Updated 11:03 p.m. March 19.
Eight of 10 Penn State wrestlers advanced to the quarterfinals and the Nittany Lions continued to rack up bonus points as they extended their team lead after the second round of the NCAA Championships on Thursday night in Cleveland.
Seeking its fifth straight national title and 13th in the past 15 tournaments, Penn State finished the day in first place with 40.5 team points, outpacing its total from the same point last year when the Nittany Lions went on to set a record of 177. Nebraska was in second with 27 points, followed by Iowa with 25.5, Oklahoma State with 25 and Ohio State with 23.
True freshman and No. 1 seed PJ Duke (157 pounds) recorded his second consecutive pin of the tournament on Thursday night, while top-seeded 149-pounder Shayne Van Ness also won by fall. No. 3 seed and true frosh Marcus Blaze (133) and No. 1 seed Levi Haines (174) each had technical falls, and top seeds Mitchell Mesenbrink (165), Rocco Welsh (184) and Josh Barr (197) all won by major decision. No. 1 seed Luke Lilledahl (125) won by decision to advance, as well.
No. 14 seed Braeden Davis (141) and No. 9 seed Cole Mirasla (285) dropped tough decisions to higher-seeded opponents. Both will still look to place as high as third in the consolation bracket.
The Nittany Lions are the only team with eight wrestlers in the quarterfinals and one of four with all 10 still alive in the championship or consolation brackets, joining Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Ohio State.
Through two sessions, Penn State was 18-2 with four pins, seven tech falls, four major decisions, 3 decisions and two losses.
Action continues starting at noon EDT on Friday in Rocket Arena with quarterfinals and wrestleback matches airing on ESPNU. Semifinals will start at 8 p.m., with the broadcast on ESPN2.
125 Pounds
No. 1 seed Luke Lilledahl and No. 17 Jett Strickenberger of West Virginia went scoreless through one period before Strickeberger escaped to a 1-0 lead to start the second. Lilledahl got the bout’s first, and only, takedown, with a minute remaining in the period, Strickenberger escaped and Lilledahl took a 3-2 lead into the final two minutes. The Nittany Lion sophomore escaped for a 4-2 lead at the start of the third, and that would be it for scoring as Strickenberger showed strong defense fending off two good shots by Lilledahl, who advanced to the quarterfinals with the decision victory.
Up next: Lilledahl will face No. 8 seed Dean Peterson of Iowa in the quarterfinals on Friday. Lilledahl won their last two meetings this season with an 11-5 decision in a January dual meet and an 8-3 decision in the Big Ten quarterfinals.
133 Pounds
No. 3 seed Marcus Blaze got a stall point, takedown and four nearfall points to open up an 8-0 first-period lead against No. 19 Gage Walker of Missouri. A reversal and a takedown extended the Penn State true freshman’s lead to 13-2 after two, and an escape and takedown in the third wrapped up a 17-2 technical fall at 6:10. It was Blaze’s second tech fall in as many bouts at the tournament.
Up next: Blaze will take on No. 6 seed Drake Ayala on Friday afternoon. Blaze defeated Ayala 4-2 in a January dual meet, then won a 4-1 sudden victory decision against the Hawkeye in the Big Ten semifinals.
141 Pounds
No. 14 seed Braeden Davis jumped out to an early lead with a takedown against No. 3 seed Brock Hardy of Nebraska. Hardy scored a reversal, Davis escaped and the Nittany Lion took a 4-2 lead into the second period. Hardy escaped to start the middle period and got a takedown out of a tie up on the mat to move in front 6-4 heading into the final period. Out of a neutral start, Hardy used an ankle pick for a takedown, and Davis appeared frustrated that it wasn’t challenged. Hardy stayed in control for a 9-4 decision to advance to the quarterfinals and send David into wrestlebacks.
Up next: Davis starts consolation action on Friday against No. 29 seed Jordan Titus of West Virginia.
149 Pounds
No. 1 seed Shayne Van Ness took control quickly against No. 16 seed Jacob Frost of Iowa State, scoring a takedown and allowing an escape before taking the Cyclone down again. Van Ness then went to work on top, adjusting into a cradle and pinning Frost at 2:23.
Up next: Van Ness heads to the quarterfinals where he will meet No. 8 seed Casey Swiderski of Oklahoma State, who defeated former Nittany Lion David Evans, now at Utah Valley, in the second round.
157 Pounds
Make it two pins in two NCAA tournament bouts for No. 1 seed PJ Duke. The Nittany Lion continued his torrid postseason with six first-period takedowns against No. 17 Luke Mechler of Wisconsin before getting in an underhook and putting Mechler on his back for the fall at 1:38.
Up next: Duke takes on No. 8 seed Brandon Cannon of Ohio State in Friday’s quarterfinals. Duke beat the previously undefeated Cannon with a 20-7 major decision in the Big Ten quarterfinals.
165 Pounds
No. 1 seed Mitchell Mesenbrink continued his pursuit of a second consecutive national title with a takedown and stall point to open a 4-0 first-period lead against No. 16 seed Paddy Gallagher of Ohio State. An escape and stall point in the second extended Mesenbrink’s lead to 8-0. Three more stall points and a riding time point gave the Nittany Lion a 12-0 major decision to continue his 100% bonus rate on the season as he advanced to the quarterfinals.
Up next: Mesenbrink will meet No. 9 seed Bryce Hepner of North Carolina on Friday afternoon.
174 Pounds
No. 1 seed Levi Haines got three first-period takedowns to take control 9-2 against No. 16 seed Nick Fine of Columbia. Haines tacked on two takedowns in the second and two more in the third to win by 21-5 tech fall at 5:26.
Up next: The lone senior in the Nittany Lion lineup heads to the quarterfinals to face No. 9 seed Beau Mantanona of Michigan, who defeated former Nittany Lion Alex Facundo of Oklahoma State in the second round. Haines beat Mantanona by tech fall in a February dual meet.
184 Pounds
No. 1 seed Rocco Welsh took a 6-2 lead over No. 16 seed Rylan Rogers of Lehigh on the strength of two first-period takedowns and added to the tally with an escape in the second. After a Rogers escape and Welsh takedown, the Nittany Lion sophomore allowed an escape then got in on a final takedown in the waning seconds to secure a bonus point with a 13-4 major decision.
Up next: Welsh will square off against No. 8 seed Silas Allred of Nebraska in the quarterfinals. Welsh won their only previous meeting with a 14-5 major decision during a January dual meet.
197 Pounds
No. 1 seed Josh Barr used a pair of single leg shots for two takedowns and a 6-1 lead after one period against No. 17 seed Dillon Bechtold of Bucknell. Barr’s escape was the only point of the second and Bechtold narrowed the gap to 7-2 with an escape to start the third. The Nittany Lion sophomore ramped up the attack to get two more takedowns and added a riding time point for an 11-3 major decision that kept up his 100% bonus rate on the season and sent him to the quarterfinals.
Up next: Barr meets No. 9 seed Angelo Posada of Stanford on Friday afternoon.
285 Pounds
No. 9 seed Cole Mirasola and No. 8 seed Ben Kueter battled to a scoreless first period before Kueter escaped to a 1-0 lead at the start of the second. Mirasola chose neutral to start the third, but the strategy didn’t pay off. Kueter countered a Mirasola shot for a late takedown and a 4-0 decision, sending the Nittany Lion redshirt freshman into the consolation bracket.
Up next: Mirasola will take on No. 23 seed Stephen Monchery of Appalachian State in the second round of wrestlebacks.
