[Live Blog] 2022 NCAA Wrestling Championships
The 2022 NCAA Wrestling Championships have arrived.
Six Penn State wrestlers are left competing this Saturday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, including top seeds in Roman Bravo-Young, Nick Lee, Carter Starocci, and Max Dean. Along with those four, Aaron Brooks will also compete for a national championship tonight on ESPN, while Greg Kerkvliet will also try to help the Nittany Lions secure a team title by battling for third place in session five.
Session five will kick off at 11 a.m. Saturday and will be followed by finals action at 7 p.m. Stick with us here and @OnwardStSports for updates and analysis throughout this weekend’s action.
Session Six (The Finals)
10:43 p.m. — What a weekend, folks. Thanks for following along with Onward State through Penn State wrestling’s entire season. We can’t wait to be back in Rec Hall again next winter.
We’d like to take a moment to thank our sponsors for this weekend’s coverage: Nittany Outlet, Pine Mountain Restoration, and Keck’s Collision Repair. Without their support, we wouldn’t have been able to send a team of student reporters to Detroit. Thank you!
10:30 p.m. — RAISE THAT HARDWARE, BABY!
— Onward State (@OnwardState) March 20, 2022
secured. pic.twitter.com/Au5RKHe7rF
10:26 p.m. — Gable Steveson, Minnesota’s heavyweight champ, made sure to dap up Penn State’s title-winners once all the dust settled.
Real respects real
— Onward State (@OnwardState) March 20, 2022pic.twitter.com/g3QFxUVHEU
10:09 p.m. — Nothing sweeter than victory!
Soak it all in, Max!
— Onward State (@OnwardState) March 20, 2022pic.twitter.com/5Gxlxosfq6
10 p.m. — Pure grit.
9:46 p.m. — DEAN DOES IT! He gets the 3-2 decision, and Penn State is 5-0 in individual title bouts.
9:43 p.m. — TAKEDOWN DEAN! He’s up 3-1 now with 32 seconds left to wrestle.
9:41 p.m. — Warner grabs an escape and leads 1-0 entering the third.
9:39 p.m. — Nothing doing between the Nittany Lion and the Hawkeye through one.
9:32 p.m. — The pressure is now on Max Dean to become Penn State’s fifth individual champ. He’ll take on No. 6 Jacob Warner of Iowa.
9:29 p.m. — REVENGE COMPLETE. Brooks hangs on for the 5-3 decision, and the Nittany Lions are 4-0 on the night.
9:25 p.m. — Brooks stays strong through two. He leads 2-0 and has clinched riding time with 3:09.
9:20 p.m. — Brooks has a takedown and 1:09 of riding time after one. The Nittany Lion leads 2-0.
9:13 p.m. — Don’t go anywhere…
9:11 p.m. — Starocci wins it on riding time! The Erie, Pa. native locks up the 6-5 victory to become the NCAA Champion at 174 pounds.
9:07 p.m. — Time for a tiebreaker!
9:04 p.m. — Lewis ties it at four with an escape to send it to sudden victory.
9:02 p.m. — Starocci’s takedown gives him a 4-3 lead with about a minute left to wrestle.
9:01 p.m. — Starocci’s escape ties this up at two entering the third.
8:59 p.m. — That’s ruled a takedown and Starocci trails 2-1.
8:58 p.m. — The Erie, Pa. native strikes first with an escape. We’ll now get a review for a possible Lewis takedown with 1:38 left in the second.
8:53 p.m. — Carter Starocci’s turn.
8:47 p.m. — It’s Starocci’s turn against Lewis of Virginia Tech.
Still three Nittany Lions left to wrestle, by the way
— Onward State (@OnwardState) March 20, 2022pic.twitter.com/1ZzKZHUDc3
8:37 p.m. — Now it’s the 165-pound bout between Stanford’s Shane Griffith and Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole. Carter Starocci is on deck to battle Mekhi Lewis for the 174-pound crown.
