By: Pat Donghia
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestlers (3-0, 0-0 B1G) open up Big Ten action by hosting Indiana (*3-0, 0-0 B1G) on Sunday, Jan. 14. The dual begins at 1 p.m. in Rec Hall. All rankings are InterMat/InterMat TPI. *Indiana is at Rutgers on Friday, Jan. 12, post-press.
Penn State is coming off a dominant 36-3 road win at No. 18 Oregon State last Friday night. The Nittany Lions used three freshmen wins, four tech falls and won nine of ten bouts to roll to the victory in Corvallis. The dual was wrestled in front of an Oregon State wrestling record crowd of 8,540.
The Nittany Lion line-up last weekend started with true freshman Braeden Davis at 125, who is 9-0. Sophomore Aaron Nagao is ranked No. 4 at 133 and is 6-1 while senior Beau Bartlett is ranked No. 2 at 141 and sports a 9-0 record. True freshman Tyler Kasak is at 149 and is 5-1 overall this season and sophomore Levi Haines, ranked No. 1 at 157, is 6-0. Freshman Mitchell Mesenbrink is 10-0 on the year and ranked No. 10 at 165 and senior Carter Starocci is 6-0 and ranked No. 1 at 174. Graduate student Bernie Truax sports a 5-1 mark at 184 and is ranked No. 5. Senior+ Aaron Brooks is 5-0 at 197 and ranked No. 1 and senior Greg Kerkvliet is 5-0 at 285 and ranked No. 1 as well.
Indiana enters the weekend with a *3-0 mark (IU is at Rutgers on Friday, Jan. 12, post-press). The Hoosiers recently took third at the Southern Scuffle and own wins over Rider, Central Michigan and Princeton. Indiana has a veteran line-up and features five potential ranked wrestlers. Grad student Dan Fongaro is 15-1 at 141 and ranked No. 23. Grad Graham Rooks is 11-4 and ranked No. 14 at 149 and senior+ Brayton Lee is 1-0 and No. 21 at 157. Freshman Tyler Lillard is 13-4 at 165 and ranked No. 23 and senior Donnell Washington is 11-1 overall and No. 9 at 174. Penn State leads the all-times series with the Hoosiers 23-0-1. The Nittany Lions have won the last 10, including a 35-8 win last year at Indiana on Feb. 5, 2023.
Penn State will venture forth on a two dual road swing next weekend. The Nittany Lions visit Michigan on Friday, Jan. 19, for a 6 p.m. dual on the Big Ten Network. Penn State then visits Michigan State on Sunday, Jan. 21, at 1 p.m.
All rankings listed are InterMat individual/InterMat TPI. 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 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 NITTANY LIONS (3-0, 0-0 B1G)
125 Braeden Davis Fr. Belleville, Mich./Dundee 9-0
133 #4 Aaron Nagao So. La Habra, Calif./Esperanza 6-1
141 #2 Beau Bartlett Sr. Tempe, Ariz./Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) 9-0
149 Tyler Kasak Fr. Doylestown, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic 5-1
Davis Evans Jr. Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock 7-2
157 #1 Levi Haines So. Arendtsville, Pa./Biglerville 6-0
165 #10 Mitchell Mesenbrink Fr. Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead 10-0
174 #1 Carter Starocci Sr. Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep 6-0
184 #5 Bernie Truax Gr. Oceanside, Calif./Rancho Buena Vista 5-1
197 #1 Aaron Brooks Sr.+ Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown 5-0
285 #1 Greg Kerkvliet Sr. Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley 5-0
INDIANA HOOSIERS (*3-0, 0-0 B1G)
125 Blaine Frazier Fr. Mt. Pleasant, Iowa/Burlington Notre Dame 6-10
Michael Spangler Sr. Wichita, Kan./Haysville-Campus 8-5
133 Cayden Rooks Gr. Columbus, Ind./Columbus East 7-5
141 #23 Dan Fongaro Gr. Lincoln Park, N.J./Boonton 15-1
149 #14 Graham Rooks Gr. Columbus, Ind./Columbus East 11-4
157 Nico Bolivar Sr. Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park 10-9
165 #23 Tyler Lillard Fr. Aurora, Ohio/Aurora 13-4
174 Robert Major So. Carmel, Ind./Carmel 2-6
Magnus Kuokkanen Fr. Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha West 4-8
184 Roman Rogotzke So. Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater 16-7
197 Gabe Sollars Fr. Evansville, Ind./Mater Dei 17-6
285 Nick Willham Gr. Greenwood, Ind./Greenwood 4-4
Individual Rankings listed are InterMat and Team Rankings are
Intermat Tournament Power Index (as of 1/9/24)
- Indiana is at Rutgers on Friday, 1/12/24, post-press
