Penn State wrestling goes five-for-five (again) in dominating finals performance at 2022 NCAA Championships

Penn State wrestling won the 2022 NCAA Championship before the last session even started.

Then, it dominated the finals inside of Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Mich.

Head coach Cael Sanderson’s team showed again why it is the best in the land. The Lions won five finals for the second time under Sanderson and became just the fifth team ever to do so. Penn State has now won 10 NCAA finals in a row and 19 of its last 22 finals matches.

Here’s how it happened.

Penn State in the NCAA Finals recap: Lions win at 133 and 141

Roman Bravo-Young led things off for the Nittany Lions opposite Oklahoma State’s Daton Fix for the second year in a row in the 133-pound final.

The Penn State wrestler scored the first two points when he shot and took down the Cowboy 1:45 into the opening frame. Fix would escape to pull within a point before the first period horn sounded. He’d then escape 30 seconds into the second to tie the bout at two, but there would be no more scoring from there.

Bravo-Young had the choice to start the third and picked bottom. He escaped to take a 3-2 lead and the wrestlers remained neutral from there as RBY became a two-time national champ.

It continues to be unclear if that was Bravo-Young’s last match as a Nittany Lion or not. He said at the start of the year that this season would be his last. But, he’s been non-commital to that stance since. He does have a year of eligibility remaining.

Nick Lee came next at 141 pounds. Fifteen-seed Kizhan Clarke of North Carolina was the story of the tournament. He didn’t place at ACCs but then scored upset after upset at nationals to earn a spot in the finals.

It appeared the Cinderalla story might continue, as Clarke scored the bout’s first takedown. But, Lee would score nine of the next 10 points and tacked on a riding time point for good measure to win by decision, 10-3. He amassed a whopping 4:30 in riding time to defend his national title.

“I just trust my coaches, do what they say,” Lee told ESPN. “I trust my teammates, I trust my staff, just my support system, and I just remember to be myself and that comes out in what’s out here.

PSU in the NCAA Finals recap: 174-197

Carter Starocci led off the second half of the finals for Penn State.

His match with second-seeded Mehki Lewis of Virginia Tech did not disappoint.

The bout went to sudden victory tied at four after both wrestlers notched a takedown and two escapes. Each had a scoring chance in sudden victory but neither could finish his shot. The match then went to ultimate tiebreaker. Starocci was down first and needed six seconds to escape Lewis’ grasp. That gave him a 5-4 lead, but he had to erase the riding time to win. He did, ultimately earning 15 seconds of riding time before Lewis escape. Starocci fended off his desperation shots to defend his national title with a 6-5 decision.

“Just trying to get to my offense and score a lot of points, that was my game plan,” Starocci told ESPN. “I know I’m the better wrestler. I’m going to get better next year. That’s my mindset.”

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At 184, Aaron Brooks took down Myles Amine of Michigan first to take a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period. Brooks rode Amine the entire period. He then chooses down to start the third and quickly reverses Amine to take a 4-0 lead with 1:37 left. Amine escaped, and later earned a takedown late, but it wasn’t enough. Brooks wins and defends his national championship with a 5-3 victory over Amine.

“When it’s time to open up and do tough things, I put my faith in God and go out and let it rip,” Brooks told ESPN. “I put my trust in the ride, and it paid off.”

Max Dean then capped off the Lions’ incredible night and weekend by countering a bad Jacob Warner shot in the third period to score the decisive takedown in the third period to win his first national title by a final of 3-2. Before that, the bout was tied at one as each wrestler had an escape. Warner picked up an escape late, but it didn’t matter in the end.

“I’m just thinking about all the people that stuck by me, and Penn State for taking me in. I could have quit. It would have been so easy. I have to thank my new team. I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”

Full Penn State NCAA Finals results

133 pounds: No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young, Penn State wins by decision over No. 2 Daton Fix, Oklahoma State, 3-2

141 pounds: No. 1 Nick Lee, PSU wins by decision over No. 15 Kizhan Clarke, North Carolina, 10-3

174 pounds: No. 1 Carter Starocci, Penn State wins by decision over No. 2 Mekhi Lewis, Virginia Tech, 6-5, in ultimate tiebreaker

184 pounds: No. 2 Aaron Brooks, PSU wins by decision over No. 1 Myles Amine, Michigan, 5-3

197 pounds: No. 1 Max Dean, Penn State wins by decision over No. 6 Jacob Warner, Iowa, 3-2