Here’s a look at how we think Penn State wrestlers will fare at Big Ten Championships
Editor’s note: Story based on Big Ten preseeds
Penn State wrestling will travel to Nebraska in search of its first conference team title since 2019 when it participates in the 2022 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. The Nittany Lions will have an opportunity to qualify all 10 wrestlers for the 2022 NCAA Wrestling Championships, with multiple on the bubble heading into the weekend.
They’ll also have plenty of participants in title matches with the upside to have eight wrestlers make the finals.
Let’s take a look at how we think the weekend will go for the 10 Nittany Lions participating.
Drew Hildebrandt, 125 pounds, No. 2 seed
Cobler: Hildebrandt has done nothing but win for the Nittany Lions since joining the squad as a graduate transfer at the beginning of the new year. OK, he lost one match to the No. 1 seed in Michigan’s Nick Suriano, but it was only a 2-1 defeat. Some might have wondered how Hildebrandt would handle the Big Ten competition after competing in the Mid-American Conference for Central Michigan. It’s safe to say he’s handled it well. He’s brought a sense of peace and filled a void that Penn State had entering the season. Look for Hildebrandt to make the finals in his only Big Ten Championships but ultimately fall to Suriano.
Predicted finish: 2nd
Sauber: The senior grad transfer from Central Michigan has done as well as anyone could have expected since taking the mat for Penn State in early January. Hildebrandt has dispatched of all but one 125-pounder he’s faced, top-ranked Nick Suriano, and has put himself in position to be a major contributor for the Nittany Lions as they fight to win the Big Ten title this weekend. He shouldn’t run into many, if any, issues on his way to the finals at 125 pounds where he should see a rematch with Suriano. It’s tempting to pick the upset, given how well the Nittany Lions tend to fare in the postseason, but the safe bet is a second place finish to the Wolverine and an easy qualification for NCAAs.
Predicted finish: 2nd
Roman Bravo-Young, 133 pounds, No. 1 seed
Cobler: Ever since RBY lost in the Big Ten finals on March 7, 2020, to then Northwestern wrestler Sebastian Rivera, he’s taken things to a whole new level. The defeat in those finals was also the last loss he has suffered in his Nittany Lions’ career. All of last season and into this year, RBY has looked unbeatable. He mentioned that he worked on his defensive wrestling. It showed this year as he was taken down just once as compared to the 81 takedowns he had to lead Penn State.
Predicted finish: Champion
Sauber: RBY is the favorite in the conference and in the country at 133 pounds for good reason. He’s in position to earn both titles and may even have the same foe in both title bouts. Iowa’s Austin DeSanto is the No. 2 seed behind Bravo-Young and should present the most difficult matchup for the veteran Nittany Lion. DeSanto is an unorthodox wrestler who will attack from all angles, frequently putting himself at risk to do so. He hasn’t found success against RBY of late and there’s no reason to believe that will change this weekend.
Predicted finish: Champion
Nick Lee, 141 pounds, No. 1 seed
Cobler: It’s hard to believe, but Lee has never won a Big Ten title. It’s the same fate that former Nittany Lions great Vincenzo Joseph encountered. Things worked out well for Joseph as he claimed two NCAA titles and made three NCAA finals. The same can be said for Lee. Even though he hasn’t won a conference title, Lee was able to secure his first NCAA title last season and looked like he was on his way to another in 2020, when the championships got canceled. During the Big Ten part of Penn State’s season, Lee had only two bouts that he didn’t score bonus points in. The one came against the No. 2 seed in Iowa’s Jaydin Eierman. Look for these two to meet up for a third time with a title on the line; the record is 1-1 with Lee winning the most important one — NCAA crown.
