PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (17-0, 8-0 B1G) -- 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
125 #16 Drew Hildebrandt Sr.+ Granger, Ind./Penn 10-5
Career in NCAA tournament 6-6 -- 2X All-American (2020, 2021)
133 #1 Roman Bravo-Young Sr. Tucson, Ariz./Sunnyside 22-0
Career in NCAA tournament 14-3 -- 4X All-American (2019, 20, 21) // 2X NCAA Champion (2021, 22) // 2X Big Ten Champion (2021, 22)
141 #1 Nick Lee Sr.+ Evansville, Ind./Homeschooled 22-0
Career in NCAA tournament 20-4 -- 5X All-American (2018, 19, 20, 21, 22) // 2X NCAA Champion (2021, 22) // Big Ten Champion (2022)
149 #13 Beau Bartlett So. Tempe, Ariz./Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) 15-10
Career in NCAA tournament 1-2
157 #16 Brady Berge Sr. Mantorville, Minn./Kasson-Mantorville 11-4
Career in NCAA tournament 6-5
174 #1 Carter Starocci So. Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep 23-0
Career in NCAA tournament 10-0 -- 2X All-American (2021, 22) // 2X NCAA Champion (2021, 22) // Big Ten Champion (2022)
184 #2 Aaron Brooks Jr. Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown 21-1
Career in NCAA tournament 10-0 -- 3X All-American (2020, 21, 22) // 2X NCAA Champion (2021, 22) // 2X Big Ten Champion (2020, 21)
197 #1 Max Dean Jr. Lowell, Mich./Lowell 23-1
Career in NCAA tournament 12-4 -- 3X All-American (2018, 19, 22) // 2022 NCAA Champion // Big Ten Champion (2022)
285 #4 Greg Kerkvliet So. Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley 22-3
Career in NCAA tournament 8-3 -- 2X All-American (2021, 22)
Rankings listed are official tournament seed (3/9/22)
#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/revised (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)
// Cael Sanderson has won 9 NCAA titles as a coach, third most in NCAA history
// 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.
NITTANY LIONS ROAR TO 10TH NCAA TITLE, 9TH FOR HEAD COACH CAEL SANDERSON
The Penn State Nittany Lions won the 2022 NCAA Wrestling Championship in dominant fashion in Detroit, Mich., on March 17-19. The three-day event, hosted in Little Caesars Arena, was controlled by Penn State from start to finish as the Lions maintained a lead in the team race after each session and clinched their 10th overall title before the final session began Saturday night. The championship is the ninth for head coach Cael Sanderson, moving him into third place alone on the all-time list for coaching titles in NCAA history. As a team, Penn State's 10 crowns is also third all-time. Penn State roared away from the competition, outdistancing second-place Michigan by nearly 40 points. Penn State won with 131.5 points while Michigan was second with 95.0. Iowa was third with 74.0. Penn State's 131.5 team points is the sixth-highest in Nittany Lion history (146.5 is the record, set in 2017).
OFFENSIVELY SPEAKING, PENN STATE DOMINATED THE FIELD IN DETROIT
The Penn State Nittany Lions far outdistanced the field in takedowns at the 2022 NCAA Championships, notching a tournament best 91 takedowns overall. Every Nittany Lion scored and contributed to the team's ninth NCAA Championship. Total takedowns by individual for Penn State is as follows: Drew Hildebrandt 2 at 125, Beau Bartlett 2 at 141, Brady Berge 7 at 157, Greg Kerkvliet 8 at 285, Roman Bravo-Young 14 at 133, Nick Lee 11 at 141, Carter Starocci 18 at 174, Aaron Brooks 20 at 184 and Max Dean 9 at 197. While Penn State had 91 takedowns (with many matches shortened due to the team's four pins), PSU's nine wrestlers were only taken down a total of 23 times. Penn State amassed 16.5 bonus points off seven majors, a tech fall and four pins.
SANDERSON NAMED 2022 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT OUTSTANDING COACH
Cael Sanderson was honored as the 2022 NCAA Championships Outstanding Coach of the Tournament at the conclusion of Penn State's title run in Detroit. The award, a newer recognition, honors a coach each year for his team's performance at the three-day championship tournament.
PENN. STATE. PERFECT.
