 184 and will take on the No. 30 Matthew Waddell of Chattanooga in the opening round. Brooks won his third straight Big Ten championship on Sunday. He is 12-1 overall and 8-1 vs. the field.
Returning All-American Greg Kerkvliet is the No. 3 seed at 285. He will battle No. 30 Hayden Copass of Purdue in the opening round. Kerkvliet took second place at the Big Ten tourney on Sunday. He is 15-2 this year and 7-2 vs. the field.
Beau Bartlett is the No. 6 seed at 141. He will take on No. 27 Shannon Hanna of Campbell in the first round. Bartlett placed third at the Big Ten Championship tourney on Sunday. He is 22-2 this season and 12-2 vs. the field.
Returning NCAA Champion Max Dean is the No. 9 seed at 197. He will face No. 24 Levi Hopkins of Campbell in the opening round. Dean took second at Big Tens on Sunday. He is 20-3 on the year and 9-3 vs. the field.
Redshirt freshman Shayne Van Ness is the No. 12 seed at 149. He will meet No. 21 Ethan Miller of Maryland in his first NCAA tourney battle. Van Ness took fourth at his first Big Ten tourney on Sunday. He is 19-6 on the year and 9-6 vs. the field.
Redshirt freshman Alex Facundo is the No. 13 seed at 165. He will face No. 20 Holden Heller of Pittsburgh in his first NCAA championship match. Facundo placed seventh at his first Big Ten tournament on Sunday. He is 19-4 overall and 4-4 vs. the field.
Penn State has won nine of the last 11 contested NCAA Championships (all since Sanderson's arrival at Penn State, he is in his 14th season). The Nittany Lions have won ten NCAA crowns overall, owning a championship from 1953. Penn State won four-straight team titles in 2011, '12, '13 and '14 and then again in 2016, '17, '18 and '19. Sanderson's crew won the title last season, 2022, in Detroit.
The 2022-23 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 32, Cornell 11, Oklahoma State 10, Ohio State 9, Iowa 7
// Penn State National Finalists Since 2011 -- 45
// Penn State in NCAA Finals Since 2011 -- 32-13 (Since 2011, winning percentage in NCAA finals is .711)
// Penn State in NCAA Semifinals Since 2011 -- 45-6 (Since 2011, winning percentage in NCAA semis is .882)
// Penn State Team Championships Since 2011 -- 9 (of 11, no NCAA tournament in 2020)
// Penn State Percentage of Team Titles Won Since 2011 - .818 (no NCAA tournament in 2020)
// Penn State has 10 NCAA Championships (9 under Sanderson), third most in NCAA history
// Penn State is the only team in the nation to win at least one individual title at EACH WEIGHT in the last decade
// Penn State is one of only two teams in NCAA history to have five individual champions in one year TWICE.
// Penn State's Cael Sanderson has won 9 NCAA titles as a coach, third most in NCAA history
PENN STATE WINS 2023 BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP
The Penn State Nittany Lions rolled through the field in Ann Arbor, Mich., to claim the 2023 Big Ten Championship. Buoyed by four individual champions, Penn State tallied 147.0 points, well ahead of second place Iowa's 134.5. The Nittany Lions won their seventh conference title, all since head coach Cael Sanderson's arrival. The Nittany Lions finished with four champions and two runners-up and qualified nine for the NCAA Championships.
CAEL SANDERSON NAMED B1G COACH OF THE YEAR
Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson has been named Big Ten Coach of the Year. The honor marks the seventh time Sanderson has won the award. He was also Big 12 Coach of the Year once prior to coming to Penn State. Sanderson is one of three Penn State coaches to win the award (John Fritz and Troy Sunderland).
LEVI HAINES NAMED BIG TEN FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
True freshman Levi Haines was named the 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year at the conclusion of the conference championship on March 5. Haines is the eighth Penn Stater to win the award. A Penn Stater has won the honor in three of the last four seasons (Aaron Brooks in 2020, Carter Starocci in 2021 and Haines in 2023).
