Penn State Wrestling: Seven Nittany Lions Make Big Ten Finals
Penn State's Aaron Brooks qualified for his fifth final at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships, where he can become the Nittany Lions' third four-time conference champion. Brooks headlines a school-record group of seven Penn State wrestlers who will compete for Big Ten titles Sunday at the 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships.
Penn State went 7-2 in the Big Ten semifinals Saturday night, with top-seeded Carter Starocci taking two injury forfeits on the day. Starocci will get an at-large bid to the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships, meaning Penn State will send 10 wrestlers to nationals for the first time since 2014.
Brooks, a three-time NCAA champion, seeks to join Ed Ruth and David Taylor as Penn State's only four-time Big Ten champs. Brooks has lost just one Big Ten final, to Michigan's Myles Amine in 2022. Brooks then beat Amine for the NCAA title that season.
Coach Cael Sanderson's team (136 points) takes a comfortable 30.5-point lead over second-place Michigan into Sunday. The Big Ten finals are scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET. Here's a look at Penn State's run through the semifinals.
125: Braeden Davis (Penn State) dec. Michael DeAugustino (Michigan) 4-2 UTB
The sixth-seeded Davis continued a wild freshman season with a 4-2 victory in the second sudden-victory period. Davis deftly dodged a move by DeAugustino and planted the Michigan wrestler 30 seconds into the period. Just over one year after winning his fourth Michigan high school state title, Davis will wrestle for a Big Ten title.
Davis (19-2) improved to 3-0 in sudden-victory matches this season, winning a pair Saturday. He'll face Minnesota's fourth-seeded Patrick MeKee in Sunday's final.
133: Dylan Ragusin (Michigan) dec. Aaron Nagao (Penn State) 6-3
Ragusin, the No. 1 seed, beat fifth-seeded Nagao for the second time this season. It wasn't as dramatic (Ragusin won the first with a pin in sudden victory) but still effective. Nagao gave up the first takedown and attempted to rally, shooting for a potential tying takedown with 5 seconds left. Nagao got control of Ragusin but ran out of time.
Nagao (16-7) had a tough Big Ten season, going 3-3 in duals with a pair of sudden-victory losses. He'll wrestle Maryland's Braxton Brown in the consolation semifinals.
141: Beau Bartlett (Penn State) dec. Sergio Lemley (Michigan) 5-4
Bartlett, the top seed, gets a rematch with Ohio State's Jesse Mendez, whom he defeated 4-1 in sudden victory in January. The Penn State senior (20-0) got a mini-scare from Lemley, who tied the match with a third-period takedown. Lemley cut Bartlett for an escape, but Bartlett defended against a second takedown for the win.
Lemley has been a challenge this sesaon for Bartlett, who won their first meeting 7-5. Now, Mendez looks to avenge that regular-season loss to Bartlett.
149: Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) dec. Tyler Kasak (Penn State) 4-0
Lovett, the tournament's top seed and No. 1 wrestler nationally, defended a Kasak attack late in the third, countering with the decisive takdedown for the victory. It was Lovett's second win over Kasak this season; he topped the Penn State freshman 7-3 in a mid-February dual.
Kasak (15-4) will get a chance to avenge one of those losses Sunday. Kasak (seeded fourth) faces Iowa's third-seeded Caleb Rathjen in the consolation semifinals. Rathjen won their regular-season dual 11-8 in sudden victory in Iowa City.
157: Levi Haines (Penn State) dec. Jared Franek (Iowa) 5-0
Haines is off to a phenomenal start to his Big Ten career. The sophomore is 23-0 against conference opponents in his first two seasons, with two wins over Franek. He scored a takedown with 20 seconds left in the third period to defeat Franek and reach his second Big Ten final.
Haines (17-0) will wrestle for his second Big Ten title. He'll get a rematch with seventh-seeded Will Lewan in the final. Haines defeated Lewan 2-1, benefiting from a stalling call, in January.
165: Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) tech. fall Mike Caliendo (Iowa) 23-7 in 6:47
Mesenbrink led Penn State this season with dual-meet points (56) and continued wrestling his high-scoring style at the Big Ten Championships. Mesenbrink scored 36 points in his two bouts Saturday, spinning Caliendo's head with seven takedowns in the technical fall. That included having a takedown called off after review.
The second-seeded Mesenbrink (21-0) will meet No. 1 seed Dean Hamiti for the Big Ten title. Hamiti is the defending Big Ten champ.
184: Bernie Truax (Penn State) dec. Lenny Pinto (Nebraska) 4-2
Truax wrestled an aggressive bout, pushing Pinto into some defensive positions. But with his consistent attack, Truax generated the match's lone takedown on a slick move midway through the third period for the victory. Truax avenged an 8-6 loss to Pinto in late February.
The third-seeded Truax (13-3) will wrestle top-seeded Isaiah Salazar of Minnesota in the final.
197: Aaron Brooks (Penn State) dec. Silas Allred (Nebraska) 14-2
No one appears ready to stop Brooks, who won a pair of bonus-point matches Saturday. Brooks followed his quarterfinal technical fall with a major decision over Allred in the semifinals. Brooks has been a takedown machine this season. He scored an astonishing 53 takedowns in just 11 dual-meet bouts and added seven more Saturday
The nation's top-ranked wrestler will meet Iowa's Zach Glazier in the final. Brooks beat Glazier 5-1 in February.
285: Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) vs. Yaraslau Slavikouski (Rutgers) 9-0
The top-seeded Kerkvliet comfortably improved his record to 14-0 with his second bonus-point win of the day. He quickly scored the first takedown en route to a major over Slavikouski. Kerkvliet outscored his opponents 24-0 on Saturday.
Kerkvliet will face Ohio State's Nick Feldman in the final. Kerkvliet majored Feldman 12-0 in their previous meeting this season.
How to watch the 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships
The 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships conclude Sunday at the Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland. Big Ten Network will carry the championship final and medal bouts live, while BTN+ will stream the early consolation rounds. Here's the schedule (all times EST):
Sunday
- Noon: Consolation semifinals, seventh-place bouts (BTN+)
- 4:30 p.m.: Championship/medal bouts (Big Ten Network)
More Penn State Wrestling
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Cael Sanderson says Carter Starocci continues his "search-and-destroy" mission
Penn State clinches fourth straight Big Ten regular season title
Penn State demonstrates its dominance in milestone win over Rutgers
Penn State routs Iowa on a landmark night for Cael Sanderson
Penn State turns up the volume at 'awkwardly quiet' Rec Hall
Penn State tops Ohio State, but not without a struggle
Penn State sets dates for 2024 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials
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