Four the second time since Cael Sanderson's arrival at Penn State, the Nittany Lions were a Penn State Perfect 5-0 in the NCAA finals. Roman Bravo-Young (133), Nick Lee (141), Carter Starocci (174), Aaron Brooks (184) and Max Dean all advanced to the finals and each emerged victorious for Penn State. Penn State also turned the trick in 2017 when Zain Retherford (149), Jason Nolf (157), Vincenzo Joseph (165), Mark Hall (174) and Bo Nickal (184) all won concurrently. Penn State and Iowa are the only programs to have five champions in one season twice (1986, 1997). Oklahoma State has done it once (2005). Penn State has been perfect in the NCAA finals over the last two years, having gone 4-0 in 2021 in St. Louis (Bravo-Young, Lee, Starocci, Brooks).
NICK LEE BECOMES 2X CHAMPION, 5X ALL-AMERICAN,
finishes third in hodge trophy race
Nick Lee nearly majored Kizhan Clarke in the NCAA finals at 141, winning 10-3 to win his second straight NCAA Championship. Lee went 5-0 at NCAAs to become a two-time champion and Penn State's first-ever five-time All-American. Lee majored #2 Josh Mason of Bloomsburg, beat #16 Quinn Kinner of Rider and pinned #8 Grant Willits of Oregon State (3:45) to advance to the national semifinals. He then beat #4 Real Woods to earn a trip in the finals against Clarke. After leading 3-2 after one period, Lee blew the match open in the second period to grab the NCAA crown, one of five for Penn State. Lee ended the year with a 22-0 record with two pins, four tech falls and six majors. He ends the season with a 118-13 career record. Lee finished third in the 2022 Hodge Trophy Award voting.
ROMAN BRAVO-YOUNG A 2X NCAA CHAMPION, 4X ALL-AMERICAN
Roman Bravo-Young used a first period takedown and an escape to beat Daton Fix of Oklahoma State in the NCAA finals once again, posting a 3-2 win to earn his second-straight NCAA title. Bravo-Young went 5-0 at nationals to become a two-time champion and Penn State's 16th four-time All-American. Bravo-Young majored #32 Dominic LaJoie of Cornell, pinned #16 Josh Koderhandt of Navy (4:45) and downed #25 Brian Courtney of Virginia in the quarterfinals. He beat Iowa's Austin DeSanto once again, 3-2 in the national semifinals, to set up the rematch (and eventual victory) vs. #2 Fix. Bravo-Young ended the year with a 22-0 record with four pins, four techs and four majors.
AARON BROOKS IS A 2X CHAMPION, 3X ALL-AMERICAN
Aaron Brooks dominated Michigan's Myles Amine in the 2022 NCAA finals to earn his second straight national championships. Brooks downed Amine 5-3, using a takedown, a reversal and nearly 3:00 in riding time to roll to the win. Brooks went 5-0 in Detroit to become a two-time NCAA Champion and three-time All-American. He majored #31 A.J. Burkhart of Lehigh, majored #15 Hunter Bolen of Virginia Tech and majored #7 Kaleb Romero of Ohio State in the quarterfinals. He went to extra time to beat #5 Trent Hidlay of North Carolina State 6-4 (sv) in the semis to earn a trip to the finals where he dominated Amine. Brooks ended the year with a 21-1 overall record with four pins, one tech fall and nine majors.
CARTER STAROCCI BECOMES A 2X CHAMPION, 2X ALL-AMERICAN
Carter Starocci downed 2019 165-pound champion Mekhi Lewis 6-4 (sv) in the NCAA title bout at 174 to earn his second straight individual national championship. Starocci notched a third period takedown to tie the bout and then, after two scoreless minutes of extra time, controlled Lewis more in the tie-breaker from the top position to post the 5-5 (TB2; RT) victory. Starocci went 5-0 at NCAAs to become a two-time champion and two-time All-American. He pinned #33 Connor O'Neill of Rutgers (6:38), beat #16 Adam Kemp of Cal Poly and #9 Mike Labriola of Nebraska in the quarters. He dominated #4 Hayden Hidlay of N.C. State 10-3 in the semis to set up the battle with Lewis in the finals. Starocci ended his season with a 23-0 record, including four pins, five techs and four majors.
