Senior Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) picked up his 100th career victory in the dual while freshman Brandon Meredith (Limerick, Pa.) opened the action with a big win at 125. The dual was witnessed by 6,437 fans in the 50th straight sellout in Rec Hall. Penn State has sold out 55 of its last 57 home events, including 50 straight in Rec Hall and five of seven in the 16,000-seat Bryce Jordan Center.
Meredith made his Rec Hall dual debut, stepping in for classmate Brody Teske (Duncombe, Iowa). Meredith energized the Rec Hall crowd with a furious close to the match. Meredith trailed 5-1 in the second and came back in the second and third periods to roll to an 8-5 win over No. 10 Michael Colaiocco. Sophomore Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.), ranked No. 4 at 133, then continued the fast start, posting a dominant 21-9 major decision over Penn's Carmen Ferrante to give Penn State a 7-0 lead.
Junior Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 3 at 141, continued his torrid start to the season, posting a 13-4 major decision over Penn's Doug Zapf. Junior Luke Gardner (Pottsville, Pa.) got the nod at 149 and withstood a late flurry from Penn's Lucas Revano to post a hard-fought 7-6 victory, giving the Nittany Lions a 14-0 lead. Junior Bo Pipher (Paonia, Colo.) stepped in for No. 6 Brady Berge (Mantorville, Minn.) at 157 and lost a tough 5-2 decision to No. 10 Anthony Artalona to close out the opening half. Penn State led 14-3 at the dual's midway point.
Senior Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 165, opened up the second half in style, pinning Jake Lizak at the 4:25 mark after leading 13-3 midway through the second period. Hall, ranked No. 1 at 174, dominated Penn's Neil Antrassian to post a 19-4 technical fall at the 7:00 mark. The victory was the 100th of Hall's career, improving his overall record to 100-5. True freshman Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Md.) made his Rec Hall dual debut for Penn State at 184 with No. 2 Shakur Rasheed (Coram, N.Y.) still out. Brooks thrilled the Rec Hall faithful rolling to a 19-4 technical fall at the 6:03 mark in his home dual debut.
Graduate senior Kyle Conel (Ashtabula, Ohio), ranked No. 20 at 197, bolted out to a big early lead on Penn's Cole Urbas and then withstood an injury late in the second period to post a 6-5 victory to put Penn State up 33-3. With No. 1 Anthony Cassar (Rocky Hill, N.J.) held out at 285, sophomore 197-pounder Austin Hoopes (Afton, Wyo.) moved up to 285 where he dropped a 14-4 major to Penn's Joey Slackman in the dual's final bout.
Penn State posted a lopsided 36-10 advantage in takedowns. The Nittany Lions tacked on nine bonus points off a pin (Joseph), two tech falls (Hall, Brooks) and two majors (Bravo-Young, Lee).
Penn State is now 3-1 overall, 0-0 in the Big Ten. Penn falls to 0-1. The Nittany Lions return to action on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020, hosting Illinois in Rec Hall at 7 p.m. Two days later, the Lions host Northwestern in Rec Hall on Sunday, Jan. 12, at 2 p.m.
Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.
Results:
125: Brandon Meredith PSU dec. #10 Michael Colaiocco PENN, 8-5 3-0
133: #4 Roman Bravo-Young PSU maj. dec. Carmen Ferrante PENN, 21-9 7-0
141: #3 Nick Lee PSU maj. dec. Doug Zapf PENN, 13-4 11-0
149: Luke Gardner PSU dec. Lucas Revano PENN, 7-6 14-0
157: #10 Anthony Artalona PENN dec. Bo Pipher PSU, 5-2 14-3
165: #1 Vincenzo Joseph PSU pinned Jake Lizak PENN, WBF (4:25) 20-3
174: #1 Mark Hall PSU tech fall Neil Antrassian PENN, 19-4 (TF; 7:00) 25-3
184: Aaron Brooks PSU tech fall Jesse Antrassian PENN, 19-4 (TF; 6:03) 30-3
197: #20 Kyle Conel PSU dec. Cole Urbas PENN, 6-5 33-3
285: Joey Slackman PENN maj. dec. Austin Hoopes PSU, 14-4 33-7
Attendance: 6,437 (50th straight sellout in Rec Hall, 55 of 57 overall including five of seven in the BJC)
Records: Penn State (3-1, 0-0 B1G); Penn (0-1)
Up Next for Penn State: Friday, Jan. 10, 2020, home vs. Illinois at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Redshirt freshman Brandon Meredith (Limerick, Pa.) made his Rec Hall dual debut at 125, stepping in for teammate Brody Teske (Duncombe, Iowa), and took on No. 10 Michael Colaiocco. Meredith and Colaiocco battled evenly for the first :30 but the ranked Quaker got in on a single leg and turned Meredith to the mat for a takedown and an early 2-0 lead. The Lion escaped to a 2-1 score with 1:42 and action continued neutral. Meredith nearly connected on a single that forced a slight scramble at the 1:00 mark but neither man was able to finish off the move. Colaiocco then moved through a high double to open up a 4-1 lead with another takedown with :40 on the clock. Leading 4-1, Colaiocco chose down to start the second stanza. The Quaker escaped to a 5-1 lead then Meredith connected on an excellent high shot for his first takedown, cutting the lead to 5-3 at the 1:20 mark. The Lion then controlled the action from the top position for the remainder of the period to finish on top. Trailing 5-3, Meredith chose down to start the third period. The Nittany Lion freshman quickly escaped to a 5-4 score and action resumed in the center circle. Meredith connected on a low single and finished off the takedown to lead 6-5 at the 1:00 mark. Meredith picked up another point on a stall and then stayed on top as he worked his riding time edge over 1:00. Meredith finished off the dual in control, with 1:39 in riding time, and closed out his first Rec Hall dual meet with an 8-5 upset victory over the 10th-ranked Quaker.
