University Park, Pa. – The second-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team won four matches and led 14-9 through six matches, but top-ranked Penn State claimed the final four bouts to post a 23-14 dual victory on Friday night in front of 15,998 fans at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Penn State own nine of the top 10 indoor attendance marks.
The Hawkeyes won three matches before intermission and pushed their lead to 14-9 with a win at 165 coming out of the break, but the Nittany Lions closed out the dual with four consecutive wins to hand Iowa its first loss of the season. Iowa is 12-1 overall, 5-1 in Big Ten action.
“We have to take our medicine in this loss,” said head coach Tom Brands. We took our medicine too much in some positions during that match and you can never take that medicine when that match is going and the clock is ticking. That happened too much, and we have to get better.”
Top-ranked Spencer Lee got a first-period technical fall victory over Marco Vespa at 125 to start the match. It was Lee’s 49th consecutive victory and it bumped him to 11-0 this year.
At 133 lbs PSU No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young cradled off a scramble and he completed the fall in 6:49. It was Brody Teske’s first loss of the season.
Penn State’s Beau Bartlett ranked No. 4 at 141, lost a tough 4-1 decision to No. 1 Real Woods, with the Hawkeye using a first period takedown to secure the win and gave the Hawkeyes a slim 8-6 lead. Shayne Van Ness, ranked No. 13 at 149, went toe-to-toe with No. 7 senior Max Murin for duration of the match but a late takedown and riding time allowed the Hawkeye to take a 4-1 decision and gave Iowa an 11-6 lead.
Freshman Levi Haines, ranked No. 9 at 157, sent the Lions into the break on a solid note. Haines got a third period takedown which secured his 3-2 decision over No. 15 Cobe Siebrecht. Haines’ win cut the deficit to 11-9.
No. 9 Patrick Kennedy gave Iowa a 14-9 lead with a 2-1 decision in tiebreakers over No. 13 Alex Facundo at the 165 pound weight class. Kennedy escaped in four seconds in the first tiebreaker, forcing Facundo to choose neutral position. The win was Kennedy’s fourth ranked win this season.
The Nittany Lions closed out the dual with four straight victories. No. 1 Carter Starocci won a 2-1 decision over No. 15 Nelson Brands at 174. Starocci used 1:12 of riding time to secure the win.
Penn State gave up only two takedowns and posted a 16-2 takedown edge in the bout. The Nittany Lions won six of ten matches and picked up five bonus points off a pin (Bravo-Young) and a tech fall (Brooks).
Penn State took the lead with a technical fall at 184 when top-ranked Aaron Brooks beat freshman Drake Rhodes 22-7 and the Nittany Lions followed with a 2-0 win by No. 4 Max Dean over No. 7 Jacob Warner at 197lbs. Dean had a second period escape and rode Warner for the entire third period to secure the riding time.
No. 2 Greg Kerkvliet closed it out with a 4-1 victory over No. 3 Tony Cassioppi at heavyweight division. Kerkvliet had a first period takedown before riding out Cassioppi in the second to secure the riding time point.
#1 Penn State 23, #2 Iowa 14
125 – #1 Spencer Lee (UI) tech. fall Marco Vespa (PSU), 18-2 (2:14); 5-0
133 – #1 Roman Bravo-Young (PSU) pinned Brody Teske (UI), 6:49; 5-6
141 – #2 Real Woods (UI) dec. #8 Beau Bartlett (PSU), 4-1; 8-6
149 – #11 Max Murin (UI) dec. #12 Shayne Van Ness (PSU), 4-1; 11-6
157 – #6 Levi Haines (PSU) dec. #17 Cobe Siebrecht (UI), 3-2; 11-9
165 – #9 Patrick Kennedy (UI) dec. #13 Alex Facundo (PSU), 2-1 (TB2); 14-9
174 – #1 Carter Starocci (PSU) dec. #15 Nelson Brands (UI), 2-1; 14-12
184 – #1 Aaron Brooks (PSU) tech. fall Drake Rhodes (UI), 22-7; 14-17
197 – #4 Max Dean (PSU) dec. #7 Jacob Warner (UI), 2-0; 14-20
285 – #2 Greg Kerkvliet (PSU) dec. #3 Tony Cassioppi (UI), 4-1
UP NEXT:
The Hawkeyes remain on the road, traveling to Minneapolis to face the Golden Gophers on Friday. The dual will begin at 8 p.m. (CT) and be televised on BTN.
The Nittany Lions are at Ohio State on Friday, Feb. 3, in a 7 p.m. dual live on the B1G Network. Two days later, Penn State visits Indiana on Sunday, Feb. 5, for a 1 p.m. battle.