MAX DEAN WINS FIRST NCAA TITLE, NOW A 3X ALL-AMERICAN
Max Dean used a third period takedown against Jacob Warner of Iowa to post a 3-2 win and earn his first NCAA individual title in the 2022 National Finals in his first year as a Nittany Lion. After two years away from the action, Dean's thrilling win capped off a perfect 5-0 run for Penn State in the NCAA finals and earned him his first title and third All-America honor. Dean 5-0 showing at nationals included a tech fall over #32 Will Feldkamp of Clarion and decisions over #17 Jay Aiello of Virginia and #8 Lou Deprez of Binghamton. He took care of Ohio State's Gavin Hoffman 9-3 in the national semis to earn the trip to the finals. Dean ended his first year as a Nittany Lion with a 23-1 record, including two pins, five tech falls and four majors.
GREG KERKVLIET EARNS SECOND ALL-AMERICA HONOR WITH 4TH PLACE SHOWING AT 285
Greg Kerkvliet became a two-time All-American with a strong 4-1 run at NCAAs, taking fourth at 285, and essentially clinching Penn State's team title on Saturday morning with a huge win in consolation semifinal action. Kerkvliet pinned #29 Brandon Metz of North Dakota State at the 4:17 mark in his first round bout. He followed that up with a strong 10-1 major over #13 Tate Orndorff of Ohio State. The sophomore then dominated #12 Christian Lance 7-1 in the quarterfinals before dropping a hard-fought 8-3 decision to #1 Gable Steveson of Minnesota in the semifinals. Kerkvliet rebounded on Saturday morning, rolling to a crucial 6-1 win over #7 Mason Parris of Michigan in the consolation semifinals, helping the Lions close the door on second place Michigan in the team race. Kerkvliet ends the season with a 22-3 record, with a team-high six pins, three tech falls and five majors.
BERGE, BARTLETT AND HILDEBRANDT GRAB WINS, ALL SCORE CRITICAL POINTS IN PSU'S TEAM TITLE RUN
The Penn State Nittany Lions used a total team effort to claim the 2022 NCAA Championship in Detroit on March 17-19. Nine Penn Staters made the trek to nationals and all nine scored vital points for Penn State. While finishing shy of the podium, senior Drew Hildebrandt, sophomore Beau Bartlett and senior Brady Berge each grabbed wins at the event. Hildebrandt went 1-2 at 125, Bartlett went 1-2 at 149 and Berge went 2-2 with a major at 157.
BRAVO-YOUNG WINS SECOND STRAIGHT BIG TEN TITLE
Senior Roman Bravo-Young won his second straight Big Ten title, claiming the 133-pound crown in Lincoln, Neb. Bravo-Young went 3-0 with a major. He majored #23 Matt Ramos of Purdue 11-3, then beat #8 Dylan Ragusin of Michigan 4-0 to advance to the finals. In the title bout, Bravo-Young beat #3 Austin DeSanto of Iowa 3-1 in the first of five finals for the Nittany Lions.
NICK LEE WINS FIRST BIG TEN TITLE
Senior Nick Lee won his first Big Ten title, winning the 141-pound championship at the 2022 Big Ten tournament hosted by Nebraska. Lee went 3-0 with two tech falls to win. He posted a 16-0 technical fall over #22 Joe Zargo of Wisconsin (5:06) and a 16-1 technical fall over #18 Jake Bergeland of Minnesota (5:06) in the semifinals to earn a trip to the conference title bout. He won by medical forfeit over #2 Jaydin Eierman of Iowa in the finals.
CARTER STAROCCI WINS FIRST BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Sophomore Carter Starocci rolled through the field at 174 to win his first conference title at the Big Ten Championships in Lincoln, Neb. Starocci went 3-0 with a pin to claim the crown. He pinned Maryland's Dominic Solis (2:13) in his first match and then won by medical forfeit over #4 Michael Kemerer of Iowa in the semifinals. He then beat #5 Logan Massa of Michigan in the finals, posting a 5-1 decision.
MAX DEAN CLAIMS BIG TEN TITLE IN FIRST TRIP TO CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
Junior Max Dean, making his first trip to the Big Ten Championships, won the 197-pound title at Nebraska. Dean went 3-0 to win the crown. He beat #12 Greg Bulsak of Rutgers 6-2 in his first bout and then downed #5 Cameron Caffey of Michigan State 5-2 in the semifinals. Dean capped off his perfect run with a 4-2 win over #2 Eric Schultz of host-school Nebraska in the finals.
