Who could step on the mat for Penn State wrestling this season? Here’s what to know
The only thing that’s certain about Penn State wrestling’s 2020-21 season is that nothing’s certain.
It’s Jan. 25, and the Nittany Lions have yet to take the mat.
After Penn State’s planned Jan. 16 season debut against Rutgers was postponed due to positive COVID-19 cases among the Nittany Lions’ ranks, the blue-and-white had its dual against Michigan State on Sunday postponed out of an “abundance of caution.”
While coach Cael Sanderson and returning All-Americans Roman Bravo-Young and Aaron Brooks have all said they’re excited for their team’s potential this season, it’s hard to know exactly who will take the mat. But between guys missing competition due to COVID and the addition this year of exhibition matches, it’s a good bet that fans will see a lot of different Nittany Lions in action this season, many of whom will be making their debuts in the blue-and-white singlet.
The next chance for the Nittany Lions to compete is Jan. 30, in a scheduled tri-meet with Northwestern and Indiana. Their competition the following week — a tri-meet with Michigan and Wisconsin — could be in jeopardy after the University of Michigan announced Saturday that it is pausing athletic competition for two weeks after an athlete tested positive for a faster-spreading COVID-19 variant. Michigan has the Feb. 7 meet marked as postponed on its website.
Penn State had listed 18 different wrestlers in its potential lineup for the now-postponed dual against the Spartans. There’s a good chance those same 18 wrestlers will be listed whenever Penn State finally does get to take the mat.
Here’s a look at what to expect from each weight:
125 pounds
It seems like this weight class has been cursed ever since Nico Megaludis graduated in 2016.
When it comes to options this year, Penn State has several athletes listed in Penns Valley graduate Baylor Shunk, last year’s starter in Brandon Meredith and true freshmen Robbie Howard and Marco Vespa.
Howard and Shunk are both listed at 125, while Meredith and Vespa are at 125/133 pounds.
Shunk was a two-time PIAA place winner and three-time qualifier. He finished his Rams’ career with 132 wins, which is tied for the program record.
Shunk posted a 12-9 record in the open tournaments he competed in last year as a redshirt freshman.
Amid the uncertainty of this season, Shunk could have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of other local wrestlers who had success at Penn State, like Bald Eagle Area’s Quentin Wright and Jon Gingrich.
However, Howard will have plenty to say about that and won’t give up the starting spot easily. The true freshman had a decorated high school career.
The New Jersey native is a two-time state champion and reached the finals all four years of high school. He finished with a career mark of 133-10 at Bergen Catholic.
Howard is also a three-time Cadet World Team member, and was part of the 2018 Youth Olympic team, which he won a gold medal.
It’ll be interesting to see who represents the Nittany Lions at this weight in the postseason.
133 Pounds
There isn’t a lot to discuss when it comes to this weight class.
Two-time All-American Roman Bravo-Young is back for his junior season as one of the few veterans in Penn State’s projected lineup. He’s joined at 133 on the roster by Meredith, Vespa and true freshman David Evans.
While Bravo-Young is the clear starter here, it’s likely Penn State will want to get at least one of the other three wrestlers exhibition matches to make them eligible for a wild card in case something happens and Bravo-Young isn’t available for the postseason.
Meredith was Penn State’s 125 pound starter last season and went 13-16. One of his most exciting matches was his Rec Hall debut, in which Meredith topped then-No. 10 Michael Colaicco of Penn 8-5. He ended his season on a high note, as well, with a 3-2 upset-win in the first round of the Big Ten tournament over then No. 11 Patrick McKee of Minnesota, before losing in the next round.
Vespa joins the Nittany Lions as a three-time New York state place winner. He finished his high school career with 200-plus wins and 100-plus pins.
Evans is an in-state product for Penn State. The freshman is coming off a fourth-place finish in the PIAA Championships for Tunkhannock High School. Evans finished as a two-time PIAA qualifier, had a 137-20 record and won three District 2 titles and two regional titles.
