UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 1 Penn State (1-0, 0-0 B1G) rolled over visiting Lock Haven 44-3 in the dual meet opener for both teams Friday night in State College. Three Penn State freshmen made their Nittany Lion debuts in sold out Rec Hall as Penn State dominated the visiting Bald Eagles. Over 6,500 fans filled Rec Hall in the 62nd straight shut-out in the building.
The dual began at 125 where redshirt freshman Gary Steen made his Penn State debut against No. 13 Anthony Noto of Lock Haven. Steen battled the ranked Bald Eagle tough before dropping a 14-4 major. No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young returned to the Rec Hall mat and rolled through Gable Strickland at 133. Bravo-Young posted a 23-8 technical fall, finishing off the bout at the 6:55 mark to put Penn State on top 5-4.
Beau Bartlett, ranked No. 16 at his regular weight of 141, dominated his way to a 10-0 major over Lock Haven's Ty Linsenbigler. Redshirt freshman Shayne Van Ness, ranked No. 27 at 149, made his Nittany Lion debut in fine fashion by pinning Lock Haven's Connor Eck. Van Ness got the debut fall at the 6:32 mark. Junior Terrell Barraclough closed out the first half with a thrilling win at 157. He used a reversal and a third period rideout to post a 3-1 win over No. 28 Ashton Eyler. Lock Haven was deducted one team point for unsportsmanlike (bench) during the match as well and Penn State led 18-3 at intermission.
Redshirt freshman Alex Facundo, ranked No. 23 at 165, made his Penn State debut to start the second half and put on a takedown clinic. The Nittany Lion freshman rolled up 12 takedowns on his way to a 27-12 technical fall at the 5:35 mark, putting Penn State up 23-3.
No. 1 Carter Starocci stormed through Tyler Stoltzfus 19-5 at 174, giving the Nittany Lions a 27-3 lead. Penn State finished off the dual with a tech fall and two pins. No. 1 Aaron Brooks picked up ten takedowns and beat Colin Fegley 24-9 at 184, getting the tech fall at the 6:32 mark. No. 1 Max Dean pinned Brad Morrison in the first period at 197. Dean got the fall at the 2:03 mark to put Penn State up 38-3. Junior Greg Kerkvliet, ranked No. 2 at 285, closed out the dual with another first period fall. He pinned Ethan Miller at 1:21 to give Penn State the 44-3 dual victory.
The Nittany Lions rolled up 52 takedowns to just six for Lock Haven (nine of LHU's 10 wrestlers did not notch a takedown). Penn State picked up 17 bonus points off three pins (Van Ness, Dean, Kerkvliet), three tech falls (Bravo-Young, Facundo, Brooks) and two majors (Bartlett, Starocci).
Penn State will send a large contingent of wrestlers to Binghamton on Sunday, Nov. 13, for the Bearcat Open. The Nittany Lions return to action on Sunday, Nov. 20, at the Army Black Night Open in West Point, N.Y.
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.
#1 Penn State 44, Lock Haven 3
November 11, 2022 – Rec Hall – University Park, Pa.
125: #13 Anthony Noto LHU maj. dec. Gary Steen PSU, 14-4 0-4
133: #1 Roman Bravo-Young PSU tech fall Gable Strickland LHU, 23-8 (TF; 6:55) 5-4
141: #16 Beau Bartlett PSU maj. dec. Ty Linsenbigler LHU, 10-0 9-4
149: #27 Shayne Van Ness PSU pinned Connor Eck LHU, WBF (6:32) 15-4
*157: Terrell Barraclough PSU dec. #28 Ashton Eyler LHU, 3-1 18-3
165: #23 Alex Facundo PSU tech fall Aiden Gaugler LHU, 27-12 (5:35) 23-3
174: #1 Carter Starocci PSU maj. dec. Tyler Stoltzfus LHU, 19-5 27-3
184: #1 Aaron Brooks PSU tech fall Colin Fegley, 24-9 (TF; 6:32) 32-3
197: #1 Max Dean PSU pinned Brad Morrison LHU, WBF (2:03) 38-3
285: #2 Greg Kerkvliet PSU pinned Ethan Miller LHU, WBF (1:21) 44-3
* Lock Haven Loses Team Point in 157-bout, unsportsmanlike on bench**
Attendance: 6,542 (62nd-straight sellout in Rec Hall, 69th of 71 at home, inc. 7 of 9 in BJC)
Records: Penn State (1-0, 0-0 B1G); Lock Haven (0-1)
Up Next for Penn State: at Army Black Knight Open, West Point, N.Y., Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022
DUAL MEET BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Redshirt freshman Gary Steen made his Penn State debut at 125, taking on No. 13 Anthony Noto. Noto fought off an early Steen shot and notched the bout's first takedown to take a quick 2-0 lead. Steen quickly escaped and cut the lead to 2-1 after just :19. The two wrestlers continued on the Lion logo through the 1:00 mark when Steen nearly countered a Noto shot for his first takedown. Steen got in deep on a single and looked to lift Noto for the takedown, but the Bald Eagle countered for a takedown and a 4-1 lead after one. Noto chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. He then worked his way through another takedown and led 7-2 after a Steen escape. Noto added another takedown with :35 left and led 9-2 with over 1:00 in riding time after two periods. Steen chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 9-3 score. Noto shot low at the 1:10 mark and took Steen down to lead 11-4 after a Steen escape. Noto finished off the bout with another takedown and posted the 14-4 major with 2:07 in riding time.
