TULSA, Okla. – The Penn State Nittany wrestling team went 7-0 in the quarterfinals during a perfect third session at the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Tulsa's BOK Center. All seven became All-Americans with their wins and advanced to tonight's national semifinals. Penn State also went 2-0 in consolation action to finish off the perfect session.
Penn State extended its lead in the team race. The Nittany Lions sit in first place with 78.0 points. Iowa is in second place with 48.0 while Cornell is in third with 45.5.
Roman Bravo-Young, the No. 1 seed at 133, took on No. 8 Aaron Nagao of Minnesota in the first of Penn State's seven quarterfinal match-ups. Bravo-Young fought off an early Nagao shot and worked the remainder of the opening period in neutral. Tied 0-0, Nagao chose down to start the second period and Bravo-Young controlled the Gopher for the full period. He got hit with stalling once during the ride and had 1:57 riding time after the period ended. Bravo-Young chose down to start the third period and steadily worked his way to a reversal and a 2-1 lead after a Nagao escape. Bravo-Young added a penalty point and nearly 2:00 in riding time to post the 4-1 victory and advance to the semifinals tonight. He becomes a five-time All-American with the victory, Penn State's second-ever five-timer (Nick Lee).
Beau Bartlett, the No. 6 seed at 141, faced No. 3 Aaron Matthews of Pittsburgh in his quarterfinal bout. Bartlett battled Matthews evenly for the opening period, with both wrestlers working on their feet on the NCAA logo. Tied 0-0, Bartlett chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead (nearly reversing the Panther in the process). His escape was the only scoring of the period and he led by one after two. Matthews chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Bartlett worked a scramble into a near takedown late but time ran out on the move and the bout moved to sudden victory. Bartlett and Matthews worked in neutral for the sudden victory period, sending the bout to a tie-breaker. Bartlett was down first and could not escape. Matthews chose neutral and worked the outside circle until Bartlett was able to bring him into the center and work through a low double in the final seconds for a takedown. The last second flourish moved Bartlett into the semifinals with a 3-1 (sv) decision and earned the Nittany Lion his first All-American honor.
Redshirt freshman Shayne Van Ness, the No. 13 seed at 149, took on No. 20 Graham Rooks of Indiana in the quarters. Rooks connected on a quick single to take a 2-1 lead early in the opening stanza. Van Ness pressured the Hoosier to the outside circle after his escape and got in on a shot but Rooks countered for a score and a 4-2 lead with :30 left. Rooks chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 5-2 lead at 1:48. He added a third takedown to lead 7-3. Van Ness escaped to a 7-4 score to start the third period and then picked up a stall point. He moved in for a takedown on the edge of the mat to tie the bout at 7-7 and added two nearfall to take a 9-7 lead with 1:24 remaining. Van Ness finished the bout in control and added a riding time point to post the thrilling 10-7 victory. The win moved him into the semifinals and earned him All-America honors as a freshman.
True freshman Levi Haines, the No. 2 seed at 157, faced No. 7 Bryce Andonian of Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals. Haines worked his way in on a single quickly and took Andonian to the mat but the Hokie countered the move for a takedown and four near fall points to lead 6-1 early. Haines worked a shot into a late scramble but Andonian countered himself out of trouble and Haines trailed by five after one. Haines chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 6-2 score. Haines worked his way through a shot for another takedown to cut the lead to 7-4 after cutting the Hokie loose. He then bulled through a second takedown and finished the period on top to trail 7-6 after two. Andonian chose down to start the third period and Haines cut him loose to an 8-6 deficit. The Nittany Lion freshman then lifted Andonian off the ground once more and tied the match at 8-8 with a takedown. Haines then worked control into a chance to turn the Hokie to his back. He swiftly moved Andonian's shoulders to the mat and got the fall at the 6:11 mark. The pin moved him into the semifinals and earned him All-America honors as a true freshman.