NITTANY LIONS QUALIFY NINE FOR NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
Penn State, in rolling to the 2023 Big Ten Championship in Ann Arbor, qualified nine wrestlers for the 2023 NCAA Championships in Tulsa, Okla. This marks the 10th time in head coach Cael Sanderson's 14 years at the helm of the program that the team has qualified nine or more for nationals. Qualifiers this year are Roman Bravo-Young (133), Beau Bartlett (141), Shayne Van Ness (149), Levi Haines (157), Alex Facundo (165), Carter Starocci (174), Aaron Brooks (184), Max Dean (197) and Greg Kerkvliet (285).
ROMAN BRAVO-YOUNG BECOMES PENN STATE'S EIGHTH 3X BIG TEN CHAMPION
Roman Bravo-Young went 3-0 with a major decision to become Penn State's eighth three-time Big Ten Champion at the 2023 Big Ten tournament. Bravo-Young majored #18 Brody Teske of Iowa 13-2, beat #11 Dylan Ragusin of Michigan 8-02 and downed #13 Aaron Nagao of Minnesota 5-2 in the finals. Bravo-Young and teammate Aaron Brooks (184) both became three-timers at the event.
AARON BROOKS BECOMES PENN STATE'S NINTH 3X BIG TEN CHAMPION
Aaron Brooks went 3-0 with two majors and a tech fall to become Penn State's ninth three-time Big Ten Champion at the 2023 Big Ten tournament. Brooks opened the tourney with an 18-2 tech fall (5:57) over #14 Brian Soldano of Rutgers, then majored #8 Matt Finesilver of Michigan 18-6 before majoring #5 Kalem Romero of Ohio State in the finals. Brooks and teammate Roman Bravo-Young both became three-timers in Ann Arbor.
CARTER STAROCCI BECOMES A 2X B1G CHAMPION
Carter Starocci dominated the field at the 2023 Big Ten Championship tournament in Ann Arbor, Mich., to become a two-time Big Ten Champion. Starocci went 3-0 with a major to claim the crown. He majored #15 Troy Fisher of Northwestern and beat #8 Bailie O'Reilly of Minnesota 8-2 before posting a dominant 6-1 win over #2 Mike Labriola of Nebraska in the title bout.
TRUE FRESHMAN LEVI HAINES IS A BIG TEN CHAMPION!
True freshman Levi Haines went 3-0 in his first trip to the Big Ten Championship tournament to become a Big Ten Champion at 157 pounds. Haines beat #24 Derek Gilcher of Indiana 6-0 in the quarterfinals and downed #6 Kendall Coleman of Purdue 3-2 in the semifinals. Haines met #1 Peyton Robb of Nebraska in the finals and used a huge takedown early in extra time to post the 3-1 (SV) win and grab the championship. Haines is Penn State's first true freshman B1G champ since teammate Aaron Brooks won his in 2020.
MAX DEAN AND GREG KERKVLIET ARE B1G RUNNERS-UP
Penn State's Max Dean (197) and Greg Kerkvliet (285) were two of the team's six finalists at the 2023 Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich. Dean beat #23 Michael Foy of Minnesota and #12 Jacob Warner of Iowa before suffering an upset loss to #10 Silas Allred of Nebraska in the finals. Kerkvliet majored #16 Tate Orndorff of Ohio State and controlled #5 Tony Cassioppi of Iowa in the semis before dropping a hard-fought 5-3 (sv) decision to #1 Mason Parris of Michigan in extra time in the title bout.
BARTLETT, VAN NESS, FACUNDO ALL PLACE AT big ten
tourney; earn trips to ncaa CHAMPIONSHIPS
Nittany Lions Beau Bartlett (141), Shayne Van Ness (149) and Alex Facundo (165) all earned spots on the podium at the 2023 Big Ten Championships, earning trips to the NCAA tournament in Tulsa, Okla.. Bartlett went 3-1 at 141 and placed third. He beat #28 Cole Mattin of Michigan, #13 Parker Filius of Purdue and #19 Dylan D'Emilio of Ohio State in the third place bout. Van Ness went 4-2 with three majors at 149 to place fourth. He beat Jake Harrier of Illinois, Jaden Reynolds of Purdue, #30 Chance Lamer of Michigan and #28 Graham Rooks of Indiana. His only losses were both to #6 Max Murin of Iowa, including a 3-2 decision in the third-place bout. Facundo posted a 3-2 record and finished seventh at 165. He beat Stony Buell of Purdue, Nick South of Indiana and #25 Dan Braunagel of Illinois in the seventh-place match.
