No. 1 Penn State wrestling (3-0, 0-0 Big Ten) took down Wyoming (2-3, 0-2 Big 12) 54-0 on Sunday afternoon in the Bryce Jordan Center. The win was Cael Sanderson’s 250th as a head coach, with 44 coming at Iowa State and 206 at Penn State.
After a switch in location to make way for the Penn State women’s volleyball team’s NCAA tournament run at Rec Hall this weekend, the dual Sunday’s dual meet was the first of three for the Nittany Lions in the Bryce Jordan Center this season.
Highlighting the dual were bonus point victories in all 10 bouts, including four tech falls, one major decision and five pins.
How It Happened
125 Pounds
Kicking off the dual was No. 12 Luke Lilledahl taking on Wyoming’s Jack Braman. Lilledahl struck first with two early takedowns over Braman to jump out to a quick 6-2 lead. The true freshman wrestler then snagged an additional pair of takedowns to increase his lead to 12-3 with over 100 seconds of riding time entering the middle period. Lilledahl continued his offensive assault over Braman to secure a 20-5 tech fall at 4:25.
133 Pounds
Stepping to the mat next for Penn State was No. 11 Braeden Davis battling against Stockton O’Brien. In a similar fashion to his lighter-weight teammate, Davis struck quickly with the bout-opening takedown, following it up with a single-leg late in the opening period to take a 6-1 lead after the first three minutes of action. Two more takedowns from Davis in the middle period extended the Nittany Lion’s lead to 12-3 heading into the final two minutes. A quick takedown to start the third paired with near-fall points granted Davis the 18-3 tech fall at 5:27.
Penn State led the dual 10-0 after the opening two matches.
141 Pounds
After a short break, No. 3 Beau Bartlett faced Wyoming’s No. 28-ranked Cole Brooks. Bartlett wasted no time getting his first takedown over Brooks, rolling the Wyoming wrestler onto his back for the dual’s first pin at 0:47.
149 Pounds
Working to keep the bonus points streak alive, No. 2 Shayne Van Ness squared off against No. 22 Gabe Willochell. A back-and-forth first period saw Van Ness come out on top 7-4 heading into the second. Despite Willochell escaping to start the period, Van Ness struck again with another takedown, finishing off the Wyoming wrestler with the meet’s second fall in a row, this time at 4:27.
157 Pounds
Wrapping up the first half of action, No. 4 Tyler Kasak lined up against the Cowboys’ 19th-ranked Jared Hill. A pair of takedowns in the first from Kasak put the Nittany Lion ahead 7-1 after the opening three minutes of action. An escape from Hill was the only point scored in the second, tightening Kasak’s lead to 7-2. After a short review on the mat, Kasak was awarded a three-point near-fall to follow up an edge-of-the-mat takedown, extending his lead to 14-3. A final stalling call and riding time point gave Kasak the 16-3 major decision victory over Hill.
The Nittany Lions led the dual 26-0 at the intermission.
165 Pounds
Starting the dual again after the break, No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink faced Wyoming’s Cooper Voorhees. Mesenbrink began the scoring early with a takedown and a pair of four-second near-falls to take an 11-0 lead after the first period. A quick escape from Mesenbrink to start the second followed by an additional takedown gave the sophomore a 15-0 tech fall at 3:17.
174 Pounds
In action next was No. 2 Levi Haines against Wyoming’s Riley Davis. After a takedown and near-fall points to open a 7-0 lead, Haines secured the pin over Davis at 2:25.
Haines’ win extended Penn State’s dual lead to 37-0.
184 Pounds
At 184 pounds, Penn State’s No. 1-ranked Carter Starocci shared the mat with Ethan Ducca. In almost no time at all, Starocci took Ducca to the mat and secured the dual’s fourth pin at 1:38.
197 Pounds
In the penultimate match of the afternoon, No. 7 Josh Barr took on Wyoming’s Brant Whitaker. Just like in the previous matches, Barr efficiently pinned Whittaker at 1:48.
Heavyweight
Closing out the afternoon were No. 2 Greg Kerkvliet and Wyoming’s Kevin Zimmer. Kerkvliet took a methodical approach to the final bout, taking down his opponent with ease. The action spilled into the second period when Kerkvliet secured a 20-3 tech fall at 3:28.
Penn State won the dual 54-0.
What’s Next?
Penn State will be in action next on Sunday, Dec. 22, when it takes part in the Journeymen duals in Nashville, Tennessee. The Nittany Lions will take on Binghamton, Arkansas Little Rock and Missouri starting at 3 p.m.