Carter Starocci, the No. 1 seed at 174, battled No. 8 Bailee O'Reilly of Minnesota in the quarterfinals. Starocci worked through a low single, collecting both of O'Reilly's ankles for a takedown and an early 2-0 lead. He turned a low single into a scramble and finished off a second takedown as time ran out to lead 4-1 after the opening period. Starocci chose down and escaped quickly to a 5-1 lead, an edge he would hold into the third stanza. O'Reilly chose down to start the third period and worked his way to an escape, cutting Starocci's lead to 5-2. But the Nittany Lion junior was steady in the neutral position and moved into the semifinals with a 5-2 decision. The victory also made Starocci a three-time All-American.
Aaron Brooks, the No. 3 seed at 184, took on No. 6 Kaleb Romero of Ohio State in the quarters. Brooks set a fast pace, forcing Romero to the outside circle for the first two minutes. Brooks fought off a slight Romero shot as the period ended and the bout was tied 0-0 after one. Brooks chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. He continued to shoot Romero to the outside circle. Brooks was resilient, however, and finished off a last second takedown to lead 3-0 after two periods. Romero chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 3-1 score. Romero continued to live on the edge of the mat as Brooks worked on offense. Brooks finally forced the stall point and rolled on to the 4-1 victory. The win not only advanced the Nittany Lion to the semifinals but it made him a four-time All-American.
Greg Kerkvliet, the No. 3 seed at 285, faced No. 11 Trent Hillger of Wisconsin in Penn State's final quarterfinal match of the day. Kerkvliet set the pace from the opening whistle and spent over two minutes chasing Hillger to the outside circle. The Lion was hit with stalling for pushing the Badger out but the first period ended in a 0-0 tie. Kerkvliet chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Kerkvliet continued to work his offense and notched a fast late takedown to lead 3-0 after two. Hillger chose down to start the third period and Kerkvliet dominated the action on top. He rode the Badger for the full two minutes and, with 2:20 in riding time, moved into the semifinals with a strong 4-0 victory. Kerkvliet also became a three-time All-American with the win.
Max Dean, the No. 9 seed at 197, faced No. 26 Gavin Hoffman of Ohio State in his first consolation bout of the session. Dean battled Hoffman through a scoreless first period and then chose down to start the second. The Nittany Lion senior escaped quickly to lead 1-0. He then worked his way through a single leg and turned the effort into a takedown and a 3-0 lead. Dean added another takedown and riding time in the third and moved on in conso action with a 6-0 victory. Dean battled No. 18 Tanner Harvey of Oregon State in his next bout. Harvey scored first to take a 2-1 lead in the first minute. Dean answered with a takedown of his own after a short scramble to lead 3-2. But Harvey reversed the Lion to lead 4-3 with :40 on the clock. Dean escaped to send the bout to the second tied 4-4. Dean escaped to start the second period, taking a 5-4 lead. Dean turned a low shot into a takedown and a 7-4 lead with :45 left in the period. Leading by three, Dean built his riding time up over 1:00 to start the third period, added a final takedown and rolled to the 10-5 decision. The victory moved him one step closer to All-America status as he remained alive in consolation action.
Redshirt freshman Alex Facundo, the No. 13 seed at 165, ended his tournament yesterday with two tough losses. Facundo finished his first season in the Nittany Lion line-up with a 19-6 overall record.
The Nittany Lions went 9-0 in session three and hit the event's midway point with an outstanding 24-3 overall mark. Penn State has collected 13.0 bonus points off five falls and three majors. Penn State's seven semifinalists is a school record.
Action continues with sessions four at 8:00 p.m. (ESPN) tonight, Friday, March 17; and sessions five and six at 11:00 a.m. (ESPNU) and 7:00 p.m. (ESPN) on Saturday, March 18 (all times Eastern).
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.
Penn State at 2023 NCAA Championships– Session 3
March 17, 2023 – BOK Center – Tulsa, Okla.
Team Standings (Top 3 after session 3)
1: PENN STATE – 78.0
2: Iowa – 48.0
3: Cornell – 45.5
Weight-by-weight agate (RANKINGS LISTED ARE OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT SEED):
133: #1 Roman Bravo-Young, Sr., Tucson, Ariz./Sunnyside – All-American
Rd. 1: #33 Ethan Oakley, Appalachian State – W, 12-3 maj. dec.
