No. 25 Indiana wrestling traveled to University Park, Pennsylvania, for a dual meet Friday night with No. 1 Penn State. The Nittany Lions’ lineup consisted of 10 ranked wrestlers, six of whom were ranked first in the nation. Penn State entered the dual a perfect 9-0 on the season, while the Hoosiers entered fresh off a rebound win against Maryland on Sunday.
The Nittany Lions started the evening with a bang, with No. 1 sophomore Luke Lilledahl defeating No. 11 graduate student Jacob Moran by fall in the 125-pound bout. Lilledahl led 6-1 through the opening period and added an extra takedown in the second, before pinning Moran with 40 seconds remaining in the period. This was Lilledahl’s first victory by pin of the season and Moran’s first time being pinned.
No. 4 freshman Marcus Blaze extended the Penn State lead in the 133-pound bout. Blaze compiled three takedowns in the first period, two in the second and a final one in the third to sink redshirt junior Blaine Frazier 19-4. This technical fall victory put Penn State ahead 11-0 through two matches.
The first Hoosier takedown of the meet came in the 141-pound bout, when No. 25 redshirt junior Henry Porter took an early 3-0 lead over No. 11 junior Braeden Davis. Davis retaliated with an escape and two takedowns of his own, and led 7-5 after the first buzzer. This lead stretched to 13-7 before the third period, when Davis exploded for 11 points in the final two minutes and secured a 24-10 major decision victory by way of seven takedowns.
No. 1 junior Shayne Van Ness rallied for two takedowns and a near fall for Penn State in the first period of the 149-pound bout. After going scoreless in the second period, Van Ness’ third featured an escape, two takedowns and a near fall, which were good enough to earn a 20-3 technical fall victory over Indiana’s redshirt sophomore Joey Buttler, who tallied three escapes in the bout.
The final bout of the first half was one with a full scorecard, despite ending 16 seconds into the second period. Indiana’s redshirt sophomore Bryce Lowery garnered five points in the opening period, all of which by escape. However, Penn State’s No. 3 freshman PJ Duke was unstoppable in the 157-pound bout, seizing six takedowns in the first period alone. A final takedown early in the second made Duke’s advantage 21-5 and solidified a technical fall victory, giving the Nittany Lions a 25-0 lead after five matches.
The 165-pound bout provided no hope for the Hoosiers, as No. 1 junior Mitchell Mesenbrink pinned No. 19 redshirt junior Tyler Lillard halfway through the second period. Mesenbrink’s two takedowns and two near falls in the first period gave him a 14-1 lead after three minutes, before the fall added six points to the Penn State lead.
Indiana’s redshirt sophomore Orlando Cruz left the mat with just one point in the 174-pound bout against No. 1 senior Levi Haines. Haines conquered Cruz slowly, with a takedown and a near fall in the first period, an escape and a takedown in the second and two takedowns in the third to overwhelm Cruz for another technical fall victory, this time by a final of 17-1.
No. 13 redshirt freshman Sam Goin provided Indiana with its second and third takedowns of the evening, both in the third period. This effort by Goin narrowed the lead of No. 1 sophomore Rocco Welsh in the 184-pound bout and gave Penn State its only victory by decision. The 15-9 score was the narrowest of the meet.
The streak of the Nittany Lions failing to win by technical fall or pin continued in the 197-pound bout, as No. 1 sophomore Josh Barr defeated No. 15 redshirt junior Gabe Sollars by a final of 14-6, adding four more points to the Penn State score by way of major decision. Sollars was awarded zero takedowns in the match, but earned two stall points.
Penn State’s No. 12 freshman Cole Mirasola made quick work of Indiana’s redshirt freshman Caleb Marzolino in the heavyweight bout, ending the match with 14 seconds left in the first period via a 22-6 technical fall victory. These five points extended the Penn State lead for the final time and sealed its 48-0 dual meet victory.
Following the loss to Penn State, Indiana has been shut out twice in three meets and moved to 1-2 in the conference. The Hoosiers will continue the conference schedule, as they return home to take on Michigan State at 2 p.m. Sunday inside Wilkinson Hall in Bloomington.
