Parents: KRYSTAL AND GREG KERKVLIET
Major: RECREATION, PARK AND TOURISM MANAGEMENT
Athletic: Three-time All-American (2021, 2022, 2023)...All-American as a freshman...Placed seventh at 285 as a freshman in first trip to NCAAs...Fourth place finish as a sophomore to become two-timer....2023 NCAA National Runner-Up.
2022-23 / JUNIOR SEASON:
Season: Went 19-3 on the year, including 13-1 mark in duals meets...Had four majors, six techs and three pins...Big Ten Runner-Up, All-American and NCAA National Runner-Up.
Lock Haven (11/11): Lock Haven (11/11): Capped off Penn State’s season opening win with a first period pin of LHU’s Ethan Miller (1:21). NWCA Exhibition (11/22): Downed #4 Tony Cassioppi of Iowa 8-5 in exhibition match (not official result). Rider (12/2): Majored David Szuba 11-1 with over 5:00 in riding time. Lehigh (12/4): Rolled to 18-0 tech fall over #22 Nathan Taylor (4:01). Oregon State (12/11): Rolled to an 18-2 tech fall over J.J. Dixon (6:08). Collegiate Duals (12/19-20): Notched 17-1 tech fall (4:27) over UNC’s Brandon Whitman. Received a forfeit victory in Penn State’s 22-12 win over #5 Iowa State. Wisconsin (1/6): Notched 6-2 win over #11 Trent Hillger. Michigan (1/20): Gave up late takedown in 3-1 loss to #2 Mason Parris. Michigan State (1/22): Dominated Ryan Vasbinder, notching 19-4 tech fall at 6:15. Iowa (1/27): Notched match’s only takedown in a convincing 3-1 win over #3 Tony Cassioppi in thrilling BJC Dual meet victory. Ohio State (2/3): Rolled up 4:53 of riding time in 9-0 major over #18 Tate Orndorff. Indiana (2/5): Rolled to a 16-0 tech fall (3:59) over #28 Jacob Bullock. Rutgers (2/10): Picked up a first period tech fall, 16-0, over Kyle Epperly at the 2:06 mark. Clarion (2/19): Pinned Austin Chapman (5:21) in dual finale.
Big Ten Championships (3/4-5): Lost hard-fought sudden victory match, 5-3, to #1 Mason Parris of Michigan in the Big Ten Championship bout at Michigan, finishing as runner-up. Majored #16 Tate Orndorff of Ohio State 9-1 and handled #3 Tony Cassioppi of Iowa 5-0 in semifinals.
NCAA Championships (3/16-18): Earned his first trip to the national finals with a 4-1 run in Tulsa. Became a three-time All-American with four straight wins, including a first round pin and a second round major. Beat #11 Trent Hillger of Wisconsin 4-0 in the quarterfinals before taking down #2 Wyatt Hendrickson of Air Force 4-2 in the semis. Lost 5-1 to #1 Mason Parris of Michigan in the finals.
2021-22 / SOPHOMORE SEASON:
Season: Went 22-3 as a sophomore with five majors, three tech falls and six majors...Became two-time All-American with fourth place finish at NCAAs.
Sacred Heart (11/13): Pinned Mark Blokh (3:57) in first action of the season. Oregon State (11/13): Dominated #24 Gary Traub, rolling to a 16-0 tech fall (5:58)...Named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week (11/16). Army West Point (11/18): Posted 14-3 major over Brandon Phillips. Collegiate Duals (12-20-21): Went 3-0 at Collegiate Duals, including a major over UNI’s Tyrell Gordon, a win over #19 Lewis Fernandes of Cornell and a major over Arizona State’s Chad Porter. Maryland (1/7): Rolled to an 18-3 tech fall (4:42) over #26 Zach Schrader in Big Ten opener at Maryland. Indiana (1/9): Posted 20-3 tech fall (4:59) against Jacob Bullock in Rec Hall. Rutgers (2/16): First period pin of Alex Esposito (1:45). Michigan (1/21): Posted impressive 8-5 win over #2 Mason Parris. Michigan State (1/23): Pinned MSU’s Brad Wilton in the first period (1:58). Ohio State (2/4): Majored #13 Tate Orndorff 10-2 with 2:52 in riding time to cap off Penn State’s BJC Dual win over the Buckeyes. Nebraska (2/6): Strong 8-2 win over #12 Colton Schultz. Rider (2/20): Pinned David Szuba early in the first period (1:11) of the dual finale.
Big Ten Championship (4-1, 3rd Place, NCAA Qualifier): Went 4-1 at Big Ten tournament to place third, only loss a sudden victory defeat in the semis; pinned Maryland’s Zach Schrader (2:13), beat #11 Christian Lance of Nebraska before 6-4 (sv) loss to #3 Tony Cassioppi of Iowa in semis, then beat #10 Lucas Davison of Northwestern and #3 Mason Parris of Michigan 5-3 for third place.