8:23 p.m. — Good vibes, to say the very least.
Quite a night in Detroit
— Onward State (@OnwardState) March 20, 2022
8:13 p.m. — Plenty of wrestling left tonight.
RBY
— Onward Sports (@OnwardStSports) March 20, 2022
Nick Lee
Carter Starocci is up next for Penn State at 174 pounds, followed by Aaron Brooks and Max Dean.
8:08 p.m. — Nick Lee took a few moments to reflect on his legendary Penn State career. The Indiana native has won his last 26 matchups as a Nittany Lion, dating all the way back to 2021.
7:50 p.m. — Lee dominates his way though the final period to earn a 10-2 decision. He wins his second consecutive NCAA title at 141 pounds!
7:48 p.m. — Fans calling for stalls now as Lee leads 7-2 entering the third period. The Nittany Lion has also clinched riding time with 3:09.
7:43 p.m. — Lee gets a 3-2 lead on a takedown of his own. We now hit a blood time with 57 seconds left in the first.
7:41 p.m. — Fast and furious out of the gates. Clarke leads 2-1 on a takedown.
7:37 p.m. — Now it’s Nick Lee’s turn to try and go back to back. He’ll take on UNC’s Kizhan Clarke in the 141-pound bout.
7:34 p.m. — RBY holds the 3-2 decision and becomes a two-time NCAA Champ at 133 pounds!
7:31 p.m. — Quick escape for Bravo-Young puts him up 3-2 early in the third.
7:30 p.m. — A couple of escapes for Fix tie it at two entering the third.
7:27 p.m. — Bravo-Young takes a 2-1 lead over Fix after one.
7:19 p.m. — Michigan’s Nick Suriano wins the 125-pound final.
RBY is next up to the mat to take on Oklahoma State’s Daton Fix.
7:07 p.m. — It’s just about that time…
6:47 p.m. — Penn State’s championship slate is as follows:
133 lbs. – No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young vs. No. 2 Daton Fix (Oklahoma State)
141 lbs. – No. 1 Nick Lee vs. No. 15 Kizhan Clarke (UNC)
174 lbs. – No. 1 Carter Starocci vs. No. 2 Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech)
184 lbs. – No. 2 Aaron Brooks vs. No. 1 Myles Amine (Michigan)
197 lbs. – No. 1 Max Dean vs. No. 6 Jacob Warner (Iowa)
6:34 p.m. — Penn State already has the team title, but there’s still plenty of hardware on the line for five wrestlers going for individual championships.
— Onward State (@OnwardState) March 19, 2022
Session Five (Read: Greg Kerkvliet’s Consolation Run, Penn State Clinches A Team Title)
2:25 p.m. — That does it for session five. Check back at 7 p.m. for coverage of championship bouts for RBY, Nick Lee, Carter Starocci, Aaron Brooks, and Max Dean.
2:22 p.m. — Heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet takes a medical forfeit in his final bout of the tournament. He’ll finish in fourth at 285 pounds.
2:10 p.m. — Penn Staters everywhere are amped about the NCAA Championship, to say the very least.
1:45 p.m. — The 174-pound consolations are still taking place, so we’ve still got a bit of time until Kerkvliet’s third-place bout against Lehigh’s Wood on mat one.
1:39 p.m. — Still plenty of dominance left to go in Detroit.
1:32 p.m. — Make that nine team titles under the direction of Cael Sanderson. Pure dominance.
1:28 p.m. — THE NITTANY LIONS HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!
THE DYNASTY CONTINUES
— Onward State (@OnwardState) March 19, 2022
1:19 p.m. — No pin for Lewan through one. He trails ASU’s Teemer 2-0.
1:13 p.m. — On to the 157-pound consolations.
Penn State fans will want to pay close attention to Will Lewan’s bout against Jacori Teemer on mat two.
12:42 p.m. — A bronze medal would go a long way to further lengthen Penn State’s huge lead in the team race.