Rd. 2: #17 Brayden Palmer, Chattanooga – W, 5-2 dec.
Qtr: #8 Aaron Nagao, Minnesota – W, 5-1 dec.
Semi: #4 Michael McGee, Arizona State – tonight
Bravo-Young took on No. 33 Ethan Oakley of Appalachian State in the opening round. Bravo-Young quickly took Oakley down to start the match, built up riding time and then added a second takedown to lead 4-1 after one. He added an escape and a takedown to lead 7-1 after two periods and rolled through the third period with two takedowns. He added over 4:00 in riding time to post the 12-3 major decision.
Roman battled No. 17 Brayden Palmer of Chattanooga in Penn State's first second-round match-up of session two. Bravo-Young scored quickly, taking Palmer down in the opening seconds then adding a second takedown at the midway point of the first period. He led 4-2 after one, then worked his riding time up over 1:00 to start the second period. Bravo-Young controlled Palmer for the entire middle stanza and led 4-2 with 2:36 in time after two. After a neutral start in the third, Bravo-Young finished the bout on his feet and rolled into the quarterfinals with a 5-2 win.
See above story for this session's recap.
141: #6 Beau Bartlett, Jr., Tempe, Ariz./Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) – All-American
Rd. 1: #27 Shannon Hanna, Campbell – W, 9-2 dec.
Rd. 2: #11 Clay Carlson, South Dakota State – W, 3-2 dec.
Qtr: #3 Cole Matthews, Pittsburgh – W, 3-1 (sv)
Semi: #2 Andrew Alirez, Northern Colorado – tonight
Bartlett met No. 27 Shannon Hanna of Campbell in the opening round. Bartlett scored quickly, taking a 2-0 lead with a takedown in the opening seconds. He added a second takedown in the opening period to lead 4-1 after one. Hanna scored the only point of the second period with an escape. Bartlett capped off the win with an escaped, takedown and riding time in the third period to roll into the second round with a 9-2 win.
Beau battled No. 11 Clay Carlson of South Dakota State in round two. Bartlett had a chance early on a single leg but Carlson defended the move and the first period ended in a 0-0 tie. Bartlett escaped to a 1-0 lead quickly in the second period and then tacked on a takedown with :45 on the clock to move out to a 3-0 lead. Bartlett finished the period on top and led 3-0 with :31 in time after two periods. Carlson escaped to a 3-1 score to start the third stanza, picked up a stall point and Bartlett finished the match on his feet. He moved into the quarterfinals with a 3-2 victory.
See above story for this session's recap.
149: #12 Shayne Van Ness, Fr., Somerville, N.J./Blair Academy – All-American
Rd. 1: #21 Ethan Miller, Maryland – WBF (6:26)
Rd. 2: #5 Paniro Johnson, Iowa State – W, 14-8 dec.
Qtr: #20 Graham Rooks, Indiana – W, 10-7 dec.
Semis: #1 Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell – tonight
Van Ness took on No. 21 Ethan Miller of Maryland in round one. Van Ness gave up an early takedown, a two point near fall and then another four-point turn to trail 8-0 after one period. He notched an escape to trail 8-1 after two periods. Van Ness went on an offensive torrent in the third period. The Nittany Lion rolled off four takedowns in the first 1:30 of the stanza to nearly erase the early eight-point deficit. After his fourth of the period, Van Ness worked Miller to his back, settling in briefly and ended the comeback with a fall at the 6:26 mark.
Shayne met No. 5 Paniro Johnson of Iowa State in the second round. Van Ness worked the first two minutes in neutral and then attacked, working through a shot for a takedown and moving Johnson to his back for four nearfall points. With Van Ness up 6-0, Johnson began the second period with a reversal and a takedown, cutting Van Ness' lead to 8-4. After Johnson got hit with a stall warning, Van Ness worked his way around the Cyclone for another takedown, picked up a stall point and led 11-4 with 1:44 in time after two. Van Ness began the third with a takedown and worked his way to a dominant 14-8 victory and a trip to the quarterfinals.
See above story for this session's recap.
