No. 1 Penn State wrestling (2-0) devoured Rider (2-1) in a lopsided road dual 37-3 Friday night. It marked the 30th consecutive dual meet win for Cael Sanderson’s group.

The defending 2022 National Champions again dominated, as they comfortably won nine of their ten bouts. Roman Bravo-Young led the way with 10 takedowns as the Nittany Lions racked up four major decisions, a technical fall, a pin, and an injury forfeit.

How It Happened

125-pound Gary Steen kicked off the night for Penn State against Rider’s Tyler Klinsky. Though Steen notched an early first-period takedown, his 2-0 advantage was quickly erased by Klinsky’s escapes. Steen overcame the equalizer with a last-second takedown at the end of the second period to pick up a 4-2 lead. Klinsky snuck an escape in third period, after Steen’s opening escape, but ultimately another late Steen secured a 6-4 decision victory. Penn State led 3-0.

At 133 pounds, No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young dominated his individual matchup with Rider’s Richie Koehler. En route to a tech fall, Bravo-Young logged takedown after takedown, releasing the reigning MAC champion to pick up more takedown points. Bravo-Young earned a major decision 23-9 with over three minutes of riding time. The Nittany Lions led 7-0.

The 141-pound matchup between No. 9 Beau Bartlett and Rider’s McKenzie Bell went back and forth. Bell led the bout 2-0 after a late first-period takedown, shedding blood all over the mat in the process. Bell’s second-period opening escape was followed by another, after Bartlett’s subsequent takedown. Rider’s competitor still led 4-2 heading into the third period. A tight reversal from Bartlett eventually led to a pin and a 13-0 lead in Penn State’s favor.

The night’s FIRST ranked matchup came as No. 20 Nittany Lion Shayne Van Ness took on Rider’s No. 24 Quinn Kinner in the 149-pound weight class. Despite a relatively stalemated first period, Van Ness picked up a huge takedown and two near fall points late off a cradle. Van Ness led 4-0 after the first. Both wrestlers scored in the second, making it 6-5, but Van Ness was seconds away from scoring a pin before time expired. A dominant third period gave Van Ness a 11-6 victory, as the Nittany Lions led 16-0.

No. 30 Terrell Barraclough’s 157-pound bout with Jake Silverstein was called off less than 10 seconds into the first period. Silverstein suffered an injury that forced him out. The medical forfeit allowed Penn State to lead 22-0 at halftime.

At 165 pounds, No. 17 Alex Facundo controlled Rider’s Hunter Mays. Three takedowns from Facundo in the second period exemplified the dominance, as the Penn State wrestler picked up a major decision at 13-4. The Nittany Lions led 26-0.

In the 174-pound bout, No. 1 Carter Starocci faced off with Shane Reitsma of Rider. Starocci recorded eight takedowns and nearly three minutes of riding time, as he scored a major decision for Penn State. Cael Sanderson’s squad led 30-0.

Instead of No. 1 Aaron Brooks wrestling at 184 pounds, Penn State put out Donovan Ball to take on Rider’s Asa Terrell. Ball took advantage of his opportunity, scoring four total takedowns. His 9-3 win gave Penn State a 33-0 lead with two bouts remaining.

In a ranked matchup between two sixth-year seniors, No. 1 Max Dean faced off with No. 12 Ethan Laird in the 197-pound class. A scoreless first period gave way to a lone escape in the second, giving Dean just a 1-0 advantage heading into the third period. Laird tied it up and narrowly avoided a takedown from Dean. In sudden victory, Laird picked up a quick takedown to break onto the scoreboard for Rider. Rider cut the deficit to 33-3.

At 285 pounds, No. 2 Greg Kerkvliet took on Rider’s David Szuba. Kerkvliet racked up a ton of riding time and multiple takedowns as he comfortably won a 11-1 major decision. Penn State closed out the night victorious with a healthy 37-3 margin.

What’s Next?

The Nittany Lions will travel to Lehigh on December 4. Their dual will begin at 2 p.m. inside Stabler Arena.