Penn State wrestling at the US Open preview: How to watch, follow, past, current, future Nittany Lions

Many of the world’s top wrestlers are in Las Vegas, Nev., this weekend as the freestyle season kicks into gear with the US Open. With such a prominent gathering, it goes without saying that many past, current, and future Penn State and Nittany Lion Wrestling Club connections are in attendance.

Let’s start with the basics for those who may be unaware. Folkstyle wrestling is what you saw during the college season. Competitions with International ramifications like the U.S. Open, World tournament and Olympics, for example, are contested under the rules of freestyle wrestling. There are some similarities and differences. You can read up on those here. One note is that weight classes are broken up using kilograms and not pounds as you see in high school and college here.

Penn State and the NLWC will be represented in numerous age divisions with different goals on the line. Here’s the breakdown.

Senior division tournament starts today

The Senior division tournament is the highest level of International freestyle wrestling. Competitors in this division are trying to qualify for the World team, which will represent the U.S. at the 2023 Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

Anyone in action during the U.S. Open Senior Division freestyle tournament this Thursday and Friday at the South Pointe Hotel and Casino in ‘Sin City’ aims to win their weight class and qualify for Final X, which will be held in New Jersey this June. The winner of a best two-out-of-three series at Final X makes the World team. The following Penn State and/or Nittany Lion Wrestling Club members are already qualified for Final X based on being a defending World medalist:

Thomas Gilman (57 kg or 125 pounds)

Zain Retherford (70 kg or 154 pounds)

Kyle Dake (74 kg or 163 pounds)

David Taylor (86 kg or 189 pounds)

Kyle Snyder (97 kg or 213 pounds)

Which Penn State connections are trying to join them there?

Joshua Rodriguez of the NLWC is No. 8 at 61 kg/134 pounds.

Nick Lee is the No. 3 seed at 65 kilograms/143 pounds, while current Lion Beau Bartlett is No. 10 in that weight class.

Jason Nolf is the top seed at 74 kilograms, and Vincenzo Joseph is the three seed in that weight class.

At 79 kilograms, Carter Starocci is the two seed behind favorite and Pa., native Chance Marstellar.

Moving up to 86 kilograms, Mark Hall and Aaron Brooks are the two- and three-seed, respectively, behind two-time NCAA champ and top seed Zahid Valencia.

Morgan McIntosh is the five seed at 92 kilograms/202 pounds.

Ceron Francisco of the NLWC is No. 10 in the 125 kg/275-pound weight class.

Preliminary bouts, consolation action, and quarterfinals start at 1 p.m. ET Thursday. A consolation round starts at 7 p.m. ET before the semifinals at 9 p.m. ET. The consolation and consolation semifinals will are at 1 p.m. ET Friday. And, the finals are at 9 p.m. ET Friday.

A FLO Wrestling streaming service subscription is the only way to watch the action. But, you can follow the Penn State wrestlers with us inside The Wrestling Room forum and also view updated brackets HERE.

What divisions are other Nittany Lions competing in?

Current Penn State wrestlers Jack Kelly and Connor Pierce are in the U20 freestyle tournament, which is this Saturday and Sunday. Their seeds and bracket information are not yet available as of Thursday morning. But, they’ll be joined by a number of future teammates who will compete in the following weight classes with hopes of qualifying for the 2023 U20 World Team Trials, June 2-4 in Geneva, Ohio.

57kg – Cael Nasdeo
61kg – Dalton Perry
65kg – Tyler Kasak
74kg – Joe Sealey, Mitchell Mesenbrink (transfer)
79kg – Josh Barr
86kg – Connor Mirasola
92kg – Cole Mirasola

FloWrestling predicts a Mesenbrink-Sealey final in their weight class. It also sees Cole Mirasola as a finalist but runner-up in his.

“With Mesenbrink’s age, accolades (2022 Junior World silver), and considering he’s been training solely freestyle and competing in the senior circuit for the better part of half a year, I would say he’s a heavy favorite to defeat Sealey and win the weight,” JD Bader writes for Flo.

Sealey is a high school junior. Mesenbrink enters his second year of college wrestling.

Last but not least, Penn State commit Zack Ryder will compete in the 80-kilogram bracket for a spot on the U17 World team.