Penn State Shares Big Ten Dual Meet Wrestling Title with Iowa

The 6-0 Nittany Lions will host the Big Ten tournament March 6-7 expecting to challenge No. 1 Iowa.

Penn State and Iowa shared the 2021 Big Ten dual-meet wrestling title, setting up a pair of duels in the postseason.

Penn State, ranked No. 2 according to InterMat Wrestling, concluded the regular season with a 44-0 victory over Maryland on Monday. The match was Penn State's first and only at home during the regular season. The Lions will host the Big Ten tournament March 6-7 at Rec Hall.

The Big Ten title marked Penn State's seventh in 10 years. Iowa (5-0) has not wrestled since defeating Ohio State 33-14 on Feb. 7. The top-ranked Hawkeyes will go a month without competing before the Big Ten championships. They had three matches postponed, including one at Penn State on Feb. 12.

Since they haven't wrestled yet this season, Penn State and Iowa promise a tantalizing pair of competitions for the postseason. Penn State has eight wrestlers ranked in the InterMat top 25, not including heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet, who made his 2021 debut Monday.

Penn State coach Cael Sanderson previously had said that he did not expect Kerkvliet, a redshirt freshman who went 8-0 in open competitions last season, to wrestle this year. But Kerkvliet made his surprise debut in Monday's 44-0 win over Maryland, scoring two pins (one in an exhibition match).

Penn State wrestled six freshmen against Maryland, showcasing a lineup with plenty of future promise that also expects to win now. Among those to watch are Carter Starocci (No. 5 at 174) and Beau Bartlett, who scored his first dual-meet victory at 149 pounds.

Iowa, meanwhile, has wrestlers ranked in all 10 weight classes, including four at No. 1: Spencer Lee (125), Jaydin Eierman (141), Alex Marinelli (165) and Michael Kemerer (174).

Public tickets will not be sold for the Big Ten championships. Big Ten Network will televise the Saturday semifinals and Sunday finals. All matches will be streamed live on BTN+.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is Editor and Publisher of AllPennState, the site for Penn State news on SI's FanNation Network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs and three Rose Bowls.