UNIVERSITY PARK — The Sunday, Feb. 25, celebration in Rec Hall for the Penn State wrestling team lost some of its luster when one of the team’s stars suffered an injury in a bout that was over except for the whistle.
The No. 1 Nittany Lions (12-0, 8-1 B1G) closed out their dual meet season with their third shutout of the season and completed their eighth undefeated season in the last nine years with a 55-0 shutout of Edinboro (2-12) Sunday in front of 6,389 Rec Hall fans.
The 55-point margin of victory tied a program best set against Buffalo by the same score on Feb. 18, 2018.
It was the 55th consecutive dual meet win for Penn State, which celebrated Senior Day by recognizing 10 seniors: Donovan Ball, Terrell Barraclough, Aaron Brooks, Greg Kerkvliet, Matt Lee, Baylor Shunk, Carter Starocci, Bernie Truax, Imran Heard and Marco Vespa.
One of those seniors, three-time NCAA champion Carter Starocci, who pushed his winning streak to 64, was hurt while completing a technical fall. As Starocci tried to turn Joey Arnold for a fall, Arnold tried to roll through and Starocci’s right leg got trapped as he tried to keep Arnold on his back. The action was stopped and Starocci immediately ripped off his head gear and tossed it to the mat in obvious pain.
Trainer Dan Monthley and head coach Cael Sanderson went immediately to the center of the mat and Monthley examined Starocci. The two eventually helped him to his feet and supported him as he limped off the mat and the Rec Hall floor.
“He was trying to get the pin and so he kind of put his leg in a compromised position and it just didn’t work out, instead of letting the guy kind of belly out there. Thankfully, it was at the end of the match, and (with) the points he’d gotten the technical foul so he could kind of just get off the mat and be finished,” said Head Coach Cael Sanderson.
“We still have time. We still have a couple of weeks to the conference and then another week and a half before nationals. Carter has always been a very quick healer. He won a national title a couple of years ago with a broken hand. He’ll get in there and he’ll compete hard.”
The rest of the dual meet was a series of lopsided wins against a struggling Fighting Scot squad. The Nittany Lions posted four falls, a forfeit and five technical falls. None of the 10 bouts extended past the second period in a dual meet that lasted just 68 minutes, with a 10-minute intermission included. Penn State piled up a 39-0 advantage in takedowns, the second time this season it has prevented a team from scoring a takedown.
Beau Bartlett (in 4:11 at 141), Tyler Kasak (in 3:20 at 149), Levi Haines (in 4:38 at 157) and Greg Kerkvliet (in 1:27 at 285) all scored falls. Mitchell Mesenbrink received a forfeit.
Braeden Davis (19-3 in 4:01 at 125), Aaron Nagao (18-3 in 3:33 at 133), Starocci (22-5 in 2:45), Truax (21-3 in 5:00 at 184) and Brooks (19-4 in 3:55 at 197) all won by technical fall.
Brooks, a three-time NCAA champion looking to join an elite club with four, expressed gratitude for his time in Rec Hall.
“I’m very blessed that I was able to wrestle in Rec Hall. It definitely molded me. It prepared me to wrestle anywhere,” Brooks said. “That’s what I’m grateful for. That’s what I think about. Now that it’s my last time, I don’t like to sit around and think about that kind of stuff because it may make me wrestle differently. I’m just glad I got to do it and be a part of it. I hope to stick around after.”
Even Truax, who has only been with the program this season, seemed moved by the experience.
“It was a beautiful moment, getting to hang out with them (his family), telling them I love them and spending my last college dual hanging out with them. It was great,” Truax said and continued by saying that his time with the Nittany Lions exceeded expectations.
“It’s been better. It’s fun to be around these guys. You know, they’re scoring points, attacking. It’s like super fun to watch before my match.”
Now all eyes turn toward the postseason and the 2024 Big Ten championships on Saturday, March 9, and Sunday, March 10, in the Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland.
No. 1 Penn State 55
Edinboro 0
(Sunday at University Park)
125: No. 8 Braeden Davis, PSU, won by tech. fall over Caleb Edwards, 19-3 (4:01).
133: No. 11 Aaron Nagao, PSU, won by tech. fall over Eamonn Jimenez, 18-3 (3:33).
141: No. 1 Beau Bartlett, PSU, pinned Jacob Brenneman, 4:11.
149: No. 9 Tyler Kasak, PSU, pinned Colin Roberts, 3:20.
157: No. 1 Levi Haines, PSU, pinned Gannon Jaquay, 4:38.
165: No. 6 Mitchell Mesenbrink, PSU, won by forfeit.
174: No. 1 Carter Starocci, PSU, won by tech. fall over Joey Arnold, 22-5 (2:45).
184: No. 6 Bernie Truax, PSU, won by tech. fall over Brody Evans, 21-3 (5:00).
197: No. 1 Aaron Brooks, PSU, won by tech. fall over Jack Kilner, 19-4 (3:55).
285: No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet, PSU, pinned Nick Lodato, 1:27.
Ridge Riley Award winner: Tyler Kasak.
Referees: Nick Grasso; Mike Frederickson.
Attendance: 6,389.
Takedowns: Edinboro 0; Penn State 39.
Records: Edinboro 2-12; Penn State 12-0, 8-0 B1G.
Next match: Penn State at 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, March 9-10 at Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland.
