Penn State Wrestling: No. 1 Tyler Kasak Injured in Nittany Lions' Win Vs. Maryland

Kasak, the nation's top-ranked wrestler at 157 pounds, takes injury default in the Nittany Lions' 35-10 win over the Terrapins.

Penn State wrestler Tyler Kasak is pictured during the Nittany Lions' match vs. the Iowa Hawkeyes at the Bryce Jordan Center. / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

The No. 1 Penn State wrestling team cruised past Maryland 35-10 in a Big Ten dual Sunday but lost one of its unbeaten wrestlers during the match. Tyler Kasak, the nation's top-ranked wrestler at 157 pounds, was forced to take an injury default vs. the Terrapins' Ethen Miller in a matchup between unbeaten wrestlers at Rec Hall.

Miller bumped Kasak above the right eye, where Kasak had sustained a gash Feb. 2 against Iowa, sending the Penn State wrestler to the mat. Kasak was placed in the concussion protocol and could not complete the bout, giving Miller the win and six team points by injury default.

Sanderson told reporters in State College after that match that he wasn't "entirely sure" about Kasak's condition or timetable. "But obviously we've got a lot of time before the conference tournament and whatever, so he should be good to go. He's a tough dude. If he's kind of falling down like that and he's hurting, he's hurting obviously."

No. 1 Tyler Kasak (Penn State) injury defaults to No. 6 Ethan Miller (Maryland) after taking a hit to the face. Hope he's okay. pic.twitter.com/TGqQFD71Qv

— Saturday Night Lights (@WrestlingSNL) February 9, 2025

Kasak's injury was the most noteworthy moment in Penn State's otherwise comfortable win, its 68th in a row. The Nittany Lions did not allow a takedown for the second consecutive match, scored bonus points in six of its eight wins and lost only one bout, in which a backup wrestler competed. In weekend wins over Michigan and Maryland, Penn State outscored its opponents 49-0 in takedowns. Penn State had 29 takedowns vs. Maryland on Sunday in its 40th consecutive Big Ten win.

Kasak (13-1) became the No. 1 wrestler according to InterMat after defeating Iowa's Jacori Teemer 5-2 in their Feb. 2 dual at the Bryce Jordan Center. During that bout, Kasak sustained a gash over his right eye but finished the bout. He also took injury time in his 7-2 win Friday over Michigan's Zack Mattin but finished that bout as well. Penn State has three regular-season matches remaining before the Big Ten Championships on March 8-9.

Penn State (12-0) got technical falls from Luke Lilledahl (125), Shayne Van Ness (149), Mitchell Mesenbrink (165), Carter Starocci (184) and Josh Barr (197). At heavyweight, Greg Kerkvliet defeated former Penn State teammate Seth Nevills 8-3.

Penn State Vs. Maryland Bout by Bout

125: Penn State's Luke Lilledahl (13-1) hit a takedown within 20 seconds, his first of five in the bout vs. Maryland's Tyler Garvin. Lilledahl spun his second takedown into back points en route to a 20-4 technical fall, his eighth bonus-point win of the season. Lilledahl won by fall against Michigan on Friday.

133: Penn State's Braeden Davis, ranked seventh at 133, did not wrestle for the third consecutive match after sustaining an injury vs. Rutgers. Maryland's Braxton Brown defeated Penn State's Kyison Garcia 8-1 without scoring a takedown. Brown hit a reversal and later compiled six near-fall points for the decision. Sanderson told reporters after the match that Davis was held out as a precaution

141: Penn State's Beau Bartlett (15-0) went on a scoring binge in a 17-3 major decision over Maryland's Dario Lemus. Bartlett scored a takedown 7 seconds in the bout and kept the pressure on, just missing a late takedown for the technical fall.

149: Penn State's Shayne Van Ness (14-1) generated his fourth technical fall of the season, finishing Maryland's Kal Miller at the third-period buzzer 17-2. The third-ranked Van Ness went for the late pin but just missed.

157: Kasak met Maryland's Ethen Miller in a matchup of top-six unbeaten wrestlers. Kasak entered the bout 13-0 and ranked No. 1; Miller was sixth at 17-0. Neither wrestler scored in the first period, and Kasak escaped in the second to take a 1-0 lead. Late in the second period, Kasak took contact to the head, immediately prompting him into the concussion protocol. Kasak was unable to continue, and Miller won by injury default at 4:21.

165: Penn State's Mitchell Mesenbrink (16-0) scored his 13th technical fall of the season, finishing Maryland's Alex Uryniak 18-3 in 4:59. The top-ranked Mesenbrink has won all 14 of the bouts he has wrestled this season by at least 14 points. Michigan's Beau Mantanona is the only wrestler to go 7 minutes with Mesenbrink this season. The Penn State sophomore won their bout 18-4 on Friday.

174: No. 2 Levi Haines didn't have his best stuff against Maryland's Branson John but still won 8-1. John avoided giving up a takedown in the first period, while Haines (14-1) rode for the entire second period. Haines got some offense going in the third period, hitting two takedowns for the comfortable win.

184: Top-ranked Carter Starocci won his 20th consecutive bout with ease, scoring a 20-3 technical fall over No. 12 Jaxon Smith. Starocci (15-0) scored his first takedown less than 30 seconds into the first period and never relented. He scored four of his points via stalling.

197: Josh Barr followed his Friday win over second-ranked Jacob Cardenas of Michigan with a landslide. Barr (12-1) scored a 17-2 technical fall over Chase Mielnik, finishing the bout with a seven-point move in the second period. The technical fall was Barr's fourth of the season.

285: In a matchup of former teammates, Penn State's second-ranked Greg Kerkvliet handled No. 12 Seth Nevills 8-3. Nevills, who spent four seasons at Penn State before transferring to Maryland last year, kept the bout relatively close after giving up takedowns in the first and second periods.

Up Next

Penn State goes on the road next weekend for a pair of matches against Ohio State (Feb. 14) and Illinois (Feb. 16). Big Ten Network will carry the Penn State vs. Ohio State match.

Penn State 35, Maryland 10

125: Luke Lilledahl (PSU) tech. fall Tyler Garvin 20-4 in 3:42

133: Braxton Brown (M) dec. Kyison Garcia 9-1

141: Beau Bartlett (PSU) dec. Dario Lemus 17-3

149: Shayne Van Ness (PSU) tech. fall Kal Miller 17-2 in 7:00

157: Ethen Miller (M) injury default over Tyler Kasak 4:41

165: Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) tech. fall Alex Uryniak 18-3 in 4:59

174: Levi Haines (PSU) dec. Branson John 8-1

184: Carter Starocci (PSU) tech. fall Jaxon Smith 20-3 in 6:45

197: Josh Barr (PSU) tech. fall Chase Mielnik 17-2 in 4;36

285: Greg Kerkvliet (PSU) dec. Seth Nevills 8-3

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