12:35 p.m. — Don’t go anywhere, ladies and gentlemen…
12:11 p.m. — Light work for the big fella! Kerkvliet locks up a spot in the third-place final with the 6-1 decision over Michigan’s Parris.
Lehigh’s Jordan Wood now awaits Kerkvliet in the battle for Bronze.
12:07 p.m. — Make it 5-1 after two on the takedown from Kerkvliet. The Nittany Lions also had 1:05 of riding time.
12:04 p.m. — 2-1 lead for Kerkvliet after one.
12:02 p.m. — An overhead look of session five.
11:57 a.m. — A quick reminder on where things stand before the consolation bout:
The Nittany Lions are currently 27-7 overall in the tournament, and sit at first place in the team race by a wide margin:
- Penn State (108)
- Michigan (88)
- Iowa (69)
11:50 a.m. — Kerkvliet is on deck on mat four against Parris.
9:58 a.m. — Before national championship action kicks off at 7 p.m., Greg Kerkvliet will try to earn some team points for the Nittany Lions. He’ll take on Michigan’s Mason Parris in the consolation semifinal for third place.
Session Four (Semifinals)
11:07 p.m. — Despite a loss for Greg Kerkvliet to the world’s best in Gable Steveson, Penn State managed a wildly successful night at session four of the NCAA Championships.
10:52 p.m. — A valiant effort by Kerkvliet, but he’ll drop to the consolation bracket following an 8-3 defeat to Gable Steveson.
10:49 p.m. — Tied up at two entering the third, but Steveson has 1:22 of riding time.
10:46 p.m. — Kerkvliet hangs tough and trails 2-1 after one.
10:40 p.m. — Oh boy…
10:38 p.m. — Max Dean gets it done. He hangs on for the 9-3 decision over Ohio State’s Hoffman, which now makes it five national finalists for Penn State.
10:34 p.m. — Dean dominates his way though the second. He’s now up 5-0 and has 3:23 of riding time entering the third.
10:31 p.m. — Dean jumps out to a 2-0 lead with a takedown and carries 2:08 of riding time into the second.
10:20 p.m. — Max Dean is up next in the 197-pound semifinal. He’ll take on Ohio State’s Gavin Hoffman.
10:18 p.m. — Absolutely clutch. Brooks grabs the takedown in the SV period to escape with a 6-4 decision. Four semifinal bouts, four victories for Penn State.
10:16 p.m. — Hidlay earns a takedown late and Brooks responds with an escape, so it’s time for sudden victory.
10:14 p.m. — Brooks carries a 3-1 lead over Hidlay into the third period.
10:12 p.m. — Brooks jumps out to a 2-1 lead after one.
10:03 p.m. — Aaron Brooks and Trent Hidlay of NC State are up next. They’ll face off on mat four momentarily.
10 p.m. — That’ll do it! Starocci rides a 10-3 decision to advance to the finals for the second straight year!
All three of Penn State’s semifinalists so far have now punched their tickets to their respective title bouts.
9:57 p.m. — How about that! Starocci’s riding a 7-2 lead entering the third frame. He’s looking strong and carrying some good momentum into the home stretch.
9:54 p.m. — Another takedown! Starocci takes a 4-1 lead into the second period.
9:53 p.m. — There’s a takedown! Starocci’s up 2-0 with a minute to go in the first period.
9:49 p.m. — Showtime.
9:31 p.m. — Top-seeded Carter Starocci is on deck for his semifinal bout on mat three. He’ll face No. 4 Hayden Hidlay of NC State in just a short while.
9:12 p.m. — Session four has gone perfectly for the Nittany Lions up to this point.
All smiles so far
— Onward State (@OnwardState) March 19, 2022
8:50 p.m. — Penn State will get a bit of a break now before the night finishes out with Starocci, Brooks, Dean, and Kerkvliet.
8:48 p.m. — That does it! Two national finalists for Penn State. Nick Lee secures a 3-2 decision of his own over Woods of Stamford.
