Big Ten

Lehigh vs. Penn State Wrestling Dual 2023: Match Notes From State College

Lehigh vs. Penn State Wrestling Dual 2023: Match Notes From State College

Top-ranked Penn State dropped Lehigh in State College, 30-10, in a battle of in-state rivals.

Dec 3, 2023 by Kyle Klingman
Lehigh vs. Penn State Wrestling Dual 2023: Match Notes From State College

Top-ranked Penn State dropped Lehigh in State College, 30-10 in a battle of in-state rivals. Here's a blow-by-blow account of what transpired.

125: Sheldon Seymour (Lehigh) dec. Gary Steen (Penn State), 4-1
First period: Seymour hits a single halfway through the period but Steen kicks out. Still neutral. Seymour takes four shots but doesn't score. 0-0.

Second period: Steen begins in the down position. Steen gets out in six seconds to take a 1-0 lead. Steen had an opportunity to score off of a counter but the action was stalemated. Still 1-0 in favor of Steen. 

Third period: Seymour begins in the down position. Steen locks up a cradle but Seymour kicks out and gets the escape to tie the score, 1-1. After review, Seymour gets a late takedown and wins the match 4-1.

Lehigh 3, Penn State 0

133: #1 Ryan Crookham (Lehigh) dec. #4 Aaron Nagao (Penn State), 6-4
First period: Nagao hits a single but the action is stopped immediately due to a potentially dangerous hold. Stall warning against Crookham as Nagao is in on the legs but stalemate is called. Shot by Crookham at the end of the period but the action rolls through as the buzzer sounds. No score.

Second period: Nagao starts on the bottom and escapes immediately for a 1-0 lead. Crookham hits a deep shot and scores a three-point takedown for a 3-1 lead halfway through the period. Crookham leads 6-2 thanks to a pair of takedowns.

Third period: A stall call against Crookham with seven seconds left isn't enough. Crookham wins, 6-4 after Nagao earns a riding time point.

Lehigh 6, Penn State 0

141: #2 Beau Bartlett (Penn State) major decision Carter Bailey (Lehigh), 14-6

First period: Bartlett is on board early with a takedown and a 3-0 lead but an escape and a takedown by Bailey make it 4-3 in the first 30 seconds. Escape by Bartlett ties it 4-4. Low shot by Bartlett at the end of the period but time runs out and the score remains 4-4.

Second period: Bartlett starts on the bottom and escapes to take a 5-4 lead. Bartlett scores a takedown for an 8-4 lead. Uncontested escape by Bailey for an 8-5 lead in favor of Bartlett. Bartlett works a front headlock and secures another takedown for an 11-5 lead at the end of the period. 

Third period: Bailey starts on the bottom and gets the escape. Bartlett gets another takedown and eventually gets a 14-6 major decision.

Lehigh 6, Penn State 4

149: Tyler Kasak (Penn State) dec. Drew Munch (Lehigh), 7-5
First period: Kasak with the first takedown but Munch gets an escape. Kasak gets the go-behind to go up 6-2 after an escape by Munch.

Second period: Munch starts on the bottom and seems committed to the ride early. Munch escapes in 35 seconds but Kasak still leads, 6-3. Munch hits a single late in the period but Kasak counters out after a lengthy exchange. 

Third period: Kasak starts in the down position and escapes in 10 seconds for a 7-3 lead. Kasak drives Munch around with double underhooks and locks his hands and Kasak is called for an illegal hold. Kasak leads, 7-4. Munch takes a couple of shots and Kasak is called for stalling. Munch is close to a takedown as time expires but Kasak wins, 7-5.

Lehigh 6, Penn State 7

157: #1 Levi Haines (Penn State) dec. #30 Max Brignola (Lehigh), 11-6
First period: Brignola strikes first with a single-leg takedown for a 3-1 lead after Haines escapes. Haines hits a single with 25 seconds left for a takedown and a 4-3 lead with 15 seconds left. Brignola escapes, and the score is 4-4.

Second period: Brignola starts in the down position but escapes in 30 seconds for a 5-4 lead. Brignola hits another shot but Haines sprawls out and a stalemate is called with 23 seconds left. Late single by Haines but time runs out.

