COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team (13-0, 7-0 B1G) rolled over Ohio State (13-3, 5-3 B1G) 27-13 in a Big Ten road dual on Friday night. Penn State rode the momentum of three technical falls to the win in Columbus. The dual was wrestled in front of a sellout crowd of 4,232 in Ohio State’s Covelli Center.
The dual began at 125. True freshman Luke Lilledahl, ranked No. 7 at 125, was leading 6-2 midway through the second period when No. 21 Brendan McCrone connected on a cradle to get the pin at 3:58 and put Ohio State on top 6-0 early. Sophomore Braeden Davis, ranked No. 8 at 133, returned to action and posted a strong 8-5 win over No. 11 Nic Bouzakis, using takedowns in the second and third to grab the victory.
Senior+ Beau Bartlett, ranked No. 3 at 141, took down No. 1 Jesse Mendez in late in the first period and rode it to a 4-2 win over the Buckeye, tying the dual meet at 6-6. Sophomore Shayne Van Ness, ranked No. 2 at 149, battled No. 7 Dylan D’Emilio for seven minutes and used a last second takedown to break a 1-1 tie and post a 4-2 victory to put Penn State back on top in the dual. With No. 1 Tyler Kasak not competing, true freshman Joe Sealey made his Nittany Lion season debut at 157. He dropped a tough 10-1 bout to Brandon Cannon and the Nittany Lions trailed 10-9 at halftime.
Sophomore Mitchell Mesenbrink, ranked No. 1 at 165, zipped through five takedowns in the first period and forced three stalls to roll to a 19-4 technical fall (4:39) over Brock Herman to start the second half. . Junior Levi Haines, ranked No. 2 at 174, battled back from a first period deficit, using a takedown midway through the third period to notch a hard fought 6-4 win over No. 5 Carson Kharchla. Haines’ win put the Nittany Lions up 17-10.
Graduate Carter Starocci, ranked No. 1 at 184, dominated No. 19 Ryder Rogotzke, rolling up seven takedowns in a resounding 22-7 tech fall, getting the tech with 2:02 riding time at 7:00. Redshirt freshman Josh Barr, ranked No. 3 at 197, mirrored Starocci’s performance with his own tech fall. Barr had six takedowns, five in the third period, to roll to a 20-5 tech at 7:00 (with 1:24 in riding time). Barr’s win put Penn State up 27-10. With No. 2 Greg Kerkvliet not competing at 285, true freshman Cole Mirasola made his Penn State dual meet debut against No. 9 Nick Feldman. Mirasola battled Feldman tough but dropped a 10-3 decision and Penn State walked away with a strong 27-13 dual meet victory.
The Nittany Lions dominated the dual meet, posting a 25-6 takedown edge while winning seven bouts. Penn State tallied six bonus points off three technical falls (Mesenbrink, Starocci, Barr).
The Nittany Lions are now 13-0, 7-0 B1G. Ohio State falls to 13-3, 5-3 B1G. The Lions head to Illinois for a dual at 2 p.m. Eastern (1 p.m. local) on Sunday, Feb. 16., to round out the weekend road trip.
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#1 Penn State 27, #6 Ohio State 13
February 14, 2025 – Columbus, Ohio
125: #21 Brendan McCrone OSU pinned #7 Luke Lilledahl PSU, LBF (3:58) 0-6
133: #8 Braeden Davis PSU dec. #11 Nic Bouzakis OSU, 8-5 3-6
141: #3 Beau Bartlett PSU dec. #1 Jesse Mendez OSU, 4-2 6-6
149: #2 Shayne Van Ness PSU dec. #7 Dylan D’Emilio OSU, 4-2 9-6
157: Brandon Cannon OSU maj. dec. Joe Sealey PSU, 10-1 9-10
165: #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink PSU tech fall Brock Herman OSU, 19-4 (TF; 4:39) 14-10
174: #2 Levi Haines PSU dec. #5 Carson Kharchla OSU, 6-4 17-10
184: #1 Carter Starocci PSU tech fall #19 Ryder Rogotzke OSU, 22-7 (TF; 7:00) 22-10
197: #3 Josh Barr PSU tech fall #23 Seth Shumate OSU, 20-5 (TF; 7:00) 27-10
285: #9 Nick Feldman OSU dec. Cole Mirasola PSU, 10-3 27-13
Attendance: 4,232
Records: Penn State (13-0, 7-0 B1G); Ohio State (13-3, 5-3 B1G)
Up Next for Penn State: at Illinois, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2 p.m. Eastern (1 p.m. local)
DUAL MEET BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: True freshman Luke Lilledahl, ranked No. 7 at 125, battled No. 21 Brendan McCrone. Lilledahl scored first, taking McCrone down with a low double at the 2:05 mark to open up a 3-0 lead. Lilledahl controlled action on top for over a minute to build up a riding time edge. He cut McCrone loose at the 1:00 mark and went back to work on offense. Lilledahl quickly napped an ankle with a low double to lead 6-2 at :45 after a quick McCrone escape. Lilledahl forced a late scramble with another shot, but McCrone defended till the end of the period and Lilledahl led 6-2 with 1:17 in time after one. Lilledahl chose down to start the second period. McCrone controlled the action on top for a minute and then locked up a cradle to end the match by fall over Lilledahl at 3:58.
