Penn State Wrestling Routs Iowa on a Landmark Night for Cael Sanderson

Sanderson wins his 200th match at Penn State as the Nittany Lions overwhelm the Hawkeyes.

Before heading to Iowa, Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said he loves wrestling and coaching at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Especially with the lineup No. 1 Penn State wrestling brought to Iowa City on Friday.

The Nittany Lions won their 53rd consecutive match, and Sanderson won his 200th as Penn State's 15th-year head coach, with a dominant 29-6 performance over third-ranked Iowa. Penn State won eight of the 10 bouts, earning bonus points in five, to solidify its grip on the nation's top spot. Penn State (9-0) also won its third straight match against Iowa by the largest margin of its 13 victories over the Hawkeyes.

"He's the best of the last decade or longer," Iowa coach Tom Brands said of Sanderson before the match. "He's been the standard, and we've got to pick it up."

After the match, Brands was equally complimentary.

“They have a high-powered team,” Brands told reporters in Iowa City. “They score a lot of points, and you have to be ready, like, beyond ready. And if you just think you're ready, and you think it's normal, it's not normal. It's not a normal team, and that's not me putting them on a pedestal. That's not me conceding anything. We have to be better when we go out there. We have to be more ready when we go out there.”

The Hawkeyes (10-2) couldn't get there Friday. Here's the breakdown of Penn State vs. Iowa wrestling.

Beau Bartlett seizes control at 141

Bartlett moved to No. 1 at 141 pounds after his sudden-victory win over third-ranked Jesse Mendez of Ohio State last week. He solidified that ranking Friday with a 7-2 win over second-ranked Real Woods, the weight class' defending NCAA runner-up. Bartlett controlled the bout's tempo from the outset, getting takedowns in the first and third periods. Bartlett (15-0) also avenged a 4-1 loss to Woods last season. 

No. 1, and still undefeated 😤

We're starting the day with Beau Bartlett's win over Real Woods in No. 1 Penn State's victory last night at No. 3 Iowa.@BeauBartlett x @pennstateWREST pic.twitter.com/aqCT91GG17

— Big Ten Wrestling (@B1GWrestling) February 10, 2024

Aaron Nagao, Bernie Truax rebound

Nagao and Truax lost upset bouts against Ohio State, but Sanderson said last week he was worried about neither. At Iowa, Nagao (133) and Truax (184) delivered major decisions as favorites. Nagao defeated 20th-ranked Cullen Schriever 11-0 on the strength of a late three-point near fall. Truax jumped out quickly on Aiden Riggins, scoring a takedown 15 seconds into the bout on his way to an 8-0 win.

The hammers keep hammering

Iowa's undefeated Zach Glazier, ranked 11th at 197, nearly scored the first dual-meet takedown against Penn State's Aaron Brooks this season. Of course, Brooks not only defended it but also scored his 41st takedown of the year in a 4-1 victory that was methodical and clinical.

At 174, Carter Starocci extended his Division I-best win streak to 62 with a 13-5 major against Patrick Kennedy. Starocci scored two second-period takedowns, one at the buzzer. Mitchell Mesenbrink (16-0 at 165) bulldogged Iowa's sixth-ranked Michael Caliendo 12-6, though he lost the major by allowing a late takedown, just the second he has given up this season. And top-ranked Levi Haines (12-0 at 157) scored three takedowns in a 12-0 shutout of fifth-ranked All-American Jared Franek, one of the evening's better performances. Top-ranked heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet capped the victory by scoring a major decision over freshman Ben Kueter.

Penn State's freshmen get a film lesson

Nittany Lions freshmen Braeden Davis (125) and Tyler Kasak (149) were unbeaten in duals before Friday, when both got some needed experience. Davis fell 4-2 to Iowa's seventh-ranked Drake Ayala, who scored just the second dual-match takedown against Davis this season. The Penn State freshman, who was ranked second, pressed a shot in the last minute, which Ayala defended to secure the win. The loss was Davis' first of the season.

Kasak (No. 10 at 149) and Caleb Rathjen (No. 12) wrestled a gem, with Kasak scoring a third-period takedown with 30 seconds left to tie the bout at 8-8. Rathjen then delivered the biggest home roar of the night by hitting a takedown in sudden victory for an 11-8 win, handing Kasak his first loss of the season by a non-Penn State wrestler. Kasak's other loss was to Bartlett, his teammate, at an early season tournament.

Up next

Penn State hosts Rutgers on Monday in its annual match at the Bryce Jordan Center. Another milestone is on tap, as Penn State seeks the 1,000th victory in program history. The Big Ten match begins at 7 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network.

Penn State 29, Iowa 6

125: Drake Ayala (Iowa) dec. Braeden Davis (Penn State) 4-2

133: Aaron Nagao (Penn State) dec. Cullan Schriever 11-0

141: Beau Bartlett (Penn State) dec. Real Woods 7-2

149: Caleb Rathjen (Iowa) dec. Tyler Kasak 11-8 SV

157: Levi Haines (Penn State) dec. Jared Franek 12-0

165: Mitchell Mesenbrink (Penn State) dec. Michael Caliendo 12-6

174: Carter Starocci (Penn State) dec. Patrick Kennedy 13-5

184: Bernie Truax (Penn State) dec. Aiden Riggins 8-0

197: Aaron Brooks (Penn State) vs. Zach Glazier 4-1

285: Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) dec. Ben Kueter 9-1

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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.