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Penn State Completes Another Undefeated Season Under Cael Sanderson

The Lions take a 17-0 record and the Big Ten regular-season title into the postseason.

Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson completed his sixth undefeated dual-meet season with a shutout over Rider on Sunday.

The top-ranked Lions blanked Rider 45-0 at Rec Hall to finish the regular season at 17-0. Penn State has won 28 consecutive dual meets dating to January 2020, forging the nation's longest win streak.

Sanderson, in his 16th season as Penn State's head coach, has guided his teams to undefeated dual-meet records six times since 2015. That includes a 6-0 record in the shortened 2021 season. Penn State is 93-2 in dual meets the past eight seasons. Sanderson also won 17 matches for the second time in his career.

The Lions wrestled without starter Aaron Brooks (184 pounds), while Brady Berge began his shift to 157 for the postseason. The lineup had little trouble with Rider, scoring bonus points in eight bouts, with Drew Hildebrandt (125), Max Dean (197) and Greg Kerkvliet (285) getting falls.

Penn State already had clinched the Big Ten's regular-season title and now look toward the Big Ten championships March 5-6 at the University of Nebraska. The NCAA championships are scheduled for March 17-19 in Detroit.

Penn State 45, Rider 0

157: No. 11 Brady Berge (PSU) dec. Cole McComas 14-4.

165; Creighton Edsell (PSU) dec. Michael Wilson 7-6.

174: No. 1 Carter Starocci (PSU) dec. Shane Reitsma 22-9.

184: Donovan Ball (PSU) dec. Corey Connolly 12-3.

197: No. 1 Max Dean (PSU) pin Azeem Bell :54.

285: No. 5 Greg Kerkvliet (PSU) pin David Szuba 1:11.

125: No. 5 Drew Hildebrandt (PSU) pin Tyler Klinsky 2:59.

133: No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young (PSU) tech. fall Richie Koehler 26-11 (6:08).

141: No. 1 Nick Lee (PSU) dec. No. 25 Quinn Kinner 6-3.

149: No. 19 Beau Bartlett (PSU) dec. Bryan Miraglia 12-4.

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