Nine Penn State wrestlers advanced to the semifinals and the Nittany Lions lead the team race after the first session of the Big Ten Championships on Saturday afternoon at the Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland.
Braeden Davis, Aaron Nagao, Beau Bartlett, Tyler Kasak, Levi Haines, Mitchell Mesenbrink, Bernie Truax, Aaron Brooks and Greg Kerkvliet are now automatically qualified for the NCAA Championships as they continue their hunts for conference titles.
Carter Starocci, the No. 1-ranked 174-pounder, chose to take an injury default at the start of his quarterfinal bout and is expected to do the same in his consolation round bout. Starocci, who is continuing to heal from an injury suffered in the regular season finale against Edinboro, won’t automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships but will receive an at-large bid.
After going 13-1 in the opening rounds, Penn State led the team race with 83.5 points, followed by Michigan with 70.5 and Iowa with 57 to round out the top three. The Nittany Lions earned 10 bonus points in the first session with two pins, three technical falls and three major decisions.
The second session of the Big Ten Championships begins at 5 p.m. Saturday, with the semifinals slated to start at approximately 7 p.m. Consolation rounds will stream on BTN+ and semifinal action will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.
125 Pounds – Braeden Davis
Davis, the No. 6 seed, made a splash in his first round bout against Illinois’ Justin Cardani. The Nittany Lion true freshman broke a scoreless tie in the second period with a reversal and nearfall points and took a 6-1 lead into the final two minutes. A late takedown and two more nearfall points gave Davis an 11-1 major decision.
He then met No. 3 seed Eric Barnett of Wisconsin in what would turn out to be a wild quarterfinal round. Barnett scored an early takedown and stayed in control while Davis gave up a penalty point before escaping to give the Badger a 4-1 lead after one. Davis escaped to narrow the deficit in the second, then converted on a late shot for a takedown and what was first scored as two nearfall points. A review wiped out the back points, but Davis held a 5-4 lead going into the final period.
Barnett chose down and scrambled for a reversal to retake the lead 6-5. Davis answered with a reversal of his own to go up 7-6 late. Barnett, however, had a riding time point secured and the bout went to sudden victory tied 7-7.
Early in the extra period, Davis got in deep on a shot and appeared to be closing in on a takedown when action was stopped and Barnett was called for an illegal hold. The call was upheld on review, and the penalty point gave Davis an 8-7 decision.
The Nittany Lion’s victory capped off a thrilling few minutes in which the No. 1, 2 and 3 seeds at 125 pounds all lost.
Davis will meet No. 7 seed Michael DeAugustino of Michigan in the semifinals.
133 pounds – Aaron Nagao
No. 5 seed Nagao used two takedowns, four nearfall points and more than four minutes of riding time to make easy work of Michigan State’s No. 12 seed Andrew Hampton in the first round with an 11-0 major decision.
He met a tougher test in the quarterfinals against No. 4 seed Jacob Van Dee of Nebraska. Nagao got on the board first with a takedown and stayed on top to carry a 3-0 lead into the second. After Van Dee chose neutral to start the middle period, Nagao maintained his lead heading into the third. The Nittany Lion chose down and escaped to a 4-0 lead. Van Dee scrambled for a takedown in the closing seconds, but Nagao held on for the 4-3 decision.
Nagao will take on No. 1 seed Dylan Ragusin of Michigan in the semifinals.
141 pounds – Beau Bartlett
After a first-round bye, top-seeded Bartlett wrestled a scoreless first period against No. 8 seed Jordan Hamdan of Michigan State in the quarterfinals. Bartlett escaped to start the second and scored a fast takedown on a low single to open up a 4-0 lead. Hamdan escaped at the start of the third and added another point on a second stall call against Bartlett, but the Nittany Lion advanced with a 4-2 decision.
Bartlett will wrestle No. 5 seed Sergio Lemley of Michigan in the semifinals.
149 pounds – Tyler Kasak
Kasak, the No. 4 seed, opened his first Big Ten Championships in style against No. 13 seed Aiden Vandenbush of Northwestern. The Nittany Lion true freshman countered a Vandenbush shot for a takedown, then turned him for four nearfall points and a 7-0 lead. Kasak continued to work on top and finally turned Vandenbush for a first-period fall at the 2:48 mark.
