By Pat Donghia gopsusports.com
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team (4-0, 0-0 B1G) shutout the Binghamton Bearcats (1-2) 52-0 in its first dual at the 2024 Journeymen Collegiate Duals in Nashville, Tenn. Penn State won all ten matches, nine for bonus, and notched its second straight shutout win. All rankings listed are InterMat/InterMat Tournament Power Index (TPI).
The dual began at 125. Penn State true freshman Luke Lilledahl, ranked No. 12 at 125, opened the dual meet by dominating No. 33 Carson Wagner. Lilledahl used six takedowns and an escape to post a 19-4 technical fall (5:37). Sophomore Braeden Davis, ranked No. 10 at 133, followed that up with a 6-0 shutout win over Binghamton’s Micah Roes to give the Nittany Lions an early 8-0 lead.
Senior+ Beau Bartlett, ranked No. 3 at 141, turned four takedowns into a strong 14-2 major over Binghamton’s Nate Lucier for Penn State’s third straight win in the dual. Sophomore Shayne Van Ness, ranked No. 2 at 149, picked up Penn State’s first pin of the day, getting a late first period fall over Caleb Sweet (2:49). Sophomore Tyler Kasak, ranked No. 4 at 157, pinned Jordan Brown early in the second period, getting the fall at 3:31, to give Penn State a 24-0 lead at the midway point of the dual.
Sophomore Mitchell Mesenbrink, ranked No. 1 at 165, received a forfeit win to put Penn State up 30-0. Junior Levi Haines, ranked No. 2 at 174, continued Penn State’s bonus point barrage. Haines used two takedowns, and three four-point turns to roll to an 18-0 tech fall (5:00) over Roberto Padilla. Graduate Carter Starocci, ranked No. 1 at 184, dominated No. 23 Will Ebert, using a first period takedowns and two reversals to open up a big lead before pinning the Bearcat at the 5:55 mark to give the Nittany Lions a 41-0 lead.
Redshirt freshman Josh Barr, ranked No. 7 at 197, exploded for five first period takedowns against Andrew Bailey. Barr finished off the first period tech fall with four back points, winning 19-4 at the 2:40 mark. Senior+ Greg Kerkvliet, ranked No. 2 at 285, ended the dual meet with a first period pin of his own. Kerkvliet got the fall call over Charlie Tibbits as the 1:33 mark and the Nittany Lions posted their second straight shutout win, downing Binghamton 52-0.
Penn State owned a 25-0 lead in takedowns in the dual. The Nittany Lions won all ten bouts, including nine of ten for bonus. Penn State had 22 bonus points off a major (Bartlett), three tech falls (Lilledahl, Haines, Barr), four pins (Van Ness, Kasak, Starocci, Kerkvliet) and a forfeit win (Mesenbrink).
The Nittany Lions improve to 4-0 with the win. Binghamton falls to 1-2. Penn State will now face No. 15 Little Rock at 5 p.m. and No. 8 Missouri at 7 p.m.
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.
#1 Penn State 52, Binghamton 0
December 22, 2024 – Journeymen Collegiate Duals – Nashville, Tenn.
125: #12 Luke Lilledahl PSU tech fall #33 Carson Wagner BING, 19-4 (TF; 5:37) 5-0
133: #10 Braeden Davis PSU dec. Micah Roes BING, 6-0 8-0
141: #3 Beau Bartlett PSU maj. dec. Nate Lucier BING, 14-2 12-0
149: #2 Shayne Van Ness PSU pinned Caleb Sweet BING, WBF (2:49) 18-0
157: #4 Tyler Kasak PSU pinned Jordan Brown BING, WBF (3:31) 24-0
165: #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink PSU win by forfeit 30-0
174: #2 Levi Haines PSU tech fall Roberto Padilla BING, 18-0 (TF; 5:00) 35-0
184: #1 Carter Starocci PSU pinned #23 Will Ebert BING, WBF (5:55) 41-0
197: #7 Josh Barr PSU tech fall Andrew Bailey BING, 19-4 (2:40) 46-0
285: #2 Greg Kerkvliet PSU pinned Charlie Tibbits BING, WBF (1:33) 52-0
Records: Penn State (4-0, 0-0 B1G); Binghamton (1-2)
Up Next for Penn State: Sunday, Dec. 22, Journeymen Collegiate Duals, Nashville, Tenn. (vs. Little Rock at 5 p.m., Missouri at 7 p.m.).
