No. 1 Penn State opens season with 44-3 win Over Lock Haven
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA – No. 1 Penn State (1-0, 0-0 B1G) rolled over visiting Lock Haven 44-3 in the dual meet opener for both teams Friday night in State College. Three Penn State freshmen made their Nittany Lion debuts in sold out Rec Hall as Penn State dominated the visiting Bald Eagles.
The dual began at 125 where redshirt freshman Gary Steen made his Penn State debut against No. 13 Anthony Noto of Lock Haven. Noto piled up a a 14-4 major to give the Bald Eagles their only lead. No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young returned to the Rec Hall mat and rolled through Gable Strickland at 133. Bravo-Young posted a 23-8 technical fall, finishing off the bout at the 6:55 mark to put Penn State on top 5-4.
Beau Bartlett, ranked No. 16 at his regular weight of 141, dominated his way to a 10-0 major over Lock Haven’s Ty Linsenbigler. Redshirt freshman Shayne Van Ness, ranked No. 27 at 149, made his Nittany Lion debut in fine fashion by pinning Lock Haven’s Connor Eck. Van Ness got the debut fall at the 6:32 mark. Junior Terrell Barraclough closed out the first half with a thrilling win at 157. He used a reversal and a third period rideout to post a 3-1 win over No. 28 Ashton Eyler. Lock Haven was deducted one team point for unsportsmanlike (bench) during the match as well and Penn State led 18-3 at intermission.
Redshirt freshman Alex Facundo, ranked No. 23 at 165, made his Penn State debut to start the second half and put on a takedown clinic. The Nittany Lion freshman rolled up 12 takedowns on his way to a 27-12 technical fall over Aidan Gaugler at the 5:35 mark, putting Penn State up 23-3.
No. 1 Carter Starocci stormed through Tyler Stoltzfus 19-5 at 174, giving the Nittany Lions a 27-3 lead. Penn State finished off the dual with a tech fall and two pins. No. 1 Aaron Brooks picked up ten takedowns and beat Colin Fegley 24-9 at 184, getting the tech fall at the 6:32 mark. No. 1 Max Dean pinned Brad Morrison in the first period at 197. Dean got the fall at the 2:03 mark to put Penn State up 38-3. Junior Greg Kerkvliet, ranked No. 2 at 285, closed out the dual with another first period fall. He pinned Ethan Miller at 1:21 to give Penn State the 44-3 dual victory.
The Nittany Lions rolled up 52 takedowns to just six for Lock Haven (nine of LHU’s 10 wrestlers did not notch a takedown). Penn State picked up 17 bonus points off three pins (Van Ness, Dean, Kerkvliet), three tech falls (Bravo-Young, Facundo, Brooks) and two majors (Bartlett, Starocci).
Penn State will send a large contingent of wrestlers to Binghamton on Sunday, Nov. 13, for the Bearcat Open. The Nittany Lions return to action on Sunday, Nov. 20, at the Army Black Night Open in West Point, N.Y.
Lock Haven is right back in action against another top-10 opponent Saturday afternoon when they face off against No. 8 NC State. The neutral site matchup is hosted at Liberty High School in Bethlehem, Pa., and is set for a 3 p.m. start.
#1 Penn State 44, Lock Haven 3
November 11, 2022 – Rec Hall – University Park, Pa.
125: #13 Anthony Noto LHU maj. dec. Gary Steen PSU, 14-4 0-4
133: #1 Roman Bravo-Young PSU tech fall Gable Strickland LHU, 23-8 (TF; 6:55) 5-4
141: #16 Beau Bartlett PSU maj. dec. Ty Linsenbigler LHU, 10-0 9-4
149: #27 Shayne Van Ness PSU pinned Connor Eck LHU, WBF (6:32) 15-4
*157: Terrell Barraclough PSU dec. #28 Ashton Eyler LHU, 3-1 18-3
165: #23 Alex Facundo PSU tech fall Aiden Gaugler LHU, 27-12 (5:35) 23-3
174: #1 Carter Starocci PSU maj. dec. Tyler Stoltzfus LHU, 19-5 27-3
184: #1 Aaron Brooks PSU tech fall Colin Fegley, 24-9 (TF; 6:32) 32-3
197: #1 Max Dean PSU pinned Brad Morrison LHU, WBF (2:03) 38-3
285: #2 Greg Kerkvliet PSU pinned Ethan Miller LHU, WBF (1:21) 44-3
* Lock Haven Loses Team Point in 157-bout, unsportsmanlike on bench**
