It wasn’t exactly business as usual for Penn State wrestling.
Three-time national champ Carter Starocci missed Friday’s showdown with No. 11 Michigan due to illness, taking out arguably the team’s best wrestler.
But Penn State still dominated Michigan with a 27-9 team win.
Penn State’s now won 49 straight dual meets and will go for 50 Sunday at Michigan State. Penn State isn’t expected to have any problems with Sparty, and a similar story can be told for the Jan. 28 meet at Maryland. Penn State’s next big-time dual meet is scheduled for Feb. 2 against No. 7 Ohio State at Rec Hall. The next Friday, Penn State’s back on the road at mighty Iowa.
Here’s how tonight’s meet went down.
157: Levi Haines (Penn State wrestling) dec. Will Lewan (Michigan) 2-1
165: Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) MD. Cameron Amine 12-1
174: Shane Griffith (Michigan) dec. Terrell Barraclough (Penn State) 2-1
184: Bernie Truax (Penn State) dec.
157: No. 1 Levi Haines (Penn State) vs. No. 9 Will Lewan (Michigan)
The nights kicks off with a top-10 bout in 157. Not much happened in the first period, so little that both wrestlers got called for Stalling. The two enter the second period deadlocked at zero. Haines started the scoring with a point in the second period and held that lead going into the third. Lewan got a point early in the third to tie it up. With 20 seconds left, Haines took the lead when Lewan got called for a stall. Haines went for a throw in the final seconds, but Haines hung on to win.
Winner: Levi Haines, 2-1 Decision
Team score: Penn State 3, Michigan 0
165: No. 9 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) vs. No. 7 Cameron Amine (Michigan)
The first minute had a fast pace, but neither wrestle scored in that time. Mesenbrink got the scoring started late in the period when Amine got called for a stall. He led 1-0 going into the second. Amine started the second period on bottom and tied the score with an escape. Mesenbrink controlled the pace throughout the second period, and retook the lead with 37 seconds left due to another stall call on Amine. A takedown seconds later made it 5-1 and put Mesenbrink firmly in control of the match. Mesenbrink ended up making it 8-1 when when Amine stalled again, leading to the ref warning him for that the next stall would lead to disqualification. Another takedown made it 11-1. Mesenbrink ended up winning 12-1 in a statement performance.
Winner: Mesenbrink, 12-1 major decision
Team score: Penn State 7, Michigan 0
174: Terrell Barraclough (Penn State) vs. No. 4 Shane Griffith (Michigan)
No. 1 Carter Starocci ended up not wrestling Griffith, leaving Barraclough, moving up from 165, with a tall task. Barraclough held his own through the first period, wrestling to a stalemate. In the second period, Griffith had riding time for the last minute, but Griffith reversed him to get the match’s first two points. That reversal was reviewed for a near fall, but the initial call stood. Griffith held on for the win, but it was closer than many would have expected.
Winner: Griffith, 2-0 dec.
Team score: Penn State 7, Michigan 3
184: No. 5 Bernie Truax (Penn State) vs. No. 15 Jaden Bullock (Michigan)
The two wrestled to a scoreless first period. Truax got the first point when Bullock was ruled out of bounds. Michigan coach Sean Bormet didn’t like the call, but couldn’t challenge it due to using his challenge in the previous match. Truax seemingly through by getting a takedown with 27 seconds left to go ahead 4-0. But after review, it was ruled that Bullock went out of bounds, negating the three points. Bullock tied it up with an escape early in the third. But Turax got a takedown with 30 seconds left to take a 4-1 lead. That’s how it ended.
Winner: Bernie Truax, 4-1 dec.
Team score: Penn State 10, Michigan 3
197: No. 1 Aaron Brooks (Penn State) vs. No. 32 Bobby Striggow (Michigan)
Striggow entered to “Cowboy” by Kid Rock. It was all downhill for him from there. It took Brooks less than 30 seconds to get a takedown and early 3-0 lead. Striggow ended up getting a point, but Brooks quickly bounced back with another takedown. With less than 20 seconds left, Brooks got his third takedown and led 9-2 after one. In the second period, Brooks got a reversal to make it 11-2, than a takedown and reversal to make it 16-4. Brooks ended up tech-falling Striggow, 20-5.