DUAL MEET BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: True freshman Luke Lilledahl, ranked No. 12 at 125, took on No. 33 Carson Wagner. Lilledahl set the tempo early, taking multiple shots and working his way behind Wagner for an early 3-0 lead at the 2:24 mark. Wagner escaped to a 3-1 score at 2:00 and Lilledahl used a low single to gain control of Wagner’s ankle, pulled him back into the circle, and finished off the takedown to lead 6-1 midway through the period. Lilledahl worked his time edge up over 1:00 before Wagner escaped to a 6-2 score. Lilledahl added a third takedown with :25 left in the period, finished on top, and led 9-2 after one. Lilledahl chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 10-2 lead. A fourth takedown :30 into the middle stanza gave Lilledahl a 13-2 lead. Lilledahl forced a stall warning before cutting Wagner loose at the 1:00 mark. Lilledahl scrambled for another takedown late to carry a 16-3 lead with 2:23 in time into the third period. Wagner chose down to start the third and escaped to a 16-4 score. Lilledahl then ended the bout with a final takedown, posting the 19-4 technical fall at the 5:37 mark.
133: Sophomore Braeden Davis, ranked No. 10 at 133, met Micah Roes. Davis and Roes battled through the first minute in neutral, working the clock down to the 1:30 mark knotted in a scoreless tie. Davis worked to control the center of the mat, snapped Roes’ shoulders and worked his way around for a takedown and a 3-0 lead at the 0:43 mark. Davis controlled the action from the top position and carried that lead into the second stanza. Leading by three, Davis chose down to start the second period. He worked his way to a seated position, scrambled for control and finished off a reversal for a 5-0 lead at the 1:20 mark. Davis once again controlled the action on top, building riding time over 1:00 while looking for a tilt. Roes fought off the turn, but Davis finished with a rideout and led 5-0 with 1:35 in time after two. Roes chose neutral to start the third period. Davis worked the center circle for over a minute. He worked his way in on a high single at the :45 mark but Roes was able to work his way out of bounds to force a reset at :28. Davis chased Roes down for the final seconds but settled for a 6-0 win with 1:35 in riding time.
141: Senior+ Beau Bartlett, ranked No. 3 at 141, battled Nate Lucier. Bartlett and Lucier worked the center of the mat through the 2:00 mark. Bartlett scored first, turning a low single into a takedown and a 3-0 lead at the 1:21 mark. Bartlett controlled action on top until cutting Lucier loose at :42. Bartlett led 3-1 after one. Leading by two, Bartlett chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-1 lead. He countered a slight Lucier shot and scrambled to a second takedown and a 7-2 lead after a quick cut. Bartlett muscled his way to a third takedown at the 1:00 mark to lead 10-2. He worked his riding time up over 1:00 as he looked to turn Lucier for back points. The Bearcat was able to fight off the turn, but Bartlett led 10-2 with 1:39 after two. Lucier chose neutral to start the final stanza. Bartlett worked for a fourth takedown to start the third period, but Lucier’s defense kept the Lion from scoring through the 1:00 mark. Bartlett forced a stall and then scrambled his way to a takedown and a 13-2 lead. He finished on top and, with 1:41 in riding time, posted the 14-2 major.