BERGE AND KERKVLIET TAKE THIRD AT B1G'S, BARTLETT 7TH, ALL EARN AUTOMATIC BIDS TO NCAAs
Senior Brady Berge went 4-1 at the 2022 Big Ten Championship to take third place at 157, with his lone loss a sudden victory setback to #10 Will Lewan of Michigan in the semifinals, to place third and earn a trip to NCAAs. Berge majored #31 Garrett Model of Wisconsin (10-2), beat #9 Kaleb Young of Iowa 5-3, pinned #12 Kendall Coleman of Purdue (2:59) and beat Young again, 3-1 (sv), for third. Sophomore Greg Kerkvliet also went 4-1 at 285, with his lone setback also a sudden victory loss in the semis to #4 Tony Cassioppi of Iowa. Kerkvliet pinned Maryland's Zach Schrader (2:13), beat #11 Christian Lance of Nebraska 7-1, #10 Lucas Davison of Northwestern 5-3 and #3 Mason Parris of Michigan 5-3 for third place, grabbing an AQ slot to Detroit. Sophomore Beau Bartlett went 3-2 at 149 and placed seventh to earn a trip to the NCAA tournament for the first time. Bartlett picked up a 3-2 win over #30 Michael Blockhus of Minnesota and pinned #29 Christian Kanzler of Illinois (3:40) before posting a 3-1 win over Michigan's Kanen Storr to earn the AQ to nationals. Junior Creighton Edsell went 1-2 at 165 and did not place for Penn State.
NITTANY LION WRESTLERS GARNER 18 WINTER ACADEMIC ALL-BIG TEN HONOREES
Penn State checked in with 123 overall Winter Academic All-Big Ten honorees department-wide, with the Nittany Lion wrestlers garnering 18. Donovon Ball, Terrell Barraclough, Beau Bartlett, Joey Blumer, Roman Bravo-Young, Jake Campbell, Aurelius Dunbar, Creighton Edsell, Imran Heard, Austin Hoopes, Konner Kraeszig, Matt Lee, Nick Lee, Brandon Meredith, Tony Negron, Baylor Shunk, Eddie Smith and Marco Vespa were all honored this year.
PENN STATE WITH 10 RANKED WRESTLERS IN FINAL INTERMAT REGULAR SEASON RANKINGS
Penn State has all 10 of its Big Ten tournament starters ranked in the final (2/22) InterMat rankings after the Nittany Lions completed their regular season. Drew Hildebrandt is #5 at 125, Roman Bravo-Young is #1 at 133, Nick Lee is #1 at 141, Beau Bartlett is #17 at 149, Brady Berge is #13 at 157, Creighton Edsell is #23 at 165, Carter Starocci is #1 at 174, Aaron Brooks is #1 at 184, Max Dean is #1 at 197 and Greg Kerkvliet is #5 at 285.
LEE DOWNS #25 KINNER AS PENN STATE SHUTS OUT RIDER IN DUAL SEASON FINALE
Senior Nick Lee notched the bout's only three takedowns to post a hard-fought 6-3 win over #25 Quinn Kinner of Rider in Penn State's 45-0 shutout victory over the Broncs in Rec Hall. Penn State won all ten bouts, eight of which were for bonus. The Lions got decisions from Lee (141) and Creighton Edsell (165), majors from Beau Bartlett (149), Brady Berge (157), Carter Starocci (174) and Donovon Ball (184), a tech from Roman Bravo-Young (133) and three straight pins from Max Dean (197), Greg Kerkvliet (285) and Drew Hildebrandt (125). The Nittany Lions ended the unbeaten season with a 17-0 record.
PENN STATE WINS 8TH B1G REGULAR SEASON (DUAL) TITLE
Head coach Cael Sanderson and the Penn State Nittany Lions capped off a perfect Big Ten dual meet season with a rousing 32-7 win over #6 Ohio State in the 2022 BJC Dual on Feb. 4 and a 21-13 victory over #7 Nebraska two days later on Feb. 6. The weekend sweep allowed the Nittany Lions to finish the Big Ten portion of its dual meet schedule with a perfect 8-0 mark and earned the team its eight Big Ten Regular Season (dual meet) Championship. Penn State won or shared the dual crown in 2012, 2014, 2016, 107, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022.
