No. 1 Penn State wrestling returned to dual meet action for the first time in three weeks with a record-setting 46-0 throttling of Rutgers on Saturday at Rec Hall.
The Nittany Lions’ 78th consecutive dual meet win set a new all-division NCAA wrestling record. Penn State had tied Division II St. Cloud’s mark of 77 on Dec. 20 with a win over Stanford at the Journeymen Duals, when the Nittany Lions’ broke Oklahoma State’s nearly 75-year-old Division I record.
Penn State’s last loss was Jan. 31, 2020 with a 19-17 defeat at Iowa.
Saturday’s victory to open the Big Ten schedule was highlighted by pins from Shayne Van Ness, Mitchell Mesenbrink and Levi Haines, technical falls by PJ Duke and Josh Barr and major decisions by Marcus Blaze, Rocco Welsh and Braeden Davis, who made his season dual meet debut at 141 pounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
125 pounds
No. 2 Luke Lilledahl used a single leg and scrambled behind for a takedown a minute into his bout with Rutgers’ No. 29 Ayden Smith, and after a Smith escape, took a 3-1 lead into the second. An escape and second stall warning extended Lilledahl’s lead to 5-1 after two. Smith opened the third with an escape and continued to slow Lilledahl’s pace, but the Nittany Lion drove through on a double leg late in the period for his second takedown. Smith escaped again, but that was all he would get as Lilledahl claimed an 8-3 decision.
133 pounds
After a scoreless first period, Rutgers’ No. 23-ranked Dylan Shawver escaped to a 1-0 lead over Penn State’s fifth-ranked Marcus Blaze before Blaze notched the bout’s first takedown for a 3-1 advantage with 35 seconds remaining in the second period. Blaze turned it up in the third, using a double leg for a takedown and after a Shawver escape, working a head outside single into another takedown. The Nittany Lion freshman tacked on a riding time point for a 12-2 major decision.
141 pounds
With Aaron Nagao continuing to battle an injury, junior Braeden Davis burned his redshirt to step in at 141 and looked strong in his first dual meet action of the year. Davis took down Rutgers’ Tahir Parkins three times in the opening period for a 9-2 lead and built up more than two minutes in riding time. A Parkins escape was the only point of the second, and Davis opened the third with an escape and takedown. Parkins escaped and countered a Davis shot for a takedown of his own, but Davis quickly got free and scored one more takedown to secure an 18-7 major decision
149 pounds
No. 1 Shayne Van Ness got on the board against Rutgers’ Devon Magro with a takedown one minute into the first period. A Magro reversal narrowed the gap, but Van Ness soon circled around for a reversal of his own. After a Magro escape, Van Ness got in for a takedown and turned the Scarlet Knight for four near fall points to take a 12-3 lead into the second. Van Ness took the down position and quickly reversed Magro, then caught him in a guillotine and put his shoulders to the mat for the pin at 4:54.
157 pounds
No. 4 PJ Duke went on the offensive early and often against Rutgers freshman Easton Doster, racking up five first-period takedowns for a 15-4 lead. Duke finished it off quickly in the second, escaping to start the period then using an ankle pick for the takedown and a 19-4 technical fall at 3:18.
165 pounds
Rutgers redshirt freshman Ryan Ford took an early lead with a takedown of No.1-ranked Mitchell Mesenbrink, but the Nittany Lion dominated from there. After escaping, Mesenbrink took down Ford then turned him twice for nearfall points before locking up a cradle for the pin at 2:28.
174 pounds
Top-ranked Levi Haines took on Rutgers’ freshman Jordan Chapman, who filled in for No. 9 Lenny Pinto, and jumped out to a 6-2 first period lead. Escaping to start the second, Haines recorded a takedown, cut Chapman loose, then took him down again, this time putting the Scarlet Knight’s shoulders to the mat for a pin at 4:48
184 pounds
No. 4 Rocco Welsh was clinical in the first period against Rutgers’ No. 15-ranked Shane Cartagena-Walsh, deftly converting three shots for takedowns and a 9-3 lead. The offense slowed down from there, however, as the wrestlers traded escapes to start the second and third periods. Welsh, though, picked up two stall points in the third and a riding time point for a 13-3 major decision.
197 pounds
No. 1 Josh Barr continued his dominance since returning from injury, getting a takedown of Rutgers’ No.18-ranked Remy Cotton and turning him for four near fall points and a 7-0 lead after one. Barr escaped to start the second then got behind his former Davison (Mich.) High School teammate for a takedown. After a Cotton escape, Barr had an 11-1 lead going into the third. Cotton escaped again to start the final period, and Barr extended his lead with another takedown with 1:05 remaining. The Nittany Lion followed another Cotton escape with a final takedown and finished the bout on top. With riding time, Barr secured an 18-3 tech fall.
285 pounds
Following a scoreless first period, No. 15 Cole Mirasola and No. 21 Hunter Catka traded escapes to start the second and third, respectively, to knot the bout at 1-1 with 90 seconds remaining. With a minute left, Mirasola countered a Catka shot for the bout’s only takedown and a 4-1 lead. Catka escaped, but Mirasola came away with the 4-2 decision to preserve the Nittany Lions’ shutout.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Penn State (7-0, 1-0) will be back in action at 7 p.m. EST Friday at No. 4 Iowa. The meet will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
