Nittany Lion wrestling advances six to Big Ten finals
ANN ARBOR, Mich.– The Penn State Nittany Lions (16-0, 8-0 B1G) will have six wrestlers competing in the 2023 Big Ten Finals set for Sunday in Ann Arbor, Mich. Penn State has qualified nine wrestlers for the NCAA Championships in two weeks. The two-day event concludes Sunday with consolation action at 1 p.m. and the Big Ten Finals set for 4:30 p.m. Eastern.
The Nittany Lions went 6-1 in the semifinals, tying the school record for Big Ten finalists (2019). Head coach Cael Sanderson’s crew sits atop the team race with 120.0 points while Iowa (105.5) and Nebraska (98.5) follow in second and third. Senior Max Dean picked up his 100th career win during the session as well.
Roman Bravo-Young, ranked No. 1 at 133 and the top-seed, met No. 11 Dylan Ragusin of Michigan in the first of Penn State’s seven semifinal bouts. Bravo-Young scored quickly, taking Ragusin down for two points and an early 2-1 lead. The Nittany Lion bulled through a second takedown at the :45 mark to open up a 4-1 lead and then finished the period on top to carry that lead, with 1:00 in riding time, into the second stanza. Bravo-Young worked his way to an escape and a 5-1 lead to open up the second stanza. After having a takedown reversed on review, Bravo-Young fought off a late Ragusin shot and led 5-1 after two. Bravo-Young built his riding time up over 1:00 before Ragusin escaped to a 5-2 score. Bravo-Young finished the bout with a takedown and a riding time point to post the 8-2 win and move into the Big Ten finals on Sunday.
Levi Haines, ranked No. 7 at 157 and the second seed, took on No. 6 Kendall Coleman of Purdue in his semifinal match-up. Haines and Coleman battled evenly for opening period, sending the bout to the second tied 0-0. Haines chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Haines worked his way in on a low single and forced a scramble that lead to a takedown to open up a 3-0 lead at 1:24. Coleman rolled to an escape on a reset to cut Haines’ lead to 3-1 midway through the period. Haines carried that lead into the third where Coleman escaped to a 3-2 lead to start the last stanza. Haines controlled the action in neutral for the rest of the period and posted the 4-3 victory to move into Sunday’s Big Ten title bout.
Carter Starocci, ranked No. 1 at 174 and the top seed, battled No. 8 Bailee O’Reilly of Minnesota in the semis. Starocci worked shoulder control into a low shot and a takedown on the edge of the mat, opening up a 2-0 lead at 1:54. Starocci stayed aggressive on offense throughout the opening period and notched a second takedown late and led 4-1 after one. O’Reilly started the second period on bottom and Starocci built his riding time edge well over 1:00. He cut O’Reilly loose midway through the period and led 4-2 with 1:51 in time after two. Starocci escaped to a 5-2 lead quickly in the third. He took the Gopher down a third time late in the period and, with riding time, rolled to the 8-2 win. Starocci’s victory moved him into Sunday’s Big Ten title match.
Aaron Brooks, ranked No. 1 at 184 and the top seed, met No. 8 Matt Finesilver of Michigan in his semifinal match. Brooks and Finesilver battled through the opening minute evenly before Brooks blew through a high double to open up a 2-1 lead. Brooks worked Finesilver to the mat for a second takedown and led 4-2, then added a third one late and finished on top to lead 6-2 after the opening period. Brooks continued to pour on the offense in the second, picking up a fourth takedown, then a fifth at 1:00 to open up a 10-4 lead. Brooks worked his riding time edge up over 1:00, picked up a stall point and then took Finesilver down again to lead 13-5 after two. Brooks tacked on two more takedowns, clinched his riding time point, and finished the period on top to roll to the 18-6 major decision.
Max Dean, ranked No. 3 at 197 and the top seed, took on No. 12 Jacob Warner of Iowa in the semis. Dean and Warner worked the middle of the mat in neutral for the bulk of the first period and finished it in a scoreless tie. Dean chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 1-0 lead at the 1:25 mark. Dean slid through a fast low shot and finished it off for a takedown and a 3-0 lead with :45 left in the period. Dean finished the period on top and led 3-0 after two. Warner quickly escaped to a 3-1 score to start the third period. Dean worked the middle of the mat for the remainder of the period and finished off the 3-1 victory. The win moved Dean into the finals on Sunday and was the 100th victory of his career.