NICK LEE DOWNS #8 CHAD RED TO LEAD PENN STATE OVER #7 NEBRASKA; NAMED B1G W.O.W. (2/8)
Senior Nick Lee dominated #6 Chad Red Jr. at 141 to lead Penn State to a 21-13 victory over Nebraska in sold out Rec Hall on Feb. 6. Lee notched the bout's only takedown in the first period and added an escape and 1:20 in riding time to post a 4-1 win. The victory came two days after Lee majored #20 Dylan D'Emilio of Ohio State 13-3 in the BJC Dual. Aaron Brooks was also impressive in the win, majoring #9 Taylor Venz 14-4 at 184. Lee's weekend sweep earned him Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors for the week ending 2/6/22.
NITTANY LIONS DISMANTLE #6 OHIO STATE 32-7 IN 2022 BJC DUAL
Penn State dismantled No. 6 Ohio State on Feb. 4 in the 2022 BJC Dual. Wrestled in front of nearly 16,000 fans in the sold out venue, the Nittany Lions won eight of ten bouts over the Buckeyes. Drew Hildebrandt (125), Roman Bravo-Young (133), Nick Lee (141), Terrell Barraclough (157), Creighton Edsell (165), Aaron Brooks (184), Max Dean (197) and Greg Kerkvliet (285) all grabbed victories. Hildebrandt, Lee, Brooks, Dean and Kerkvliet downed ranked opponents.
NEARLY 16,000 FANS PACK SOLD OUT JORDAN CENTER FOR 2022 BJC DUAL VICTORY OVER OHIO STATE
For the seventh time, Penn State sold out the near-16,000 seat Bryce Jordan Center for its annual BJC Dual. 15,991 people packed the building to see Penn State's 32-7 victory over No. 6 Ohio State on Feb. 4. The crowd is the fourth largest indoor crowd for an NCAA wrestling dual meet. The top six indoor crowds all occurred in the BJC at Penn State and eight of the top ten. The top two crowds for an NCAA dual meet both occurred outside at football stadiums. The indoor record is 15,998, set on Feb. 10, 2018, when Penn State hosted Iowa.
TONY NEGRON WINS EDINBORO OPEN TITLE
Junior Tony Negron moved up to 165 for the Edinboro Open on Feb. 6 and rolled to the class' title. Negron went 4-0 overall, plus a win vs. a non-collegiate foe, with a major. He downed Iowa State's Austin Kraisser 10-6 in the finals. Imran Heard also competed at 149, going 2-2 with a major.
PENN STATE TAKES OUT HAWKEYES IN IOWA CITY, WINNING THIRD DUAL IN SEVEN DAYS
Penn State closed out a rugged road swing of three B1G road duals in seven days by beating #3 Iowa in Iowa City, 19-13, on Jan. 28. Penn State, wrestling at Iowa for the fifth time in the last seven meetings between the teams, won six of ten bouts to post the victory in the dual between the Big Ten's last two unbeaten teams at the time. Penn State won the dual's first three bouts (Drew Hildebrandt at 125, Roman Bravo-Young at 133, Nick Lee at 141) and then three in row in the back half (Carter Starocci at 174, Aaron Brooks at 184, Max Dean at 197) to claim victory. Seven days earlier, Penn State won at #3 Michigan and five days earlier the Lions won at Michigan State.
MAX DEAN'S WIN AT 197 CLINCHES victory AT IOWA; NAMED B1G WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Junior Max Dean scored eight unanswered points in the third period to roll to an 8-3 win over #4 Jacob Warner to clinch Penn State's 19-13 victory at Iowa on Jan. 28. Dean used an escape, a stall point, a takedown and four back points to overcome a 3-0 deficit against Warner. Drew Hildebrandt majored Jesse Ybarra 9-0 at 125, Roman Bravo-Young beat #3 Austin DeSanto 3-2 at 133, Nick Lee posted a 6-4 (sv) win over #2 Jaydin Eierman at 141, Carter Starocci notched a 2-1 (tb) win over #2 Michael Kemerer at 174 and Aaron Brooks downed #17 Abe Assad 8-3 at 184 as Penn State won six of ten bouts in the road victory. Dean was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week (2/1) for his efforts.