8:41 p.m. — Lee has a 2-1 lead after one.
8:39 p.m. — We know him!
8:31 p.m. — That’ll keep you honest.
DeSanto nearly earned the upset, but a clutch takedown late gave RBY the 3-2 decision. He’ll face Oklahoma State’s Daton Fix in the finals tomorrow.
8:28 p.m. — RBY trails 1-0 as the third period gets underway.
8:25 p.m. — No scoring for either through the first.
8:20 p.m. — RBY is ready to go. DeSanto is ready to go. Let’s do this.
8:13 p.m. — Michigan’s Nick Suriano sets himself up for a finals spot at 125 pounds, and next on mat three is RBY against Iowa’s Austin DeSanto.
8:06 p.m. — Roman Bravo-Young and Nick Lee will both have their respective semifinal bouts on mat three.
8:04 p.m. — March Matness.
7:52 p.m. — Before RBY kicks things off, the team standings are currently as follows:
- Penn State (73)
- Michigan (62.5)
- Arizona State (53)
7:44 p.m. — This is a big night. Six Nittany Lions will try to advance to championships of their respective brackets, including four top seeds. Stick with us here for updates for all of it.
Semifinals
133 lbs. – No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young vs. No. 5 Austin DeSanto (Iowa)
141 lbs. – No. 1 Nick Lee vs. No. 4 Real Woods (Stanford)
174 lbs. – No. 1 Carter Starocci vs. No. 4 Hayden Hidlay (NC State)
184 lbs. – No. 2 Aaron Brooks vs. No. 3 Trent Hidlay (NC State)
197 lbs. – No. 1 Max Dean vs. No. 21 Gavin Hoffman (Ohio State)
285 lbs. – No. 4 Greg Kerkvliet vs. No. 1 Gable Steveson (Minnesota)
Session Three (Quarterfinals & Consolation Matches)
3:03 p.m. — Check out our recap of all of the session three action here!
2:48 p.m. — That’ll do it for Brady Berge’s tournament. He falls in a 8-3 decision to Nebraska’s Robb. Check back with us at 7 p.m. for semifinal action.
2:39 p.m. — Berge faces a 4-2 deficit after one period.
2:34 p.m. — Brady Berge is up now on mat eight for his consolation bout against Peyton Robb.
2:31 p.m. — A 6-0 record in the quarterfinals is about as good as you can ask for.
All six of @pennstateWREST's quarterfinalists took care of business in session three
— Onward State (@OnwardState) March 18, 2022
1:56 p.m. — There’s still some wrestling left in session three!
Brady Berge will try to stay alive in the consolation bracket against Nebraska’s Peyton Robb later this afternoon.
1:55 p.m. — Six. Semifinalists.
Greg Kerkvliet locks down a 7-1 decision in his bout. Meanwhile, Iowa’s Tony Cassioppi fell in sudden victory to Lehigh’s Jordan Wood.
1:47 p.m. — Kerkvliet is up 4-0 at a blood time stoppage in the second period.
1:45 p.m. — 2-0 lead for Kerkvliet over the Cornhusker after one period.
1:40 p.m. — Greg Kerkvliet will attempt to keep Penn State perfect in the quarterfinals next. He’s on mat six against No. 12 Christian Lance of Nebraska.
1:37 p.m. — Dean slides by with a 4-3 decision. After a hard-fought bout, he becomes Penn State’s fifth semifinalist.
1:34 p.m. — An extensive review gives Dean a takedown late. He leads 4-2 with under a minute left to wrestle.
1:30 p.m. — Dean ties it with an escape, but Deprez holds 1:05 of riding time entering the third.
1:27 p.m. — A quick takedown by Deprez puts Dean down 2-1 after one period.
1:22 p.m. — No. 1 Max Dean will get his turn next at 197 pounds on mat five. He’ll take on Binghamton’s Lou Deprez.
1:13 p.m. — That was easy! Brooks rolls to a 13-2 major decision to become Penn State’s fourth semifinalist.