141 Pounds
This weight and 149 pounds are the deepest weights that the Nittany Lions have on the roster.
There are six wrestlers listed at 141 pounds, with starter Nick Lee back for what may be his last chance to win a NCAA title. Others listed at the weight include Evans, Beau Bartlett, Joey Blumer, Imran Heard and Scott Obendorfer.
Lee is much in the same situation as Bravo-Young. If he gets the minimum four matches to be postseason eligible, he’ll get the nod for Penn State at the weight.
With Lee expected to start at 141, true freshman Bartlett could bump up to 149, where he could make an immediate impact. Bartlett, who is an Arizona native, wrestled his high school career at national powerhouse Wyoming Seminary in Pennsylvania.
The true freshman had a 177-8 record and became just the 12th four-time National Prep Champion. Bartlett competed in the U.S. Open, which is one of the top senior-level freestyle events, as a high school athlete and finished eighth.
In 2018, Bartlett claimed a Pan-Am championship in Guatemala City.
Blumer and Obendorfer each competed for the Nittany Lions in open tournaments last season. Heard is a transfer from Lock Haven, who was born in Pittsburgh but wrestled at Maryland’s St. Paul’s School for Boys. Heard is just a redshirt sophomore and went 6-16 as a redshirt freshman for the Bald Eagles.
149 Pounds
This weight class is probably the most uncertain for Penn State. As previously mentioned, this weight is full of wrestlers, with 10 total listed at 149.
Junior Jarod Verkleeren held down the weight for most of last season, but the starting spot is far from guaranteed. He’ll have Bartlett pushing to take over the spot as a true freshman, as well as veterans Luke Gardner and Bo Pipher. Redshirt freshman Terrell Barraclough could also be a threat, having earned an impressive 15-9 decision over Lock Haven All-American Kyle Shoop during the NLWC’s October event.
“It’s good to have good competition in the room,” Sanderson said earlier this month. “At 149, we have a handful of guys filtering to that weight class because of some of the monsters we have around that weight class. Obviously we have Verk, he was continuing to improve last season, Jarod Verkleeren, but there’s other guys looking to challenge him there like Pipher and Gardner and Terrell Barraclough. So we have some sorting to do as a program as we get gong here, and things will work themselves out once we start competing.”
Also listed at this weight are Obendorfer (141/149), Heard (141/149), Blumer (141/149), Paul Feite (149) and Matt Lee (149/157).
Matt Lee is the youngest brother of Nick Lee. If he could crack the lineup this season at either weight, the Nittany Lions could have a trio of brothers competing, with middle brother Joe Lee poised to make his case at 165 pounds.
Verkleeren, however, is no stranger to lineup battles, having gone back and forth with Brady Berge his freshman year, and battling off Gardner last season.
157 Pounds
The good news here is that Berge is expected to be back after the aftermath of a head injury kept him sidelined for most of last season.
“Berge’s back and looking good, looking healthy,” Sanderson said earlier this month. “That was something that we, obviously, less than a year ago, weren’t sure if we’d see him back. But he’s a tough kid and loves to compete.”
When healthy, Berge went 20-5 as a freshman and qualified for NCAAs. He then qualified for the U23 World Championships that summer, where he sustained his injury.
Pipher held down 157 last season when Berge was unable to compete, putting together a 9-13 record. As long as Berge’s healthy, he should be able to take back the starting spot.
Also listed at 157 pounds are true freshmen Matt Lee, Austin Boone and Aurelius Dunbar. It’s unlikely that any of the three would make the starting lineup this season if it were a normal year, but with the potential for injuries and positive COVID tests, and with not having to worry about burning eligibility, anything is possible.
Matt Lee comes to the Nittany Lions after graduating high school early last year, and coming to State College to train with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. He is a three-time Indiana state finalist, winning just one title.
Boone comes to Penn State from Michigan, where he won four individual and team state titles with Lowell High School.