133: Sophomore Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.), ranked No. 4 at 133, met Penn sophomore Carmen Ferrante. The duo battled evenly for the first minute-plus. Bravo-Young took an early lead with a swift counter takedown at the 1:30 mark. He then zipped in on a fast single for his second takedown to lead 4-1 at the 1:00 mark. Bravo-Young cut Ferrante loose and went to work on offense again. The Lion sophomore moved in on a low shot and finished off his third takedown at the :20 mark to lead 6-2 after one period. Ferrante chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 6-3 score. Bravo-Young quickly worked the Quaker's head to the mat and moved around for another takedown and an 8-4 lead after cutting him loose. Bravo-Young picked up his fifth takedown seconds later to lead 10-5 and then picked up a sixth takedown with :30 left in the period. The Lion sophomore finished on top and led 12-5 with 1:47 in riding time after two periods. Bravo-Young chose neutral to start the third period. He connected on a low single for a 14-5 lead with 1:30 left. Ferrante took a slight shot but Bravo-Young muscled through for a counter takedown and a 16-6 lead. He added two more takedowns and, with 2:34 in riding time, rolled to the 21-9 major decision.
141: Junior Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 3 at 141, took on Penn's Doug Zapf. Lee scored early on a fast takedown at the 2:20 mark and then went to work on top, looking for a chance to turn Zapf. Lee cut the Quaker loose with 1:45 on the clock and then took a 4-1 lead with a low shot and takedown at the 1:00 mark. Lee finished the period on top and led 4-1 with 1:34 in riding time after the opening period. Lee chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. He immediately turned in on a shot and took Zapf down to open up a 7-2 lead after cutting the Quaker loose. Lee quickly picked up another takedown, cut Zapf at the 1:00 mark, and finished the second period in neutral to lead 9-3 with 1:54 in riding time. Zapf chose down to start the third period and Lee built his time edge up over 2:00. Lee forced Zapf into a stall, cut him loose and then took him down to lead 11-4 with :50 left in the bout. The Lion junior picked up a 12th point on another Zapf stall and spent the rest of the period in control to finish on top. Lee had 3:45 in riding time and rolled to a 13-4 major decision.
149: Junior Luke Gardner (Pottsville, Pa.) got the call at 149 and met Lucas Revano. Gardner took a quick lead with a fast takedown in the middle of the mat at the 2:36 mark. The Lion junior maintained control of Revano for the next :30 and then cut him loose to a 2-1 score. Gardner quickly connected on a low single on the edge of the mat and steadily pulled a fleeing Revano back into play, finishing off the takedown to lead 4-1 with 1:21 on the clock. Revano was able to roll through a scramble on the edge of the mat for a reversal to cut Gardner's lead to 4-3 with :40 left in the opening period. Gardner quickly escaped to a 5-3 lead that he carried into the second stanza. Gardner chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 6-3 lead with 1:35 on the clock. The duo battled evenly for the final minute of the period and Gardner led 6-3 after two periods. Revano chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 6-4 score quickly. Revano connected on a high single at the 1:30 mark, forcing a scramble on the edge of the mat. Gardner worked hard to fight off the move and was able to keep action neutral. The officials stopped the bout after things moved out of bounds and went to review on their own, checking to see if Revano had scored. The takedown was given, Revano cut Gardner loose on the reset and the Lion led 7-6 with :40 left. The Lion was able to fight off Revano's late offense and posted the hard-fought 7-6 victory.
157: Junior Bo Pipher (Paonia, Colo.) continued step up for No. 6 Brady Berge at 157 and battled No. 10 Anthony Artalona. The duo battled evenly for the first minute-plus as neither wrestler was able to find an offensive opening. Artalona was able to connect on a high single at the :45 mark and then finished off the takedown for a 2-0 lead with :40 on the clock. After a slow walk back to center and some blood time, Artalona was able to finish the period on top to lead by two after one period. Artalona chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 3-0 lead at 1:42. Pipher worked the middle of the mat, looking for a takedown, but was unable to break through Artalona's defense as the clock moved below :30. Trailing 3-0, Pipher chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 3-1 score. Artalona moved in on another high shot and finished off the takedown to up his lead to 5-1 at the 1:30 mark. Pipher escaped to a 5-2 score with 1:10 on the clock. The Lion junior was not able to connect offensively as the clock wound down and dropped the 5-2 decision.