1:10 p.m. — Brooks has dominated his way to a 7-1 lead with 1:52 of riding time after two.
1:07 p.m. — Two takedowns put Brooks up 4-1 after one period.
12:59 p.m. — Aaron Brooks will try to keep the momentum rolling against Ohio State’s Kaleb Romero on mat four.
12:57 p.m. — That’s three! Starocci secures All-American status and a spot in the semifinals with the 6-1 decision over Labriola.
12:54 p.m. — Starocci racks up a 3-0 lead and 1:27 of riding time after two periods.
12:51 p.m. — Nothing doing between the Cornhusker and Nittany Lion through one.
12:45 p.m. — No. 1 Carter Starocci is up next on mat five against Mikey Labriola of Nebraska.
12:40 p.m. — Here’s where to watch the rest of the quarterfinal action.
12:35 p.m. — A late escape gives Berge the 4-3 decision, and he’ll stay alive in another consolation round in session three.
12:31 p.m. — Berge gets off to a strong start. He leads 3-1 entering the third period.
12:25 p.m. — Bartlett ends his NCAA Tournament with a 5-3 defeat to Northwestern’s Thomas. Berge is up next against Johnny Lovett on the same mat.
12:22 p.m. — Bartlett trails 3-2 as the third period gets started.
12:17 p.m. — Bartlett is now rolling against Thomas on mat one. Brady Berge will follow on the same mat against Johnny Lovett of CMU.
12:10 p.m. — A Nittany Lion legend (and there’s still plenty of wrestling left).
12:07 p.m. — With Lee and Bravo-Young’s wins in tow, Penn State now awaits consolation action. Next is Beau Bartlett against Northwestern’s Yayha Thomas in the 149-pound bracket on mat one.
11:42 a.m. — BANG! Lee gets the pin at 3:45 to advance to the semifinals and earn All-American status.
11:35 a.m. — Nick Lee is up next on the same mat. He’ll take on No. 8 Grant Willits of Oregon State.
11:34 a.m. — There’s Penn State’s first semifinalist. RBY gets the 13-6 decision, and will face Austin DeSanto later tonight.
11:30 a.m. — RBY rolls through the second period to an 8-2 lead with 2:40 of riding time.
11:27 a.m. — After an extended Virginia challenge and a takedown, RBY leads 2-1 with 1:30 of riding time after one.
11:21 a.m. — RBY is now rolling against Courtney. He’s now up 2-0 thanks to a quick takedown.
11:13 a.m. — Hildebrandt falls in an 8-4 decision, and he is now knocked out of the bracket.
11:10 a.m. — A takedown has helped Hildebrandt climb back. He now trails 5-4 entering the third period.
11:09 a.m. — Hildebrandt is down 4-1 early. Over on mat five, Michigan’s Nick Suriano grabbed a quick pin. That means RBY will be up shortly against UVA’s Brian Courtney in the 133-pound quarterfinal.
11:04 a.m. — Penn State’s Hildebrandt will gets things started immediately against Teske. Meanwhile, here’s the rest of Penn State’s Friday morning slate:
Quarterfinals
133 lbs. – No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young vs. No. 25 Brian Courtney (Virginia)
141 lbs. – No. 1 Nick Lee vs. No. 8 Grant Willits (Oregon State)
174 lbs. – No. 1 Carter Starocci vs. No. 9 Mikey Labriola (Nebraska)
184 lbs. – No. 2 Aaron Brooks vs. No. 7 Kaleb Romero (Ohio State)
197 lbs. – No. 1 Max Dean vs. No. 8 Lou DePrez (Binghamton)
285 lbs. – No. 4 Greg Kerkvliet vs. No. 12 Christian Lance (Nebraska)
Consolation Matches
125 lbs. – No. 16 Drew Hildebrandt vs. No. 15 Brody Teske (UNI)
149 lbs. – No. 13 Beau Bartlett vs. No. 19 Yahya Thomas (Northwestern)
157 lbs. – No. 16 Brady Berge vs. No. 15 Johnny Lovett (CMU)
10:51 a.m. — We’re back for day two of the NCAA Championships! The Nittany Lions have nine wrestlers going once again this morning, including six quarterfinalists and three in their respective consolation brackets.
