Nittany Lions, Ranked Top, Defeat No. 20 Lehigh in Opening Game | Sports

Penn State Outperforms Lehigh in Dual Meet Opener

The top-ranked Penn State wrestling team started their season on a high with a decisive 30-10 victory against Lehigh in their dual meet opener on Sunday afternoon.

The Nittany Lions (1-0) claimed seven out of the 10 bouts and dominated with a 25-11 advantage in takedowns. The team further showed their strength with nine bonus points from a pin by senior national champion Carter Starocci, alongside two technical falls and a couple of major decisions.

How Penn State Took Control of the Meet

After a slow start with losses from Gary Steen and No. 3 Aaron Nagao at 125 and 133 respectively, the Nittany Lions regrouped swiftly. Beau Bartlett secured a 14-6 major decision victory against Lehigh’s Carter Bailey, which ushered in a winning streak for Penn State against No. 24 Lehigh.

The winning stretch included remarkable performances from Tyler Kasak who filled in for No. 1 Shayne Van Ness and achieved a 7-5 decision against Drew Munch at 149. Additionally, No. 1 Levi Haines recorded a 12-6 decision over Max Brignola at 157, No. 16 Mitch Mesenbrink won by technical fall against Jake Logan at 165, Starocci pinned Thayne Lawrence in just 2 minutes and 7 seconds, and Bernie Truax achieved a technical fall against Jack Wilt at 184.

Lehigh’s Standout Performance

Lehigh made their mark when former Nittany Lion All-America Michael Beard defeated Lucas Cochran by a major decision, 20-6. The meet concluded with No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet dominating an 11-1 major decision victory over Nathan Taylor.

Commenting on coaching against Beard, Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson downplayed any awkwardness, stating there’s no bad blood between the parties. He commended Beard for his excellent performance and acknowledged Lehigh as one of his favourite teams outside of Penn State.

A Memorable Debut for Nittany Lions at Rec Hall

Five Nittany Lions — Kasak, Nagao, Mesenbrink, Truax, and Cochran — made their first appearances at Rec Hall in front of an excited crowd of 6,623 fans. Sunday’s turnout marked the 67th consecutive sellout at Rec Hall and 76th in the last 78 events overall.

Reflecting on the experience, Mesenbrink explained how he was initially overwhelmed but later found himself smiling, appreciating the thrill of wrestling for Penn State.

Truax, who transferred to Penn State after earning three All-American honors at Cal Poly, called the atmosphere “so different” and admitted feeling an extra surge of energy from the audience.

Looking Ahead to the Next Dual

The Nittany Lions will host Hofstra in their next outing on Sunday, Dec. 10. The dual is set to take place at 1 p.m. at Rec Hall.