Predicted finish: Champion
Sauber: It seems like we’re destined for another matchup between Lee and Jaydin Eierman of Iowa. They’re the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, respectively and faced off for the Big Ten title and NCAA title last season, splitting the bouts. This year it was Lee who had the advantage over the Hawkeye veteran and that should be the case again Sunday if they meet. Lee has been on a roll this year and is the favorite to take home the first Big Ten title of his career. If Eierman drops a bout before the two can meet again, Lee could still have a difficult matchup with Sebastian Rivera of Rutgers. Regardless of who he faces, Lee is the smart pick to take home the title.
Predicted finish: Champion
Beau Bartlett, 149 pounds, No. 7 seed
Cobler: Bartlett has had a roller coaster ride of a season. He started the season out on fire winning his first four matches, but suffered a loss to Lehigh’s Manzona Bryant, who was unranked at the time. Bartlett got to see how he stacked up against the No. 1 wrestler in the country in Cornell’s Yianni Diakomihalis, which was well for the most part in an 11-3 major decision loss. Bartlett had a rough final two weeks in the Big Ten part of the season suffering three straight losses to wrestlers ranked in the top-10 of the country in Iowa’s Max Murin (No. 10 at time), Ohio State’s Sammy Sasso (No. 2, which Bartlett nearly beat) and Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett (No. 8). Bartlett’s seed is the last automatic spot the Big Ten has for the NCAA Championships, so he needs to wrestle to his seed to guarantee himself a spot.
Predicted finish: 5th
Sauber: Bartlett is the first wrestler on the bubble for Penn State. The Big Ten has seven allocation spots for the NCAA Wrestling Championships at 149 pounds, putting the Nittany Lion right on the edge of qualification. That means earning his way in by finishing seventh or better this weekend. He’ll be at a disadvantage in his second bout, assuming he wins his first, taking on Wisconsin’s Austin Gomez. Gomez should earn the victory, putting Bartlett in a spot where he has to wrestle back to qualify. Things could get dicey for the Nittany Lion, but he should be able to make his way into NCAAs.
Predicted finish: 6th
Brady Berge, 157 pounds, No. 10 seed
Cobler: Berge made quite the interesting return to Penn State after medically retiring from the sport following the NCAA Championships last season. The two-time NCAA qualifier rejoined his former team, leaving his post as an assistant coach for South Dakota State. Berge wrestled his first several matches at 165 pounds, with his last coming in a 10-2 major decision loss to the No. 2 seed at 165 pounds in Iowa’s Alex Marinelli. Then, Berge went missing and coach Cael Sanderson may have spilled the beans early that the super senior was trying to get down to his weight from last year — 157 pounds. Berge made a return to the lineup in the Nittany Lions’ final dual of the season at 157 pounds, and got two matches — one in the dual and an extra match. He needs to get at least three matches here in the Big Ten Championships to be eligible for a spot in the NCAA Championships at this weight. Now, the Big Ten has seven automatic bids, so Berge just has to be better than three other wrestlers for an automatic spot. He is definitely better than the three other wrestlers ahead of him currently.
Predicted finish: 2nd
Sauber: No wrestler is more likely to outperform his seed for Penn State than Berge. The 157-pounder came out of retirement to rejoin his former team in January and filled the hole at 165 pounds for the Lions before dropping to 157 recently. He’s underseeded compared to his talent and ability level and should be able to drastically outperform his No. 10 spot. In fact, he’ll have a good shot of upsetting No. 2 seed Kaleb Young of Iowa in the quarterfinals if he can get there. No matter what happens in that match, Berge should be able to earn a spot with relative ease at NCAAs, with his chances at a title limited thanks to Northwestern’s Ryan Deakin being head and shoulders above the field at the class.
Predicted finish: 4th
Creighton Edsell, 165 pounds, No. 10 seed
Cobler: Edsell gets a taste of his first postseason action for the Nittany Lions. He’ll have some work to do if he plans to keep it alive, and get into the NCAA Championships too. The Big Ten only has seven automatic spots set for the NCAA Championships at this weight. Edsell was the team’s starter at the beginning of the year and won his first five bouts of the year. When the Nittany Lions hit the Collegiate Duals near the end of December, Edsell suffered three straight losses. He started the second half of the season until Berge made his return. However, when Berge went out of the lineup after the Iowa dual, Edsell regained his starting role. Look for Edsell to open the Big Ten Championships with a win, but he will quickly get sent to the consolation bracket when he faces Marinelli.
