How Penn State wrestling sent 9 to the Big Ten semifinals during Saturday’s first session

Nate Cobler
·8 min read

Saturday marked the opening to Penn State wrestling’s most fun time of the year, as the Big Ten Championships got underway inside the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland.

After the first session, the Nittany Lions sent nine of their 10 wrestlers into the semifinals, which secured them all a spot in the NCAA Championships in two weeks in Kansas City, Missouri.

When it came to the team race, Penn State has 83.5 points to lead the way by 13 over Michigan. Iowa is in third with 57.5 points.

Here’s a look at how the first session ended:

Illinois’ Justin Cardani tries to push away Penn State’s Braeden Davis in a 125 lb first round match of the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.
Illinois’ Justin Cardani tries to push away Penn State’s Braeden Davis in a 125 lb first round match of the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.

125 Pounds: Braeden Davis

Record after session: 2-0

Current round: Semifinals

Recap: The 125-pound weight class, nationally, has been full of chaos all year long. It continued on Saturday morning as the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 seeds all fell.

Davis played the part in upset of the No. 3 seed, Wisconsin’s Eric Barnett, but the quarterfinals bout didn’t start out well.

Barnett came out and fired off a takedown early and was given a penalty point from Davis, who escaped before the first period ended. He then tacked on a takedown and an escape in the second period to lead 5-4 after two.

The third period got crazy with the pair trading reversals. Davis needed his in order to force sudden victory as Barnett had riding time advantage. In sudden victory, Davis went in on a deep shot that Barnett tried to fight off, but he was called for an illegal hold, giving Davis the 8-7 win.

He’ll take on Michigan’s Michael DeAugustino, whom Davis defeated in the January dual to break onto the scene, in Saturday night’s semifinals.

Davis’ first tournament opened with a solid 11-1 major decision over Illinois’ Justin Cardani.

Penn State’s Alex Nagao controls Michigan State’s Andrew Hampton in a 133 lb first round match of the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.
Penn State’s Alex Nagao controls Michigan State’s Andrew Hampton in a 133 lb first round match of the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.

133 Pounds: Aaron Nagao

Record after session: 2-0

Current round: Semifinals

Recap: Nagao had quite the interesting last month of the season. He was in and out of the lineup due to sickness and suffered some losses along the way that had Penn State fans doubting him.

Coach Cael Sanderson remained positive and said Nagao’s best wrestling will be there when it counted most.

The transfer opened his second Big Ten tournament by shutting out the Spartans’ Andrew Hampton, 11-0. In the quarterfinals against Nebraska’s Jacob Van Dee, Nagao won 4-3.

He came out and collected the first points with a takedown at 12 seconds left in the first period. Neither wrestler scored in the second period, but Nagao added an escape in the third. Van Dee did get a takedown but it was too late to do much more as Nagao came away with the narrow win.

Nagao faces Michigan’s Dylan Ragusin, who pinned him in the January dual in sudden victory, in the semifinals.

Penn State’s Beau Bartlett wrestles Michigan State’s Jordan Hamdan in a 141 lb quarterfinal match of the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.
Penn State’s Beau Bartlett wrestles Michigan State’s Jordan Hamdan in a 141 lb quarterfinal match of the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.

141 Pounds: Beau Bartlett

Record after session: 1-0

Current round: Semifinals

Recap: Bartlett didn’t have too much work to do on Saturday morning.

He had just one match, which was against Michigan State’s Jordan Hamdan. Bartlett scored all of his points in the second period with an escape and a takedown in a 4-2 win.

Hamdan tried to rally, but only secured two escapes.

Bartlett takes on Michigan’s Sergio Lemley in the semifinals.

Penn State’s Tyler Kasak controls Northwestern’s Aiden Vandenbush in a 149 lb first round match of the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.
Penn State’s Tyler Kasak controls Northwestern’s Aiden Vandenbush in a 149 lb first round match of the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.

149 Pounds: Tyler Kasak

Record after session: 2-0

Current round: Semifinals

Recap: This is Kasak’s first Big Ten tournament, but he sure opened it like a veteran.

He raced out to a 7-0 lead on Northwestern’s Aiden Vandenbush midway through the first period. Kasak then put Vandenbush to his back for a fall in 2:48.

In the quarterfinals, Kasak built up a bunch of riding time in the second period on Ohio State’s Dylan D’Emilio. He opened the third period with a reversal, but D’Emilio escaped to make it 2-2. The pair looked for scoring chance the rest of the period, but nothing came to fruition, and Kasak advanced thanks to the riding time, 3-2.

Kasak will face Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett, who handed Kasak just his third loss of the year — second to someone that wasn’t a teammate, in the semifinals.

157 Pounds: Levi Haines

Record after session: 1-0

Current round: Semifinals

Recap: Haines had no problems against Northwestern’s Trevor Chumbley in the quarterfinals.

He scored at will on Chumbley, racing out to a 7-0 lead after two periods of wrestling. In the third period, Haines added his third takedown of the bout and added a riding time point and stall point for a 12-0 shutout of Chumbley.

Haines takes on Iowa’s Jared Franek on Saturday night in the semifinals.

Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink controls Minnesota’s Blaine Brenner in a 165 lb quarterfinal match of the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.
Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink controls Minnesota’s Blaine Brenner in a 165 lb quarterfinal match of the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.

165 Pounds: Mitchell Mesenbrink

Record after session: 1-0

Current round: Semifinals

Recap: Mesenbrink was one of four Nittany Lion wrestlers making their Big Ten Championships debut.

And he made one that Penn State fans will remember.

