Penn State Wrestling Turns Toward the 2024 Olympics This Weekend
Penn State's Greg Kerkvliet, the nation's top-ranked college heavyweight, headlines a group of Nittany Lions wrestlers competing at the 2023 U.S. Senior Nationals this weekend in Fort Worth, Texas. Eight members of Penn State's top-ranked wrestling team will compete in the event seeking spots at next year's U.S. Olympic Team Trials in State College.
According to USA Wrestling, 125 wrestlers are will be in Fort Worth pursuing the next phase of qualifying for the 2024 U.S. men's freestyle wrestling team. The top five wrestlers in each weight class receive invitations to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which the Bryce Jordan Center will host in April.
Kerkvliet, InterMat's No. 1 heavyweight, leads a group of eight Nittany Lions at Senior Nationals. Beau Bartlet, Tyler Kasak and Timothy Levine are competing in the 65 kg men's freestyle weight class. Alex Facundo and Terrell Barraclough will wrestle at 74 kg, while Bernie Truax and Donovan Ball compete at 86 kg. Kerkvliet is among the contenders in a stacked field at 125 kg.
Kerkvliet, the returning NCAA runner-up, is 4-0 this season with a major decision and technical fall. A 2017 U17 world champion, Kerkvliet will challenge Dom Bradley, a 2023 Pan-Am Games champion, for the Senior title.
Bartlett (No. 2 at 141 pounds, according to InterMat), Kasak and Levin are competing in a 65 kg weight class that USA Wrestling described as "very deep." It includes National Team member Joey McKenna, NCAA champions Seth Gross and Anthony Ashnault and 2023 NCAA champ Andrew Alirez.
Facundo, who is taking an Olympic redshirt from college competition this season, is competing at 74 kg with a U20 national title under his belt. Barraclough is 6-1 at 165 for Penn State.
Truax (No. 2 nationally at 184 pounds) is in another loaded field at 86 kg. The three-time All-American will compete against former Penn State national champions Mark Hall and Max Dean. Ball is 1-2 for the Lions this season.
Nico Megaludis, an NCAA champ at Penn State, is in the 57 kg field that includes Spencer Lee and Nick Suriano.
The No. 1 Penn State wrestling team is off until Jan. 5, when it visits No. 20 Oregon State in a cross-county dual.
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