165: Senior Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 165, took on Penn senior Jake Lizak. Joseph connected on a fast, low single and took an early 2-0 lead. The Lion senior then cut Lizak loose and moved in for a second takedown to lead 4-1 with 1:05 on the clock. Joseph built up over 1:00 in riding time as he forced Lizak into a first stall and then cut him loose at the :25 mark. Joseph finished the period on top with a takedown at the :12 mark to lead 6-2 with 1:56 in riding time. Joseph grabbled a point off another stall, then turned Lizak to his back at the 1:30 mark to lead 11-2 after four back points. Joseph took Lizak down again to lead 13-3 and then locked up a cradle. The Lion senior finished off the pin at the 4:25 mark.
174: Senior Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked No. 1 at 174, met Penn senior Neil Antrassian. Hall took the Quaker down quickly, cut him loose and added a second fast takedown to lead 4-1 at the 2:15 mark. Hall went to work on top, building up nearly 1:00 in riding time before cutting Antrassian loose. Hall quickly added another takedown and led 6-2 with 1:15 left in the period. Hall spent the next :30 trying to find a turning combination but settled for a rideout and a 6-2 lead with 2:13 in riding time after one period of action. Hall chose down to start the second period and steadily worked his way to a reversal and an 8-2 lead. The Lion senior added another takedown to lead 10-3 with :50 left and then turned Antrassian to his back for four near fall points to lead 14-3 with 2:57 in time after two. Antrassian chose neutral to start the third period. Hall lifted Antrassian up and took him down for a takedown at the 1:30 mark, cut him loose and led 16-4. Hall added one more takedown and finished the bout on top. The Lion had 3:57 in riding time to post the 19-4 technical fall at the 7:00 mark, picking up his 100th career win in the process.
184: True freshman Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Md.) made his Rec Hall dual debut at 184 with No. 2 Shakur Rasheed still out. Brooks took on Penn's Jesse Quatse. Brooks scored quickly, taking Quatse down to lead 2-1 out of the gate. The Lion freshman then countered a Quatse high single to lead 4-1. He cut the Quaker loose with 1:25 on the clock. Brooks countered a slight Quatse shot, gained control of his arm and notched a takedown to lead 6-2 with :50 left in the period. The Lion true freshman finished on top and carried that lead, with 1:35 in riding time, into the second stanza. Brooks chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 7-2 lead. He quickly turned in on offense, worked Quatse's shoulders down, and notched another takedown to open up a 9-2 lead. Brooks went work on top, locked up a cradle and turned Quatse to his back for four nearfall points and a 13-2 lead. He cut the Quaker loose with :25 left in the period and finished off the period with a takedown at the :12 mark to lead 15-3 with nearly 3:00 in riding time. Brooks chose neutral to start the third period. He took Quatse down, cut him loose, and finished off the bout with a final takedown to post the 19-4 technical fall at the 6:03 mark.
197: Graduate senior Kyle Conel (Ashtabula, Ohio), ranked No. 20 at 197, took on Penn freshman Cole Urbas. Conel opened up a big lead early. The Lion senior rolled through a high shot, took Urbas down to his back and led 6-0 less than :20 into the bout. Urbas escaped to a 6-1 score with 1:45 on the clock and Conel went to work on offense again. Conel nearly notched a second takedown but Urbas was able to work his way out of bounds to keep the bout close at the 1:00 mark. The duo finished in neutral and Conel led 6-1 with :54 in time after the opening period. Conel chose neutral to start the second period. He connected on a high single but Urbas once again defended the shot to stay neutral at 1:35. The duo battled evenly for the minute with neither wrestler working their way in on offense. Conel suffered an injury as the period wound down and gave up a takedown as the clock moved to :05. The Lion led 6-3 after two periods and chose down to start the third stanza. The Lion gave up a stall point and was unable to work his way free of Urbas' ride as the clock moved to the :20 mark. Urbas picked up a final point on another stall but Conel's big early move allowed him to hold on for the thrilling 6-5 win.
285: Austin Hoopes (Afton, Wyo.) stepped in for No. 1 Anthony Cassar at 285 to take on Penn's Joey Slackman. Slackman, holding a big weight advantage of the Lion 197-pounder, took an early lead with a quick takedown and then built up a sizeable riding time edge as the clock moved below :40: Hoopes escaped to a 2-1 score with :30 on the clock and trailed 2-1 after the opening period. Slackman chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. The Quaker then took Hoopes down again and led 5-2 after cutting the Nittany Lion loose. Slackman added another takedown and Hoopes worked his way to an escape to trail 7-3 after two periods. Hoopes chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 7-4 score. Hoopes took a solid shot that Slackman was able to counter for a takedown. The Quaker added another takedown and four near fall points. With riding time, Slackman posted the 14-4 major over Hoopes.
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