157: #2 Levi Haines, Fr., Arendtsville, Pa./Biglerville – All-American
Rd. 1: #31 Ashton Eyler, Lock Haven – W, 10-3 dec.
Rd. 2: #15 Jacob Wright, Wyoming – W, 8-2 dec.
Qtr: #7 Bryce Andonian, Virginia Tech – WBF (6:11)
Semi: #3 Peyton Robb, Nebraska – tonight
Haines battled No. 31 Ashton Eyler of Lock Haven in the opening round. Haines notched the first takedown at the 1:35 mark and added a second takedown with just :15 left in the opening period to lead 4-1 after one. Haines added an escape and a takedown to lead 7-2 after two periods. After an Eyler escape early in the third, Haines added a fourth takedown and nearly 2:00 in riding time to roll to the 10-3 win.
Levi faced No. 15 Jacob Wright of Wyoming in the second round. Haines notched a takedown a minute into the bout to lead 2-1 early and carried that lead into the second period. He quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead to start the period then moved through a low shot for another takedown and a 5-1 lead with 1:20 on the clock. He finished the period on top to carry 1:18 in riding time into the third period. Wright picked up an escape point in the third but Haines would add a final takedown and 1:40 in riding time to post the strong 8-2 win and advance to the quarterfinals.
See above story for this session's recap.
165: #13 Alex Facundo, Fr., Essexville, Mich./Davison – DNP – Season complete (19-6)
Rd. 1: #20 Holden Heller, Pittsburgh – L, 3-5 dec.
Cn. 1: #4 Julian Ramirez, Cornell – L, 2-12 maj. dec.
Facundo met No. 20 Holden Heller of Pitt in the first round. Facundo was in deep on a shot late in the first period, but Heller was able to work his way out of bounds for a reset and the bout moved to the second stanza tied 0-0. Heller escaped to start the third period and worked his way through a scramble to open up a 3-1 lead midway through the second stanza. Facundo escaped to start the third period, cutting the lead to 3-2. He nearly took Heller down to grab the lead but Heller countered for a takedown and a 5-2 edge late in the period. Facundo escaped with :15 left and was working on a late takedown but time expired, dropping him into consolation action with a 5-3 loss.
Alex met No. 4 Julian Ramirez of Cornell in the first round of consolation action. Ramirez took Facundo down early to take a 2-1 lead in the opening minute. Facundo looked to work in on a low single but Ramirez countered and eventually worked his way to a second takedown and a 4-1 lead after one. Facundo escaped quickly to start the second period, the only point of the middle stanza. Ramirez tacked on an escape to start the third and then added a takedown, four near fall and a riding time point to post the 12-2 win. Facundo's loss ended his first NCAA tournament with an 0-2 mark. He finishes the season with a 19-6 record.
See above story for this session's recap.
174: #1 Carter Starocci, Jr., Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep – All-American
Rd. 1: #33 John Worthing, Clarion – WBF (1:21)
Rd. 2: #17 Donnell Washington, Indiana – W, 4-0 dec.
Qtr: #8 Bailee O'Reilly, Minnesota – W, 5-2 dec.
Semi: #4 Chris Foca, Cornell – tonight
Starocci met No. 33 John Worthing of Clarion in the first round. Starocci worked quickly against Worthing, taking the Golden Eagle down in the opening seconds. He controlled Worthing's arm, turned him to his back and settled in for the fast fall at the 1:21 mark to advance to the second round.
Carter battled No. 17 Donnell Washington of Indiana in round two. Starocci worked neutral for the bulk of the first period and broke through Washington's defense for a late takedown and a 2-0 lead late in the period. He escaped quickly to start the third period, upping his lead to 3-0, and chased Washington to the outside circle for the rest of the period. Starocci led 3-0 after two periods and Washington chose down to begin the period. Starocci controlled Washington for the entire period and, with 2:13 in riding time, rolled into the quarters with a 4-0 win.
See above story for this session's recap.
184: #3 Aaron Brooks, Sr., Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown – All-American
Rd. 1: #30 Matthew Waddell, Chattanooga – W, 13-4 maj. dec.