133: Roman Bravo-Young, ranked No. 1 at 133, took on Lock Haven's Gable Strickland. Bravo-Young took the Bald Eagle down quickly and led 2-1. He then began to tack on the takedowns, added two more quickly and led 6-3 with 1:09 on the clock. Strickland gained control of Bravo-Young's ankle with under a minute on the clock, but the Lion forced a stalemate and then worked Strickland down to the mat for a fourth takedown with :18 left. He finished on top and led 8-3 with 1:11 in riding time after one. Bravo-Young chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 9-3 lead. Bravo-Young hit a high single for a fifth takedown shortly after to lead 11-4. Bravo-Young added a sixth takedown with :35 left, cut Strickland loose and jumped over a low Bald Eagle shot for another takedown with :12 left and led 15-5 with 1:26 in time after two periods. Strickland chose down to start the third and Bravo-Young cut him loose, took him down and cut him once more quickly to lead 17-17 with 1:20 on the clock. The Nittany Lion grad student rolled through two more takedowns. He turned Strickland for two back points on the last to end the bout at the 6:55 mark with a 23-8 technical fall.
141: Beau Bartlett, ranked No. 16 at 141, met Ty Linsenbigler. Bartlett took a handful of low shots that Linsenbigler stepped back from as the first period hit its midway point. The Lion continued to force the Bald Eagle to the outside circle through the 1:00 mark. Bartlett's pressure paid off as he bulled through a takedown to lead 2-0 with :35 on the clock. The Nittany Lion finished the period on top and carried that lead into the second stanza. Bartlett chose down to start the second period and muscled his way through a reversal to lead 4-0 with 1:40 on the clock. Bartlett forced a stall warning and then muscled him to his back for two nearfall points and a 6-0 lead. Bartlett picked up a stall point and finished on top to lead 7-0 after two. Linsenbigler chose neutral to start the third period. Bartlett worked his way into a scramble at the 1:20 mark and spent the next :50 pushing for a takedown, which he got, to lead 9-0. He finished the match on top and, with 2:24 in riding time, rolled to a 10-0 major.
149: Redshirt freshman Shayne Van Ness, ranked No. 27 at 149, met Lock Haven's Connor Eck. Van Ness came out firing, taking Eck down for a quick 2-0 lead. Van Ness put together a strong ride, controlling Eck for the next two minutes to build up a sizeable riding time edge while trying to turn the Bald Eagle for back points. Van Ness cut Eck loose late and quickly took him down for another takedown to lead 4-1 with 2:32 in time after one. Van Ness chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. He then bulled through a high double for a 7-1 lead and forced a first stall warning as well. Eck escaped only to be taken down quickly by Van Ness. The Lion freshman then turned the Bald Eagle for a near fall, picking up four points to lead 13-2 with 3:48 in time after two. Eck chose neutral to start the third period, but Van Ness quickly took him down to lead 15-2 off the whistle. The Lion then went to work on top. He picked up another stall point to lead 16-2 and then wrapped up a cradle. He finished off his Nittany Lion debut with a pin at the 6:32 mark.
