Iowa falls to No. 1 Penn State in wrestling

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Iowa wrestling coach Tom Brands made no excuses Friday night.

His second-ranked Hawkeye wrestling team simply didn’t win enough, even when it had opportunities.

“We have to take our medicine in this loss,” he said after a 23-14 loss to top-ranked Penn State, snapping the Hawkeyes’ 15-dual win streak.

Iowa won three of the first four bouts, getting a technical fall from Spencer Lee at 125 pounds and decisions from Real Woods at 141 and Max Murin at 149.

That gave Iowa an 11-9 lead heading into intermission and Patrick Kennedy made it 14-9 with a 2-1 overtime victory at 165.

But the Nittany Lions won the final four bouts to notch their 39th straight dual win in front of a record-tying 15,998 fans at the Bryce Jordan Center.

After giving up a takedown, the top-ranked Lee rolled to a first-period technical fall victory over Marco Vespa, getting a reversal and four four-point near falls to win 18-2.

It was Lee’s 49th straight win and his 11th bonus point victory in 11 matches this season.

Penn State’s top-ranked Roman Bravo-Young, leading 7-2, put Brody Teske in a cradle off a scramble and scored a pin with 11 seconds left in the bout.

Woods followed with a 4-1 win over No. 8 Beau Bartlett, handing the Nittany Lion his first loss of the season Murin topped Shayne Van Ness, 4-1, in his return to his home state.

Penn State then scored a pair of one-point victories — No. 6 Levi Haines edged Cobe Siebrecht, 3-2, at 157 and top-ranked Carter Starocci won a 2-1 over Nelson Brands at 174.

Starocci used 1:12 of riding time to post the victory.

Top-ranked Aaron Brooks posted a 22-7 technical fall over Drake Rhodes and No. 4 Max Dean nipped No. 7 Jacob Warner at 197, 2-0.

Second-ranked Greg Kerkvliet closed out the dual with a 4-1 victory over No. 3 Tony Cassioppi at heavyweight.

It was those close losses that hurt the Hawkeyes’ chances.

“We took our medicine too much in some positions during that match and you can never take that medicine when that match is going and the clock is ticking,” Brands said. “That happened too much, and we have to get better.”

PENN STATE 23, IOWA 14

125 — Spencer Lee (I) tech. fall Marco Vespa, 18-2 (2:14); 133 — Roman Bravo-Young (PSU) pinned Brody Teske, 6:49; 141 — Real Woods (I) dec. Beau Bartlett, 4-1; 149 — Max Murin (I) dec. Shayne Van Ness, 4-1; 157 — Levi Haines (PSU) dec. Cobe Siebrecht, 3-2; 165 — Patrick Kennedy (I) dec. Alex Facundo, 2-1 (OT); 174 — Carter Starocci (PSU) dec. Nelson Brands, 2-1; 184 — Aaron Brooks (PSU) tech. fall Drake Rhodes, 22-7; 197 — Max Dean (PSU) dec. Jacob Warner, 2-0; Hwt. — Greg Kerkvliet (PSU) dec. Tony Cassioppi, 4-1

Attendance: 15,998