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No. 1 Penn State Wrestling Extends Win Streak With Shutout of Oklahoma

The Nittany Lions won their 72nd straight match with a dominant performance over the Sooners.
Mark Wogenrich|
Penn State Nittany Lions wrestler Levi Haines celebrates his victory at the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships.
Penn State Nittany Lions wrestler Levi Haines celebrates his victory at the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Big Ten Network's Tim Johnson opened Friday's broadcast of the Penn State-Oklahoma wrestling match with a warning to the rest of the sport.

"Is this year perhaps [Penn State coach Cael Sanderson's] best team? Yes, I think it potentially is, and maybe one of the best teams ever assembled in our sport's history," Johnson said on the broadcast.

Top-ranked Penn State opened its campaign for a fifth straight NCAA team title by sweeping No. 22 Oklahoma 45-0 at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Nittany Lions won their 72nd consecutive match dating to the 2020 and moved five wins from breaking Oklahoma State's record for the longest win streak in Division I men's history.

The Nittany Lions introduced a new wrestler in freshman Marcus Blaze, re-introduced a veteran in Aaron Nagao and reminded college wrestling of their star power across the lineup. They also had a bit of a scare at 174 pounds, where top-ranked Levi Haines bounced his chin off his opponent's head 6 seconds into the bout. Haines went into concussion protocol, was cleared and returned to win by fall.

Here's the recap of Penn State's season-opening win over Oklahoma.

197: Connor Mirasola (PSU) dec. No. 8 DJ Parker 12-3

With Josh Barr, ranked No. 1 at the weight class, out with a rib injury, Penn State introduced Connor Mirasola to the dual-meet lineup. The redshirt freshman made a superb debut, scoring four takedowns for a decisive win over Parker, a returning NCAA qualifier who is ranked eighth at 197.

Mirasola, who went 8-0 wrestling open events last season, hit four strong shots from a variety of points. Mirasola also produced a Penn State trademark, finishing two periods with takedowns. Mirasola scored at the buzzer in the second period and spun around Parker's hips with 5 seconds left in the third period to clinch the major.

285: No. 11 Cole Mirasola (PSU) dec. No. 24 Juan Mora 5-2

Following his twin brother in the lineup, Mirasola also made his dual-match debut in fine form. Mirasola scored the only takedown on a smooth shot counter and controlled the pace of the match despite giving up 28 pounds to Mora. Mirasola weighed in at 228 pounds, Mora at 256.

Mirasola went 6-2 in open events last season while gaining weight, which he's still doing. In fact, Connor Mirasola said his brother would get sick from eating. “Putting on weight is harder than a lot of people think, but I put on some size since last season, so I think it’ll be good,” Cole Mirasola said.

125: No. 3 Luke Lilledahl (PSU) dec. Conrad Hendriksen 14-4

The defending Big Ten champ put together a terrific opener, capping it with a superb duck-under move to score a takedown with 5 seconds remaining. Lilledahl hit four takedowns, two in the first period, and demonstrated why his nickname is "Lightning Luke."

Lilledahl, ranked third at 125, dropped for an ankle-grab on one takedown and spun around Henrdriksen quickly for the last takedown. Lilledahl won his third age-group world title in October, becoming the first U.S. men's wrestler to win gold at the U17, U20 and U23 worlds.

133: Marcus Blaze (PSU) dec. Tyson Charmoli 18-3 in 5:13

Penn State's electric true freshman, who won a U20 world title in August, delivered on his recruiting promise as the nation's top-ranked 2025 recruit, according to FloWrestling. Blaze, a four-time state champ from Ohio, began his Penn State career with a technical fall in which he scored five takedowns.

Blaze hit one of those at the edge of the circle, proving that he already has learned plenty from Sanderson and his staff. Blaze entered the opening match unranked but should be in the top 25 soon.

141: No. 11 Aaron Nagao (PSU) dec. Alex Braun 8-5

Nagao, who missed last season with an injury that required surgery, needed just 23 seconds to score his first takedown in more than a year. He did so on a manic scramble, demonstrating that he's fit and healthy this season.

Though he got reversed, the first non-escape points Penn State allowed in the match, Nagao countered with a reversal of his own just six seconds later. He continued to attack, adding another takedown for his firs win since the 2024 NCAA Championships. Nagao was a 2023 All-American at Minnesota.

149: No. 1 Shayne Van Ness (PSU) tech. fall Layton Schneider 20-1 in 5:29

Van Ness, the nation's top-ranked 149-pounder, overwhelmed Schneider from the start. A two-time NCAA bronze medalist, Van Ness scored his first takedown 30 seconds into the bout and finished the period with riding time. He led 14-1 through two periods and finished Schneider by reversing him to back points.

157: Joe Sealey (PSU) tech. fall Landyn Sommer 19-4 in 5:47

In a match of redshirt freshman replacement wrestlers, Sealey got his first Penn State win after going 0-2 in open competition last season. Sealey wrestled in place of projected starter PJ Duke, the true freshman getting back to weight after competing at three world events during the freestyle and winning a U20 title.

Sealey looked sharp in scoring the technical fall over Sommer, who was in Oklahoma's lineup in place of seventh-ranked Rafael Hipolito Jr.

165: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) tech. fall Owen Eck 19-4 in 2:43

Mesenbrink led the nation in technical falls last season with 18 on his way to the 165-pound NCAA title. So how does Mesenbrink begin his junior season? With a first-period technical fall. Mesenbrink improved his career record at Penn State to 56-1. His only loss was to David Carr in the 2024 NCAA final.

174: No. 1 Levi Haines (PSU) pin Carter Schmidt in 4:15

Haines shook off that chin bounce (he wasn't off the mat for long) to pin Schmidt through brute force. Haines twisted Schmidt into a bad spot, then finished the Nittany Lions' first fall of the season.

Haines began his senior season after placing second at the Senior World Championships. The 2024 NCAA champ is the nation's top-ranked wrestler at 174.

184: No. 2 Rocco Welsh (PSU) tech. fall Anders Thompson 19-4

Welsh made his Penn State debut after spending the past two seasons at Ohio State. Welsh lost to Carter Starocci in the 174-pound NCAA final in 2024. This season, he replaced Starocci in Penn State's lineup at 184. Welsh completed the sweep with Penn State's fifth technical fall of the night.

Up next

Penn State returns to the mat Nov. 23 at the Army Black Knight Invitational.

More Penn State Sports

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is the editor and publisher of Penn State on SI, the site for Nittany Lions sports on the Sports Illustrated network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs, three Rose Bowls and one College Football Playoff appearance.

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