ST. LOUIS, Mo. –The Penn State Nittany Lions (6-0, 6-0 B1G), under the direction of head coach Cael Sanderson, continued to roll in the second session of the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Penn State will have seven wrestlers competing in the national quarterfinals on Friday morning.
The Nittany Lions qualified nine for this year's tournament and the three-day event is being held in the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. Eight of Penn State's nine national qualifiers are still alive after the opening day of the event. Over half of Penn State's wins have brought bonus points with them to the team race and the Nittany Lions are in second-place with 28.0 points, just behind first-place Iowa's 33.5
Junior Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.), the No. 2 seed at 133, met No. 18 Kyle Burwick of Wisconsin in the second round. The Lion junior took a 2-1 lead midway through the first period and turned that into a 4-1 lead with a second takedown in the final seconds of the period. Bravo-Young notched a reversal to take a 6-1 lead and ended the second stanza with another late takedown to carry an 8-2 lead into the third period. Burwick chose down to start the third period and Bravo-Young worked his riding time edge up over 1:00. Bravo-Young used a late takedown in the third period and 1:22 in riding time for an 11-3 major decision, another Penn State bonus point victory.
Senior Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), the No. 2 seed at 141, met No. 15 Clay Carlson of South Dakota State in round two. Lee took a 2-0 lead just :20 into the bout, added a second takedown and two back points to jump out to a 6-1 lead in the first minute. He forced Carlson into a stall warning and finished off the period with a 6-2 lead. Lee escaped to start the second stanza and rolled into another takedown just :15 into the second. He picked up a stall point and finished the period with an 11-2 lead and 2:28 in riding time. Lee tacked on one more takedown in the third and, with a gaudy 4:06 in riding time, rolled into the quarterfinals with a 14-3 major decision.
Junior Brady Berge (Mantorville, Minn.), the No. 12 seed at 157, met No. 5 Kaleb Young of Iowa in the second round. Berge scored quickly, using a high shot to take Young down to a 2-0 lead just :40 into the bout. The Lion junior countered a late Young shot and nearly scored again as the period ended but time ran out and Berge led 2-1 after one. Young tied the match at 2-2 with an escape to start the second stanza, the only scoring of the period. Berge chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 3-2 lead. Berge fought off a deep Yong shot with :55 on the clock and maintained his one-point lead as the clock moved under :30. The Lion junior finished the match in neutral and roared into the quarterfinals with a 3-2 victory over the fifth-seeded Young.
Freshman Carter Starocci (Erie, Pa.), the No. 3 seed at 174, faced off against No. 14 Hayden Hastings of Wyoming in round two. Starocci scored quickly, taking a 2-0 lead with just under a minute gone. The Lion freshman built up over 1:00 in riding time, cut Hastings loose, and added a late takedown to lead 4-1 after one period. Hastings picked up an escape in the second period but not before Starocci had over 2:00 in riding time and led 4-2 after two. Starocci escaped to start the third period and added on a final takedown to finish off the third period in control. His 2:13 in riding time added one more to his tally in an 8-2 victory that moved the freshmen into the quarterfinals.
Sophomore Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Md.), the No. 1 seed at 184, took on No. 17 Owen Webster of Minnesota in the second round. Brooks and Webster battled evenly for over 2:00 before Brooks' constant pressure led to a takedown and a 2-0 lead for the Lion sophomore. Brooks finished the period on top and carried that lead with :56 in time into the middle period. Brooks picked up a quick escape to start the second period and led 3-0. He led 4-0 after two thanks to a stall point. Webster chose down to start the third period but Brooks dominated the action. He maintained control for the entirety of the period and, with 2:53 in riding time, rolled into the national quarterfinals with a 5-0 win.
Freshman Michael Beard (Pottstown, Pa.), the No. 15 seed at 197, met No. 31 Owen Pentz of North Dakota State in the second round. Beard dominated the first period. The Nittany Lion freshman collected four takedowns in the opening three minutes, scoring often and building up over 1:00 in riding time to lead 8-4 after one. Beard continued the offensive show in the second period, picking up two more takedowns (including one in the final seconds) to lead 12-6 heading into the third period. Beard finished off the major decision with two more takedowns and 1:32 in riding time to post the 17-8 major decision and advance to the quarterfinals.
Freshman Greg Kerkvliet (Grove Heights, Minn.), the No. 9 seed at 285, battled No. 8 Jordan Wood of Lehigh in the second round. Kerkvliet nearly scored on a fast low shot at the whistle but Wood was able to skip away. Kerkvliet kept up the pace and got a takedown at 1:30 and led 2-1 after the opening three minutes. Kerkvliet quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead to begin the second period and added another takedown. The Lion freshman led 5-1 after two periods. Woods chose down to start the third and Kerkvliet worked his riding time edge up over 1:00 with strong work on top. He turned Woods for four back points and led 9-2 with 1:17 in time as the clock moved below 1:00. Kerkvliet added a final takedown and 1:32 in riding time to rush into the quarterfinals with a 12-2 major decision.