Mesenbrink built up a 13-2 lead early in the second period on Minnesota’s Blaine Brenner, thanks to a trio of first-period takedowns. Mesenbrink then put Brenner to his back for a fall in 3:59.

He’ll take on Iowa’s Michael Caliendo in the semifinals.

Penn State’s Carter Starocci stands with trainers at the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.
Penn State’s Carter Starocci stands with trainers at the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.

174 Pounds: Carter Starocci

Record after session: 0-1

Current round: Consolation second round

Recap: Ever since Starocci suffered a knee injury against Edinboro, everyone wondered what his status would be.

Well, he came out to the mat, shook hands with his opponent, Minnesota’s Andrew Sparks, and the referee blew his whistle. A second later, the referee blew his whistle again, and Sparks was declared the winner via injury default.

The loss snapped Starocci’s 64-match win streak, which was the longest in the country.

Penn State’s Bernie Truax controls Maryland’s Chase Mielnik in the 184 lb first round match of the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.
Penn State’s Bernie Truax controls Maryland’s Chase Mielnik in the 184 lb first round match of the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.

184 Pounds: Bernie Truax

Record after session: 2-0

Current round: Semifinals

Recap: Truax said he was ready to have fun in the Big Ten Championships.

He showed it on Saturday afternoon by starting with a 19-1 technical fall in 2:42 of Maryland’s Chase Mielnik. Truax had two takedowns and four sets of nearfall points for his scoring.

In the quarterfinals, the three-time NCAA placewinner picked off a pair of takedowns on Michigan State’s Layne Malczewski in a 7-2 victory.

Truax will face Nebraska’s Lenny Pinto, whom he nearly upset in the dual with the Cornhuskers near the end of February, for a spot in the finals.

Penn State’s Aaron Brooks controls Northwestern’s Evan Bates in a 197 lb quarterfinal match of the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.
Penn State’s Aaron Brooks controls Northwestern’s Evan Bates in a 197 lb quarterfinal match of the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.

197 Pounds: Aaron Brooks

Record after session: 1-0

Current round: Semifinals

Recap: Brooks was dominant in his last Big Ten opener, against Northwestern’s Evan Bates.

He snapped of a pair of first-period takedowns and added some nearfall points for a 9-1 lead. The second period was all Brooks as he tallied an escape and added a third takedown.

In the third period, he put the icing on the cake by collecting two more takedowns for the 19-3 technical fall in 5:50.

The three-time NCAA champion faces Nebraska’s Silas Allred for a spot in the finals.

Penn State’s Greg Kerkvliet controls Minnesota’s Bennett Tabor in a 285 lb quarterfinal match of the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.
Penn State’s Greg Kerkvliet controls Minnesota’s Bennett Tabor in a 285 lb quarterfinal match of the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.

285 Pounds: Greg Kerkvliet

Record after session: 1-0

Current round: Semifinals

Recap: Kerkvliet seemed like he had somewhere to be Saturday afternoon.

He came out and scored 10 points on Minnesota’s Bennet Tabor thanks to a takedown and two sets of nearfall points in the first period. Toward the end of the second period, Kerkvliet collected a stall point from Tabor and tacked on four nearfall points for a 15-0 shutout in 4:25.

He’ll face Rutgers’ Yaraslau Slavikouski in the semifinals. The pair were set to square off in the Bryce Jordan Center dual, but Kerkvliet didn’t wrestle at the time, and Slavikouski was beaten by Lucas Cochran.

Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson watches a quarterfinal bout at the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.
Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson watches a quarterfinal bout at the Big Ten Wresting Championships at the Xfinity Center at the University of Maryland on Saturday, March 9, 2024.

Big Ten Championships

Saturday at College Park, Md.

Team key: Illinois (Ill.), Indiana (Ind.), Iowa (I), Maryland (M), Michigan State (MSU), Michigan (Mich.), Minnesota (Minn.), Nebraska (N), Northwestern (NW), Ohio State (OSU), Penn State (PSU), Purdue (P), Rutgers (R), Wisconsin (W)

Team scores: 1. Penn State 83.5, 2. Michigan 70.5, 3. Iowa 57.5, 4. Nebraska 46.5, 5. Minnesota 34.5, 6. Rutgers 31.5, 7. Ohio State 28.5, 8. Maryland 20.5, 9. Wisconsin 17, 10. Indiana 16

Quarterfinals

125: Braeden Davis, PSU, dec. Eric Barnett, N, 8-7 (SV); 133: Aaron Nagao, PSU, dec. Jacob Van Dee, N, 4-3; 141: Beau Bartlett, PSU, dec. Jordan Hamdan, MSU, 4-2; 149: Tyler Kasak, PSU, dec. Dylan D’Emilio, OSU, 3-2; 157: Levi Haines, PSU, major dec. Trevor Chumbley, NW, 12-0; 165: Mitchell Mesenbrink, PSU, pinned Blaine Brenner, Minn., 3:59; 174: Andrew Sparks, Minn., injury def. Carter Starocci, PSU, :01; 184: Bernie Truax, PSU, dec. Layne Malczewski, MSU, 7-2; 197: Aaron Brooks, PSU, tech. fall Evan Bates, NW, 19-3 (5:50); 285: Greg Kerkvliet, PSU, tech. fall Bennett Tabor, Minn., 15-0 (4:25)

First Round

125: Davis, PSU, major dec. Justin Cardani, Ill., 11-1; 133: Nagao, PSU, major dec. Andrew Hampton, MSU, 11-0; 149: Kasak, PSU, pinned Aiden Vandenbush, NW, 2:48; 184: Truax, PSU, tech. fall Chase Mielnik, M, 19-1 (2:41)