PENN STATE QUALIFIES THREE FRESHMAN FOR 2023 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS IN TULSA
Head coach Cael Sanderson's Penn State Nittany Lions will send three freshmen to the 2023 NCAA Championships in Tulsa. True freshman Levi Haines won the Big Ten title at 157, redshirt freshman Shayne Van Ness placed fourth at 149 and redshirt freshman Alex Facundo was seventh at 165, all grabbing automatic qualifying spots for weekend in Tulsa.
MAX DEAN EARNS 100TH CAREER WIN WITH B1G SEMIFINAL VICTORY OVER IOWA'S JACOB WARNER
Penn State's Max Dean earned the 100th win of his collegiate wrestling career with a 3-1 victory over #12 Jacob Warner of Iowa in the 2023 Big Ten semifinals at 197. Dean is 100-16 overall, including a 43-4 record as a Nittany Lion over the past two seasons.
BRAVO-YOUNG AND DEAN GET WINS IN FINAL DUALS AS PENN STATE DOWNS CLARION
Seniors Roman Bravo-Young and Max Dean each got wins in the final dual meets of their careers as Penn State downed visiting Clarion 40-6 in the dual finale of the 2022-23 season. Wrestled in front of a sold out Rec Hall crowd on Feb. 19, Bravo-Young pinned Mason Prinkey at the 4:31 mark in his final collegiate dual and Dean posted a 9-5 win over Tyler Bagoly in his. The Nittany Lions won nine of ten bouts and had 40 takedowns in the win.
PENN STATE WINS 9TH B1G REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP
Penn State closed out another perfect Big Ten dual season with a 44-3 victory over Rutgers on Feb. 12. The victory clinched another B1G Regular Season title for the Nittany Lions. This marks the ninth time they have won (or shared) the conference's regular season title (all under head coach Cael Sanderson). Penn State's regular season conference title list includes 2012 (co-), 2014 (co-), 2016 (co-), 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 (co-), 2022, and now 2023. This marks the eighth time that Penn State has finished the Big Ten dual season without a loss or tie, the seventh under Sanderson.
NITTANY LIONS WIN 9 OF 10 IN 44-3 ROUT OF MARYLAND
Penn State won nine of ten bouts in a 44-3 rout of visiting Maryland in sold out Rec Hall on Feb. 12. The Nittany Lions rolled up a 39-1 takedown advantage, had three pins and two techs in the lopsided victory. The win capped off an 8-0 Big Ten dual meet regular season as Penn State won its ninth Big Ten Regular Season Championship. Shayne Van Ness posted an impressive 19-4 tech fall over #18 Kal Miller to spark Penn State while Roman Bravo-Young had the other tech. Levi Haines, Alex Facundo and Seth Nevills all had pins in the victory.
PENN STATE DOMINATES RUTGERS IN NEW JERSEY
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestlers won eight of ten bouts in a 33-8 win over homestanding Rutgers in sold out Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, N.J. on Feb. 10. Seven of Penn State's eight wins were for bonus, including a 12-1 major for Beau Bartlett over #15 Joseph Olivieri at 141 and an 18-3 tech fall for Aaron Brooks over #14 Brian Soldano at 184.
STAROCCI HANDLES WASHINGTON AS PENN STATE ROLLS TO WIN AT INDIANA
Carter Starocci forced #15 DJ Washington into three stalls and notched three takedowns in a dominant 11-3 major decision at 174, sparking Penn State to a 35-8 win at Indiana on Feb. 5. Starocci's win was one of eight for the Nittany Lions in the dual. Beau Bartlett picked up a pin in just :12 at 141 and Shayne Van Ness majored #30 Graham Rooks 17-5 at 141. Levi Haines got a win at 157 and Alex Facundo picked up a major at 165. Donovon Ball grabbed a win at 184 after Starocci's major at 174. Max Dean picked up a pin at 197 and Greg Kerkvliet posted a 16-0 tech fall over #28 Jacob Bullock at 285.
