6 days Ago By TribLive
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The Penn State wrestling team (3-0) shut out visiting Wyoming (2-3) 54-0 in front of over 7,300 fans inside the Bryce Jordan Center Sunday. The dual, originally a sellout in Rec Hall, was moved to the Bryce Jordan Center Dec.
8 due to the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament being held in Rec Hall this weekend. The Nittany Lions won all 10 bouts, all for bonus points, including five pins. The shutout is the first of the season for Penn State.
The dual began at 125 pounds. Penn State true freshman Luke Lilledahl, ranked No. 12, rolled to a 20-5 technical fall over Jack Braman, finishing off the match in the second period at 4:25.
Sophomore Braeden Davis, ranked No. 11 at 133, mirrored that tech fall next. Davis rolled to an 18-4 tech fall at 5:27 to put Penn State up 10-0 early.
Senior Beau Bartlett, ranked No. 3 at 141, made short work of No. 28 Cole Brooks, locking the Cowboy’s shoulders and getting the fast fall at 47 seconds in the first period.
Sophomore Shayne Van Ness, ranked No. 2 at 149, picked up Penn State’s second straight fall, pinning No. 22 Gabe Willochell at the 4:27 mark to give the Nittany Lions a 22-0 lead.
Sophomore Tyler Kasak, ranked No. 4 at 157, dominated No. 19 Jared Hill in the fifth bout of the dual.
Kasak used two first-period takedowns and a takedown and three nearfall points in the third to roll to a 16-3 major and send Penn State into the halftime break with a 26-0 lead. Sophomore Mitchell Mesenbrink, ranked No. 1 at 165, opened up the second half with his seventh technical fall in as many matches.
Mesenbrink rolled over Cooper Voorhees, posting the 15-0 tech fall at the 3:17 mark. Junior Levi Haines, ranked No. 2 at 174, continued Penn State’s dominance with the third pin of the dual.
Haines got the first-period pin over Riley Davis at 2:25 to put Penn State up 37-0. Graduate Carter Starocci, ranked No. 1 at 184, picked up yet another first-period fall for the Nittany Lions.
The graduate picked up his fall at the 1:38 mark to give Penn State a 43-0 lead. Redshirt freshman Josh Barr, ranked No. 7 at 197, picked up Penn State’s third straight pin, getting another first-period fall at 1:48.
Senior Greg Kerkvliet, ranked No. 2 at 285, finished off the dual meet with a convincing 20-3 technical fall over Kevin Zimmer at the 3:28 mark. Kerkvliet’s effort capped off Penn State’s 54-0 shutout victory.
Penn state rolled up a gaudy 29-1 edge in takedowns. Penn State had 24 bonus points off five pins (Bartlett, Van Ness, Haines, Starocci, Barr), four tech falls (Lilledahl, Davis, Mesenbrink, Kerkvliet) and one major decision (Kasak). The 54-0 win, Penn State’s first shoutout of the year, is the first since a 35-0 shutout at Michigan State Feb.
21, 2024. The 54-point margin is the second-largest in Penn State history (55-0 over Buffalo Feb. 18, 2018).
The Nittany Lions improved to 3-0 on the year, while the Cowboys fell to 2-3. Penn State returns to action next weekend with a trip to the Journeymen Collegiate Duals in Nashville. The Nittany Lions will wrestle three opponents Dec.
22. Penn State battles Binghamton at 3 p.m.
, Little Rock at 5 p.m. and Missouri at 7 p.
m..
