Penn State wrestling didn’t quite cover a 55.5-point spread but it did get the job done against on Senior Night at Rec Hall and as a result inched one step closer to breaking the NCAA win-streak record.
The Division I record is 76, set by Oklahoma State from 1937-51.
Penn State wrestling needs to win its first six dual meets of next season to shatter that.
In the latest win, seniors Beau Bartlett, Carter Starocci, and Greg Kerkvliet each gave themselves proper Rec Hall sendoffs.
Sophomore Tyler Kasak also returned in a big way after almost two weeks without a match.
Here’s how it all happened on a Friday night in State College.
125
No. 9 Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) vs. Coen Bailey (American)
Lilledahl gets a takedown within the first minute to go ahead 3-0. Another takedown and an escape make it 6-1, but Lilledahl accumlates 1:37 of riding time before another Bainey escape makes it 6-2. With 10 seconds left, Lilledahl gets another takedown to make it 9-2.
It takes Lilledahl about 20 seconds in the second period to build his lead to 13-2. By this point, he has riding time secured.
The third period lasts 11 seconds before Lilledahl completes the tech fall.
Lilledahl 20, Bailey 3
Penn State 5, American 0
133
Kyison Garcia (Penn State) vs. Raymond Lopez (American)
Nothing really happens in the first period. In the second, Garcia goes ahead 3-1 with a takedown. But right at the end of the period, Lopez gets three to go ahead by 2.
Garcia starts the last period on bottom and gets an escape to cut the deficit to 1. A wild sequence makes it 7-6, Garcia, but with 10 seconds left, Lopez gets a takedown to secure the win.
Lopez 9, Garcia 7
Penn State 5, American 3ย
141
No. 1 Beau Bartlett (Penn State) vs. Elijah White (American)
Bartlett gets a takedown within the first 10 seconds and another one in the next 10 seconds, making it 6-1. By the end of the first minute, Bartlett is ahead 9-2. An escape followed by another bartlett takedown make it 12-3, but White escapes again to make it 12-4. Two more takedowns give Bartlett six for the first period and he enters the second ahead 18-5.
It takes him 10 seconds in the second period to complete the techfall.
Bartlett 21, White 5
Penn State 10, American 3
149
No. 2 Shayne Van Ness (Penn State) vs. Gage Owen (American)
Van Ness leads 6-1 after the first two minutes. Van Ness ended the first period with a near fall to go into the second up 10-1.
By the end of the second, he’s up 13-1. He then gets another takedown and thus a tech fall.
Van Ness 16, Owen 1
Penn State 15, American 3
157
No. 1 Tyler Kasak (Penn State) vs. Devon Capato (American)
Kasak is back in a big way, getting a takedown 30 seconds in to go ahead 3-0. Capato gets a point. Kasak soon gets another takedown and then a first-period pin.
Halftime: Penn State 21, American 3
165
No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) vs. Kaden Milheim (American)
Mesembrink wasted little time, getting a takedown within the first 15 seconds. A takedown with 1:50 left in the period pushed Mesenbrink’s lead to 8-1. A takedown with 30 seconds left pushed the lead to 11-2. By the end of the second period, Mesenbrink led 16-2 and had 3:27 of riding time.
174
No. 2 Levi Haines (Penn State) vs. Caleb Campos (American)
Yeah, this one wasn’t close either. Haines got a second-period pin to push the lead further.
Penn State 32, American 3
184
No. 1 Carter Starocci (Penn State) vs. Breon Phifer (American)
Starocci’s home Penn State wrestling career ended with a pin.
How else would it have ended?
Penn State 38, American 3
197
No. 2 Josh Barr (Penn State) vs. Liam Volk-Klos (American)
Heavyweight
No. 2 Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) vs. No. 32 Will Jarrell (American)
What else, another pin.
Final: Penn State 50, American 3
Next up for Penn State is the Big Ten Championships, scheduled for March 8-9 in Evanston, Illinois, hosted by Northwestern.