NITTANY LIONS ROLL OVER #10 OHIO STATE 29-9 FOR IMPRESSIVE B1G ROAD WIN IN COLUMBUS
The Penn State Nittany Lions rolled into Ohio State's Covelli Center on Feb. 3 and dominated the Buckeyes in a 29-9 win in Columbus. Penn State won eight of ten bouts and gave up only three takedowns in the win. The Nittany Lions eight wins all came over ranked wrestlers, led by Aaron Brooks' 3-2 win over #5 Kaleb Romero at 184. Roman Bravo-Young beat #9 Jesse Mendez 8-2, Beau Bartlett beat #19 Dylan D'Emilio 4-2, Levin Haines majored #25 Paddy Gallagher 14-2, Alex Facundo beat #12 Carson Kharchla 4-1, Carter Starocci dominated #7 Ethan Smith 11-5, Max Dean pinned #17 Gavin Hoffman (4:28) and Greg Kerkvliet majored #18 Tate Orndorff 9-0 (with 4:53 in riding time).
PENN STATE BEATS IOWA IN RECORD-TYING SOLD OUT BJC DUAL; RBY B1G AOW
The Penn State Nittany Lions gave up only two takedowns in a thrilling 23-14 win over visiting Iowa on Jan. 27 in a second sold out BJC Dual. 15,998 fans packed the venue, tying the NCAA indoor dual meet attendance record (also set in the BJC when PSU beat Iowa in 2018), to see the Nittany Lions win six of ten bouts and give up only a couple takedowns in the win. Roman Bravo-Young pinned #17 Brody Teske at 133, Levi Haines beat #15 Cobe Siebrecht 3-2 at 157, Carter Starocci beat #16 Nelson Brands 2-1 at 174, Aaron Brooks teched Drake Rhodes at 184, Max Dean downed #7 Jacob Warner 2-0 at 197 and Greg Kerkvliet beat #3 Tony Cassioppi 4-1 at 285. Bravo-Young was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week (co-) for his efforts in the dual meet.
FRESHMEN STEEN, VAN NESS AND FACUNDO LEAD PENN STATE TO 34-6 WIN OVER MICHIGAN STATE
Two days after three Nittany Lion freshmen won against Michigan, Penn State got a trio of wins out of the rookie class again. This time, Gary Steen (125), Shayne Van Ness (149) and Alex Facundo (165) came up with the victories (Levi Haines did not wrestle in the dual). Steen began the dual by picking up his first Big Ten dual meet victory, a thrilling 3-1 (sv) triumph over #24 Tristan Lujan at 125. Van Ness pinned Braden Stauffenberg at 149 (5:44) and Facundo notched a critical 3-1 (sv) win over #25 Caleb Fish at 165. The Nittany Lions posted a 34-6 dual win, also picking up victories from Roman Bravo-Young (133), Beau Bartlett (141), Carter Starocci (174), Max Dean (197) and Greg Kerkvliet (285).
FRESHMEN VAN NESS, HAINES AND FACUNDO LEAD PENN STATE TO 30-8 WIN OVER MICHIGAN IN BJC DUAL
The Penn State Nittany Lions rolled to a 30-8 win over visiting Michigan in the first BJC Dual of the season on Jan. 20, 2023. Three of Penn State's eight wins came from freshmen making their BJC Dual debuts. Shayne Van Ness rolled to a 14-4 major over Michigan's Fidel Mayora at 149. Levi Haines notched a thrilling 3-1 (sv) win over #10 Will Lewan at 157. Alex Facundo made it three straight for the freshman class with a 5-5 (TB1; RT crit.) victory over #5 Cameron Amine at 165. Roman Bravo Young (133), Beau Bartlett (141), Carter Starocci (174), Aaron Brooks (184) and Max Dean (197) also won for the Nittany Lions. The dual was wrestled in front of 15,975 fans, the sixth-largest crowd for an indoor dual meet in NCAA history (Penn State holds the top seven marks for indoor dual meet attendance records).
