Penn State-Drexel wrestling recap: Lions use multiple bonus point wins to roll the Dragons
Penn State wrestling starts its 2024-2025 season today when it takes on Drexel at Rec Hall. The dual meet starts at 1 p.m. ET. It will be exclusively streamed on B1G+. This page does not update automatically so please refresh it often for the latest updates.
Kerkvliet ends things on a high note, Penn State wins 41-3
11/17/2024 01:42:13 PMPenn State heavyweight and defending NCAA champ Greg Kerkvliet made quick work of his first opponent in 2024-2025 season. He pinned Tanner Updegraff in 1:40. Penn State wins nine of 10 bouts and wins 41-3.
Cochran the latest to rack up bonus points
11/17/2024 01:32:35 PMLucas Cochran, who got the first call at 197 pounds this season as he continues to battle Josh Barr for the starting job, put on an impressive showing. The Nittany Lions built a 14-1 over Ethan Wilson after the first three minutes and then rolled to an 18-1 technical fall in 3:27. Lions now lead Drexel 35-3.
Starocci goes two for two,
too
11/17/2024 01:27:13 PMAfter beating Parker Keckeisen in a Nos 1 vs. 2 match at the All-Star Classic Saturday night, Starocci rolled over Drexel’s Giuseppe Hoose by technical call, 19-3, in 5:37. He built riding time throughout the dominating performance. Penn State 30, Drexel 3 with two bouts to go.
New weight, no problem for Levi Haines twice this weekend
11/17/2024 01:17:24 PMLevi Haines is now two for two in his new weight class. After beating Cade DeVos of South Dakota State 7-0 in last night’s All-Star Classic, the defending 157-pound champ was back on the mat at 174 on Sunday and pummeled Drexel’s Jack Janda by technical fall, 16-0, in 4:04. Lions now lead Drexel 25-3.
Mesenbrink kicks things off with a technical fall
11/17/2024 01:11:09 PMMitchell Mesenbrink is off and running in 2024-2025. The 165-pound runner-up last year who is know for his aggressive style put it on display on Saturday. He led 12-3 after one, 17-4 after two, and earned a technical fall in 5:19 by a final of 21-4 over Cody Walsh. PSU leads Drexel 20-3.
Alex Facundo wins in return to collegiate action
11/17/2024 12:52:52 PMAlex Facundo, who took an Olympic redshirt a year ago, is back in action at 157 pounds. He won his first match at a new weight after previously competing at 165 by beating Luke Nichter 8-6 with 1:24 in riding time. Facundo will continue to battle Tyler Kasak for the starting job. Penn State leads Drexel 15-3 at halftime.
Connor Pierce picks up a win
11/17/2024 12:43:27 PMConnor Pierce, filling in for Shane Van Ness at 149, built a 3-1 early lead and made it stand up by a 5-4 final over Drexel’s Dom Findora. The Lions now lead the Dragons 15-1 heading to 157.
Drexel picks up its first win
11/17/2024 12:31:52 PMPoints were flying early in the 141 pound match between Cael Nasdeo, who filled in for Beau Bartlett, and Drexel’s Jordan Soriano. The Nittany Lion led 7-5 after one and the bout was tied 8-8 after two. In the third, a Soriano reversal pushed him to the margin of victory, which was 11-8 with riding time. Penn State leads Drexel 9-3 after three bouts.
Davis survives upset, injury scare at 133
11/17/2024 12:15:51 PMNo. 7 Penn State wrestler Braeden Davis survived a late challenge from the Drexel bench, which wanted a takedown to be awarded, to hang on for a 7-5 decision win over Kyle Waterman. However, the big story coming out of this bout will be his health. Jim Carlson of PennLive reports that the sophomore stopped the action in the first period to have his right knee looked at. He ultimately finished the match but did not look as sharp post-injury compared to before it on the B1G+ feed. We’ll see what Cael Sanderson has to say later. The Lions lead Drexel 9-0 after two.
Luke Lilledahl wins by forfeit
11/17/2024 12:07:25 PMPenn State super freshman Luke Lilledahl will have to wait a little longer to get his first college victory on the mat. Drexel forfeited to him to open today’s dual, which means the Lions lead 6-0 out of the gate. Braeden Davis is up now vs. Kyle Waterman of Drexel in today’s 133-pound bout.
Today’s dual meet will start at 125 pounds
11/17/2024 11:49:03 AMIt’s not yet clear who Drexel will wrestle at 125. Penn State freshman Luke Lilledahl is set to make his debut if the Dragons send someone to the mat.
Penn State-Drexel is now an hour out
11/17/2024 11:09:21 AMWeigh-ins are complete. We do not expect Beau Bartlett, Shane Van Ness, or Tyler Kasak to compete Sunday after being on the mat at the NWCA All-Star Classic last night. Levi Haines and Carter Starocci, however, are listed on the weigh-in sheet. Full projected lineups and other details 50 minutes before match time can be found below.
Head coach Cael Sanderson’s team takes the mat after four of its 10 starters won bouts at the 2024 NWCA All-Star Classic Saturday night. Shayne Van Ness (149 pounds), Tyler Kasak (157), Levi Haines (174), and Carter Starocci (184) earned victories. Beau Bartlett (141) suffered a setback. Before the weekend, Sanderson said he was unsure if any of that group would wrestle against the Dragons.
“Yeah, it looks like the majority of them will not be wrestling Sunday,” Sanderson said Monday. “I think there’s a couple of them that are considering it, but I think their focus right now is the all-star match. They’re wrestling some of the best guys in the country, so we want them to focus on that match.
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Projected Penn State-Drexel starting lineups
All rankings are courtesy of InterMat, and the list is updated following weigh-ins. These projections are of course subject to change prior to the bout starting or even after it begins.
125 pounds: Luke Lilledahl, PSU vs. Desmond Pleasan, Drexel
133 pounds: No. 7 Braeden Davis, PSU vs. Kyle Waterman, Drexel
141 pounds: Cael Nasdeo, PSU vs. Jordan Soriano, Drexel
149 pounds: Connor Pierce, PSU vs. Dom Findora, Drexel
157 pounds: Alex Facundo, PSU vs. Luke Nichter, Drexel
165 pounds: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, PSU vs. Cody Walsh, Drexel
174 pounds: No. 2 Levi Haines, PSU vs. Jack Jenda, Drexel
184 pounds: No. 1 Carter Starocci vs. Giuseppe Hoose, Drexel
197 pounds: Lucas Cochran, PSU vs. Ethan Wilson, Drexel
285 pounds: No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet, PSU vs. Tanner Updegraff, Drexel