COCHRAN AND FACUNDO WIN MAT-TOWN II TITLES
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team sent 12 wrestlers to Lock Haven University's Mat-Town Open II on Saturday, Jan. 29. Two Nittany Lions won individual titles at the event while three others placed in the top four. Freshman Lucas Cochran won the title at 184. He went 3-0 overall with a technical fall and a major decision. Freshman Alex Facundo won the crown at 165. Facundo posted a 4-0 overall record, all for bonus. Facundo had three majors and a pin to claim the title. Freshman Brian Borden finished second at 165, dropping a bout to teammate Facundo in the finals. Borden went 3-1 overall. Freshman Gary Steen placed third at 125, posting a 4-1 overall record at the tournament. Junior Imran Heard took fourth 149. Heard went 4-2 with two pins.
KERKVLIET'S PIN AT 285 CAPS OFF 28-9 WIN AT MSU
The Penn State Nittany Lions finished off a two-dual sweep in the state of Michigan on Sunday, Jan. 23, by rolling over homestanding Michigan State 28-9 in East Lansing. Penn State picked up major decisions from Drew Hildebrandt at 125 and Nick Lee at 141, a tech fall from Carter Starocci at 174 and a pin from Greg Kerkvliet at 285 as part of the Lions' seven wins in the dual.
BROOKS, KERKVLIET GRAB TOP-2 WINS AS LIONS DOMINATE #3 MICHIGAN 29-6 IN ANN ARBOR
Penn State won eight of ten bouts in a dominating 29-6 win at #3 Michigan on Friday, Jan. 21, in Crisler Arena. Both Aaron Brooks and Greg Kerkvliet grabbed impressive wins over second-ranked foes as Penn State totalled six ranked wins overall. Brooks used a third period takedown to notch a 3-1 win over #2 Myles Amine at 184. Kerkvliet rolled up three takedowns in an impressive 8-5 win over #2 Mason Parris at 285. Other ranked wins included Roman Bravo-Young's 8-1 victory over #8 Dylan Ragusin at 133, Brady Berge's win 3-1 win over #10 Cameron Amine at 165, Carter Starocci's 3-2 victory over #6 Logan Massa at 174 and Max Dean's 6-4 (sv) win over #8 Patrick Brucki at 197. The Nittany Lions gave up only five takedowns as a team in the victory.
BROOKS' MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS PSU'S WIN OVER INDIANA; NAMED B1G WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Junior Aaron Brooks majored #8 D.J. Washington 13-4 in the marquee match-up in Penn State's 29-11 victory over Indiana. Brooks' win was one of five straight to close out the dual for the Nittany Lions in Rec Hall. Drew Hildebrandt took down #25 Jacob Moran in his Rec Hall debut at 125 as well. He was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for the week ending Jan. 11, his second honor of the season to that date.
DREW HILDEBRANDT'S DEBUT PIN STARTS PENN STATE'S RUN IN 46-0 SHUTOUT AT MARYLAND
All-American transfer Drew Hildebrandt pinned Maryland's Zach Spence in the first period (1:38) in his debut match for Penn State at 125. Hildebrandt's initial win started a perfect run for the Nittany Lions in a 46-0 shutout victory on the road in College Park. Aaron Brooks majored #12 Kyle Cochran 19-7 at 184 and Greg Kerkvliet teched #26 Zach Schrader at 285 in bouts between ranked opponents.
LUCAS COCHRAN TAKES 4TH AT F&M OPEN
Freshman Lucas Cochran went 3-2 at the Lehman/F&M Open on Friday, Jan. 7. Cochran picked up three wins with a major and advanced to the semifinals. Gary Steen (125), Brian Borden (165) and Levko Higgins (197) all picked up solo wins at the event as well.
BEARD TAKES SECOND AT SOUTHERN SCUFFLE TO LEAD 10-MAN PENN STATE CONTINGENT
Sophomore Michael Beard was the No. 2 seed at 197 at the Southern Scuffle and took second at the two-day event. Beard began the tournament with three wins on Saturday. He posted technical falls over Duke's Kaden Russell (18-2; 2:36) and Eli Sheeren of Buffalo (17-2; 5:36) to begin the tournament and closed out Saturday with a 9-2 win over Navy's XJaxon Smith in the quarterfinals. Beard beat No. 20 Cameron Caffey of Michigan State in the semifinals and then took an injury default loss during the first period of the finals to No. 4 Rocky Elam of Missouri. Junior Brandon Meredith competed at 133 and advanced to the quarterfinals before losing his first match. He went 3-1 overall plus one loss to a non-collegiate wrestler. Sophomore Joe Lee wrested at 157 and won his first two matches to advance to the quarterfinals. He ended the tournament with a 2-2 mark overall. Junior Seth Nevills took to the mat at 285 for the first time this year. Nevills went 3-2 overall with a pin in his first action of the season.
