Nittany Lions Roar in Session 1 of the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships

Tulsa, Oklahoma; March 16, 2023 – The Penn State Nittany wrestling team sits at the front of the team race after the first session of the 2023 NCAA Championships. Penn State claimed eight wins, including three falls and two majors, to lead the field after the tournament’s opening round. The action continues tonight with the second session, which includes the second round in the championship round as well as the start of the consolation action.

Penn State leads the team race with 16.0 points. North Carolina state is second with 12.5, while Iowa is third with 12.0 points.

Roman Bravo Young, the No. 1 with 133, faced No. 33 of Appalachian State in the opening round. Bravo-Young quickly took down Oakley to start the match, building up drive time and then adding a second takedown to lead 4-1 after one. He added an escape and a takedown to lead 7-1 after two periods and rolled through the third period with two takedowns. He added over 4:00 driving time to make the 12-3 main decision.

Beau Bartlett, the No. 6 with 141, faced No. 27 Shannon Hanna of Campbell in the opening round. Bartlett hit fast and went 2-0 with a takedown in the opening seconds. He added a second takedown in the opening stages to lead 4-1 after one. Hanna scored the only point of the second period with an escape. Bartlett capped the win with an escape, takedown and drive time in the third period to roll into the second round with a 9-2 win.

Shayne van Ness, the No. 12 with 149 and one of three freshman qualifiers for Penn State, faced off in round one against No. 21 Maryland Ethan Miller. Van Ness gave up an early takedown, a two-point fast fall, and then another four-point turn to go back 8-0 after a period. After two thirds he managed an 8:1 deficit. Van Ness went on an offensive torrent in the third period. The Nittany Lion hit four takedowns in the first 1:30 of the stanza to nearly erase the early eight-point deficit. After his quarterfinals, Van Ness Miller worked his back, settled in briefly, and ended the comeback with a fall at the 6:26 mark.

True newbie Levi Haines, the No. 2 with 157, fought in the opening round against Ashton Eyler, No. 31, from Lock Haven. Haines scored the first takedown at the 1:35 mark and added a second takedown with just :15 left in the opening period to lead 4-1 after one. Haines added an escape and a takedown to lead 7-2 after two thirds. After an Eyler escape early in the third, Haines added a fourth takedown and nearly 2:00 drive time to roll to the 10-3 win.

Redshirt newbie Alex Facundo, the No. 13 at 165, faced Pitt’s No. 20 Holden Heller in the first round. Facundo was late in the first half with a shot at depth, but Heller was able to move out for a reset and the fight went with a 0-0 draw going into the second stanza. Heller escaped early in the third section and worked his way through a scramble to open a 3-1 lead midway through the second stanza. Facundo escaped early in the third period and cut the lead to 3-2. He nearly tripped Heller to take the lead, but Heller countered for a takedown and a 5-2 lead late in the third. Facundo escaped with 15-1 left and worked on a late takedown, but time ran out putting him in consolation action with a 5-3 loss.

Carter Starocci, the No. 1 with 174, faced No. 33 Clarion’s John Worthing in the first round. Starocci worked quickly against Worthing, defeating the Golden Eagle in the opening seconds. He controlled Worthing’s arm, flipped him onto his back and braced himself for the quick fall at the 1:21 mark to advance into the second lap.

Aaron Brooks, the No. 3 seed at 184, faced No. 30 Matthew Waddell of Chattanooga in round one. Brooks quickly defeated Waddell and added a second takedown later in the first period to lead by 1:15 in drive time after a 4-1 lead. He reversed Waddell to start the second period and extended his lead to 6-1. Brooks added a third takedown to lead 8-2 in time after the second verse at over 2:00. Brooks notched up two more takedowns and a 3:40 drive time to roll into the second round with a 13-4 major decision.

Max Dean, the No. 9 with 197, faced No. 24 Campbell-based Levi Hopkins in the opening round. Dean and Hopkins fought through an even first period with neither wrestler posing a threat. Dean quickly escaped to start the second stanza and took a 1-0 lead. He converted a brief mid-mat tussle into a takedown and a 3-0 lead with :50 in the third to lead by two points by that score. Hopkins chose neutral to start the third period, but Dean quickly put him to a 5-0 lead, improving his driving time to over 1:00 and rolling in for a 6-1 win.

Greg Kerkvliet, the No. 3 with 285 points, faced No. 30 Hayden Copass of Purdue in round one. Kerkvliet quickly ended the fight. He used a fast low single to work his way into a cradle, quickly flipped Copass onto his back and got the fall in just :34. Kerkvliet’s quick fall took him through to the second lap.

The Nittany Lions took an 8-1 lead in the first session. Penn State scored eight bonus points from three pins and two majors.

The action continues tonight at 19:00 with the second round (and the first round of consolation fights). ESPN will broadcast the evening session. The tournament will continue with sessions on Friday, March 17th at 12:00pm and 8:00pm; and 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 18 (all times Eastern). The NCAA tournament will be televised nationally on the ESPN family of networks.

The 2022-23 Penn State wrestling season is presented by the Family Clothesline. Penn State fans are encouraged to follow Penn State Wrestling on Twitter at @pennstateWREST, on the Penn State Wrestling Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.

Penn State at the 2023 NCAA Championships – Session 1

March 16, 2023 – BOK Center – Tulsa, Okla.

Team Classification (Top 3 after Session 1 from 3:40 p.m. Eastern)

1: PENN STATE – 16.0
2: State of North Carolina – 5/12
3: Iowa – 12.0

Weight-for-Weight Agate (LISTED RANKINGS ARE OFFICIAL TOURNAMENT SEEDS):

133: #1 Roman Bravo YoungSr., Tucson, Ariz./Sunnyside

Rd. 1: #33 Ethan Oakley, Appalachian State – W, 12-3 Maj. Dec.
Rd. 2: #17 Brayden Palmer, Chattanooga – tonight