Top-ranked Penn State closes strong for 19-13 victory over No. 2 Iowa in battle between wrestling powers

IOWA CITY — Small things can make a big impact.

Executing from each position and capitalizing on every opportunity are paramount, especially with a razor-thin margin of error in a rivalry between two of college wrestling’s premier programs.

Top-ranked Penn State managed to convert in more of those key situations. The Nittany Lions won six matches and defeated No. 2 Iowa, 19-13, in a Big Ten Conference dual Friday night in front of a sellout crowd of 14,905 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“Fortunately, it’s January still, even though we’re close to February,” Iowa Coach Tom Brands said. “We’re getting to the end. We have to do a better job. We know that.

“Little things make a big difference.”

The Nittany Lions (14-0, 6-0 Big Ten) took sole possession of first place in the conference duals standings and snapped the Hawkeyes’ dual win streaks of 29 in a row, 22 straight at CHA and 28 against conference foes. Iowa falls to 11-1 overall and 5-1 in the Big Ten.

“I think they showed some toughness,” Penn State Coach Cael Sanderson said of his wrestlers. “They were all in tough matches, obviously. We weren’t looking like we were feeling too great, which is a failure on our part training and preparing them, but they, for the most part, got tough and we won some close matches.”

“Obviously, that’s a really good team, so anytime you can beat Iowa in a dual that’s a good thing. It’s a little bittersweet. You want to get a couple more of those and see a little more energy.”

The dual remained up for grabs entering 197 pounds and Iowa trailing 16-10. The Hawkeyes needed to take the final two matches.

Iowa’s fourth-ranked Jacob Warner took control early and built a three-point lead into the third, keeping the Hawkeyes’ hopes alive, however, second-ranked Max Dean had other thoughts.

Dean scored the final eight points — all in the third — for an 8-3 decision that secured Penn State’s victory with one match left.

“It’s the little things,” Brands said. “It’s finishing. Are we protecting? It seems like, maybe, in some of those matches we protect a little bit too much.

“Anytime you’re waiting, protecting, holding on, and then even Warner at the end of the first period, he gets tight and he’s holding on there and he gets himself in some pickles. As we get into the postseason, those are the things we have to eliminate.”

The pendulum swung to Penn State with three straight wins to build a 10-0 lead.

Seventh-ranked Drew Hildebrandt broke open a close bout with freshman Jesse Ybarra, scoring seven points off a reversal, four nearfall and riding time advantage in the final period for a 9-0 major decision.

The Lions won a pair of exciting bouts of highly ranked wrestlers. Top-ranked and defending national champion Roman Bravo-Young and No. 3 Austin DeSanto butted heads at 133.

DeSanto came out aggressive, but struggled to finish multiple shots against Bravo-Young. DeSanto got on the board with an escape and penalty point for stalling, but Bravo-Young tied the score, converting on a takedown late in the second.

Bravo-Young’s third-period escape was the difference and gave Penn State a 7-0 lead after two matches.

“In my mind, there is a ferocious pace and then there was a little bit of a let-up in the pace in the third period,” Brands said. “You have a stall call on the guy, you got another stall call and a point on the guy, there’s 40 seconds left and we’re holding. That’s un-DeSanto like.”

Brands noted the contrast in their demeanor and wrestling styles. DeSanto was unable to impose his will late.

“One guy is really, really chill. He’s dancing in his warm-up, bobbing and weaving and shuffling his feet,” Brands said. “The other guy is breathing fire in his warm-up and that’s kind of how they wrestle, too.

“We had his back against the wall but we let him off the wall. That’s what I’m talking about.”

At 141, Iowa’s Jaydin Eierman and Nick Lee collided in a rematch of the 2021 NCAA finals. Similar to that battle in March, Lee used a takedown in sudden victory to come out victorious.

Lee scored the decisive points in the first 10 seconds after regulation for a 6-4 decision, increasing the Nittany Lions’ lead to 10-0.

Eierman scored the first point in the second, but Lee answered with two takedowns. Eierman scored a takedown in the final 15 seconds and rode Lee out to erase riding time and force the extra frame.

“He gave up the takedown in short time,” Sanderson said. “Great job by Eierman to send it into overtime. He erased the riding-time point.