Greg Kerkvliet, ranked No. 2 at 285 and the second seed, faced No. 3 Tony Cassioppi of Iowa in Penn State’s final semifinal bout of the evening. Kerkvliet took a 2-0 lead midway through the opening period with a strong double at the 1:02 mark. He dominated the action on top after the takedown and finished off the period on top to lead 2-0 with 1:02 in riding time after one. Kerkvliet took down to start the second and patiently worked his way to a reversal and a 4-0 lead. He rode Cassioppi out once again and led 4-0 with 1:22 in riding time after two periods. Cassioppi chose down to start the final stanza and but Kerkvliet was unrelenting on top, controlling the Hawkeye for the full two minutes and rolling to a 5-0 win with 3:12 in riding time. His victory pushed him into Sunday’s Big Ten finals, Penn State’s sixth finalist.
Beau Bartlett, ranked No. 4 at 141 and the second seed, took on No. 6 Brock Hardy of Nebraska in the semis. The duo scrambled through a couple early shots before Bartlett rolled through a Hardy shot for a takedown and a 2-1 lead at the 1:15 mark. The Nittany Lion junior carried that lead into the second where Hardy escaped to a 2-2 tie to begin the period. Hardy worked through for a takedown and a 4-2 lead midway through the period and finished on top. Bartlett chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 4-3 score but Hardy quickly took him down again and posted the 7-3 win. Bartlett’s loss sent him into the conso semifinals in session three.
Shayne Van Ness, ranked No. 13 at 149 and the fifth-seed, met Purdue’s Jaden Reynolds in his first conso bout. Van Ness scored quickly, taking Reynolds down in the opening seconds to take 2-0 lead. He then worked a strong ride into a stall point to lead 3-0 at :35 and carried that lead into the second period. Van Ness added an escape and a quick takedown to open up a 6-0 lead then tacked on two quick takedowns to lead 10-3 after two periods. He tacked on four more takedowns and over 3:00 of riding time to roll to the 19-7 major decision. Van Ness battled No. 30 Chance Lamer of Michigan in his next conso bout. Midway through the opening period, Van Ness took Lamer down and to his back for a six-point move, opening up a 6-0 lead. Van Ness led 6-1 after the opening period and built his riding time to nearly 2:00 before Lamer escaped to a 6-2 score. Van Ness added two more quick takedowns to lead 10-3 with 2:49 riding time after two. Van Ness tacked on one more takedown to lead 13-4 before Lamar took an injury default after a stoppage early in the third period. Van Ness got the injury default victory to continue his quest for third place starting in session three.
Alex Facundo, ranked No. 9 at 165 and the fourth seed, faced Nick South of Indiana in his first conso bout. Facundo battled South through nearly three minutes of even wrestling before coming out on top of a scramble for a 2-0 lead at the end of the opening period. He escaped for another point to start the second period and led 3-0 heading to the third stanza. South escaped to a 3-1 score to start the third period but Facundo held firm on defense for the rest of the match and posted the 3-1 victory to advance in consolation action. He took on No. 33 Bubba Wilson of Nebraska in his next bout. Facundo and Wilson battled through a scoreless first period. The Nittany Lion freshman quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead to start the second stanza. Facundo forced a scramble midway through the second but Wilson was able stalemate the action to a reset. Wilson escaped to a 1-1 tie to start the third period and then quickly took Facundo down to lead 3-2 after a quick Facundo escape. Facundo worked for a final takedown but Wilson fought off the effort to hold on for the 3-2 win. Facundo’s loss dropped him into the seventh-place bout in session three.
Gary Steen took on No. 17 Jack Medley of Michigan in his first conso bout at 125. Medley took Steen down early for a 2-1 lead after a quick Steen escape. Steen fought off two more Medley efforts before Medley connected for a takedown and a 4-1 lead after the first period. Medley added an escape to lead 5-1 after two. Steen escaped to a 5-2 score to start the third period but Medley finished off a 7-2 win with a final takedown. Steen’s loss ended his shots at an automatic slot at NCAAs but he moved in to the 9/10 placer bracket starting in session three.
Penn State went 9-3 in session two and capped off day one with an 18-6 record. The Nittany Lions have added 9.5 bonus points off six majors, a tech fall and an injury default win.
Penn State’s NCAA qualifiers will head to Tulsa, Okla., for the 2023 NCAA Championships on March 16-18, 2023, in Tulsa’s BOK Center. The six-session title tournament features sessions at 12:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 16; 12:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Friday March 17; and 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 18 (all times Eastern). The NCAA tournament will be broadcast national on the ESPN family of networks.
Penn State at 2023 Big Ten Championship – Session 2
March 4, 2023 – Ann Arbor, Mich. – University of Michigan, Host
Team Standings (Top 3 after session 2)
1: PENN STATE – 120.0
2: Iowa – 105.5
3: Nebraska – 98.5