BARTLETT'S WIN OVER #5 PARCO HIGHLIGHTS LOPSIDED 29-10 WIN OVER #3 ARIZONA STATE
Sophomore Beau Bartlett posted a thrilling 3-1 sudden victory decision over #5 Kyle Parco to spark Penn State in a 29-10 win over #3 Arizona State in the Blue Pool Final of the Collegiate Duals in Niceville, Fla. Bartlett's takedown in extra time was one of many highlights as Penn State dominated the Sun Devils, winning seven of ten bouts. Roman Bravo-Young beat #14 Michael McGee 6-2 at 133, Nick Lee majored #15 Jesse Vasquez 14-3 at 141, and Max Dean majored #8 Kordell Norfleet at 197 in other ranked victories for Penn State.
NITTANY LIONS OUTLAST #9 CORNELL IN FLORIDA
Penn State won six of ten bouts to outlast #9 Cornell 26-11 at the Collegiate Duals in Niceville, Fla. Penn State got four straight wins over ranked wrestlers to close out the dual for the victory. Carter Starocci beat #12 Chris Foca 3-2 at 174, Aaron Brooks majored #155 Jonathan Loew 15-3 at 184, Max Dean downed #19 Jacob Cardenas 4-2 at 197 and Greg Kerkvliet shutout #18 Lewis Fernandes 5-0 at 285.
BROOKS TAKES DOWN #4 KECKEISEN AS LIONS TOP UNI; NAMED B1G W.o.W. (12/29)
Junior Aaron Brooks downed #4 Parker Keckeisen to lead Penn State to a 29-9 win over #22 Northern Iowa in the first of three duals for Penn State at the Collegiate Duals in Niceville, Fla. Brooks' win was one of seven for Penn State in the win, which included Roman Bravo-Young pinning #31 Kyle Biscoglia, Nick Lee majoring #26 Cael Happel and Beau Bartlett beating #28 Triston Lara. Brooks won three matches in Florida overall and was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week (12/29).
LEE'S 100TH CAREER WIN SPARKS WIN OVER LEHIGH
Senior Nick Lee dominated Lehigh's Connor McGonagle, rolling to a 13-6 win with 3:36 in riding time to earn the 100th victory of his illustrious Nittany Lion career. Lee's win helped spark a short-handed Penn State team to a 23-16 victory over the visiting Mountain Hawks in sold out Rec Hall on Dec. 5.
EDSELL, BALL COME UP BIG IN WIN OVER LEHIGH
With multiple starters out in Penn State's dual vs. Lehigh on Dec. 5, junior Creighton Edsell and sophomore Donovon Ball came up with big wins as Penn State outlasted visiting Lehigh 23-16 in Rec Hall. Edsell used a riding time point to notch a 2-1 win over No. 27 Brian Meyer at 165 and Ball downed J.T. Burkhart 5-3 at 184 for his second win in three days.
STAROCCI AND BARTLETT GRAB RANKED WINS AS LIONS WIN AT PENN
With three starters out in Penn State's dual at Penn on Dec. 3, Sophomores Carter Starocci and Beau Bartlett notched big ranked wins to lead Penn State to a hard-fought 20-16 win in Philadelphia. Starocci dominated #21 Nick Incontrera 13-3, adding 2:53 in riding time during his major decision victory at 174. Bartlett used an escape in extra time to notch a 4-3 (TB) win over #23 Anthony Artalona at 149 as well.
BEAU BARTLETT DOWNS #20 P.J. OGUNSANYA TO LEAD LIONS TO 32-7 WIN OVER ARMY WEST POINT
Sophomore Beau Bartlett posted a thrilling 3-1 (sv) win over #20 P.J. Ogunsanya to help lead Penn State to a rousing 32-7 win over Army West Point on Nov. 18 in sold out Rec Hall. The dual meet was wrestled in front of nearly 6,500 fans in a sold-out Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions have wrestled in front of 56 straight sellouts in Rec Hall and 62 of 64 including six of eight sellouts at the 16,000-seat Bryce Jordan Center). The dual also marked the first time Penn State wrestled in front of its home fans since Feb. 23, 2020, when Penn State beat American in Rec Hall.
