Penn State Leading the Field After Session 1 of the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championship

PublisherMarch 21, 2024Last Updated: March 21, 2024

8 minutes read

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team sits atop the team standings after the first session of the 2024 NCAA Championships in Kansas City. Penn State used five technical falls to lead the field after the first round of wrestling in the T-Mobile Center. Action resumes tonight with the second round as well as the start of the consolation bracket in session two at 7 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. local).

Penn State sits in first place with 15.5 points. Nebraska (14.0) and Michigan (13.5) follow in second and third.

True freshman Braeden Davis, the No. seed at 125, met No. 33 Tristan Lujan in his first bout. Davis got in on a deep single at the 1:22 mark and worked his way into a takedown and a 3-0 lead at 1:08. He controlled the Spartan for the rest of the period and carried the 3-0 lead into the second period. Davis chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-0 lead. Davis turned a solid single into a second takedown to lead 7-0 at :40. Lujan chose down to start the third period and Davis controlled the Spartan for :20 before he escaped to a 7-1 score. Davis held 2:01 in riding time. Davis held 2:01 in riding time, and used that point to cap off an 8-1 win.

Sophomore Aaron Nagao, the No. 10 seed at 133, took on No. 23 Marlon Yarbrough of Virginia in the first round. Nagao fell behind 3-1 after an early scramble by Yarbrough and then 6-2 after a second Virginia takedown. Nagao worked the center of the mat through the :45 mark and trailed 6-2 after one. Nagao chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 6-3 score. Yarbrough worked through a low double for a third takedown and a 9-3 lead. Nagao chose neutral to start the third period, trailing 9-3, but Yarbrough notched a fourth takedown to lead 12-3. Nagao added a late reversal but dropped into consolation action after the 13-5 loss.

Senior Beau Bartlett, the No. 2 seed at, took on No. 31 Kal Miller of Maryland in the first round. The duo battled through an even first period, with Bartlett nearly scoring at the end of the period to no avail. With the score tied 0-0, Bartlett chose down to start the second stanza and eventually worked his way to an escape and a 1-0 lead at the 1:17 mark. He carried that lead into the third period. Miller chose down to start the third and worked his way to an escape and a 1-1 tie at the 1:30 mark. Bartlett forced a scramble with a dep shot at the :50 mark. He finished off the takedown, and added two near fall points, with seconds left in the bout to post the 6-1 win.

True freshman Tyler Kasak, the No. 7 seed at 149, met No. 26 Jaden Abas of Stanford in his first match at nationals. Kasak fought off an early Abas shot, scrambling through the 2:00 mark before a stalemate ended things. After a scoreless first period, Kasak chose down to start the second and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Abas worked his way on a deep single and Kasak fought off the move until the :10 mark, but Abas connected on a late double and led 3-1 after two. Abas chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 4-1 lead. Kasak spent the rest of the period working for a takedown. Abas gave up a stall point, but Kasak could not catch him and dropped into consolation action with the 4-2 loss.

Sophomore Levi Haines, the No. 1 seed at 157, took on No. 32 Isaac Wilcox of Ohio State in the first round. Haines took an early 3-1 lead after a quick takedown in the opening seconds of the match. The Lion sophomore used a quick single to notch a second takedown and finished the period on top to lead 6-1 after one. Wilcox chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 6-2 score. Haines notched a third takedown to lead 9-2. He picked up a fourth takedown late and led 12-2 after two. Haines chose down to start the third, escaped to a 13-2 lead and quickly took Wilcox down again to open up a 16-2 lead with cliched riding time. He finished the period on top again and, with riding time, posted the 17-2 technical fall at 7:00.

Redshirt freshman Mitchell Mesenbrink, the No. 2 seed at 165, battled No. 31 Maxx Mayfield of Northwestern in the first round. Mesenbrink opened the bout up with two quick takedowns to lead 6-1 early. He added a third takedown late in the period and led 9-2 after one. Mesenbrink chose down to start the second and escaped to a 10-2 lead. He picked up two stall points and added another takedown to lead 15-2 after two. Mayfield chose neutral to start the third period and Mesenbrink ended things quickly. He took the Wildcat to the mat for a final takedown, posting the 18-2 technical fall at the 5:32 mark.