NCAA Championships (4-1, 4th Place, All-American): Became two-time All-American, placing fourth at 285 with a 4-1 mark. Pinned #29 Brandon Metz of North Dakota State (4:17), majored #13 Tate Orndorff of Ohio State and beat #12 Christian Lance of Nebraska to advance to semifinals. Lost tough 8-3 decision to #1 Gable Steveson of Minnesota in semis then all but clinched Penn State’s 10th NCAA team championship with impressive 6-1 win over #7 Mason Parris of Michigan in conso semifinals.
2020-21 / REDSHIRT FRESHMAN SEASON:
Season: Posted a 10-4 overall record, beginning his season on the last day of the regular season...Had six majors, two pins and a tech..Went 4-2 in first trip to nationals to become an All-American.
Maryland (2/22): Returned from injury to Penn State and collegiate debut with two pins against Maryland. Pinned Garrett Kappes (1:12) in the dual meet and Bryan Bones (1:18) in extra bouts.
Big Ten Championships (4-2, 4th, NCAA Qualifier): Went 4-2 at first Big Ten Championships and placed fourth to qualify for NCAAs as a freshman. Three of his wins were major decisions, including a 10-2 major over #12 Christian Lance of Nebraska. Also beat #13 Trent Hillger of Wisconsin 7-3.
NCAA Championships (4-2, 7th, All-American): After being cleared to compete the day before Penn State’s final dual meet of the season on Feb. 21, Kerkvliet became an All-American as a freshman with a 4-2 run through his first NCAA Championship. Opened tourney with a tech fall over #24 Jonathan Birchmeier of Navy and a major over #8 Jordan Wood of Lehigh before losing 7-4 to #1 Gable Steveson of Minnesota in quarters. Majored #29 Austin Harris of Oklahoma State and #21 Tate Orndorff of Ohio State in the seventh-place bout to become an All-American.
2019-20 / REDSHIRT SEASON:
Season: Competed in open tournaments as an unattached wrestler...Went 8-0 with five pins and a major.
HIGH SCHOOL / PERSONAL:
Was a U23 World Wrestling Championships qualifier, advancing to the bronze medal match...Was a four-time Minnesota state champion..Went unbeaten his senior season which ended with a first-period pin the state finals...Suffered only one loss as a sophomore and a junior...Was a cadet World Champion (2017) and two-time finalist...Was a Junior World silver medalist (2018) and a USA Junior National Champion (2018).
KERKVLIET MATCH-BY-MATCH
2022-23
Date Wt. Result Opponent Place Rec
11/11 285 WBF Ethan Miller, Lock Haven (1:21) dual 1-0
12/2 285 W, 11-1 David Szuba, Rider (major) dual 2-0
12/4 285 W, 18-0 #22 Nathan Taylor, Lehigh (TF; 4:01) dual 3-0
12/11 285 W, 18-2 J.J. Dixon, Oregon State (TF; 6:08) dual 4-0
12/19 285 W, 17-1 Brandon Whitman, North Carolina (TF; 4:27) dual 5-0
12/20 285 W, forfeit Win by forfeit, Iowa State dual 6-0
1/6 285 W, 6-2 #11 Trent Hillger, Wisconsin dual 7-0
1/20 285 L, 1-3 #2 Mason Parris, Michigan dual 7-1
1/22 285 W, 19-4 Ryan Vasbinder, Michigan State (TF; 6:15) dual 8-1
1/27 285 W, 3-1 #3 Tony Cassioppi, Iowa dual 9-1
2/3 285 W, 9-0 #18 Tate Orndorff, Ohio State (major) dual 10-1
2/5 285 W, 16-0 #28 Jacob Bullock, Indian (TF; 3:59) dual 11-1
2/10 285 W, 16-0 Kyle Epperly, Rutgers (TF; 2:06) dual 12-1
2/19 285 WBF Austin Chapman, Clarion (5:21) dual 13-1
3/4 285 W, 9-1 #16 Tate Orndorff, Ohio State (major) B1G 14-1
3/4 285 W, 5-0 #3 Tony Cassioppi, Iowa B1G 15-1
3/5 285 L, 3-5 (sv) #1 Mason Parris, Michigan B1G (2nd) 15-2
3/16 285 WBF #30 Hayden Copass, Purdue (0:34) NCAA 16-2
3/16 285 W, 14-2 #14 A.J. Nevills, South Dakota St. (maj.) NCAA 17-2
3/17 285 W, 4-0 #11 Trent Hillger, Wisconsin NCAA 18-2
3/17 285 W, 4-2 #2 Wyatt Hendrickson, Air Force NCAA 19-2
3/18 285 L, 1-5 #1 Mason Parris, Michigan NCAA (2nd) 19-3
2021-22
Date Wt. Result Opponent Place Rec
11/13 285 WBF Mark Blokh, Sacred Heart (3:57) dual 1-0
11/13 285 W, 16-0 #24 Gary Traub, Oregon State (5:58) dual 2-0