HAINES DOWNS #16 MODEL AS PENN STATE ROLLS OVER WISCONSIN IN MADISON
True freshman Levi Haines made his Big Ten dual meet debut in Penn State's conference opener in Madison, Wis., on Jan. 6. Haines posted a convincing 6-6 major over #16 Garrett Model to help spark the Nittany Lions to a lopsided 28-11 win over the homestanding Badgers in a B1G Network national telecast. Roman Bravo-Young majored #27 Taylor LaMont at 133, Max Dean majored #14 Braxton Amos at 197 and Greg Kerkvliet beat #11 Trent Hillger at 285 for three other Penn State ranked wins.
NITTANY LIONS DOWN #5 IOWA STATE IN COLLEGIATE DUALS FINALE
Roman Bravo-Young, carter Starocci and Max Dean each posted wins over ranked foes and Penn State pushed through to a strong 22-12 win over #5 Iowa State in the blue pool finale at the 2022 Collegiate Duals in New Orleans on Dec. 20, 2022. Bravo-Young majored #21 Ramazan Attasauov 10-2 at 133, Starocci controlled #21 Julien Broderson 5-1 at 174 and Dean rolled to a 4-1 win over #2 Yonger Bastida at 197. Penn State also picked up wins from Beau Bartlett (141), Levi Haines (157) and Greg Kerkvliet (285).
NITTANY LIONS ROLL OVER #24 NORTH CAROLINA AT COLLEGIATE DUALS
Penn State won nine of ten bouts in a lop-sided 37-3 win over #22 North Carolina in its second dual at the 2022 Collegiate Duals in New Orleans. After downing Central Michigan 50-3 just prior, Penn State continued its outstanding night in the Morial Convention Center with another win. Beau Bartlett downed #25 Lachlan McNeil 4-1 at 141, Aaron Brooks pinned #17 Gavin Kane in just :54 at 184 and Max Dean majored #31 Max Shaw at 197.
PENN STATE TIES SCHOOL RECORD WITH 7 PINS IN WIN OVER CENTRAL MICHIGAN
The Penn State Nittany Lions tied a school record with seven pins in a rousing 50-3 win over Central Michigan in their first action of the 2022 Collegiate Duals in New Orleans. Roman Bravo-Young (133), Beau Bartlett (141), Shayne Van Ness (149), Levi Haines (157), Carter Starocci (174), Aaron Brooks (184) and Max Dean (197) all recorded pins while Alex Facundo and Seth Nevills had majors. Haines made his Penn State dual debut against the Chippewas. Penn State also had seven pins against Millersville in 1983 and Kent State in 2015.
MAX DEAN DOWNS #11 HARVEY TO LEAD PENN STATE TO 31-3 VICTORY OVER OREGON STATE; NAMED B1G WOW
Max Dean posted a strong 6-3 win over #11 Tanner Harvey at 197 to lead Penn State to a 31-3 victory over visiting Oregon State in sold out Rec Hall. Dean's win was one of nine for Penn State as the Nittany Lions won all four bouts featuring ranked opponents. Penn State also got majors from Roman Bravo-Young and Carter Starocci and a technical fall from Greg Kerkvliet. Dean was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week (12/13/22) for his efforts.
VAN NESS AND KERKVLIET PICK UP BONUS IN RANKED WINS AS LIONS TAME LEHIGH ON THE ROAD
Redshirt freshman Shayne Van Ness notched a first period pin (2:28) over #26 Manzona Bryant IV and Greg Kerkvliet rolled to an 18-0 tech fall (4:01) over #22 Nathan Taylor as Penn State tamed Lehigh 24-12 for another road win. The Nittany Lions won six of ten bouts in the dual. Aaron Brooks beat #22 Tate Samuelson 8-3 and Beau Bartlett downed #30 Malyke Hines 8-4 as well.
VAN NESS DOWNS #24 KINNER AS LIONS ROLL AT RIDER
Penn State freshman Shayne Van Ness dominated #24 Quinn Kinner of Rider to lead the Nittany Lions to a lop-sided 37-3 road victory in New Jersey. The dual, wrestled in front of over 3,000 fans in Trenton's CURE Arena, featured nine Penn State wins. Freshman Gary Steen got his first Lion dual victory at 125, Donovon Ball picked up a dual win at 184 and the Lions had a pin and four majors to roll to the win.
