Penn State Wrestling Remains At No. 1, Places Eight In Top 5 In National Polls
The Big Ten season has begun, folks.
The Nittany Lions continued to be ranked at the top of the NWCA coaches poll this week, securing all but two first-place votes. No. 2 Ohio State received the rest as the Buckeyes improved to 12-0 on the season with a 45-0 victory over No. 23 Indiana.
Penn State wrestling shut out No. 17 Rutgers 46-0 with eight bonus point victories, including three pins in Rec Hall on Saturday, to start its in-conference stretch. The dual marked its 78th consecutive dual victory, the longest streak in NCAA history.
As for Intermat’s individual rankings, the Nittany Lions continue to rise; however, the biggest change comes in the 141-pound weight class, as Braeden Davis filled in for injured Aaron Nagao after being slated for a redshirt season.
True freshman Marcus Blaze rose one spot to No. 4 in the country at 133 pounds after his dominant major decision victory over No. 26 Dylan Shawver.
Braeden Davis entered the rankings for the first time this season with a No. 7 distinction at 141 pounds. The junior showed very little rust as he made his Rec Hall return with an 18-7 major decision victory over Tahir Parkins.
True freshman PJ Duke continued his fantastic campaign with his ninth consecutive victory, this time a 19-4 technical fall over Easton Doster. The Nittany Lion rose to No. 3 in the country at 157 pounds after being ranked No. 4 last week.
Heavyweight Cole Mirasola moved up to No. 13 in the country after being ranked No. 15 last week. The bump comes after beating No. 20 Hunter Catka in a close match on Saturday.
Luke Lilledahl maintained his position at No. 2 at 125 pounds while Rocco Welsh stayed at No. 4 at 184 pounds.
Shayne Van Ness, Mitchell Mesenbrink, Levi Haines, and Josh Barr all kept their top spots in their respective weight classes.
The Nittany Lions will be back in action at 7 p.m. on Friday, January 16, when Penn State travels to take on the No. 4 Iowa Hawkeyes in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The match will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
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