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Penn State wrestler Josh Barr named Big Ten freshman of the week

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•12/12/24•

GregPickel

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Penn State wrestler Joshua Barr (Tyler Mantz/Penn State Athletics)

Penn State wrestler Josh Barr is the Big Ten freshman of the week. He earned the honor for the first time in his Nittany Lion clear after upsetting former Nittany Lion Michael Beard of Lehigh by major decision, 11-3, at 197 pounds last Saturday at the PPL Center in Allentown. The Davison, Mich., native is now 4-0 on the year with two pins and two technical falls ahead of Sunday’s dual meet with Wyoming.

“We felt like with the right game plan, that Josh would be able to find a way to get on top, and he did exactly what the coaches talked with him about doing, and he found a way to win,” Penn State assistant head coach Cody Sanderson told reporters this week.

“We’re just happy for him. I think if you saw in that match, you saw him really get to his offense. He didn’t get stuck underneath. He didn’t have his head down. Those are the things we’re looking for. For him to get to that leg and get to the finishes. Earlier this year, he got stuck underneath guys a couple times, but you can see the improvement. We first really saw this past spring when he made that U-20 team, and since then, he just got better and better.”

Patience paid off for Penn State, Barr

Penn State felt like Barr could have found a home in the lineup last season. But, he was blocked at 184 pounds with Bernie Truax IV manning that weight for the Lions last season. This year, he had to move up to 197 to fight for a lineup spot after four-time 174-pound NCAA champ Carter Starocci bumped up a weight class to chase a historic fifth national crown. The wait in 2023-2024 and the change of plan in 2024-2025 have not phased Barr. He moved up from No. 23 to No. 7 in the latest InterMat rankings, one spot ahead of Beard, after beating out teammate Lucas Cochran for the starting job.

You can watch this week’s Penn State wrestling show in the video player below and also on YouTube. Or, you can listen at your favorite destinations for audio like SPOTIFY and APPLE.

Barr will face another test on Sunday. Wyoming’s Joey Novak is No. 14 at 197 pounds. The sophomore is 7-3 on the season. The Cowboys and Nittany Lions meet at 1 p.m. ET. Previously set for Rec Hall, the match will now be held at the Bryce Jordan Center due to a women’s volleyball NCAA postseason event now being held at Rec Hall.

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