By: Pat Donghia
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling program and the Penn State Regional Olympic Training Center/NLWC was well represented at the 2023 Senior Nationals/2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Qualifier. The freestyle event took place on December 15-17 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Twelve current or former Nittany Lion wrestlers or members of the Penn State Regional Olympic Training Center/NLWC took part in the event. Wrestlers were looking to qualify for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, hosted by Penn State in the Bryce Jordan Center on April 19-20.
Beau Bartlett rolled to the finals at 65 kg and ended the tournament with a 3-1 mark, good for second place. Bartlett opened the event with a tech fall over Luke Pletcher and then used late takedowns to beat Matthew Kolodzik 5-5 (ct) and top seed Joey McKenna 5-5 (ct.). He then fell to Andrew Alirez in the finals.
Alex Facundo earned a trip to the Olympic trials with a third-place finish at 74 kg. Facundo went 5-1 overall with a pin and a tech to finish third and earn a spot in the trials. Terrell Barraclough posted a 4-3 overall record with a tech fall to earn sixth place at 74 kg as well. Gary Steen posted a 3-2 record with a tech fall to place seventh 57 kg.
Josh Barr went 3-2 at 86 kg. Two of his three wins were by technical fall. Timothy Levine went 2-2 at 65 kg, notching two tech fall victories. Donovon Ball posted a 1-1 mark at 86 kg.
Penn State Olympic RTC/NLWC members Josh Rodriguez (57 kg) and Max Dean (86 kg) as well as resident Morgan McIntosh (86 kg) of the USA Army WCAP all wrestled as well. Dean had a strong run at 86 kg, rolling up a 5-1 record with a tech fall to earn third place and a spot in April’s BJC Olympic Trials. Rodriquez posted a 2-3 overall record with a tech fall and placed sixth at 57 kg. McIntosh went 1-2 at 86 kg.
Two former Penn State greats also competing were Nico Megaludis (57 kg) and Mark Hall (86 kg). Megaludis picked up two wins to move into the finals at 57 kg, securing a spot in Aprils Olympic Trials. He finished the tournament with a 2-1 mark to place second. Hall won his first three bouts to advance to the finals at 86 kg, grabbing a slot in the qualifier as well. He finished the tournament with a 3-1 record and nabbed a second-place finish.
Penn State is now 2-0, 0-0 B1G. Hofstra falls to 0-2. The Nittany Lions return to dual meet action on Friday, Jan. 5, at Oregon State. The dual is an 8 p.m. Eastern start (5 p.m. local).
The 2023-24 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by the Family Clothesline. Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via X/twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.
