No. 1 Penn State Wrestling Routs Drexel in Season Opener

The Nittany Lions defeated Drexel for their 57th consecutive dual-match victory.

Penn State wrestler Levi Haines celebrates a victory at the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships. / Nick Tre. Smith-Imagn Images

The top-ranked Penn State wrestling began its pursuit of a fourth consecutive NCAA team championship with a 41-3 victory over Drexel on Sunday. The Nittany Lions won nine of 10 bouts, highlighted by five bonus-point victories from 165 pounds to heavyweight. Penn State won its 57th consecutive dual match dating to 2020.

The Nittany Lions didn't field their full lineup, as several wrestlers sat out after competing in Saturday's NWCA All-Star Classic. Beau Bartlett, Tyler Kasak and Shayne Van Ness, who wrestled in the exhibition match at Rec Hall, did not compete in Sunday's opener. However, returning national champs Levi Haines (174 pounds) and Carter Starocci (184) made the quick turnaround and scored comfortable technical falls against Drexel.

Sophomore Braeden Davis, who won the Big Ten title at 125 pounds as a freshman, debuted at 133 pounds with a 7-5 victory over Drexel's Kyle Waterman. Davis scored two first-period takedowns but had to fend off Waterman's late upset bid. In the third, Drexel's staff called for a video review of a scramble that it thought ended with a takedown by Waterman. The challenge was denied, and Davis held on for the win.

Alex Facundo (157) returned to the lineup after taking an Olympic redshirt last season, winning his opener 8-6 over Luke Nichter. The sophomore scored a first-period takedown and a second-period reversal to take a 5-1 lead. After an escape, Nichter tied the bout with a second-period takedown, which Facundo countered with a reversal. Facundo worked riding time to the win.

The back end of Penn State's lineup continued to prove how dominant it could be this season. Mesenbrink, a returning NCAA runnerup, made his season debut at 165 with a 21-4 technical fall in 5:19. Haines, who won his all-star match, followed with a 16-0 technical fall that didn't reach the third period. And Starocci, who scored a huge all-star win over defending 184-pound champ Parker Keckeisen, got in takedown work in a 19-3 technical fall.

Lucas Cochran got the start at 197, scoring an 18-1 technical fall in the second period. Cochran went 11-2 with five falls for the Nittany Lions last season. Greg Kerkvliet, the defending NCAA champ at heavyweight, began his season with a fall in 1:40.

At 149, junior Connor Pierce wrestled for Van Ness and scored a 5-4 victory over Dom Findora. Pierce scored the first takedown, but Findora rallied to tie the bot with a takedown midway through the third period. Pierce escaped and then defended Findora's attempts to score for the win.

Penn State held a 25-4 lead in takedowns in the match and scored 14. The announced crowd of 6,426 represented Penn State's 73rd consecutive sellout at Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions return to action Nov. 23 at the Black Knight Invitational at Army West Point.

Penn State 41, Drexel 3

125: Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) won by forfeit

133: No. 7Braeden Davis (Penn State) dec. Kyle Waterman 7-5

141: Jordan Soriano (Drexel) dec. Cael Nasdeo 11-8

149: Connor Pierce (Penn State) dec. Dom Findora 5-4

157: Alex Facundo (Penn State) dec. Luke Nichter 8-6

165: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) tech. fall Cody Walsh 21-4 in 5:19

174: No. 2 Levi Haines (Penn State) tech. fall Jack Janda 16-0 in 4:04

184: No. 1Carter Starocci (Penn State) tech. fall Giuseppe Hoose 9-3 in 5:37

197: Lucas Cochran (Penn State) tech. fall Ethan Wilson 18-1 in 3:27

285: No. 1Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) pin Tanner Updegraff 1:40

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