133: Sophomore Braeden Davis, ranked No. 8 at 133, met No. 11 Nic Bouzakis. Davis and Bouzakis worked the middle of the mat for a minute with a stalemate stopping things at 2:10. Davis fought off three Bouzakis throws as the clock hit 1:30. Bouzakis forced a scramble at the 1:15 mark and Davis fought off the move for over a minute, holding tight to Bouzakis’ leg and forcing a stalemate at the :16 mark. Bouzakis chose down to start the second period with the match scoreless and escaped to a 1-0 lead after :30. Davis connected on a low single, forcing a scramble on the Buckeye logo and finishing off the takedown to lead 3-1 at :45. During the scramble, Bouzakis was awarded a reversal and two nearfall but Davis was able to maintain control and Penn State challenged the nearfall in the scramble. The nearfall was saved off and Davis and Bouzakis were tied 3-3 after two periods. Davis chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 4-3 lead. Davis moved in on a low shot and notched a second takedown to up his lead to 7-3. Bouzakis managed another reversal and Davis escaped to an 8-5 lead. He fought off a late Buckeye shot and posted the hard fought 8-5 win.
141: Senior+ Beau Bartlett, ranked No. 3 at 141, took on No. 1 Jesse Mendez. Mendez worked his way in on a high shot at the 2:30 mark and Bartlett muscled his way out of trouble to keep action in neutral through the 2:00. Bartlett maintained position in the middle of the mat as he and Mendez worked through 1:00 on their feet. Bartlett muscled Mendez to the mat, worked to control of his shoulders and finished off a takedown on the edge of the mat with :19 on the clock. He finished the period on top and carried a 3-0 lead into the second. Bartlett chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-0 lead. The duo worked the center of the mat as the clock slid past 1:00. Bartlett maintained his position in neutral through the end of the period and led 4-0 after two. Trailing by four, Mendez chose down to start the third and quickly escaped to a 4-1 score. Bartlett worked his way in on a high single and forced a scramble that nearly led to danger and a takedown. But Mendez fought the effort off, and a stalemate was called at 1:05. Bartlett fought off a quick Mendez shot at :35, giving up a stall warning in the process. Bartlett gave up a stall point at :05 but walked away with a strong 4-2 win.
149: Sophomore Shayne Van Ness, ranked No. 2 at 149, faced No. 7 Dylan D’Emilio. The duo worked in neutral through the opening minute. Van Ness fought off a solid D’Emilio shot at the 1:50 mark and then the Buckeye returned the favor, fighting off Van Ness moves at 1:30 and another at 1:07. Van Ness worked the center of the mat through the remainder of the period and the bout moved to the second period tied 0-0. D’Emilio chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. D’Emilio shot high to Van Ness’ right leg and the Lion forced a stalemate at 1:22. D’Emilio used a high double to lift Van Ness and return him to the mat but Van Ness deftly rolled through the effort and forced a stalemate with 1:00 left in the period. Van Ness, trailing 1-0 after two periods, chose down to begin the third. He worked his way to his feet, tied the score at 1-1 and then moved in on high shot. He nearly took D’Emilio down, but the Buckeye scrambled his way out of bounds at 1:17. Van Ness countered a slight D’Emilio shot at :30, worked his way into control at the :08 mark for the winning takedown. He gave up a locked hands point in the final seconds but walked away with a hard fought 4-2 victory.
157: With No. 1 Tyler Kasak not competing, true freshman Joe Sealey got the call at 157, making his Penn State debut against Brandon Cannon. Sealey, wrestling in his first match of the season, worked the center of the mat. Cannon managed a takedown at the 2:11 mark to open up a 3-1 lead after a quick Sealey escape. The duo worked in neutral through the 1:00 mark. Sealey controlled the pace and action as he looked to snap Cannon’s head down and move in on offense. The first ended in neutral and Sealey trailed 3-1 after one. The Nittany Lion freshman chose down to start the second period. He gave up a stall warning as Cannon worked the clock down to the 1:00 mark. Cannon managed to maintain control of Sealey for the period and also picked up a stall point to lead 4-1 after two. Cannon chose down to start the third and Sealey cut him loose to a 5-1 score. Cannon turned a quick low shot into another takedown to up his lead to 8-1 with riding time clinched.