True freshman Robert Howard (Cranford, N.J.), the No. 23 seed at 125, took on No. 7 Taylor LaMont of Utah Valley in his second-round match-up. Howard and LaMont wrestled through an even minute-plus to start the bout. Each wrestler had slight chances but quick defense on both sides sent the bout to the second period tied 0-0. LaMont escaped to a 1-0 lead to start the second, the only scoring of the middle stanza. Howard looked to answer that escape in the third period but LaMont was able to maintain control until the :25 mark. Howard escaped but 1:26 in riding time allowed LaMont to escape with a 2-1 victory and send Howard into the wrestle-backs.
Freshman Joe Lee (Evansville, Ind.), the No. 23 seed at 165, took on No. 26 Andrew Nicholson of Chattanooga in his first consolation bout of the tournament. Nicholson notched a takedown quickly in the bout but Lee reversed the action right away and tied the bout. A quick Moc escaped and Lee trailed 3-2 at the 2:15 mark. Lee to a 4-3 lead with a takedown midway through the period and Nicholson escaped to a tie. Nicholson took a 7-4 lead in the second with an escape and a takedown, finishing on top in the period. The Moc added a quick takedown in the third and picked up a riding time point to hand Lee a 10-4 loss, ending the Penn State freshman's tournament run. Lee went 0-2 in his first NCAA tournament.
The Nittany Lions went 7-2 in the second round and ended day one with a 15-3 overall record. Eleven of Penn State's 15 victories are bonus wins. The Nittany Lions have collected 13.0 bonus points off four technical falls and seven major decisions.
Penn State has won eight of the last nine contested NCAA Championships with last year's being cancelled by the NCAA (all since Sanderson's arrival at Penn State and he is in his 12th season this year). The Nittany Lions have won nine NCAA titles overall, owning a championship from 1953. The Nittany Lions have won four-straight titles in 2016, '17, '18 and '19 and also won four-straight in 2011, '12, '13 and '14.
The 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships continue on Friday, March 19 the quarterfinal rounds (sessions 3/4, broken in two) at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Sessions 3/4 will air on ESPNU. Penn State finished its dual meet schedule with a perfect 6-0 mark, 6-0 in the Big Ten, and earned a share of its seventh Big Ten Regular Season Championship with 5-0 Iowa. The Nittany Lions finished as Big Ten tournament runners-up two weekends ago.
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 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships – Session 2
March 18, 2021 – Enterprise Center – St. Louis, Mo.
TEAM STANDINGS (top five)
1: Iowa – 33.5
2: PENN STATE – 28.0
3: Missouri – 23.5
4: North Carolina State – 21.0
5: Oklahoma State – 20.0
Weight-by-weight agate (RANKINGS LISTED ARE OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT SEED):
125: #23 Robert Howard, Fr., Cranford, N.J.
Rd. 1: #10 Malik Heinselman, Ohio State – W, 6-4 dec.
Rd. 2: #7 Taylor LaMont, Utah Valley – L, 1-2 dec.
Cn. 2: #24 Fabian Gutierrez, Chattanooga – tomorrow
Howard took on No. 10 Malik Heinselman of Ohio State in his first NCAA tournament bout. The duo battled through a scoreless opening period and the bout moved to the second period tied 0-0. Howard chose down to start the second period and after a minute's work, reversed the Buckeye to take a 2-0 lead. He then turned Heinselman for four back points, nearly pinning him, and leg 6-1 after two. Heinselman escaped to start the third and added a late takedown, but Howard's strong second period gave the Nittany Lion a 6-4 victory in his first NCAA tournament bout.
See above story for this session's recap.
133: #2 Roman Bravo-Young, Jr., Tucson, Ariz.
Rd. 1: #31 Sean Carter, Appalachian State – W, 20-5 (TF; 7:00)
Rd. 2: #18 Kyle Burwick, Wisconsin – W, 11-3 maj. dec.
Qtrs: #10 Louie Hayes, Virginia – tomorrow
Bravo-Young met No. 31 Sean Carter of Appalachian State in the opening round. Bravo-Young took an early 2-0 lead with a quick takedown and tacked on two more to lead 6-2 with over 2:00 in time after one period. The second-seeded Lion added an early escape and a takedown and finished off the period with a four-point turn to lead 13-2 after two (with a clinched riding time point). Bravo-Young finished off the technical fall with a flurry of takedowns in the third, posting the 20-5 technical fall with 3:45 in riding time.
See above story for this session's recap.
141: #2 Nick Lee, Sr., Evansville, Ind.
Rd. 1: #31 Julian Flores, Drexel – W, 18-0 (TF; 2:33)
Rd. 2: #15 Clay Carlson, South Dakota State – W, 14-3 maj. dec.
Qtrs: #10 Zach Sherman, North Carolina – tomorrow
Lee battled No. 31 Julian Flores of Drexel in the opening round. Lee came out fast, taking Flores down and quickly turning him to his back for four nearfall points and a 6-0 lead. He added a second four-point turn, then a third, and led 14-0 with 1:00 still on the clock. Lee finished off the tech fall with a final turn to roll to an 18-0 win at the 2:33 mark in the opening period.