149: Sophomore Shayne Van Ness, ranked No. 2 at 149, faced Caleb Sweet. Van Ness scored quickly, taking Sweet down and nearly to his back, settling for a 3-0 lead on the takedown. He then controlled the action on top, looking to turn the Bearcat. Van Ness cut Sweet loose after a reset and then quickly moved in for a second takedown to up his lead to 6-1. Van Ness continued to work for a turn through the :30 mark with riding time pushing 2:00. Van Ness turned Sweet late and finished of the bout by pinning him at the 2:49 mark of the first period.
157: Sophomore Tyler Kasak, ranked No. 4 at 157, met Jordan Brown. Kasak controlled action early and took a 3-0 lead with a takedown at the 2:10 mark. He then went to work on top, looking to turn Brown for back points while building up his riding time. Kasak battled through the 1:00 mark, looking for back points. Brown was able to fight Kasak’s turn off and a potentially dangerous stopped action at :23. Kasak ended the period on top and led 3-0 with 2:10 in time after one. Brown chose neutral to start the second period and Kasak quickly turned a high single into a takedown and a turn. He finished off the fall at 3:31.
165: Sophomore Mitchell Mesenbrink, ranked No. 1 at 165, received a forfeit victory.
174: Junior Levi Haines, ranked No. 2 at 174, met Robert Padilla. Haines worked neutral through the midway point of the first period. He turned a low shot into a brief scramble before taking a 3-0 lead with a takedown at 1:13. Haines went to work on top, looking to turn the Bearcat for back points or more Haines turned an arm bar into back points, nearly getting the fall but settling for a four-point turn and a 7-0 lead after one. Padilla chose neutral to start the second period. Haines went to work, notching a quick takedown to up his lead to 10-0. He quickly turned Padilla to his back once more, locking up near fall points to lead 14-0 at the :45 mark. Haines reset, and turned Padilla once more and ended the bout with an 18-0 tech fall at the 5:00 mark.
184: Graduate Carter Starocci, ranked No. 1 at 184, faced No. 23 Will Ebert. Starocci controlled action early in the first period, working the ranked Bearcat to the outside circle and taking a 3-0 lead with a takedown at the 1:46 mark. Starocci maintained control of Ebert after a reset, working the Bearcat wrestler back to the mat, building his riding time up over 1:00. Starocci finished the first period on top and led 3-0 with 1:46 in time after one. Starocci chose down to start the second period. He worked for a reversal early in the period, but the action was stopped on a stalemate at 1:35. Starocci forced Ebert into a stall warning at 1:10 as he battled for control and a reversal. Starocci picked up the two-point reversal at :40 to lead 5-0 and then finished the period off with a rideout. With Starocci leading 5-0, Ebert chose top to start the third period. Starocci took a 6-0 lead off another stall, quickly reversed the Bearcat for two points and then finished off the match by pinning the Bearcat at the 5:55 mark.
197: Redshirt freshman Josh Barr, ranked No. 7 at 197, took on Andrew Bailey. Barr scored quickly, taking Bailey down for an early 3-1 lead. The Nittany Lion freshman cut Bailey loose after a short ride and moved in for a second takedown and a 6-2 lead after a quick cut. Barr continued to press on offense, turning a low shot into a third takedown on the edge of the mat to open up a 9-2 lead with over 1:30 on the clock. Barr cut the Bearcat loose once more and quickly took him down again. This time he turned Bailey quickly to his back and nearly pinned him. He settled for four back points to open up a 16-3 lead. Barr cut Bailey loose late and then ended the match with a final takedown with just :20 on the clock. Barr’s late score gave him the 19-4 tech fall at 2:40.
285: Senior+ Greg Kerkvliet, ranked No. 2 at 285, battled Charlie Tibbits. Kerkvliet quickly took Tibbits down for a 3-0 lead. He spent nearly a minute trying to turn Tibbits before the Bearcat scrambled to an escape. Kerkvliet wasted no time moving back in on offense, however, and took him down and to his back. Kerkvliet finished off the fast fall, getting the pin at 1:33.
