By: Pat Donghia

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State (16-0, 8-0 B1G) toppled Clarion (11-6) 40-6 in front of yet another sold out Rec Hall crowd, closing out another unbeaten dual meet season. Penn State finished the year with a 16-0 overall record, marking the seventh time during head coach Cael Sanderson’s tenure that Penn State posted an undefeated dual meet mark (and the seventh time in the last eight years). All rankings listed are InterMat/InterMat Team TPI (Feb. 14, 2023).

The season’s final dual meet was wrestled in front of 6,545 fans, yet another sellout in venerable Rec Hall. Penn State has now wrestled in front of 66th-straight sellouts in Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions have sold out 75 of their last 77 home events, including nine of 11 in the Bryce Jordan Center.

The dual meet began at 125 where redshirt freshman Gary Steen used second and third period takedowns to post a strong 5-1 win over Joey Fischer to give the Nittany Lions an early lead. Roman Bravo-Young, ranked No. 1 at 133, entertained the Nittany Lion home crowd one final time by pinning Clarion’s Mason Prinkey. Bravo-Young rolled up four takedowns before saying farewell to Rec Hall with the fall at 4:31.

Beau Bartlett, ranked No. 5 at 141, tallied five takedowns to post a convincing 12-4 major over CU’s Seth Koleno to make it three straight for Penn State to start the dual. Redshirt freshman Shayne Van Ness, ranked No. 13 at 149, kept Penn State rolling with a 17-1 technical fall over Kyle Schickel. Van Ness finished off the tech with one second left in the middle stanza, getting it at 4:59. Redshirt freshman Levi Haines, ranked No. 8 at 157, closed out the first half with another bonus point victory for the Nittany Lions. Haines rolled up five takedowns and a handful of four-point turns to roll to an 18-3 tech fall over Trevor Elfvin at the 4:26 mark. Penn State led 23-0 at halftime.

Redshirt freshman Alex Facundo, the fourth freshman in Penn State’s line-up and ranked No. 9 at 165, kept the Nittany Lions rolling with a hard-fought 16-10 win over Clarion’s Cam Pine. Facundo’s victory gave PSU a 26-0 lead. Carter Starocci, ranked No. 1 at 174, picked up Penn State’s third tech fall, picking up five takedowns and two four-point turns to roll to a 19-3 tech fall over John Worthing at the end of two periods (5:00).

Clarion picked up its only win of the dual where No. 21 Will Feldkamp pinned Donovon Ball at the 1:20 mark, cutting the Lion lead to 31-6. Senior Max Dean, ranked No. 3 at 197, entertained the Penn State faithful in Rec Hall one final time by picking up three early takedowns and rolling to a 9-5 win over Tyler Bagoly. Greg Kerkvliet, ranked No. 2 at 285, closed out the dual with Penn State’s second pin, getting the fall at 5:11 over Austin Chapman. Penn State capped off the 2023-23 dual season with a lopsided 40-6 victory.

The Nittany Lions rolled up a 40-4 advantage in takedowns. Penn State won nine of ten bouts and picked up 13 bonus points off two pins (Bravo-Young, Kerkvliet), three tech falls (Van Ness, Haines, Starocci) and a major (Bartlett).

The Nittany Lions end the regular season with a 16-0 mark, having already won the Big Ten Regular Season Championship with an 8-0 conference mark. Clarion ends its dual meet campaign 11-6. Penn State now prepares for the 2023 Big Ten Championship, hosted by the University of Michigan. The NCAA qualifier for the conference, the two-day event takes place on Saturday and Sunday, March 4-5, in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The 2022-23 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by the Family Clothesline. Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via 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.

1 Penn State 40, Clarion 6

February 19, 2023 – Rec Hall – University Park, Pa.

125: Gary Steen PSU dec. Joey Fischer CU, 5-1 3-0
133: #1 Roman Bravo-Young PSU pinned Mason Prinkey CU, WBF (4:31) 9-0
141: #5 Beau Bartlett PSU maj. dec. Seth Koleno CU, 12-4 13-0
149: #13 Shayne Van Ness PSU tech fall Kyle Schickel CU, 17-1 (TF: 4:59) 18-0
157: #8 Levi Haines, PSU tech fall Trevor Elfvin CU, 18-3 (TF; 4:26) 23-0
165: #9 Alex Facundo PSU dec. Cam Pine CU, 16-10 26-0
174: #1 Carter Starocci PSU tech fall John Worthing CU, 19-3 (TF; 5:00) 31-0
184: No. 21 Will Feldkamp CU pinned Donovon Ball PSU, WBF (1:20) 31-6
197: #3 Max Dean PSU dec. Ty Bagoly CU, 9-5 34-6
285: #2 Greg Kerkvliet PSU pinned Austin Chapman CU, WBF (5:11) 40-6
Attendance: 6,545 (66th-straight sellout in Rec Hall; 75th in last 77 events, including 9 of 11 in BJC)
Records: Penn State (16-0, 8-0 B1G); Clarion (11-6)
Up Next for Penn State: 2023 Big Ten Championship, Saturday-Sunday, March 4-5, Ann Arbor, Mich.