Predicted finish: DNP
Sauber: Edsell is the second wrestler whose chances at reaching NCAAs are up in the air. He’ll have to wrestle above his No. 10 seed to make it and has a tough path. He’s unlikely to make it beyond Iowa’s Alex Marinelli in the quarterfinals — if he makes it there — but could have a chance to work his way through the consolation bracket assuming he falls to Marinelli. It would take a few things to go his way for Edsell to qualify, but he’ll at least have the opportunity. It may be the smart bet to say he won’t make it, but weird things always happen in the postseason. He gets in by the skin of his teeth and gives the Nittany Lions 10 qualifiers.
Predicted finish: 7th
Carter Starocci, 174 pounds, No. 1 seed
Cobler: Starocci made last season’s Big Ten finals as a redshirt freshman and lost to Iowa’s Michael Kemerer, which was Starocci’s last loss. However, he got his revenge as he topped Kemerer in the NCAA finals two weeks later. This year, Starocci seems so focused on defending his NCAA crown, but he first has to get there. He shouldn’t have any problems. However, he’s going to get to see Kemerer in the Big Ten semifinals, should they both get to that point. Look for Starocci to move on and face the hometown kid in Nebraska’s Mikey Labriola in a battle of former PA wrestlers from cathedral schools — Starocci, Erie Prep, and Labriola, Bethlehem Catholic.
Predicted finish: Champion
Sauber: The real title match at 174 pounds might take place in the semifinals. That’s when Starocci would face off against No. 4 seed Michael Kemerer of Iowa — the last wrestler to defeat the Nittany Lion. Kemerer has battled injuries all season but is still plenty good enough to knock off the reigning NCAA champion. Assuming Starocci can do what he did earlier this season and at NCAAs last season, the title bout won’t be a walk over. He’ll likely have to defeat Logan Massa of Michigan or Mikey Labriola of Nebraska, both of whom are high-level wrestlers. That being said, Starocci is the favorite for a reason and should win the Big Ten title.
Predicted finish: Champion
Aaron Brooks, 184 pounds, No. 1 seed
Cobler: The two-time Big Ten champion is in a class of his own. Of his 14 wins this season, Brooks has 10 of them over ranked foes. Of those 10 wins, five of them were against wrestlers ranked in the top 10 at the time they squared off. Brooks has already beaten the No. 2 seed and No. 2 ranked wrestler in the country in Michigan’s Myles Amine this season — 3-1 in a Jan. 21 dual. Brooks will more than likely get Nebraska’s Taylor Venz, who gave Brooks his last collegiate loss in January of 2020, in the semifinals. Look for Brooks and Amine to square off for the title, with Brooks claiming his third crown.
Predicted finish: Champion
Sauber: There’s not a ton to say here. Brooks is the best 184-pounder in the country and has been for a while now. His best competition should come from within the conference from No. 2 seed Myles Amine of Michigan, but even he couldn’t defeat Brooks when they faced off earlier this season. The Nittany Lion is well on his way to another Big Ten title — potentially his third — and another NCAA title after he easily qualifies.
Predicted finish: Champion
Max Dean, 197 pounds, No. 2 seed
Cobler: Like Hildebrandt, Dean will get his first taste of a Big Ten postseason as he competed in the EIWA Championships with Cornell, but that was two years ago now. However, Dean is no stranger to the postseason and the NCAA Championships. He is a two-time All-American, and finished as a runner up in 2019, losing to Northern Iowa’s Drew Foster. After not getting a chance to wrestle last season, since the Ivy League canceled all winter sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one would have to think that Dean is itching for postseason wrestling again. Dean has just one loss this season and it came to Michigan State’s Cam Caffey, who Dean may end up seeing in the semifinals should they each make it there. Caffey is the No. 3 seed as the host Cornhuskers have Eric Schultz at the top.