See above story for this session's recap.
157: #12 Brady Berge, Jr., Mantorville, Minn.
Rd. 1: #21 Andrew Cerniglia, Navy – W, 12-4 maj. dec.
Rd. 2: #5 Kaleb Young, Iowa – W, 3-2 dec.
Qtrs: #4 Jesse Dellavecchia, Rider – tomorrow
Berge met No. 21 Andrew Cerniglia of Navy in the opening round. Berge fought off a fast shot from Cerniglia and had two solid opportunities of his own defended by Cerniglia and the first period was scoreless. Berge escaped to a 1-0 lead to start the second period and then took a 3-0 lead with the bout's first takedown at the :45 mark. The Nittany Lion added a second takedown late to lead 5-1 after two periods. Berge tacked on three more takedowns and 1:45 in riding time to roll to a 12-4 major decision.
See above story for this session's recap.
165: #23 Joe Lee, Fr., Evansville, Ind. -- DNP
Rd. 1: #10 Travis Wittlake, Oklahoma State – L, 1-8 dec.
Cn. 1: #26 Andrew Nicholson, Chattanooga – L, 4-10 dec.
Lee faced No. 10 Travis Wittlake of Oklahoma State in his first NCAA tournament match-up. Lee battled Wittlake through a scoreless first period but have a up a stall warning in the process and the first period ended tied 0-0. Wittlake escaped to a 1-0 lead to start the second stanza. Lee tried to throw Wittlake on the edge of the mat but the Cowboy countered the effort and turned Lee to his back for a 7-0 lead off the takedown and near fall points. Lee picked up a late escape in the second period but dropped an 8-1 decision to fall into the consolation bracket.
See above story for this session's recap.
174: #3 Carter Starocci, Fr., Erie, Pa.
Rd. 1: #30 Victor Marcelli, Virginia – W, 10-2 maj. dec.
Rd. 2: #14 Hayden Hastings, Wyoming – W, 8-2 dec.
Qtrs: #6 Andrew McNally, Kent State – tomorrow
Starocci took on No. 30 Victor Marcelli of Virginia in his first NCAA bout. Starocci took a 2-0 lead with :51 left in the opening period, turning a high single into a takedown to lead by two after the first period after finishing the period on top. He quickly escaped to start the second stanza and added a takedown in the final seconds to carry a 5-0 lead into the third period. The Lion built his riding time point up over 1:00, then tallied two more takedowns to roll to a 10-2 major decision in his first NCAA tournament bout.
See above story for this session's recap.
184: #1 Aaron Brooks, So., Hagerstown, Md.
Rd. 1: #32 Jhaquan Anderson, Gardner-Webb – W, 17-1 (TF; 5:25)
Rd. 2: #17 Owen Webster, Minnesota – W, 5-0 dec.
Qtrs: #8 Taylor Venz, Nebraska – tomorrow
Brooks battled No. 32 Jhaquan Anderson of Gardner-Webb in the first round. Brooks scored just seconds into the bout, quickly added a second and then turned Anderson to his back to open up an 8-1 lead after the opening stanza. Brooks picked up another takedown and a stall point in the second to lead 11-1 with nearly 4:00 in riding time after two. His domination continued into the third period and the top-seeded Lion sophomore posted a lopsided 17-1 technical fall at the 5:25 mark, advancing to the second round.
See above story for this session's recap.
197: #15 Michael Beard, Fr., Pottstown, Pa.
Rd. 1: #18 Jacob Kosar, Navy – W, 14-4 maj. dec.
Rd. 2: #31 Owen Pentz, North Dakota State – W, 17-8 maj. dec.
Qtrs: #26 Jake Woodly, Oklahoma – tomorrow
Beard met No. 18 Jacob Koser of Navy in the opening round in this, his first NCAA tourney. Beard turned a quick high single into a takedown and an early lead right out of the gates. The Lion controlled Koser for the period, turning him for four back points and finishing on top to lead 6-0 after one. He reversed Koser in the second and added a late takedown to lead 10-1 after two periods. The Lion freshman iced his first NCAA tournament win another takedown and 3:17 in riding time, rolling into the second round with a 14-4 major decision.
See above story for this session's recap.
285: #9 Greg Kerkvliet, Fr., Grove Heights, Minn.
Rd. 1: #24 Johnathan Birchmeier, Navy – W, 18-0 (TF; 2:17)
Rd. 2: #8 Jordan Wood, Lehigh – W, 12-2 maj. dec.
Qtrs: #1 Gable Steveson, Minnesota – tomorrow
Kerkvliet faced No. 24 Jonathan Birchmeier of Navy his first NCAA tournament match-up. Kerkvliet dominated the bout from the opening whistle. The Lion freshman took Birchmeier down and then went to work on offense. He turned the Navy wrestler for four back points and reset himself three more times in less than three minutes. With a takedown and four four-point nearfalls, Kerkvliet rolled to an 18-0 technical fall at the 2:17 mark, picking up a win in his NCAA debut and rolling on to the second round.
See above story for this session's recap.