Winner: Brooks via. tech fall, 20-5.
Team score (halftime): Penn State 15, Michigan 3
285: No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) vs. No. 4 Lucas Davison (Michigan)
Kerkvliet got the scoring started almost two minutes into the first period with a takedown. He led 3-1 after the first and 7-2 after the second. Davison held his own in the third, getting an escape to make it 7-3, but Kerkvliet secured riding time and ended up winning in a decision, 8-3.
Winner: Kerkvliet via decision, 8-3
Team score: Penn State 18, Michigan 3
125: No. 14 Braeden Davis (Penn State wrestling) vs. No. 5 Michael DeAugustino (Michigan)
The two battled in the first period, with DeAugustino fending off the freshman and not allowing any points. But Davis didn’t allow any either, and the Belleville, Michigan native went into the second period scoreless. Davis ended up riding DeAugustino for more than a minute. Davis got called for stalling, but didn’t concede a point until DeAugustino got a reversal to make it 1-0.
With a little more than a minute left, Davis escaped to tie it at 1. With 10 seconds left, Davis got the winning takedown and got a bonus point for riding time.
Winner: Davis, 5-1 dec.
Team score: Penn State 21, Michigan 3
133: No. 4 Aaron Nagao (Penn State) vs. No. 6 Dylan Ragusin (Michigan)
A minute in, Nagao got a takedown to go ahead 3-0. Ragusin answered with an escape point, then got a takedown to make it 4-3. Nago forced Ragusin out of bounds to tie it at four. Nagao got a point right at the end of the second period and entered the final three minutes ahead 5-4. Penn State challenged to try to get a reversal call, but it was unsuccessful. Penn State challenged to try to get a reversal call, but it was unsuccessful. Ragusin locked up riding time with roughly 30 seconds left, and the match went into sudden victory.
Ragusin locked up riding time with roughly 30 seconds left, and the match went into sudden victory. Ragusin ended up pinning Nagao.
Winner: Ragusin (SV pin)
Team score: Penn State 21, Michigan 9
141: No. 2 Beau Bartlett (Penn State) vs. No. 25 Sergio Lemley (Michigan)
Bartlett started the scoring with a takedown taking place with a little more than a minute left in the first period. Bartlett kept the 3-0 lead into the second period with riding time. Bartlett made it 4-0 with an escape and held that lead into the last period. Lemley ended up briefly tying it, but Bartlett got a locked hands call and an escape to make it 7-4. Lemley needed a takedown to win at the end, but Bartlett held on.
Winner: Barlett, 7-5 dec.
Team score: Penn State 24, Michigan 9.
149: David Evans (Penn State) vs. Fidel Mayora (Michigan)
Penn State didn’t have No. 12 Tyler Kasak, and No. 6 Austin Gomez didn’t go for Michigan, since he was wrestling in Mexico trying for the olympic team. The two replacements wrestled to a 0-0 draw through the first period. Mayora got an escape point with less than a minute left in the second period and took that 1-0 lead into the third. Evans tied it early in the third with an escape.
149: David Evans (Penn State) vs. Fidel Mayora (Michigan)
Penn State didn’t have No. 12 Tyler Kasak, and No. 6 Austin Gomez didn’t go for Michigan, since he was wrestling in Mexico trying for the olympic team. The two replacements wrestled to a 0-0 draw through the first period. Mayora got an escape point with less than a minute left in the second period and took that 1-0 lead into the third. Evans tied it early in the third with an escape. Later on, Evans got a takedown to go ahead 4-1. Evans ended up winning 5-2 to wrap it up.
Winner: Evans, 5-2 decision
Final score: Penn State 27, Michigan 9