Drew Hildebrandt will get the action started against Brody Teske of UNI in the second round of the 125-pound consolation.
Session Two (Second Round & Consolation Matches)
10:14 p.m. — Penn State wrestling won all but one of its bouts during Thursday night’s action. Look back on how all of it played out with our recap, and make sure to check back with us at 11 a.m. Friday for coverage of session three.
9:56 p.m. – Berge gets the 15-7 major decision win to close out the competition for the night.
9:53 p.m. — The score continues to climb as Berge holds the lead 10-6 through the second.
9:50 p.m. — Berge leads 6-1 after the first.
9:46 p.m. — Brady Berge is on mat 4 against Northern Iowa’s Derek Holschlag.
9:19 p.m. — Drew Hildebrandt stays alive with a 3-0 victory. Berge will be up soon for the last match of the night.
9:12 p.m. — Hildebrandt goes up 1-0 with an escape through two.
9:09 p.m. — No score for Hildebrandt after one.
9:09 p.m. — Drew Hildebrandt will now face Logan Ashton from Stanford on mat eight.
9:02 p.m. — A dominating 5:23 of riding time secures the 10-1 major decision win for Kerkvliet. Hildebrandt and Berge are up next in consolation matches.
8:57 p.m. — Kerkvliet starts off strong with a 2-0 lead and 2:26 of riding time in the first period.
8:56 p.m. — A few points late in the third give Dean the 4-2 comeback win.
8:55 p.m. – Greg Kerkvliet is now on mat two against Ohio State’s Tate Orndorff.
8:52 p.m. — Dean is down 2-0 going into the third.
8:51 p.m. — Brooks earns the 9-1 major decision win.
8:49 p.m. — Nothing for Dean but :22 seconds of riding time through the first.
8:48 p.m. — After tacking on four more points, Brooks takes the 6-0 lead with 1:53 of riding time.
8:44 p.m. — Brooks is on the board first with a 2-0 lead in the first period.
8:34 p.m. — Man Dean will wrestle Jay Aiello from Virginia on mat five and Aaron Brooks will see Hunter Bolen from Virginia Tech on mat seven.
8:32 p.m. — Starocci comes up with a 10-4 win. Another Nittany Lion is headed to the quarterfinals.
8:29 p.m. — 5-1 Starocci after two.
8:27 p.m. — Starocci is up 2-1 with 43 seconds of riding time after one.
8:23 p.m. — Carter Starocci is up on mat one against Adam Kemp.
8:22 p.m. —
— Onward State (@OnwardState) March 18, 2022
quarterfinalists already. 8:03 p.m. — It’s early, but a key note on the team scores: While Bartlett lost to Sasso, Iowa’s No. 2 Jaydin Eierman fell to the consolation bracket with a defeat to UNC’s No. 15. Kizhan Clarke.
7:57 p.m. — Bartlett can’t get the upset and will move into the consolation bracket.
7:52 p.m. — Bartlett ties it up at two with a reversal.
7:50 p.m. — Sasso strikes first with a takedown, Bartlett is down 2-0.
7:44 p.m. — RBY and Lee are now quarterfinalists. Beau Bartlett is up next against Ohio State’s Sammy Sasso.
7:41 p.m. — A takedown, reversal, and an extra point of riding time gives Lee the 9-2 win.
7:36 p.m. — Lee jumps out to an early 4-1 lead with 1:58 worth of riding time.
7:33 p.m. — Nick Lee takes his place against Quinn Kinner from Rider.
7:29 p.m. — Bravo-Young finishes his match with ease with a pin at the 4:45 mark.