Senior Carter Starocci, the No. 9 seed at174, took on No. 24 Andre Sparks in the first round. Starocci took a quick single, but Sparks countered the effort for a takedown and an early 3-1 lead. Starocci immediately worked his way in to a scramble and a takedown. He then turned Sparks to his back for four near fall and led 8-3 with over 1:00 in time after one. Starocci chose neutral to start the second period and took Sparks down at the 1:11 mark to lead 11-4 after two periods. Trailing 11-4, Sparks chose down to start the third period. He escaped and picked up a stall point, but Starocci added a riding time point and moved on with a strong 12-6 win.

Graduate Bernie Truax, the No. 6 seed at 184, met No. 27 Cameron Pine of Clarion in the first round. He took the Golden Eagle down quickly and turned him to his back for three nearfall to lead 6-1 out of the gates. Truax took Pine down a second time before the period’s midway point and built his riding time point up over 2:00 with a strong ride. He finished the period on top and led 9-1 with 2:40 in riding time after one. After a neutral start to the second period, Truax turned a low single into a scramble and a takedown to lead 12-1. He worked his riding time up over 3:00, gave up a penalty point and an escape, then took Pine down once more to lead 15-3 after two. After another neutral start to begin the third, Truax ended the bout with a final takedown, posting the 18-3 tech fall at 5:09.

Senior+ Aaron Brooks, the No. 1 seed at 197, met No. 33 Evan Bates of Northwestern. Brooks notched a quick takedown after countering a Bates shot, cut the Wildcat loose and then quickly took him down again to lead 6-1 at the 2:00 mark. He finished the period on top and carried that lead with a riding time edge into the second. Brooks escaped to a 7-1 lead to start the middle period. He quickly tacked on two more escapes to lead 13-2 with :50 on the clock. Brooks finished off the period with one more takedown and led 16-2 w/ 2:34 in time after two. Bates chose down to start the third and escaped to a 16-54 score. Brooks finished off the tech fall with a counter takedown, notching the 19-4 tech at the 5:24 mark.

Senior Greg Kerkvliet, the No. 1 seed at 285, battled No. 32 Nick Willham of Indiana in Penn State’s final first round bout. The Nittany Lion big man used a lightning fast low single to take a 3-0 lead at 2:05. He then went to work on offense, looking for a turn from the top position. Kerkvliet built up over 1:00 in time, working for near fall. He finished the period on top and led 3-0 with 2:05 in time after one. Kerkvliet chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-0 lead. He picked up a quick takedown, cut Willham loose and took him down again to lead 10-2. He notched a fourth takedown and worked his riding time up to 2:58 before cutting Willham loose again. Kerkvliet added a late takedown to lead 16-3 after two. Willham chose neutral to start the final period and Kerkvliet quickly ending things, picking up a final takedown for the 19-3 technical fall at 5:16.

Penn State went 8-2 in the first session, with the eight winners moving on to round two tonight and the other Nittany Lions competing in tonight’s consolation action, still alive for third place and All-America laurels. The Nittany Lions collected 7.5 bonus points off the five tech falls.

Action continues tonight at 7 p.m. Eastern (6 p.m. local) with session two, featuring the second round of the championship bracket and the first round of consolation action. Friday’s sessions are at 12 and 8 p.m. Eastern (11 a.m. and 7 p.m. local) and Saturday’s sessions are at 12 and 7 p.m. Eastern (11 a.m. and 6 p.m. local). All early sessions are telecast nationally on ESPNU, and all evening sessions are telecast nationally on ESPN.

The 2023-24 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by the Family Clothesline. Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via X/twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.

Penn State at 2024 NCAA Championships – Session 1
March 21, 2024 – Kansas City, Mo. – T-Mobile Center

Team Standings (Top three after session 1)
1: PENN STATE – 15.5
2: Nebraska – 14.0
3: Michigan – 13.5

Weight-by-weight agate (RANKINGS LISTED ARE OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT SEED):

125: #1 Braeden Davis, Fr., Belleville, Mich./Dundee
Rd. 1: #33 Tristan Lujan, Michigan State – W, 8-1 dec.
Rd. 2: #17 Brett Ungar, Cornell – tonight