165 pounds
It’s been awhile since there’s been any question marks at 165 pounds for Penn State. But now that three-time NCAA finalist and two-time national champ Vincenzo Joseph has graduated, the Nittany Lions will be looking for a new answer for the weight class.
Fortunately for the Nittany Lions, they have a couple good options. The most likely candidates to break into the starting lineup this season are redshirt freshman Joe Lee (165 pounds) and sophomore Mason Manville (165/174).
Manville already has a few starts under his belt, when, during the 2018-19 season, he filled in first for Joseph at 165 for one match, then bumped up to 185 to replace an injured Shakur Rasheed. During that stretch, Manville went 0-5, facing five ranked wrestlers, four of which were in the top 10, including No. 1 185-pounder Myles Martin, of Ohio State. Stepping up during that stretch showed the Blair Academy alum’s guts. He then took an Olympic redshirt the following season.
Lee might technically be a freshman, but he’s no stranger to the Nittany Lions’ program. Lee, like his older brother Nick, decided to forego his senior season at Mater Dei High School in Indiana, and finish high school remotely while training with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club in State College. He then took a “gray shirt” year in 2018-19, and redshirted last season.
While Lee has yet to wrestle a dual for Penn State, he’s competed unattached in tournaments, going 14-2, including a fifth-place finish at last year’s Southern Scuffle. During the offseason this fall, Lee has given Penn State fans plenty of reasons to be excited with impressive NLWC performances. He earned a tech fall of North Carolina State’s Tyler Barnes in 3:54 and a pin in 21 seconds of Bucknell junior Zach Hartman.
Also listed on Penn State’s official roster at 165 pounds are freshman Dunbar (157/165), sophomore Konner Kraeszig (165) and sophomore Creighton Edsell (165/174). Edsell and Kraeszig both made their dual debuts in last season’s injury-plagued lineup. Edsell bumped up to 184 pounds, where went 13-5 overall, including 3-0 in dual meets and 2-0 against Big Ten competition. The highlight of Kraeszig’s career so far was his performance last season at the Black Knight Invitational, where he, filling in for Joseph, went 3-1 with two major decisions on his way to a third-place finish.
Because of the NCAA’s decision to not have this season count toward eligibility, true freshman Dunbar could also see some matches, whether he gets a chance at the starting lineup or in exhibition. The three-time Pennsylvania state finalist out of Mercersburg Academy could add a jolt of energy in the wrestling room as he pushes for those opportunities.
174 pounds
Just like at 165, Penn State will be looking for a new answer, someone to help carry the “new wave,” as Sanderson has put it, at 174 pounds following the loss of a three-time NCAA finalist in Mark Hall.
Although he’s just a freshman, Carter Starocci has already given reason to believe that he can fill into Hall’s shoes. Hall, himself, has repeatedly spoken highly of the Erie Cathedral Prep alum.
“He’s been competing hard; he’s hard to wrestle with,” Hall said in 2019. “I know whenever I go with him, I’m going to have a good day. ‘Cuz days we’re drilling, I’m going live with him anyway because we’re both stubborn and don’t want to give up things. He’s been impressive.”
And, just like Hall, Starocci ran through the Southern Scuffle bracket last season to be crowned the 174-pound champ as a true freshman. He’s continued to impress this fall, earning a first-period pin of Minnesota senior Devin Skatzka and a technical fall of North Carolina State senior Daniel Bullard in NLWC competition.
While Starocci appears to be the obvious long-term solution at this weight class, it wouldn’t be entirely surprising for Manville or Edsell to find their ways into the lineup at times during this unique season, particularly in exhibition matches, to make sure they’re ready if needed to anchor down the weight.
184 pounds
At 184 pounds, Penn State’s choice is pretty obvious. Sophomore Aaron Brooks came out of redshirt last season and made an immediate impact.