7:26 p.m. — Two takedowns give Bravo-Young a 4-0 lead after one.
7:22 p.m. — RBY is first to the mat for Penn State against Navy’s Josh Koderhandt.
7:14 p.m. — Once top-seeded Nick Suriano of Michigan finishes his 125-pound bout on mat three, RBY will be up against Koderhandt.
6:53 p.m. — Here’s where team scores stand as session two gets underway:
1. Penn State (15.5)
2. Iowa (14.5)
3. Michigan (12.5)
4. Arizona State (11.5)
5. NC State (11)
6:46 p.m. — Here’s Penn State’s busy session two slate:
Second Round
133 lbs. – No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young vs. No.16 Josh Koderhandt (Navy)
141 lbs. – No. 1 Nick Lee vs. No. 16 Quinn Kinner (Rider)
149 lbs. – No. 13 Beau Bartlett vs. No. 4 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State)
174 lbs. – No. 1 Carter Starocci vs. No. 16 Adam Kemp (Cal Poly)
184 lbs. – No. 2 Aaron Brooks vs. No. 15 Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech)
197 lbs. – No. 1 Max Dean vs. No. 17 Jay Aiello (Virginia)
285 lbs. – No. 4 Greg Kerkvliet vs. No. 13 Tate Orndorff (Ohio State)
Consolation Matches
125 lbs. – No. 16 Drew Hildebrandt vs. No. 33 Logan Ashton (Stanford)
157 lbs. – No. 16 Brady Berge vs. No. 33 Derek Holschlag (UNI)
6:35 p.m. — Little Caesars Arena is filling up once again for session two action. Seven of Cael Sanderson’s wrestlers will try to advance to quarterfinal action with wins tonight, while two have a chance to stay alive in consolation brackets.
Session One
3:53 p.m. — That was fun! Check out our recap of session one here, and stay with us at 7 p.m. tonight when session two kicks off.
3:35 p.m. — KERK! The big fella gets the pin at 4:17 to secure more bonus points for Penn State. The Nittany Lions win seven of their nine bouts in session one.
3:32 p.m. — Kerkvliet jumps out to a 2-0 lead on Metz after one period.
3:26 p.m. — Once top-seed Gable Steveson finishes up on max six, it’ll be Greg Kerkvliet’s turn for the Nittany Lions. The fourth-ranked heavyweight will take on North Dakota State’s Brandon Metz.
3:22 p.m. — Aaron Brooks decided to carry his opponent around for just a couple of seconds…
Not much trouble for Aaron Brooks and Max Dean in their respective opening bouts
— Onward State (@OnwardState) March 17, 2022
3:06 p.m. — 16-1 tech fall for Max Dean, while Brooks secures a major decision for himself over on mat one. Heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet will finish out session one for Penn State.
3:03 p.m. — Both Nittany Lions are dominating in their respective bouts. AB is up 9-2 in the second period, while Max Dean leads 10-1.
3:00 p.m. — Brooks is out to a 4-1 lead in his bout while Dean is up 2-0.
2:49 p.m. — Max Dean and Aaron Brooks are up next for Penn State. Brooks will face Lehigh’s AJ Burkhart, while Dean — the No. 1 seed at 197 pounds — has Will Feldkamp of Clarion.
2:30 p.m. — Carter. Starocci. He pins O’Neill at 6:38 to secure bonus points for Cael Sanderson’s squad.
2:24 p.m. — A couple of takedowns help Starocci jump out to an awesome 8-2 lead after the first period.
2:19 p.m. — With a couple wins in tow, Starocci now heads to the mat to take on O’Neill.
Three victories for the Nittany Lions in Detroit so far
— Onward State (@OnwardState) March 17, 2022
2:10 p.m. — Penn State’s top-seeded Carter Starocci now awaits a bout with No. 33 Connor O’Neill of Rutgers on mat three.
1:49 p.m. — Berge falls in a tight 2-1 decision. It’ll be an extended break now before it’s No. 1 Carter Starocci’s turn at 174 pounds.