Third period: Haines escapes in six seconds to tie the match, 5-5. A sweep single by Haines makes the score 8-5. Stall warning against Haines for dropping down on the leg. Brignola gets an escape but wins the scramble, adds another takedown, and Haines wins 11-6.

Lehigh 6, Penn State 10

165: #23 Mitchell Messenbrink (Penn State) tech fall #30 Jake Logan (Lehigh), 17-2 
First period: Lengthy scramble that ends in a head-to-toe stalemate position with 1:14 remaining. Logan hits a single but Mesenbrink counters a cradle attempt and scores a 3-point takedown for a 3-0 lead as time expires.

Second period: Mesenbrink escapes in 15 seconds then adds another takedown for a 7-0 lead. Logan gets an escape halfway through the period but Mesenbrink scores on a single a few seconds later for a 10-1 lead following a stall warning against Logan.

Third period: Neutral start. Mesenbrink scores on a stall warning against Logan then hits a low single for a 14-1 lead. Logan given an escape halfway through the period but Mesenbrink scores on a single for a 17-2 tech.

Lehigh 6, Penn State 15

174: #1 Carter Starocci (Penn State) FALL Thayne Lawrence (Lehigh)
First period: Starocci scores on a single near the edge for a 3-0 lead with 2:31 remaining. An intentional release by Starocci makes it 3-1. Starocci switches off for another three-point takedown but releases Lawrence for a 6-2 lead. A third takedown of the match makes it 9-2. Bow and arrow near the edge of the mat turns into a fall for Starocci. 

Lehigh 6, Penn State 21

184: #2 Bernie Truax (Penn State) tech. fall Jack Wilt (Lehigh), 19-4
First period: An ankle pick takedown by Truax gets things started. Truax locks up a cradle but Wilt breaks the grip. A reversal by Wilt followed by an escape by Truax makes the score 4-2. Wilt kicks out of a late shot by Truax but Truax leads 4-2 at the end of the period.

Second period: Truax starts on the bottom and escapes in 10 seconds for a 5-2 lead. A low shot by Truax adds another three-point takedown for an 8-2 lead halfway through the period. 

Third period: Wilt chooses neutral to start the third period. Truax locks a cradle for a takedown for an 11-2 lead. An escape by Wilt followed by another Truax takedown makes it 14-3. Wilt escapes and then gets called for stalling. Another takedown by Truax plus a riding time point makes it 19-4.

Lehigh 6, Penn State 26

197: #9 Michael Beard (Lehigh) major decision Lucas Cochran (Penn State), 20-6
First period: Beard scores on a go-behind halfway through the period for a 3-0 lead. Cochran gets an escape with 35 seconds remaining. Beard leads 3-1 thanks to the lone takedown.

Second period: Beard starts on bottom and escapes for a 4-1 lead. Counterattack adds three more for Beard but an escape by Cochran makes it 7-2. Another counter by Beard makes it 10-3 after an escape by Cochran.

Third period: Cochran starts on bottom and Beard appears committed to the ride. Stall call against Cochran but Beard gives up the escape but still leads, 10-4. Shot by Cochran but Beard scores a counter takedown then another escape and takedown and escape makes it 16-6. A takedown with one second left makes it 20-6 after riding time.

Lehigh 10, Penn State 26

285: #1 Greg Kervliet (Penn State) major decision #12 Nathan Taylor (Lehigh), 11-1
First period: Kerkvliet hits a single halfway through the period but Taylor escapes. Kerkvliet staves off a double-leg attempt by Taylor and takes injury time. Taylor chooses to begin in the neutral position after injury time. No scoring for the remainder of the period. Kerkvliet leads, 3-1.

Second period: Kerkvliet starts in the bottom position and escapes immediately for a 4-1 lead. Kerkvliet powers through and lifts Taylor in the air and eventually scores the takedown for a 7-1 lead. Kerkvliet rides out the remainder of the period and keeps his 7-1 lead.

Third period: Taylor chooses neutral. Kerkvliet scores three more for a 10-1 lead. Kervliet rides out, adds a riding time point, and wins 11-1.

Lehigh 10, Penn State 30