DUAL MEET BOUT-BY-BOUT:

125: Gary Steen battled Clarion’s Joey Fischer at 125. The duo battled evenly to start the match, working on their feet on the Nittany Lion logo. The clock moved below the 1:00 mark as Steen took a quick low single. Fischer countered out of the move and action continued tied 0-0. The remainder of the period was contested in neutral. Fischer chose down to start the second period and scrambled his way to an escape and a 1-0 lead. Neither wrestler threatened offensively until Steen tossed Fischer to the mat on the outside circle. The Nittany Lion nearly finished off the takedown but action moved out of bounds. Steen continued to work offensively and turned a low single into a late takedown and a 2-1 lead after one. He chose down to start the third period and rolled to an escape and a 3-1 lead. The clock ticked below 1:00 with Steen still leading by two. Steen stepped back from a quick Fischer shot at :30 and tacked on a late last second takedown for a 5-1 victory.

133: Roman Bravo-Young, ranked No. 1 at 133, met Mason Prinkey. Bravo-Young came out fast and used a throw to take Prinkey down for two and two back points. After cutting Prinkey loose, Bravo-Young took the Golden Eagle down again to open up a 6-1 lead. Bravo-Young was strong on top, turning Prinkey for two more points to lead 8-2 after cutting him loose again. Bravo-Young tried another throw and settled for a takedown and a 10-2 lead at :30. He finished the period on top and led 10-2 after one. Prinkey chose neutral to start the second period. Bravo-Young blasted through a low double for a 12-3 lead, slid behind the Eagle for a 14-4 lead and went back to work in neutral at the 1:10 mark. Bravo-Young threw Prinkey to the mat one more time, settled in on top and picked up the fall at the 4:31 mark.

141: No. 5 Beau Bartlett took on Seth Koleno at 141. Koleno took a shot and Bartlett countered the move, worked his way into control and took a 2-0 lead with a takedown at 2:21. Bartlett cut Koleno loose to a 2-1 score and went back to work, forcing Koleno backwards to the outside circle. Bartlett forced Koleno into a stall warning then forced a scrambled with :45 left. Koleno was able to force a stalemate at :18 and Bartlett led 2-1 after one. Bartlett chose down to start the second and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. He moved in on a high shot and scrambled his way through Koleno’s waist for another takedown and a 5-1 lead with 1:28 left. Koleno escaped to a 4-2 score. Bartlett countered another Koleno shot and took a 7-2 lead with a third takedown. He finished the period on top and carried that lead into the third period. Koleno chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 7-3 score. Bartlett took a high single and pulled Koleno back onto the mat for a 9-3 lead with 1:05 left in the bout. He cut Koleno loose on a reset and moved in offensively, working for bonus points. Bartlett took an 11-4 lead at the :32 mark with a fast shot and then broke Koleno down in the middle of the mat. With riding time secured, Bartlett finished the bout on top to roll to a 12-4 major with 1:55 in time.

149: No. 13 Shayne Van Ness battled Kyle Schickel at 149. Van Ness came out firing, turning a low shot into a takedown and two back points off the whistle to lead 4-0 early. Van Ness picked up a second takedown with 1:10 on the clock to lead 6-1 and went to work on top again, looking to turn Schickel for more back points. Van Ness forced Schickel into stall point and finished off the period with four back points to lead 11-1 after two. Schickel chose neutral to start the third period. Van Ness tacked on another takedown to open up a 13-1 lead with over 2:00 in riding time. Van Ness turned Schickel for four back points before the second period ended and posted the 17-1 technical fall at the 4:59 mark.

157: Levi Haines, ranked No. 8 at 157, took on Trevor Elfvin. Haines came out and took Elfvin down quickly, opening up a 2-0 lead at 2:36. The Nittany Lion freshman built up :42 in riding time before Elfvin escaped to a 2-1 score. Haines moved in, lifted Elfvin off the mat, and returned him for a takedown and a 4-2 lead. Haines added a third takedown at :45 and then wrenched Elfvin over to his back for four near fall. Elfvin was able to fight off the pin and Haines led 10-2 after one. Elfvin chose neutral to start the second and Haines zipped through a low shot for another takedown and a 12-2 lead. He cut Elfvin loose on the reset and quickly took him down again to lead 14-3. He once again muscled Elfvin’s shoulders to the mat, settled in on top and finished off the bout with a four-point turn, getting the 18-3 tech fall at the 4:26 mark.