157: Terrell Barraclough met No. 28 Ashton Eyler at 157. Barraclough battled the ranked Eagle evenly for the first half of the period and then worked his way in on a single leg, forcing a scramble. Eyler was able to work his way out of trouble and the bout continued in neutral through the 1:00 mark. Barraclough took another high shot and worked his way into a takedown with just :05 on the clock. But the call was challenged by Lock Haven and overturned. The Bald Eagle bench, however, was called for unsportsmanlike and a team point was taken from the team score. With the bout tied 0-0, Barraclough took down to start the second and steadily worked his way into a reversal and a 2-1 lead. The Lion nearly finished the second period with a takedown, but time ran out on the scramble, and he settled for the one point lead after two. Eyler chose down to start the third period and Barraclough rode strong on top, building his riding time point over 1:00.
165: Redshirt freshman Alex Facundo, ranked No. 23 at 165, met Aiden Gaugler. Facundo quickly took control of the Bald Eagle's left ankle and scrambled his way to a takedown and a 2-0 lead at the 2:31 mark. He cut Gaugler loose to a 2-1 score then snapped into a low shot for another takedown and a 4-1 margin. Facundo cut Gaugler loose once more, countered a slight shot and then worked his way around for a third takedown to lead 6-3 after cutting the Eagle loose once more. Facundo added two more quick takedowns to lead 10-4 with :36 left in the opening period. Facundo added a sixth takedown before the clock hit 0:00 and led 12-6 after one. Facundo chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 13-6 lead. He worked the outside circle for a seventh takedown and led 15-6. The Lion freshman picked up another takedown and cut, leading 17-8 at the :50 mark. He blew through a high double to lead 19-9 and finished the period with two takedowns in the final :18 to lead 23-10 after two. Gaugler chose down to start the third, Facundo cut him, took him down, cut him once more and finished off the match with a takedown, posting the 27-12 tech fall at the 5:35 mark.
174: Carter Starocci, ranked No. 1 at 174, met Tyler Stoltzfus. Starocci came out firing notching a quick takedown to lead 2-1. He took a 3-1 lead off a Haven penalty and then lifted the Eagle off the mat to up his lead to 5-2 at the 1:55 mark. Starocci blew through a high double to up his lead to 7-2 as he worked his time edge up towards 1:00. Starocci cut Stoltzfus loose and then lifted him off the mat for another takedown and a 9-3 lead. Stoltzfus escaped at the :35 mark and Starocci finished the period with a takedown to lead 11-4 with 1:19 in time after one. Starocci chose down to start the second and picked up a point on an illegal hold before escaping to a 13-4 lead. He then pushed Stoltzfus to the mat for another takedown and a 15-4 lead. Starocci, fast on his feet, used another high double for another takedown to lead 17-5 with :30 left in the period. He finished the middle stanza on top and carried that lead, and 1:56 in time, into the third period. Stoltzfus chose top to start the third period. Stoltzfus was able to ride Starocci long enough to work his time edge off and forced Starocci into a stall warning. Starocci finished with a flurry, reversing the Bald Eagle to post the dominant 19-5 major decision.
184: Aaron Brooks, ranked No. 1 at 184, took on Colin Fegley. Brooks took Fegley down twice win the opening minute to lead 4-2 early. He added a third takedown with 1:50 on the clock and then built up over 1:00 of riding time, while picking up a stall warning, as the clock moved below 1:00. Brooks cut Fegley loose and quickly turned a low single into another takedown and an 8-3 lead. He finished the period on top to carry that lead into the second period with 2:13 in riding time. Brooks chose down to start the second stanza. He escaped :20 into the period and then used a fast low single to take Fegley down and led 11-4. He picked up a stall point and another takedown to up his lead to 14-5 after cutting Fegley loose at :45. Brooks added a takedown with :12 left in the period, finished on top and led 16-5 after two with 2:45 in time. Fegley chose down to start the third period and Brooks cut him loose. He then added two quick takedowns and led 20-7 with clinched riding time. Brooks took Fegley down once, cut him, then finished off the 24-9 tech fall with a final takedown at the 6:32 mark.
197: Max Dean, ranked No. 1 at 197, battled Brad Morrison. Dean took Morison down quickly to open up a 2-0 lead and then went to work on top, looking to turn the Bald Eagle for back points or more. Dean spent over 1:30 working to turn Morrison and got him over to his back at the 1:05 mark. He adjusted and got the fall at the 2:03 mark.
285: Greg Kerkvliet, ranked No. 2 at 285, faced off against Ethan Miller. Kerkvliet took Miller down twice in the opening minute, working up a 4-1 lead. After the second takedown, the Nittany Lion spent a few seconds working Miller to his back and finished of the dual meet with a pin at the 1:21 mark.
