Penn State wrestling won eight of its 10 opening bouts to take a slim lead after the first session of the NCAA Championships Thursday afternoon at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
Levi Haines, Mitchell Mesenbrink, Bernie Truax, Aaron Brooks and Greg Kerkvliet gave the Nittany Lions bonus points, with each scoring a technical fall in their first-round bouts. Braeden Davis, Beau Bartlett and Carter Starocci, returning to the mat after injury defaulting out of the Big Ten Championships, each won by decision.
Sophomore Aaron Nagao and freshman Tyler Kasak fell to lower seeded opponents and will look to battle back in the consolation bracket.
Penn State led the team race after the first session with 15.5 points, followed by Nebraska (14), Michigan (13.5), Iowa State (13) and Ohio State (12.5) rounding out the top five.
125 Pounds
No. 1 seed and Big Ten champion Braeden Davis got a takedown midway through the first period and stayed on top to take a 3-0 lead into the second against of No. 33 seed Tristan Lujan of Michigan State. A quick escape and a single for a takedown expanded the Nittany Lion true freshman’s lead to 7-0. An escape in the third was the only point for Lujan, and Davis tacked on a riding time point for an 8-1 decision.
Davis will face No. 17 seed Brett Ungar of Cornell in round 2.
133 Pounds
No. 10 seed Aaron Nagao fell behind early against No. 23 seed Marlon Yarbrough of Virginia and couldn’t battle back. Yarborough struck first with a pair of takedowns for a 6-2 lead heading into the second. After a Nagao escape, Yarborough used a low double for his third takedown of the bout. The Cavalier got control for another takedown in the third, and though Nagao managed a late reversal, it was not enough. Yarborough took a 13-5 major decision.
Nagao will take on No. 26 Kade Moore of Missouri in the first consolation round.
141 Pounds
No. 2 seed Beau Bartlett and No. 31 Kal Miller of Maryland were tied 1-1 late in the third period when the Nittany Lion finally struck the decisive move. The Nittany Lion worked a deep shot into a takedown and two nearfall points as time ran out to claim a 6-1 decision.
Bartlett will meet No. 15 Mitch Moore of Rutgers in round 2.
149 Pounds
No. 7 seed Tyler Kasak scored first against No. 26 Jaden Abas of Stanford with an escape to start the second period, but Abas took the lead with a double for a takedown late in the period. Abas escaped to start the third and increase his lead to 4-1. While Abas gave up a late stall point, Kasak couldn’t break through for a take down and dropped a 4-2 decision.
The Nittany Lion true freshman will take on No. 23 Drew Roberts of Minnesota in the first consolation round.
157 Pounds
No. 1 seed and Big Ten champion Levi Haines took a quick lead against No. 32 Isaac Wilcox of Ohio State with a takedown in the opening seconds and never looked back. The Nittany Lion sophomore took a 6-1 lead after one and added two takedowns in the second to grow the advantage to 12-2. An escape, a quick takedown and a rideout gave Haines a 17-2 technical fall.
Haines will face No. 16 Teague Travis of Oklahoma State in round 2.
165 Pounds
No. 2 seed Mitchell Mesenbrink turned on the pressure early against No. 31 seed Maxx Mayfield of Northwestern, scoring three first-period takedowns to take a 9-2 lead into the second. A Mesenbrink escape, two stall points and another takedown put the Nittany Lion redshirt freshman in front 15-2 after two, and he finished it off quickly in the third with a final takedown for an 18-2 tech fall at the 5:32 mark.
Mesenbrink meets No. 15 seed Brevin Cassella of Binghamton in the second round.
174 Pounds
Back in action after an injury in the regular season finale, No. 9 seed Carter Starocci took on No. 24 Andrew Sparks of Minnesota in the first round. Sparks countered a Starocci shot for an early 3-1 lead, but the three-time national champ quickly responded. Starocci got a takedown out of a scramble and turned Sparks for four nearfall points to take an 8-3 lead after one. Out of a neutral start to the second, Starocci got another takedown and took an 11-4 lead into the final period. Sparks got an escape and a stall point in the third, but Starocci added a riding time point for a 12-6 decision.
Starocci will take on No. 8 Adam Kemp of Cal Poly in round 2.
184 Pounds
No. 6 seed Bernie Truax added to Penn State’s bonus point tally with a dominant performance against No. 27 Cameron Pine of Clarion. Truax followed a quick takedown with a turn for three nearfall points, and added another takedown before the first period ended to take a 9-1 lead and 2:40 in riding time into the second. After of a neutral start to the second, Truax scored another takedown out of a scramble. After a penalty point and an escape, Truax took down Pine again for a 15-3 lead after two. The Nittany Lion graduate put it away quickly in the third with a takedown for an 18-3 tech fall at 5:09.
Truax faces No. 11 Colton Hawks of Missouri in the second round.
197 Pounds
No. 1 seed Aaron Brooks added more bonus points for the Nittany Lions when he took on No. 33 Evan Bates of Northwestern. The three-time NCAA champ countered for an early takedown, let Bates escape and took him down again for a 6-1 lead after one. Brooks continued to have his way in the second, escaping to start the period then taking Bates down three times for a 16-3 lead going into the third. Bates escaped to start the final period, but Brooks ended it with a counter for a takedown and a 19-4 tech fall at 5:24.
Brooks meets No. 17 Joseph Novak of Wyoming in the second round.
285 Pounds
No. 1 seed Greg Kerkvliet made it three consecutive bonus point wins for the Nittany Lions. He drove through on a low single less than a minute in for a takedown of No. 32 Nick Willham of Indiana and stayed on top for a 3-0 lead after one period. The Big Ten heavyweight champion escaped to start the second, then played catch and release for four takedowns and a 16-3 lead by the end of the period. Kerkvliet finished it off quickly in the third with a takedown for a 19-3 tech fall at the 5:16 mark.
Kerkvliet will take on No. 17 Grady Griess of Navy in round 2.
Action resumes at 7 p.m. EDT Thursday on ESPN with the second round of the championship bracket and first round of consolation bouts.