Predicted finish: Champion
Sauber: Dean will be making his Nittany Lion postseason debut this weekend and will have a chance to put on a show and prove why he chose the program after leaving Cornell. He’s only the No. 2 seed but could easily be considered the best wrestler in the weight class in the country. His only defeat should be avenged in the semifinals when he could take on Cameron Caffey from Michigan State. Dean has been an important addition for the Nittany Lions this year and should pay off his decision with a Big Ten title in his first season at Penn State.
Predicted finish: Champion
Greg Kerkvliet, 285 pounds, No. 3 seed
Cobler: Fans and media alike were wondering how this weight class would get seeded behind Minnesota’s Gable Steveson, who was the unanimous No. 1 seed. This was because Kerkvliet beat Michigan’s Mason Parris, but lost to Iowa’s Tony Cassioppi, and Parris and Cassioppi didn’t square of this season. When the seeding came out, it was in Kerkvliet’s favor as he won’t be on the same side of the bracket as Steveson. Kerkvliet, who finished seventh in the NCAA Championships last year with only two weeks under his belt, has a whole season now and showed what he’s capable of, by beating Parris near the end of January. He needs to figure out Cassioppi though in order to make the Big Ten finals. However, it still doesn’t matter as everyone is just competing for second as Steveson’s kryptonite in former Nittany Lions wrestler Anthony Cassar has been gone for two years.
Predicted finish: 2nd
Sauber: Kerkvliet’s performance this weekend will be of added importance for Penn State. While he should easily qualify for NCAAs, he’ll need to do whatever it takes to be the No. 2 or No. 3 seed in order to avoid Minnesota’s Gable Steveson, like he did for this coming weekend. The simplest way to do that will be by winning his way to the finals where he would almost assuredly lose to the Minnesota heavyweight. Anything short of that and things could get complicated for the Nittany Lion. He’ll be aiming to make it to the finals, but will need to overcome Tony Cassioppi of Iowa — who he lost to this season. Cassioppi has the slight edge, but the bout could go either way if it comes to fruition.
Predicted finish: 3rd
Team prediction
Cobler: Penn State hasn’t won a Big Ten team tournament title since 2019. It finished as runner-up last year to Iowa. However, the Hawkeyes don’t have nearly the fire power back to try to defend their crown. With five champions as part of eight finalists, it will be plenty of points for the Nittany Lions to reclaim the throne. It would also mark the first time Penn State would have five conference champions in the same tournament under Sanderson.
Predicted finish: Champions
Sauber: I’ve got Penn State winning the Big Ten title on the back of all 10 wrestlers placing, including five champions with six finalists. It’s hard to rule out an upset possibility among the five, but Penn State is so good in the postseason that the program has earned the benefit of the doubt under Sanderson. It’s possible the team doesn’t get all 10 wrestlers to NCAAs, but even if they don’t, winning half the titles should be enough to clinch the conference title with strong finishes elsewhere at 125 pounds and heavyweight.
Predicted finish: Champions
Big Ten Championships
When: Saturday — First session (first round, quarterfinals, consolation first round), 11 a.m.; second session (consolation second round, semifinals, consolation quarterfinals), 8:30 p.m.; Sunday — First session (consolation semifinals, 7th-9th-11th place matches), noon; second session (finals, consolation finals, 5th place matches), 4:30 p.m.
Where: Pinnacle Bank Arena, Lincoln, Neb.
Online: Radio, Lionvision at GoPSUsports.com; TV, Big Ten Network; Streaming, Big Ten+ (paid subscription)
Brackets: Big Ten
Twitter: @byncobler, @pennstatewrest
This story was originally published March 3, 2022 at 12:04 PM.