“Alright, no one’s won yet, so just keep going. I thought that was a good match between both guys.”

The Hawkeyes answered with three straight wins of their own. Max Murin scored all of his points in the third to beat Beau Bartlett, 5-1, at 149 to get Iowa on the board.

Kaleb Young followed with a 2-0 decision over Terrell Barraclough at 157, using an escape in the second and a third-period ride out for a point.

After the intermission, fifth-ranked Alex Marinelli provided a huge spark for the Hawkeyes. He used three takedowns to score a 10-2 major decision over No. 11 Brady Berge at 165, tying the team score at 10 apiece.

“It felt good but there's more to give,” Marinelli said. “I'm very thankful and blessed to have just a couple days to avenge a loss and get back to where I wanted to be.”

Brands praised Marinelli for rebounding to a tough loss last week at Ohio State.

“He righted the wrong, but we have to keep building, too,” Brands said. “We have to keep doing the things we need to do to make progress as we go into February and into the process.”

Penn State regained its lead at 174 in another NCAA championship rematch. Just like March and at 141, the Nittany Lions won again.

Carter Starocci used an escape in an overtime tiebreaker to edge Iowa’s Michael Kemerer, 2-1.

The pair exchanged escapes in regulation. Kemerer appeared to have a takedown at the end of the two-minute sudden victory period, but officials reviewed and overturned, explaining that time had expired.

“He stayed in there,” Brands said of Kemerer. “We just have to be a little bit sharper on our finishes. That’s the biggest thing.”

Starocci scored in the first of two 30-second tiebreaker periods. He rode out Kemerer for the win. Penn State led 13-10 with three matches remaining.

“The thing about Kemerer is he gets better every time out,” Brands said. “He hasn’t had a lot of mat time (but) it doesn’t matter. He’s been wrestling his whole life.”

NCAA champion Aaron Brooks added a decision at 184 that set up Dean’s opportunity to seal the Nittany Lions’ 25th consecutive dual victory.

With the team result decided, fifth-ranked heavyweight Tony Cassioppi provided one more highlight for Iowa. He closed the dual with a 7-2 decision over No. 3 Greg Kerkvliet.

Cassioppi surrendered the opening takedown but controlled the rest of the match. He scored two takedowns, taking Kerkvliet to his back twice.

“Just wrestle my match, my positions,” Cassioppi said. “He hit me with that double right away. I made adjustments and stopped his next one, so that was important to me. I can’t let that first one take me down. I need to make the adjustment before I need to make the adjustment. I need to be ready ready ready, but I came back and wrestled my match.”

The first five matches, and six total, were scoreless after one period. A Marinelli takedown at 165 was the first points scored in the opening period by either team.

Penn State was more effective in the third period and overtimes. Murin, Marinelli and Cassioppi were Iowa’s strongest examples of coming through in the third.

“Just composure,” Marinelli said about the late scores. “Just the will to win, fight and sometimes you don’t come out on top. It’s the will to win and stay in good position at all times.”

The Hawkeyes were without freshman Drake Ayala at 125. Brands didn’t elaborate on why Ayala was not in the lineup.

“The status of him is he’s ready to go when he’s ready to go,” Brands said. “Medical (staff), coaches and more importantly Drake Ayala will be the one that makes that call.

“We love him in our program and we know that our team’s good with him in there.”

Iowa hosts Wisconsin next Saturday at 2 p.m.

AT IOWA CITY

Penn State 19, Iowa 13

125 pounds - Drew Hildebrandt (PSU) major dec. Jesse Ybarra, 9-0; 133 - Roman Bravo-Young (PSU) dec. Austin DeSanto, 3-2; 141 - Nick Lee (PSU) dec. Jaydin Eierman, 6-4 SV1; 149 - Max Murin (I) dec. Beau Bartlett, 5-1; 157 - Kaleb Young (I) dec. Terrell Barraclough, 2-0; 165 - Alex Marinelli (I) major dec. Brady Berge, 10-2; 174 - Carter Starocci (PSU) dec. Michael Kemerer, 2-1 TB1; 184- Aaron Brooks (PSU) dec. Abe Assad, 8-3; 197 - Max Dean (PSU) dec. Jacob Warner, 8-3; Hwt. - Tony Cassioppi (I) dec. Greg Kerkvliet, 7-2.