165: Sophomore Mitchell Mesenbrink, ranked No. 1 at 165, took on Brock Herman. Mesenbrink scored quickly, turning a low shot into a takedown and a 3-0 lead at 2:48. The Nittany Lion sophomore built up :46 in riding time before blood time stopped the action with 2:02 on the clock. Mesenbrink cut Herman loose after the restart and moved in on another single. He finished off the takedown to lead 6-1 at 1:30 and built his riding time up over 1:00 with a strong ride. Mesenbrink cut Herman loose once more at 1:00 and went back to work on offense. He took him down quickly and cut him him loose to a 9-3 lead. Mesenbrink took a 12-3 lead with another score, cut the Buckeye loose with :15 left and added a final late takedown to lead 15-4 after one period. Mesenbrink chose down to start the second period and quickly reversed Herman to lead 17-4. He picked up a stall point at 1:24, upping his margin to 18-4. Mesenbrink controlled action on top, building his time up well over 2:00 while looking for a turn. The Nittany Lion forced one more stall warning and ended the match with a 19-4 technical fall at 4:39.
174: Junior Levi Haines, ranked No. 2 at 174, met No. 5 Carson Kharchla. Kharchla worked hi way in on low shot, forcing a scramble that lasted through the 2:00 mark. The Buckeye finished off the takedown and led 3-1 after a quick Haines escape at 1:30. Haines Kharchla connected on another high single and Haines forced a stalemate at :46. The first period ended in neutral and Haines trailed 3-1 after one. Haines chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-2 score. Haines began working quick singles and Kharchla defended the efforts as the clock moved below 1:00. Kharchla countered a Haines shot at :50 and Haines forced a stalemate with :37 left in the period. Leading 3-2 after two, Kharchla chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 4-2 lead. Haines Haines scrambled his way through a shot and took a 5-4 lead with a takedown at 1:15. He then worked to turn the Buckeye to his back as the clock hit :40. Haines controlled the action on top, looking to turn Kharchla and building his riding time up over 1:00. He finished the period on top and, with 1:08 in time, posted the 6-4 win.
184: Graduate Carter Starocci, ranked No. 1 at 184, battled No. 19 Ryder Rogotzke. Starocci moved through a low shot at 2:30 and Rogotzke was able to scramble his way to a stoppage. The duo worked in neutral with Starocci forcing the Buckeye towards the outside circle before he slid down and nabbled both Buckeye ankles for a takedown and a 3-0 lead with 1:25 on the clock. Starocci cut the Buckeye loose on a reset and went back to work on offense. He used a low shot for control and took a 6-1 lead at the :30 mark. Rogotzke managed a late escape and Starocci led 6-2 after one. Rogotzke chose down to start the second, Starocci let him loose and immediately moved in for a third takedown and a 9-3 lead. Starocci, after another cut, muscled Rogotzke to the mat for a fourth takedown and a 12-4 lead with 1:00 left in the period. He built his time up to 1:30 before cutting the Buckeye loose on a reset with :35 left in the period. Starocci took a 15-5 lead with a fifth takedown, cut him loose at :15 and led 15-6 after two periods. Starocci chose neutral to start the third period. Starocci took an 18-6 lead at 1:30, cut Rogotzke loose and went back to work on offense. Starocci took a high shot and finished off a tkedown at :10. He finished the period on top and, with 2:05 in time, posted the 22-7 tech fall at 7:00.
197: Redshirt freshman Josh Barr, ranked No. 3 at 197, faced No. 23 Seth Shumate. The duo battled evenly for the opening minute-plus, with Barr looking to hold position on the Buckeye log. Shumate fought off two Barr shots as time slipped past 1:00 to keep the match scoreless. The first period ended in a scoreless tie. Barr chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Barr began pressing Shumate backwards, with the Buckeye scrambling away from the Lion’s shots. Barr turned a low single into a scramble with 1:20 on the clock and took a 4-0 lead with a takedown at :58. Barr broke Shumate down on a reset with :35 on the clock and finished the period on top to lead 4-0 with :49 riding time after two. Trailing by four, Shumate chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 4-1 score. Barr moved back in on offense and zipped through a fast, low double on the edge of the mat for another takedown to lead 7-2 after cutting Shumate loose. He added two more takedowns in the next :40 to lead 13-4 at :45. Barr upped his lead to 16-5 lead with another takedown and then picked up a final takedown with :03 left in the bout. Hie added 1:24 in riding time, and with the bonus point, notched the strong 20-5 tech fall at 7:00.
285: With No. 2 Greg Kerkvliet not competing, true freshman Cole Mirasola made his Penn State dual meet debut and took on No. 9 Nick Feldman. Feldman scored quickly, using a high shot to take a 3-1 lead after a quick Mirasola escape. Mirasola nearly connected on a low single shortly after that but Feldman countered his way to stoppage and the match continued in neutral. The duo finished the period in neutral and Mirasola trailed 3-1 after the opening stanza, with Mirasola nearly connecting on a late shot (with time running out). Feldman chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 4-1 lead. Feldman connected on a low single at 1:40 and took a 7-1 lead. Mirasola escaped to a 7-2 score with 1:12 on the clock. Mirasola and Feldman battled in neutral for the rest of the period and the Nittany Lion trailed by five after two. Mirasola chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 7-3 score at 1:32. Mirasola turned a low shot into a scramble with :30 left in the bout but Feldman countered for a takedown and a 10-3 win.