STAROCCI, BROOKS, KERKVLIET DOMINATE AT NWCA ALL-STAR EXHIBITION.
Three Penn State Nittany Lions took part in the NWCA All-Star Exhibition on Nov. 22 in Austin, Tex. No. 1 Carter Starocci took on No. 2 Mekhi Lewis of Virginia Tech at 174 and rolled to a 2-0 win thanks to an escape and a strong third period rideout to clinch riding time. No. 1 Aaron Brooks rolled up five takedowns on his way to a convincing 11-8 win over No. 2 Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa at 184. No. 2 Greg Kerkvliet posted a strong 8-5 win over No. 4 Tony Cassioppi of Iowa, using three takedowns and escape and a riding time point. The event was an exhibition and the results DO NOT COUNT AS WINS/LOSSES FOR ANY WRESTLER NOR TOWARDS RPIs.
MAX DEAN NAMED BLACK KNIGHT INVITE O.W., ONE OF FIVE PENN STATE CHAMPS
Max Dean rolled through the field at the 2022 Black Knight Invite at Army West Point on Nov. 20, going 4-0 with two pins and a tech, including a pin of #25 Trey Rogers of Hofstra in the finals. Dean was one of five Penn State champions at the event, joined by Beau Bartlett (141), Shayne Van Ness (149), Levi Haines (157) and Alex Facundo (165).
PENN STATE PLACES 11 OF 13 AT BLACK KNIGHT
The Nittany Lions took 13 wrestlers to the Black Knight Invite on Nov. 20 and, in addition to the five champions mentioned above, had 11 of its entrants place. Three Nittany Lions advanced to the finals before losing to teammates in a series of three all-PSU title bouts. David Evans took second at 141, Terrell Barraclough was second at 157 and Matt Lee was second at 165. Gary Steen took third at 125 and Donovon Ball was third at 184 while Lucas Cochran placed fifth at 197.
THREE FRESHMEN DEBUT IN PENN STATE'S 44-3 SEASON OPENING WIN OVER LOCK HAVEN
A trio of Penn State redshirt freshmen made their Nittany Lion debuts when Penn State downed visiting Lock Haven 44-3 on Nov. 11. Gary Steen (125), Shayne Van Ness (149) and Alex Facundo (165) all competed in their first Penn State duals in front of a sold out Rec Hall crowd. Shayne Van Ness pinned Connor Eck at the 6:32 mark in his first Lion bout while Alex Facundo tallied 13 takedowns in a 27-12 tech fall (5:35) over Aiden Gaughler. Steen dropped a tough 14-4 bout to #13 Anthony Noto. Penn State had three pins (Van Ness, Max Dean, Greg Kerkvliet), three tech falls (Facundo, Roman Bravo-Young, Aaron Brooks), two majors (Beau Bartlett, Carter Starocci), and Terrell Barraclough downed #28 Ashton Eyler 3-1 at 157.
8 OF 12 LIONS PLACE AT BEARCAT OPEN
Penn State sent 12 wrestlers to Binghamton University on Sunday, Nov. 13, for the Bearcat Open. Eight of the 12 Lions competing placed at the event. Connor Pierce led the way with a second place finish, going 4-0 but dropping the title bout to a non-collegiate entry in the finals. Konner Kraeszig took third at 174, Lucas Cochran took third at 197, David Evans took fifth at 141 (with three pins), Levi Haines took fifth at 157, Joe Lee took fifth at 165, Donovon Ball took fifth at 184 and Levko Higgins placed sixth at 197.
MILESTONES
Individual records and milestones that are in play as of now:
* 250 Career coaching wins (overall career)
Cael Sanderson, 235
* 100 Career Big Ten dual meet coaching wins
Cael Sanderson, 104
* 200 Career coaching wins at Penn State
Cael Sanderson, 191
* 100 Individual Wins
Max Dean, 100
Roman Bravo-Young, 96