1:44 p.m. — Berge trails 1-0 entering the third.
1:39 p.m. — Other than Hildebrandt’s early loss, the Nittany Lions are all taking care of business thus far in Detroit, as Bravo-Young, Lee, and Bartlett all secured victories.
All business
— Onward State (@OnwardState) March 17, 2022
1:38 p.m. — Penn State’s No. 16 Brady Berge will now take on No. 17 Hunter Willits of Oregon State at 157 pounds.
1:30 p.m. — A clutch takedown for No. 13 Bartlett allows him to advance to the next round with a 5-4 decision over UNI’s Realbuto.
1:27 p.m. — Bartlett is on the board 1-0 with an escape, but Realbuto has 1:41 in riding time.
1:23 p.m. — The second top-seeded Nittany Lion of the day gets it done. Lee opens his NCAA Championships with ease with the 15-3 major decision.
As for Bartlett, there is still no score after one on mat one.
1:21 p.m. — Lee holds 4:08 of riding time and leads 12-0 down the stretch. Over on mat one, No. 20 Beau Bartlett is now taking on UNI’s No. 20 Colin Realbuto.
1:19 p.m. — Bravo-Young grabs a 16-4 major decision over LaJoie. Over on mat six, Lee is up 8-0 in the second period.
1:16 p.m. — Lee leads 6-0 while RBY now builds his lead out to 9-2.
1:14 p.m. — 6-2 lead for Bravo-Young after the first period. Meanwhile, Nick Lee is starting his bout against Josh Mason of Bloomsburg.
1:11 p.m. — Takedown for RBY. Just like that he’s up 2-0.
1:03 p.m. — While Bravo-Young awaits his bout, No. 13 Beau Bartlett is in the hole to take on No. 20 Colin Realbuto of UNI. Meanwhile, top-seeded Nick Lee is also in the hole on mat six to take on No. 32 Josh Mason.
12:53 p.m. — Bravo-Young is in the hole on mat four. He’ll take on Dominic LaJoie of Cornell.
12:28 p.m. — Quick update on RBY.
12:20 p.m. — Hildebrandt falls 4-2 on a SV takedown by Noto. He moves to tonight’s consolation bracket.
12:18 p.m. — Tied at two and headed to a sudden victory period between Hildebrandt and Noto. Here we go!
12:15 p.m. — Hildebrandt trails 2-1 after two periods of action.
12:10 p.m. — Hildebrandt’s turn.
12:07 p.m. — After an extensive hype video, we have wrestling in Detroit. Drew Hildebrandt is on deck on mat three, where he’ll take on Lock Haven’s Anthony Noto.
11:42 a.m. — Drew Hildebrandt will kick off this morning’s action at 125 pounds, but here’s Penn State’s full slate of action:
125 lbs. – No. 16 Drew Hildebrandt vs. No. 17 Anthony Noto (LHU)
133 lbs. – No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young vs. No. 32 Dominic LaJoie OR No. 33 Domenick Zaccone
141 lbs. – No. 1 Nick Lee vs. No. 32 Josh Mason OR No. 33 Dylan Cedeno
149 lbs. – No. 13 Beau Bartlett vs No. 20 Colin Realbuto (UNI)
157 lbs. – No. 16 Brady Berge vs. No. 17 Hunter Willits (Oregon State)
174 lbs. – No. 1 Carter Starocci vs. No. 32 Dominic Solis OR No. 33 Connor O’Neill
184 lbs. – No. 2 Aaron Brooks vs. No. 31 AJ Burkhart (Lehigh)
197 lbs. – No. 1 Max Dean vs. No. 32 Will Feldkamp OR No. 33 Matthew Waddell
285 lbs. – No. 4 Greg Kerkvliet vs No. 29 Brandon Metz (North Dakota State)
11:01 a.m. — We’re just under an hour out from action this morning. What better time to catch up on which Nittany Lions will be battling for national championships?
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