11/18 285 W, 14-3 Brandon Phillips, Army (major) dual 3-0
12/20 285 W, 12-1 Tyrell Gordon, Northern Iowa (major) dual 4-0
12/20 285 W, 5-0 #19 Lewis Fernandes, Cornell dual 5-0
12/21 285 W, 9-0 Chad Porter, Arizona State (major) dual 6-0
1/7 285 W, 18-3 #26 Zach Schrader, Maryland (TF) dual 7-0
1/9 285 W, 20-3 Jacob Bullock, Indiana (TF; 4:59) dual 8-0
1/16 285 WBF Alex Esposito, Rutgers (1:45) dual 9-0
1/21 285 W, 8-5 #2 Mason Parris, Michigan dual 10-0
1/23 285 WBF Brad Wilton, Michigan State (1:58) dual 11-0
1/28 285 L, 2-7 #5 Tony Cassioppi, Iowa dual 11-1
2/4 285 W, 10-2 #13 Tate Orndorff, Ohio State (major) dual 12-1
2/6 285 W, 8-2 #12 Christian Lance, Nebraska dual 13-1
2/20 285 WBF David Szuba, Rider (1:11) dual 14-1
3/5 285 WBF Zach Schrader, Maryland (2:13) B1G 15-1
3/5 285 W, 7-1 #11 Christian Lance, Nebraska B1G 16-1
3/5 285 L, 4-6 (sv) #4 Tony Cassioppi, Iowa B1G 16-2
3/6 285 W, 5-3 #10 Lucas Davison, Northwestern B1G 17-2
3/6 285 W, 5-3 #3 Mason Parris, Michigan B1G (3rd) 18-2
3/17 285 WBF #29 Brandon Metz, N. Dakota St.(4:17) NCAA 19-2
3/17 285 W, 10-1 #13 Tate Orndorff, Ohio State (maj) NCAA 20-2
3/18 285 W, 7-1 #12 Christian Lance, Nebraksa NCAA 21-2
3/18 285 L, 3-8 #1 Gable Steveson, Minnesota NCAA 21-3
3/19 285 W, 6-1 #7 Mason Parris, Michigan NCAA (4th) 22-3
2020-21
Date Wt. Result Opponent Place Rec
2/22 285 WBF Garrett Kappes, Maryland (1:12) dual 1-0
2/22 285 WBF Bryan Bones, Maryland (1:18) MD extras 2-0
3/6 285 W, 16-5 Jack Heyob, Northwestern (major) B1G 3-0
3/6 285 L, 3-11 #2 Mason Parris, Michigan B1G 3-1
3/6 285 W, 16-5 Christian Rebottaro, Michigan State B1G 4-1
3/6 285 W, 7-3 #13 Trent Hillger, Wisconsin B1G 5-1
3/7 285 W, 10-2 #12 Christian Lance, Nebraska (major) B1G 6-1
3/7 285 L, 0-9 #3 Tonny Cassioppi, Iowa B1G (4th) 6-2
3/18 285 W, 18-0 #24 Jonathan Birchmeier, Navy (TF) NCAA 7-2
3/18 285 W, 12-2 #8 Jordan Wood, Lehigh (major) NCAA 8-2
3/19 285 L, 4-7 #1 Gable Steveson, Minnesota NCAA 8-3
3/19 285 W, 13-5 #29 Austin Harris, Oklahoma St. (major) NCAA 9-3
3/19 285 L, 8-14 #4 Cohlton Schultz, Arizona State NCAA 9-4
3/20 285 W, 13-1 #21 Tate Orndorff, Ohio State NCAA (7th) 10-4
Greg Kerkvliet Season 2020-21
Penn State Wrestling Dominates No. 8 Missouri 41-3 at Journeymen Duals
Penn State wraps up action in Nashville, Tenn.
Nittany Lions Shut Out Little Rock 44-0 in Nashville
Penn State picks up second win in Nashville, third straight shutout victory.
Penn State Wrestling Opens Journeymen Collegiate by Shutting Out Binghamton 52-0
Nittany Lions blank the Bearcats in first of three duals in Nashville.
NOTES: Penn State Wrestling Heads to Nashville for Journeymen Collegiate Duals on Sunday
Nittany Lions face Binghamton, No. 15 Little Rock and No. 8 Missouri in one day dual series
Nittany Lion Wrestlers Shut Out Visiting Wyoming
Penn State picks up five pins in the Bryce Jordan Center.
NOTES: Penn State Hosts Wyoming on Sunday in the Bryce Jordan Center
Site changed due to NCAA women's volleyball tournament in Rec Hall this weekend
Penn State Takes Down Lehigh 36-3 in Sold Out PPL Center
Nittany Lions win nine of ten, post 21-1 takedown edge, in front of nearly 10,000 fans.
NOTES: Penn State Visits Lehigh Sunday for 2 p.m. Dual Meet
Nittany Lions and Mountain Hawks set for intra-state rivalry
Nittany Lion Wrestlers Roar at Black Knight Invitational
Penn State wins nine of the ten individual titles, with 18 off 22 Lions placing at the event
Nittany Lion Wrestlers Roll to 41-3 Win Over Drexel in Season Opener
Haines and Starocci follow up exhibition wins last night with victories against the Dragons
NOTES: Nittany Lion Wrestling Opens Season This Weekend in Rec Hall
Five Lions to compete in NWCA All-Star Classic exhibition on Saturday night, official season begins Sunday at 1 p.m. vs. Drexel