No.1 Penn State wrestling (15-0, Big Ten 7-0) wiped the floor with No. 8 Ohio State (6-3, Big Ten 2-3) in the annual Bryce Jordan Center dual Friday night.

The first half of the lineup was the key to success in another huge Big Ten win, this time 32-7. By giving up only three team points in the first half, Penn State was able to lock down the win with two pins and multiple sudden victory wins.

How It Happened

At 125 pounds, No. 6 Drew Hildebrandt took on No. 10 Malik Heinselman. The first period brought no points, but Hildebrandt opened up the second with a quick escape. An extra point of riding time gave Hildebrandt the 2-0 win. Penn State opened the dual with a 3-0 lead.

Next to the mat at 133 pounds was No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young against Dylan Koontz. Bravo-Young came out firing with three takedowns in the first three minutes. Two escapes from Koontz made the score 6-2. Another two takedowns and an escape gave Bravo-Young an even bigger lead at 11-3 after two periods. Bravo-Young’s quick moves were able to pin Koontz at the top of the third and secure the win for Bravo-Young.

The third bout of the night brought No. 1 Nick Lee and No. 20 Dylan D’Emilio. Lee struck first in the first period with two takedowns and showed no signs of slowing down. With multiple takedowns, escapes, and over three minutes of riding time, Lee secured the major decision win 13-3, putting Penn State up 13-0.

Sophomore No. 18 Beau Bartlett and Pennsylvania native No. 2 Sammy Sasso of Ohio State were next at 149 pounds. Despite the tough matchup, no points were scored in the first period. Bartlett was able to hold on, only allowing a single escape point through two. A takedown for Bartlett and an escape for Sasso even the score at two in the third. Sasso got the takedown late in the third and earned the 4-2 decision.

The 157-pound bout saw Terrell Barraclough and Issac Wilcox. Barraclough earned the first point from an escape early in the second and kept a 1-0 lead to the end of the period. Wilcox fought back with a takedown and Brarlcough got a second escape to tie the score 2-2. This meant sudden victory, and it brought a huge takedown for Barraclough. He won the bout 4-2, extending Penn State’s lead 16-3 heading into intermission.

The second half started with Creighton Edsell and Kevon Freeman at 165 pounds. The score was tied at 0 through two periods, eventually heading into sudden victory. Edsell was able to secure the takedown and take home the 2-0 decision win.

Stepping in for Carter Starrochi, Mason Manville went against Ethan Smith for the 174-pound bout. A tough first period gave Smith the 8-3 lead, and Manville never had the chance to recover. Smith took the major decision to win 15-5 with over five minutes of riding time.

Later, 184 pounds saw No. 1 Aaron Brooks face Rocky Jordan. Brooks remained dominant through the first with a takedown. Within the first minute of the second, Brooks got the pin and the win for Penn State. The Nittany Lions kept their lead 25-7.

No. 1 Max Dean was next against No. 21 Gavin Hoffman at 197 pounds. Once again, the first period saw no score for either side. Hoffman was the first to break through with an escape at the end of the second period, but Dean answered back with a takedown in the third. In the last ten seconds of the third, the Ohio State coaching staff challenged a reversal and earned the call An extra point from riding time made the score 3-3 and led to sudden victory. Dean again got the takedown and walked away with the decision to win.

The final match of the night brought out No. 5 Greg Kerkvliet and No. 13 Tate Orndoff at heavyweight. Kerkvliet started off with a takedown and an escape. The Penn State sophomore finished strong for the Nittany Lions with two minutes of riding time, barreling his way to a 10-2 major.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will take on No. 12 Nebraska at noon on Sunday, February 6, to wrap up their regular-season dual schedule.