In his four-year career at Penn State, Beau Bartlett has never faced the heartbreak of a dual meet loss, and he wants to keep it that way. 

Penn State wrestling has a big weekend ahead of it as it faces No. 8 Ohio State on Friday and No. 13 Illinois on Sunday, both on the road. Bartlett has an especially difficult weekend ahead as he is expected to face off against No. 1 Jesse Mendez during Friday night’s match against Ohio State.  

However, this isn’t the first Bartlett and Mendez showdown. The two top wrestlers went head-to-head last year in the finals of the 2024 NCAA Championships, where Bartlett fell to Mendez in a close 4-1 match. The two met up again in November at the NWCA All-Star Classic where Mendez defeated Bartlett in another 4-1 decision. 

“I think I have been adjusting my mindset,” Bartlett said Tuesday. “I tried to come out really hot at the beginning of the year in the All-Star match. I think I put extra pressure on myself, so really just thinking of it as another match.”  

Coming off two wins this past weekend against Michigan’s Sergio Lemley and Maryland’s Dario Lemus, Bartlett certainly isn’t planning on slowing down anytime soon.  

“I am just trying to improve every week,” Bartlett explained. “I think I am doing everything right, and I am having fun with it.”  

As Bartlett reflected on his final dual meet in the Bryce Jordan Center this past Friday, he expressed how amazing it felt to not only wrestle in that environment for the last time but to experience another team high. Throughout his four years at Penn State, Bartlett hasn’t had to face many team lows.  

“Luckily, any losses I felt have been beared by just me or one or two guys at a time,” Bartlett said. “We haven’t lost a dual meet since I have been here. I don’t know what it’s like to lose a college dual and that’s an awesome feeling. So, at the end of the day, you are never surrounded by 20 people who are upset.”  

As the Nittany Lions fight to keep their 68 dual meet winning streak alive this weekend, Bartlett hopes to maintain his own winning streak as he enters Friday’s match with a 15-0 record on the season.

The Nittany Lions will face off against the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus at 7 p.m. on Friday, February 14.