No.1 Penn State Dominates No. 24 Kent State in Season Opener
UNIVERSITY PARK – No. 1 Penn State (1-0 0-0 B1G) opened up the 2018-19 season with a rousing 52-3 win over No. 24 Kent State (3-5) in sold out Rec Hall Sunday afternoon. Penn State rode seven pins in its season opener to victory, including two from Lions making their Rec Hall dual debuts. The win was the 46th-straight dual meet victory for Penn State, dating back to the end of the 2014-15 season.
The dual was wrestled in front of 6,496 fans, Penn State’s 42nd straight Rec Hall sell-out.
Action began at 125 where sophomore Devin Schnupp (Lititz, Pa.) dropped a tough 12-8 decision to Kent State’s Jake Ferri. True freshman Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.) made his Penn State debut at 133 and thrilled the Lion faithful with a pin in his collegiate debut. Bravo-Young dominated his first two periods against junior Tim Rooney before picking up the pin early in the third, at the 5:31 mark. Sophomore All-American Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 4 at 141, was equally impressive, rolling up 18 points in under two periods and posting an 18-2 technical fall over Kent State’s Cory Simpson, getting the tech fall at the 3:44 mark.
Red-shirt freshman Jarod Verkleeren (Greensburg, Pa.) got the call to make his Nittany Lion dual meet debut at 149 and, like Bravo-Young, notched a fall in his first dual in the Blue and White singlet. Verkleeren countered an early throw attempt by KSU’s Kody Kamara, lifted the Flash wrestler off his feet and took him to his back for a fast fall at the 1:20 mark. Senior Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, continued Penn State’s early pin parade. Nolf rolled up five takedowns in the first period before wrapping up a cradle and pinning Kent State’s Joe Andrassy at the 2:29 mark. The fall was the 46th of Nolf’s career, tying him for fourth all-time at Penn State with Ed Ruth. His fall also gave the Lions a 23-3 lead at intermission.
Junior Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 165, kept Penn State rolling. The Lion junior dominated the first period against Kent State’s Isaac Bast and then ended the match early in the second, getting a pin at the 3:40 mark to put Penn State up 29-3. Classmate Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked No. 2 at 174, followed suit. He controlled KSU’s Dylan Barreiro for the first period, building up a 10-0 lead. Like Joseph, Hall ended the match early in the second, picking up the pin at the 3:34 mark. The fall was the 26th of Hall’s career, tied for 18th all-time at Penn State. Senior Shakur Rasheed (Coram, N.Y.), ranked No. 4 at 184 after earning All-America laurels at 197 a year ago, continued Penn State’s torrid pace. Rasheed wasted no time in his match with Andrew McNally. The Lion senior notched a quick takedown and then worked his way to a pin, getting the fall at 1:13 in the first period.
Senior Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 his new weight of 197, continued Penn State’s pin parade. Nickal rolled up four first period takedowns before pinning Shane Mast at the 2:06 mark, Penn State’s seventh pin of the dual and its fourth in the first period. The pin was the 42nd of Nickal’s career, sixth all-time at Penn State. Senior Anthony Cassar (Rocky Hill, N.J.) got the nod at his new weight of 285 and capped off a raucous home opener with a dominating 17-2 technical fall over Kent State’s Billy Bolia, getting the tech at the 5:51 mark.
Penn State posted a 31-4 takedown advantage. All nine of Penn State’s wins were for bonus, seven pins and two tech falls. Penn State is now 1-0 while Kent State falls to 3-5. Penn State will head to Philadelphia next weekend for the 2018 Keystone Classic at the University of Pennsylvania. The team-scored tournament will be held in the historic Palestra and begins at 10 a.m.
#1 Penn State 52, #24 Kent State 3
November 11, 2018 – Rec Hall – University Park, Pa.
125: Jake Ferri KSU dec. Devin Schnupp PSU, 12-8 0-3
133: Roman Bravo-Young PSU pinned Tim Rooney KSU, WBF (5:31) 6-3
141: #4 Nick Lee PSU tech fall Cory Simpson KSU, 18-2 (TF; 3:44) 11-3
149: Jarod Verkleeren PSU pinned Kody Komara KSU, WBF (1:20) 17-3
157: #1 Jason Nolf PSU pinned Joe Andrassy KSU, WBF (2:29) 23-3
165: #1 Vincenzo Joseph PSU pinned Isaac Bast KSU, WBF (3:40) 29-3
174: #2 Mark Hall PSU pinned Dylan Barreiro KSU, WBF (3:34) 35-3
184: #4 Shakur Rasheed PSU pinned Andrew McNally KSU, WBF (1:13) 41-3
197: #1 Bo Nickal PSU pinned Shane Mast KSU, WBF (2:06) 47-3
285: Anthony Cassar PSU tech fall Billy Bolia KSU, 17-2 (TF; 5:15) 52-3