Rd. 2: #14 Will Feldkamp, Clarion – WBF (4:59)
Qtr: #6 Kaleb Romero, Ohio State – W, 4-1 dec.
Semi: #2 Trent Hidlay, North Carolina State – tonight
Brooks faced No. 30 Matthew Waddell of Chattanooga in round one. Brooks took Waddell down quickly and added a second takedown later in the first period to lead 4-1 with 1:15 in riding time after one. He reversed Waddell to start the second period, upping his lead to 6-1. Brooks added a third takedown to lead 8-2 with over 2:00 in time after the second stanza. Brooks tacked on two more takedowns and 3:40 in riding time to roll into the second round with a 13-4 major decision.
Aaron met No. 14 Will Feldkamp of Clarion in round two. Brooks scored quickly, taking Feldkamp down to lead 2-1 in the opening minute. He carried that lead into the second period and escaped to begin the middle stanza, taking a 3-1 lead. Brooks scrambled to a second takedown at the 1:10 mark and opened up a 5-2 lead midway through the middle stanza. Brooks continued to work on offense and turned a last second takedown into a pinning opportunity. With just :01 left on the clock, Brooks got the fall at 4:59 to move into the quarterfinals.
See above story for this session's recap.
197: #9 Max Dean, Sr., Lowell, Mich./Lowell
Rd. 1: #24 Levi Hopkins, Campbell – W, 6-1 dec.
Rd. 2: #8 Silas Allred, Nebraska – L, 2-7 dec.
Cn. 2: #26 Gavin Hoffman, Ohio State – W, 6-0 dec.
Cn. 3: #18 Tanner Harvey, Oregon State – W, 10-5 dec.
Cn. Qtr: #11 Jaxon Smith, Maryland – tonight
Dean took on No. 24 Levi Hopkins of Campbell in the opening round. Dean and Hopkins battled through an even first period with neither wrestler threatening. Dean escaped quickly to start the second stanza, taking a 1-0 lead. He turned a short scramble in the middle of the mat into a takedown and a 3-0 lead with :50 left in the period to lead by that score after two. Hopkins chose neutral to start the third period but Dean quickly took him down to a 5-0 lead, working his riding time over 1:00, and rolled to the 6-1 victory.
Max battled No. 8 Silas Allred of Nebraska in the second round. Allred drew first blood with a takedown midway through the opening period and Dean nearly reversed him after the score. But Allred worked his way out of bounds and Dean settled for an escape and trailed 2-1 after one. Dean chose down to start the second period and worked his way to an escape and a 2-2 tie (keeping Allred's riding time edge below 1:00). Allred managed a late takedown and led 4-2 after two periods. After a neutral Allred start, Dean nearly scrambled to takedowns twice but each time Allred was able to escape out of bounds. The Husker added a last second counter takedown and Dean fell into consolation action with the 7-2 loss.
See above story for this session's recap.
285: #3 Greg Kerkvliet, Jr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley – All-American
Rd. 1: #30 Hayden Copass, Purdue – WBF (0:34)
Rd. 2: #14 A.J. Nevills, South Dakota State – W, 14-2 maj. dec.
Qtr: #11 Trent Hillger, Wisconsin – W, 4-0 dec.
Semi: #2 Wyatt Hendrickson, Air Force – tonight
Kerkvliet faced No. 30 Hayden Copass of Purdue in round one. Kerkvliet ended the bout quickly. He used a quick low single to work his way into a cradle, turned Copass quickly to his back and got the fall in just :34. Kerkvliet's fast fall moved him into the second round.
Greg faced No. 14 A.J. Nevills of South Dakota State in the second round. Kerkvliet took Nevills down quickly and added four back points off the initial move to open up a 6-1 lead early. He added a second takedown at 1:00 and worked his riding time edge well over 1:00. Kerkvliet finished the period on top and led 8-1 after one. He added a stall point and another takedown to lead 11-2 with nearly 3:00 in riding time after two periods. He opted for down to start the third and quickly reversed Nevills to lead 13-2. He finished the period on top and, with 4:30 in riding time, posted the convincing 14-2 major decision to become Penn State's seventh quarterfinalist.
See above story for this session's recap.
