No. 1 Penn State wrestling (1-0) dominated Lock Haven (0-1) 44-3 in the season-opening dual on Friday night at sold-out Rec Hall.
The defending national champions dominated in their start to the 2022-2023 season, winning nine of 10 bouts. The Nittany Lions claimed three pins, three technical falls and two major decisions en route to the victory that saw three redshirt freshmen make their Penn State debuts.
Before the dual started, some new decoration was added to the Rec Hall rafters.
How It Happened
Redshirt freshman Gary Steen made his Penn State debut facing No. 13 Anthony Noto at 125 pounds to open the dual. Noto got the bout’s first takedown and Steen quickly escaped to make it 2-1 Noto tacked on two more takedowns and an escape in the second. While Steen battled, he could only manage three escapes as Noto notched five more takedowns, an escape and a riding time point for the 14-4 major decision to put the visiting Bald Eagles up 4-0 early.
Defending 133-pound champion and No. 1-ranked Roman Bravo-Young was quick to score against Lock Haven’s Gable Strickland, getting four first-period takedowns to jump out to an 8-3 lead. The Nittany Lion kept up the intensity with an escape and three more takedowns in the second for 15-5 lead. Bravo-Young kept pushing into the third and finished it off with a 23-8 technical fall at 6:55 to put Penn State in front 5-4.
At 141 pounds, No. 13 Beau Bartlett met Lock Haven’s Ty Linsenbigler. Dropping down a weight class from last season, Bartlett earned a takedown late in the first and a reversal to start the second, then added back points and a stall point to take a 7-0 lead into the third. A takedown and a rideout in the third gave the Nittany Lion a 10-0 major decision victory.
Another newcomer made his Penn State debut at 149 pounds, as No. 25 Shayne Van Ness took on Connor Eck. The redshirt freshman made his transition to Rec Hall easy, taking a 4-1 lead with 2:32 in riding time by the end of the first period. That lead would grow to 13-2 in the second as Van Ness got in on two takedowns and scored four back point with a near pin before the buzzer. Van Ness finished it off in the third as he locked up a cradle for the fall at 6:32 to put Penn State ahead 15-4.
Junior Terrell Barraclough appeared to have the first takedown late in the first period of his bout with Lock Haven’s No. 28 Ashton Eyler, but the challenge brick was thrown by the Bald Eagles’ staff and the ruling was reversed. Taking down to start the second, Barraclough worked a reversal to take the lead and Eyler’s escape made it 2-1. A rideout by Barraclough in the third secured the riding time point and a 3-1 victory to close out the first half.
During the bout, Lock Haven was docked a team point for an unsportsmanlike call on the bench, leaving the score at 18-3 in Penn State’s favor.
The third Nittany Lion of the night to make his debut was redshirt freshman Alex Facundo facing Aiden Gaugler at 165 pounds. Facundo came out hot with six takedowns in the first period, repeatedly cutting Gaugler loose to take a 12-6 lead. Facundo’ kept pouring it on the second, going up 23-10 with 2:21 of riding time before getting a pair of takedowns early in the third to record the 27-12 technical fall at the 5:35 mark.
At 174 pounds, defending champ and No. 1-ranked Carter Starocci took on Tyler Stolzfus. In true Starocci fashion, the redshirt junior was the first to a takedown and held an 11-4 lead through the first. Starocci dominated the rest of the way en route to a 19-5 major decision and a 27-3 Penn State lead.
Defending 184-pound national champion and top-ranked Aaron Brooks was next to the mat against Lock Haven’s Colin Fegley. Brooks converted two takedowns in the opening minute and carried an 8-3 lead into the second. He kept it up in the second period with an escape, a stall point and three more takedowns to open up a 16-5 margin with 2:45 in riding time. Brooks’ three takedowns in the third and clinched riding time secured a 24-9 tech fall at 6:32 as Penn State built a 32-3 lead in the team score.
Rounding out last year’s individual Nittany Lion national champions, No. 1 Max Dean made quick work of Brad Morrison at 197 pounds. Dean got a fast takedown to go up 2-0, then went to work, using his bow and arrow to turn Morrison for the pin at the 2:03 mark.
No. 2 Greg Kerkvliet finished off the meet in similar fashion against Lock Haven’s Ethan Miller at heavyweight. Kerkvliet got two takedowns in the opening minute, then got Miller to his back for a first period fall at the 1:21 mark to complete the Nittany Lions’ 44-3 rout of the Bald Eagles.
What’s Next?
The Nittany Lions will travel to West Point for Army’s Black Knight Open on Nov. 20 before resuming dual meet action on Dec. 2 at Rider.
Geoff Rushton contributed to this report.