165: Alex Facundo, ranked No. 9 at 165, met Cam Pine. Facundo took Pine down quickly and opened up an early 2-1 lead. Pine gained control of Facundo’s shoulders and took the Lion down and to his back, nearly picking up back points. But Facundo fought off the extra points, gave up only the takedown, and quickly escaped to a 3-3 tie. Facundo worked a high shot into another takedown and a 5-3 lead at :25. Pine escaped to a 5-4 score and action moved into the second period. Facundo chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 6-4 lead. Both wrestlers traded shots and then Facundo hit a slick duck-under for another takedown and an 8-5 lead. He moved in for a fourth takedown, led 10-5 after cutting Pine loose and went back to work on his feet at 1:00. Facundo countered a Pine roll attempt and opened up a 12-7 lead after two. Pine chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 12-8 score. Facundo took Pine down again, cut him loose to lead 14-9, and finished off another takedown to lead 16-9 with :14 left. He cut Pine loose to a 16-10 score at :14 looking for a major but Pine fought off the effort. Facundo picked up the hard-fought 16-10 win.

174: No. 1 Carter Starocci faced John Worthing at 174. Starocci set a fast pace to start the bout, controlling position on the Nittany Lion logo over the first minute. He worked his way around Worthing for his first takedown at the 2:11 mark and led 2-1 after a Worthing escape. Starocci used a low single for a second takedown and a 4-2 lead with 1:20 left, picked up a quick third, then a fourth and lead 8-3 at :55. Starocci then worked Worthing’s shoulders to the mat and picked up four back points to lead 12-3. He finished the period on top and led by nine after one. Starocci chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 13-3 lead. Starocci turned a low single into a scramble at 1:20, but Worthing was able to force a stalemate and a reset. Starocci moved in quickly on the whistle, moved through a takedown to up his lead to 15-3 and went back to work on top. Starocci turned Worthing to his back for four more near fall and notched the 19-3 tech fall at the 5:00 mark.

184: Donovon Ball took on No. 21 Will Feldkamp at 184. Ball and Feldkamp worked the middle of the mat for the opening :30 and then Feldkamp forced Ball into a stall at the 2:10 mark. Feldkamp scrambled his way on top of Ball and picked up the pin over the Nittany Lion at 1:20.

197: Max Dean, ranked No. 3 at 197, met Ty Bagoly. Dean set a fast pace off the opening whistle, working his offense as the clock moved below 2:00. Bagoly was able to withstand Dean’s pressure for ninety seconds before the Nittany Lion finished off a takedown to lead 2-0. Dean then went to work on top, putting together a strong ride and working his time edge over 1:00. A stalemate was called at :18 with Dean trying to work Bagoly flat and the Nittany Lion senior settled for a 2-0 lead after one. Dean chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Dean moved through a second takedown to lead 5-1 early in the second and then used a low single for a third takedown to lead 7-1 at :38. He finished the period in control and led 7-1 with 2:17 riding time after two. Bagoly chose neutral to start the third period and took Dean down at 1:35 to cut the lead to 7-3. Dean escaped to an 8-3 score and turned back in on offense. The wrestlers moved to the mat in a scramble with :30 left and Bagoly was able to take the Nittany Lion down to cut the lead to 8-5, but 1:40 in riding time gave Dean the decision by a 9-5 final.

285: No. 2 Greg Kerkvliet faced Austin Chapman at 285. Kerkvliet scored quickly, using a fast low double to take Chapman down just :04 into the bout. He then dominated action on top, controlling the Golden Eagle while looking for a chance to turn him. Kerkvliet worked his riding time up to 1:42 before cutting Chapman loose to a 2-1 score. He bulled through a second takedown and a 4-1 lead with :50 on the clock and forced Chapman into a first stall warning during a rideout. Kerkvliet chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. He worked his way around Chapman for another takedown and a 7-1 lead, then an 8-1 lead with a stall point. Kerkvliet clinched riding time with a rideout and led 8-1 with 4:12 riding time after two. Chapman chose neutral to start the third period. Kerkvliet moved in to end things. The Lion big man quickly took Chapman down to his back, reset himself briefly and got the fall early in the third period (5:11).