Penn State Wrestling Remains At No. 1, Presents Eight In Top 10 In National Polls
The Nittany Lions were ranked No. 1 in the most recent NWCA coaches poll on Tuesday, securing all but one first-place vote. Ohio State remains at No. 2 with a 7-0 record on the season.
As for Intermat’s individual rankings, there are a few changes heading into week five of Penn State’s season.
At 133 pounds, true freshman Marcus Blaze cracked the top 10 in the country for the first time this season after being ranked No. 11 last week. Blaze defeated Lehigh’s Mason Ziegler via a 19-4 technical fall in the third period.
At 141 pounds, Aaron Nagao rose to No. 7 in the country. The Nittany Lion was ranked No. 8 last week and did not participate in either dual match over the weekend due to his injury sustained in the Black Knight Invitational last month. Sanderson said the injury is not season-ending and that Nagao will start working back into action after a definite timeline is provided.
At 157 pounds, PJ Duke rose to No. 8 in the rankings after being ranked No. 15 a week ago. The true freshman was dismantling Lehigh’s ninth-ranked Logan Rozynski before the Mountain Hawk was injured in the third period.
Josh Barr, Penn State’s 197-pounder that finished as last season’s national runner-up as a redshirt freshman, has been booted off the rankings entirely after not competing in a match so far this season. Barr suffered an injury at the U23 World Championships and has not been able to make it back. Once healthy enough to compete, Barr and his replacement, Connor Mirasola, will wrestle off for the position.
Heavyweight Cole Mirasola dropped to No. 11 in this week’s rankings after losing a close bout with No. 6 Nathan Taylor. Mirasola was previously in the top 10 after winning six straight to start the season.
Shayne Van Ness, Mitchell Mesenbrink, and Levi Haines remain at the top spots of their respective weight classes.
Luke Lilledahl remained at No. 2 in the country at 125 pounds, while Rocco Welsh stayed put at No. 4 at 184 pounds.
The Nittany Lions return to dual action on Saturday, December 13, when Penn State travels to Laramie to take on the Wyoming Cowboys. The match is due to begin at 8 p.m., but broadcast information has not yet been announced.
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