As a true freshman, Brooks put together a 15-1 record and won a Big Ten title. He was all set to make a run at the national title before the season’s abrupt end. But, as Sanderson has pointed out, he’ll have a “free year” to try for that again this March, as he maintains freshman eligibility.
“I wouldn’t say there’s an extra motivation, thankfully I’m always motivated, but I’m grateful for it,” Brooks said about getting an extra year. “One of my goals has always been to be a four-time NCAA champ. So whenever that all went down last year, it left me with three more chances to do that, until this year. ... I’m just super grateful that I can go out there and still strive to be the best I can be and get another year to compete and reach my goals.”
With having yet to wrestle a match this season, Brooks is ranked third at 184 pounds by InterMat, behind Michigan senior Myles Amine and Virginia Tech’s Hunter Bolen. Brooks will have to wait to see how he matches up with Amine, who often gave Hall trouble at 174, as Penn State’s match with the Wolverines, which was originally scheduled for Feb. 7, is postponed.
Also listed at 184 pounds on Penn State’s roster are Donovan Ball (184), Eddie Smith (184/197), Austin Hoopes (184/197) and Levko Higgins (184/197).
197 pounds
Penn State has yet another freshman penciled in to start at this weight class. But much like Joe Lee and Brooks, Michael Beard isn’t your typical freshman. Like those two, and heavyweight Seth Nevills, Beard took a gap year between graduating from high school and enrolling at Penn State, and he used that year to train with the NLWC.
Beard redshirted last season, amassing a 13-3 record, including a fourth-place finish at the Southern Scuffle. With this season not counting toward eligibility, yes, Beard could yet again be a “freshman” next season.
With that experience, Beard should be poised to take over this weight class this season.
While he has yet to wrestle a match this year, he’s ranked No. 13 by InterMat at 197 pounds. He would have had a good opportunity to test himself against one of the Big Ten’s top contenders at the weight in No. 7 Cameron Caffey, had Penn State gotten to wrestle Michigan State as scheduled. However, he could have another chance next week when Penn State is scheduled for a tri-meet with Indiana and Northwestern. The Wildcats’ No. 11 Lucas Davidson will be a good early-season test for the freshman.
Also listed at 197 on Penn State’s roster are Smith (184/197), Hoopes (184/197), Higgins (184/197), Joe Kurtz (197) and Keagan Carmenatty (197/285).
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is another weight class where Penn State will be looking to replace a national champ, after Anthony Cassar won the most recent NCAA title in 2019.
Nevills stepped in for Cassar last year as a freshman after the senior’s season-ending injury in January, putting together a 13-4 record before sustaining a leg injury in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.
Redshirt freshman Greg Kerkvliet, who transferred last season from Ohio State, brings a lot of promise to the weight class for Penn State. However, Sanderson was noncommittal when asked last week whether the four-time Minnesota state champ would be in the lineup for the Michigan State dual.
“We’re not sure whether we’ll see him this weekend or not or when we’ll see anybody, I’m not going to really talk about individuals,” Sanderson said Tuesday. “But Greg’s a competitor, he’s a great kid, he loves the sport, he loves to learn, obviously, if you’ve watched him compete or watched any of the matches we’ve had these past four months. So we’re excited about him in the near future.”
In the three NLWC events he wrestled in this fall, Kerkvliet earned a 10-0 tech fall in 2:43 of former Maryland All-American Youssif Hemida, a 10-0 tech fall in 46 seconds over two-time ACC champ Demetrius Thomas, of Pitt, and a 10-0 tech fall in 43 seconds of N.C. State junior Colin Lawler.
While most of Kerkvliet’s success has been in freestyle, he also went 8-0 wrestling folkstyle last season in open tournaments with five pins and a major.
Nevills should be good to wrestle again this season, having participated in December’s NLWC event.
Carmenatty is the only other wrestler listed at heavyweight on the Nittany Lions’ roster, although Hoopes did bump up a few times last season when needed.
This story was originally published January 24, 2021 at 3:07 PM.
