Top-ranked Penn State wrestlers take care of Lehigh; Beard knocks off Dean
BETHLEHEM, PA – The top-ranked Penn State wrestling team (3-0, 0-0 B1G) took care of homestanding Lehigh (3-3) 24-12 for a non-conference road win in Bethlehem, Pa. The dual saw Lehigh’s Michael Beard, a transfer from Penn State, defeat the Nittany Lions’ defending NCAA champion Max Dean by an 11-9 score. Meanwhile redshirt freshman Shayne Van Ness sparked Penn State with a pin at 149 and Greg Kerkvliet finished off the dual with a technical fall at 285.
Redshirt freshman Gary Steen fought No. 26 Carter Bailey for seven minutes but dropped a 3-1 decision in the dual’s opening bout. True freshman Karl Shindledecker made his Penn State dual debut at 133 and battled No. 19 Connor McGonagle but dropped a 6-1 decision, giving Lehigh an early 6-0 lead in the dual meet.
Junior Beau Bartlett, ranked No. 9 at 141, tallied takedowns in each period as he put Penn State on the board with a strong 8-4 win over Malyke Hines. His win cut LU’s lead to 6-3. Redshirt freshman Shayne Van Ness, ranked No. 20 at 149, gave Penn State the lead by picking up a first period pin over No. 26 Manzona Bryant IV. Van Ness turned a low shot into a cradle and a pin at the 2:28 mark to give PSU a 9-6 lead. Junior Terrell Barraclough, ranked No. 30 at 157, battled No. 8 Josh Humphreys and kept the bout close with a full second period rideout. But the Mountain Hawk was able to work his way to a 6-3 win and the dual was tied 9-9 at halftime.
Redshirt freshman Alex Facundo, ranked No. 17 at 165, controlled NCAA qualifier Brian Meyer for seven minutes, using two takedowns, an escape and riding time to notch a 6-2 win and give Penn State a 12-9 lead in the dual. Junior Carter Starocci, ranked No. 1 at 174, then put on a takedown clinic against Lehigh’s Jake Logan. Starocci rolled up ten takedowns, including seven in the third period, on his way to a 22-8 major decision.
Senior Aaron Brooks, ranked No. 1 at 184, took care of No. 22 Tate Samuelson, using two three takedowns, an escape and a stall point to roll to an 8-3 win and put Penn State up 19-9 with two bouts to wrestle. Dean, ranked No. 1 at 197, had a first period lead over No. 9 Michael Beard when two stall calls put the Hawk back into the bout and forced Dean into catch-up mode. Dean was unable to battle back and dropped an 11-9 decision to the former Penn State wrestler. Junior Greg Kerkvliet, ranked No. 2 at 285, dominated No. 22 Nathan Taylor and used four near falls (three fours and a two), to post the 18-0 technical fall at the 4:01 mark.
Penn State posted a 22-12 takedown advantage in the dual. The Nittany Lions picked up six bonus points off a pin (Van Ness), a tech fall (Kerkvliet) and a major (Starocci).
Penn State is now 3-0 on the year while Lehigh falls to 3-3. Penn State then returns home to Rec Hall on Sunday, Dec. 11, for a 2 p.m. match-up with Oregon State (in an ESPNU national telecast).
#1 Penn State 24, Lehigh 12
December 4, 2022 – Bethlehem, Pa.
125: #26 Carter Bailey LEH dec. Gary Steen PSU, 3-1 0-3
133: #19 Connor McGonagle LEH dec. Karl Shindledecker PSU, 6-1 0-6
141: #9 Beau Bartlett PSU dec. #30 Malyke Hines LEH, 8-4 3-6
149: #20 Shayne Van Ness PSU pinned #26 Manzona Bryant IV, WBF (2:28) 9-6
157: #8 Josh Humphreys LEH dec. #30 Terrell Barraclough PSU, 6-3 9-9
165: #17 Alex Facundo PSU dec. Brian Meyer LEH, 6-2 12-9
174: #1 Carter Starocci PSU maj. dec. Jake Logan LEH, 22-8 16-9
184: #1 Aaron Brooks PSU dec. #22 Tate Samuelson LEH, 8-3 19-9
197: #9 Michael Beard LEH dec. #1 Max Dean PSU, 11-9 19-12
285: #2 Greg Kerkvliet PSU tech. fall #22 Nathan Taylor LEH, 18-0 (TF; 4:01) 24-12