In the quarterfinals, Kasak and No. 5 seed Dylan D’Emilio of Ohio State wrestled a scoreless first period. D’Emilio chose down to start the second and Kasak stayed in control for more than a minute before the Buckeye escaped to a 1-0 lead that he took into the third. Kasak opened the final period with a reversal and D’Emilio escaped to tie the bout 2-2. The Nittany Lion, however, had 1:18 in riding time and D’Emilio was unable to break through the rest of the way. Kasak’s 3-2 decision sends him to a semifinal bout against top seed Ridge Lovett of Nebraska.
157 pounds – Levi Haines
No. 1 seed Haines got a first round bye and took on No. 9 seed Trevor Chumbley of Northwestern in the quarterfinals. The Nittany Lion sophomore scored a takedown and rode out the first period with a 3-0 lead. A stall point and another takedown increased Haines’ lead to 7-0 in the second. A final takedown, a stall point and riding time gave Haines a 12-0 major decision.
He will face No. 4 seed Jared Franek of Iowa in the semifinals.
165 pounds – Mitchell Mesenbrink
Following a first round bye, No. 2 seed Mesenbrink started his first Big Ten Championships in the quarterfinals against Blaine Brenner of Minnesota. Mesenbrink opened up a 9-2 lead after the first period, then escaped to start the second. After notching his fourth takedown of the bout, Mesenbrink turned Brenner to the mat for the pin at the 3:59 mark.
Mesenbrink will meet No. 3 seed Michael Caliendo of Iowa in the semifinals.
174 pounds – Carter Starocci
Top-seeded Starocci’s status was uncertain in the week leading up to the conference tournament after he suffered a leg injury at the end of his win in the regular season finale against Edinboro on Feb. 25.
Starocci came to the mat for a quarterfinal bout against Andrew Sparks of Minnesota, but immediately took an injury default one second into the bout. He’s expected to do the same in the consolation round, presumably to continue healing ahead of the NCAA Championships in two weeks.
Previously 12-0 on the season, the injury default brings Starocci’s nation leading 64-match winning streak to an end. He will be an at-large selection for the NCAA tournament, though the two losses now on his record he will almost affect his seeding as he seeks his fourth national title.
184 pounds – Bernie Truax
Truax, the No. 3 seed, went to work quickly in his opening round bout against No. 14 seed Chase Mielnik of Maryland. He scored a takedown 30 seconds into the first period and turned Mielnik for three nearfall points to open up a 6-0 lead. After a Mielnik escape, Truax powered through for another takedown then turned the Terrapin three times for back points to record a 19-1 tech fall at the 2:48 mark.
Against No. 6 seed Layne Malczewski of Michigan State in the quarterfinals, Truax again was the aggressor, using a low shot for an early takedown and carrying a 3-1 lead into the second. Malczewski escaped to start the second, but Truax increased his lead to 6-2 with a late takedown. A Truax escape to start the third would be it for the scoring, and the Nittany Lion moved on with a 7-2 decision.
Truax will take on No. 2 seed Lenny Pinto of Nebraska in the semfinals.
197 pounds – Aaron Brooks
Top-seeded Brooks met Evan Bates of Northwestern in the quarterfinals after a first-round bye. A pair of takedowns and three nearfall points gave Brooks a 9-1 lead at the end of one. He opened the second period with an escape, then notched another takedown to push ahead 13-1 heading into the third. Brooks let Bates escape to start the final period and quickly scored another takedown. After another Bates escape, Brooks finished off the bout with a final takedown for a 19-3 tech fall at the 5:58 mark.
Brooks faces No. 4 seed Silas Allred of Nebraska in the semifinals.
285 pounds – Greg Kerkvliet
No. 1 seed Kerkvliet received a first-round bye and took on No. 8 seed Bennett Tabor of Minnesota in the quarterfinals. Kerkvliet poured it on quickly, taking down Tabor and turning him for three nearfall points, then executing a four-point turn to take a 10-0 lead after the first period. Tabor took down to start the second and Kerkvliet stayed in control. After adding a point on a stall call against Tabor, Kerkvliet turned the Gopher for four nearfallpoints to end the bout with a 15-0 tech fall at the 3:25 mark.
Kerkvliet will wrestle No. 4 seed Yaraslau Slavikouski of Rutgers in the semifinals.
