Penn State Wrestling Lands 5 at No. 1 in Latest Rankings
Half of the Penn State wrestling lineup is ranked No. 1 in the country, according to the latest InterMat wrestling rankings, as the Nittany Lions prepare for a critical road trip to Iowa. Cael Sanderson's top-ranked roster includes all 10 wrestlers ranked among the top 10 at their weight classes, with an exceptional freshman rising to No. 2.
Penn State newly minted No. 1 is Beau Bartlett, who moved atop the 141-pound weight class this week. Bartlett (14-0) defeated Ohio State's Jesse Mendez in sudden victory last Friday in a 2 vs. 3 bout. After Iowa's Real Woods fell in a shocking major decision to Michigan Sergio Lemley, Bartlett replaced Woods atop the class. Bartlett and Woods are scheduled to meet Friday night in Iowa City, when the Nittany Lions take on the Hawkeyes in a Big Ten wrestling match.
At 125, true freshman Braeden Davis (14-0) continued his ascent, reaching No. 2 after remaining undefeated with a 4-3 decision over Ohio State's Vinny Kilkeary. The bout was the talk of NCAA wrestling over the weekend, as Kilkeary neared a late winning takedown but did not get the call.
Fellow freshman Tyler Kasak returned to the Penn State lineup for another impressive victory, scoring a 7-2 win over formerly ninth-ranked, and 2023 All-American, Dylan D'Emilio. Kasak moved up two spots to No. 10 with the win.
Two Penn State wrestlers lost ground after the Ohio State match. At 133, Aaron Nagao fell one spot to No. 6 following his 13-7 loss to Nic Bouzakis. And Bernie Truax, who was pinned by Ryder Rogotzke in a bout he led 9-4, dropped one spot to No. 6 at 184.
No. 1 Penn State (8-0) visits No. 3 Iowa (10-1) on Friday night for what had been projected as the Big Ten's match of the year. However, the match lost some of its luster after Michigan dominated Iowa 24-11 in Ann Arbor last Friday. The Penn State-Iowa match begins at 9 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network. Here's a look at Penn State's latest wrestling rankings, according to InterMat.
Penn State wrestling in the rankings
125: No. 2 Braeden Davis (14-0)
133: No. 6 Aaron Nagao (8-3)
141: No. 1 Beau Bartlett (14-0)
149: No. 10 Tyler Kasak (11-1)
157: No. 1 Levi Haines (11-0)
165: No. 7 Mitchell Mesenbrink (15-0)
174: No. 1 Carter Starocci (8-0)
184: No. 6 Bernie Truax (8-2)
197: No. 1 Aaron Brooks (10-0)
285: No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet (9-0)
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