Seven Penn State wrestlers headed to the national semifinals at the NCAA Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and another lives in solace after the Nittany Lions’ perfect and often thrilling session.
Penn State also extended its lead in the team race as they approached their 10th national championship and 11th overall under coach Karl Sanderson.
The Nittany Lions won session 3, 9-0. 1st seed Roman Bravo-Young (133), 6th Beau Bartlett (141), 13th Shane Van Ness (149), 2nd Levi Haynes (157), 1st Carter Starossi (174), No. 3 Aaron Brooks (184) and No. 3 Greg Kerkfried (285) all won in the quarterfinals to stay in title contention and earn All-America status.
No. 9 Max Dean (197) can win two consolation matches and finish in third place.
Penn State’s afternoon stood out with three dramatic wins in a row.
Bartlett scored a takedown against No. 3 seed Cole Matthews in a tiebreak with one second left to advance to the semifinals. Redshirt freshman Van Ness recovered from his 7-3 deficit at the start of the third, beating Indiana’s No. 20 Graham Rooks by his 10-7. And true freshman Haynes trailed him 6-1 and nearly got pinned in the first his period against Virginia Tech’s No. 7 Bryce Andonian.
Penn State topped the leaderboard with 78 points, just ahead of second-place Iowa with 48 points.
The action continues Friday at 8:00 PM EDT, with the semi-final round broadcast live from ESPN’s BOK Center.
Roman Bravo Young – 133 pounds
In a rematch of this year’s Big Ten Championship, which Bravo Young won, the undefeated No. 1 seed Nittany Lion faced No. 8 seed Aaron Nagao of Minnesota in the quarterfinals. After finishing the first period scoreless, Nagao chose a down in the second period and Bravo Young won all periods. Bravo-Young bottomed to start his third and worked towards a comeback. Nagao escaped, but RBY added penalty points and riding time points. By 4–1 decision, Bravo Young made his fifth-inning All-American and advanced the quest for his third national title.
Next step: Bravo Young faces fourth seed Michael McGee Arizona State Semifinals. RBY had their only win in the last conference due to a December 2021 decision.
Beau Bartlett – 141 lbs
Sixth-seeded Bartlett and third-seeded Pitt Cole Matthews each managed to pull off a surprise quarter-final victory in a 1-1 tie. The wrestlers sparred, but neither was able to take a shot in the sudden victory and was sent to the tiebreaker. Matthews remained on top of his 30 seconds in the first, with his time riding being the deciding factor in the event of a draw, choosing neutral to start his TB in his second. In riding time it looked like Matthews was going to win, but as time went on Bartlett shot and gained control of a takedown with one second left to win 3–1. Bartlett will earn All-American status for the first time once he reaches the semifinals.
Up next: Bartlett will face No. 2 seed Andrew Ariles (N.C.) in the semifinals.
Shane Van Ness – £149
No. 13-seeded redshirt freshman Van Ness fell behind Indiana’s No. 20 Graham Rooks early on. Graham Rooks followed up with a one-foot takedown to counter Van Ness’ shot for another score and take a 4-2 lead. An escape to start the second and another takedown extended Hoosier’s lead to 7-2. However, Van Ness fell back, got away in second and started the third to pull within 7–4. After a stall his point against Lukes, Van Ness scored a takedown on the edge of the mat and scored two back his points with 1:24 remaining he moved ahead 9-7 . Nittany his lions finished the game at the top, going 10-7 to reach the semifinals and added his points on time to become an All-American for the first time.
Up next: Van Ness will take on No. 1 seed and three-time national champion Yiani Diakomihalis. in the semi-finals.
Levi Haynes – £157
A true freshman and second seed, Haynes ran into trouble early on against Virginia Tech’s No. 7 Bryce Andonian. Andonian countered Haynes’ shot for a takedown and nearly pinned Nittany Lion before adding four near-fall points. Haynes escaped, but Andonian took him to a 6-1 lead going into the second round. Haynes regrouped midway through and ran away before tackling the takedown. After cutting Andonian loose, Haynes came back with another takedown to pull off the top period 7-6. Andonian ran away to start the third, but Haynes relentlessly lifted Hawkeye off the mat and knocked him down, making it an 8-8 tie. He put his shoulders on the mat of the pin, became an All-American, and reached the semifinals for the first time.
Up next: Haynes will face No. 3 seed Peyton Robb (Nebraska) in the semifinals for a rematch of the Big Ten Title bout that Haines won in a surprise victory.
Carter Starossi – 174 pounds
Top-seeded and undefeated Starocci continued his methodical run through the bracket against Minnesota’s No. 8 Bailey O’Reilly. Staroch converted several low singles into takedowns after the first period to give him a 4-1 lead, then added an escape in the second period to move him forward 5-1. O’Reilly escaped in his third, but it was all he could manage. Starossi won his 5–2 decision victory, his 50th consecutive win, earning his third U.S. Championship honors and going on to win his third domestic title.
What’s next: Starossi will face fourth-seeded Chris Foca (Cornell) in the semifinals.. Starocci has won the last two conferences in 2020 and 2021 by decision.
Aaron Brooks – 184 pounds
In another Big Ten title match rematch, top seed Brooks faced No. 8 seed Cale Bromelo of Ohio and once again dominated the majority of the match. After a scoreless first game, Brooks ran away to start the second, aggressively chasing Romero and scoring a late takedown with a 3–0 lead heading into the final period. He started the third, but was hit with a stall call as he tried to stay away from Brooks’ aggressive attack. The 4-1 decision made Brooks his four-time All-American and will go for his third national title.
Next step: Brooks faces a familiar foe in the semifinals when he faces No. 2 seed and Mifflin County native Trent Hydrley of North Carolina. Brooks is 2-0 against Hidley, with the win coming in his 2021 NCAA title match and his 2022 national semifinals.
Max Dean – £197
After losing in Round 16 on Thursday night, the No. 9 seed Dean battled in the Consolation Bracket on Friday. Dean, who was aiming to become a four-time All-American, used two takedowns, escapes, and riding time points to make a 6-0 decision against Ohio State’s No. 26 Gavin Hoffman. Did. In his next game, Dean fell behind early against Oregon No. 18 Tanner Harvey, who scored the first takedown of the match. I responded by reversing. Dean escaped before the first period to tie it 4-4. From there Nittany Lion took control. Dean got away to start the second and used a low single for a takedown to advance 7-4. He built up his one-plus-minute riding time, started third, and added his one more takedown for a 10-5 decision after Harvey’s escape.
What’s next: Dean faces 11th seed Jackson Smith (Md.) in the next round, but could still move up to No. 3.
Greg Kirkriet – £285.
No. 2 seed Kirkfleet and Wisconsin’s No. 11 seed Trent Hilger were scoreless after the first period of their quarterfinal game. Kerkvliet quickly escaped to start the second, connecting with a late takedown to lead 3–0 going into the final period. Hillger chose down to start his third and Kerkvliet maintained control to survive the period. At Riding Time Point, Kerkvliet made a 4-0 decision to become an All-American for the third time and advance to the semi-finals.
Up next: Kerkfleet will face Air Force No. 2 seed Wyatt Hendrickson in the semifinals..