GREG KERKVLIET NAMED BIG TEN W.O.W. (11/16)
Sophomore Greg Kerkvliet was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for the week ending Nov. 14, 2021. Kerkvliet went 2-0 in Penn State's season-opening action at Spooky Nook in Manheim, Pa., on Nov. 13. The Lion heavyweight picked up a pin in Penn State's 47-3 win over Sacred Heart and then dominated No. 24 Gary Traub of Oregon State, rolling to a 16-0 tech fall (4:15) in Penn State's 32-7 victory over the Beavers.
LEE, BARTLETT, KERKVLIET NOTCH RANKED WINS IN 32-7 WIN OVER OREGON STATE
Senior Nick Lee dominated #10 Grant Willits in Penn State's 32-7 win over Oregon State on Nov. 13, rolling to an 11-4 victory at 141. Lee's win was one of three ranked victories for the Lions in the win. Sophomore Beau Bartlett posted a 1-0 win over #24 Cory Crooks at 149 and sophomore Greg Kerkvliet rolled to a 16-0 tech fall (5:58) over #24 Gary Traub at 285. Penn State won eight bouts in the dual. Aaron Brooks had a pin and Max Dean had a major as well.
SHUNK, DEAN WIN PENN STATE DEBUTS IN 47-3 SEASON-OPENING WIN OVER SACRED HEART
Sophomore Baylor Shunk and junior Max Dean each won their Penn State dual meet debuts in Penn State's 47-3 win over Sacred Heart on Nov. 13, the dual opener for the Lions. Shunk posted an 18-0 tech fall (4:15) over Kyle Randall and Dean rolled to an identical 18-0 tech fall (3:00) over Dante Del Bonis. Penn State won nine of ten bouts in the victory. Roman Bravo-Young, Nick Lee, Carter Starocci, and Greg Kerkvliet all had pins; Shunk, Dean, and Aaron Brooks had tech falls; and Beau Bartlett and Creighton Edsell had majors.
BEARD GOES 3-0 AT JOURNEYMEN COLLEGIATE
Sophomore Michael Beard posted a 3-0 record to win his round-robin pool at the Journeymen Collegiate in Manheim, Pa., on Nov. 14. Beard majored JT Davis of Lehigh 22-8, teched Lock Haven's Parker McClellan 15-0 and majored #20 JT Brown of Army.
MATT LEE RUNNER-UP AT BEARCAT OPEN
Freshman Matt Lee led a contingent of seven wrestlers at the Bearcat Open in Binghamton, N.Y., on Nov. 14. Lee went 3-1 (plus one victory over a non-collegiate wrestler) with a tech fall to place second at 165. David Evans went 3-0 at 133 and placed fourth while Jack Kelly posted a 4-2 mark to finish sixth at 174. Aurelius Dunbar went 4-2 at 157, Brian Borden with 2-2 at 165 and Levko Higgins went 2-2 at 197.
EVANS TAKES 2ND AT CLARION OPEN; THREE OTHER LIONS PLACE
Eight members the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team took part in the Clarion Open on Nov. 6 in the first open tournament of the 2021-22 season. For Penn State, the Clarion Open is the first open tournament in almost two years after last season's abbreviated campaign. Redshirt freshman David Evans led the way with a second-place finish at 133. Evans went 3-1 with a pin, advancing to the finals before dropping his first match. True freshman Alex Facundo rolled up five wins with three majors and two pins and placed fifth. The true freshman's only loss was a tie-breaker defeat. Classmate Brian Borden placed sixth at 165, going 5-1 as well with a pin and three majors. True freshman Lucas Cochran finished fifth at 197, posting a 5-1 record with two majors and a pin. True freshman Shayne Van Ness began the tournament with two wins at 149. Van Ness picked up a major and a pin in just :54 before taking a medical forfeit (not a loss) and ending his action with a 2-0 mark. True freshman Sean Wang went 2-2 with a major at 141. True freshman Jack Kelly went 1-2 at 174. True freshman Gary Steen also competed at 125.
MILESTONES
Individual records and milestones that are in play as of now:
* 100 Career victories
Nick Lee, 118
* 200 Career coaching wins (overall career)
Cael Sanderson, 219
* 100 Career Big Ten coaching wins
Cael Sanderson, 96
* 175 Career coaching wins at Penn State
Cael Sanderson, 175
