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Penn State Wrestling Routs Ohio State to Clinch Big Ten Regular-Season Title

The top-ranked Nittany Lions dominated the No. 2 Buckeyes for their 85th consecutive victory.
Mark Wogenrich|
Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling coach Cael Sanderson reacts during a dual against the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling coach Cael Sanderson reacts during a dual against the Iowa Hawkeyes. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The top-ranked Penn State wrestling team routed hamstrung Ohio State 36-5 on Friday, winning its NCAA-record 85th consecutive match and clinching its sixth straight Big Ten regular-season title. The conference dual-meet title was Penn State coach Cael Sanderson's 12th in 17 years.

Penn State broke its own NCAA indoor attendance record for the match, welcoming more than 16,000 fans to the Bryce Jordan Center for the first time in program history. And though the 16,006 in attendance reveled in the win, they didn't get the 1-2 matchup initially promised.

Second-ranked Ohio State (17-1) wrestled without three starters, including top-ranked Brandon Cannon (157 pounds). Still, the Nittany Lions won made it entertaining, winning overtime bouts at 125, 133 and 285 and getting a comeback victory from former Buckeye Rocco Welsh at 184.

Here's the recap as Penn State improved to 14-0 on the season and completed a perfect 8-0 Big Ten season.

RELATED: At 46, Cael Sanderson still wrestles with purpose

125: No. 1 Luke Lilledahl (PS) dec. No. 2 Nic Bouzakis 4-1 SV

Lilledahl scored his first takedown a half-second after the third period expired. He then scored the winner, which counted, in sudden victory to hand Bouzakis his first dual-match loss of the season.

Lilledahl hit a pair of single-leg shots but just didn't have time to convert the first, as time ran out in the third period. So he repeated the move in sudden victory, when he had time to circle Bouzakis and gain control. It was a superb stretch for Lilledahl, who improved to 16-0.

The bout began with an impressive flurry that illustrated the strengths of both wrestlers. Lilledahl took a superbly quick counter shot in the first period that Bouzakis nearly countered himself. But Lilledahl scrambled out of of trouble, leading to a scoreless first period.

Lilledahl was more active offensively, however, turning that aggressiveness into the late flurries that led to the victory. The former high school teammates (they spent a year together ay Wyoming Seminary in Pennsylvania) likely will see each other again in the Big Ten final.

133: No. 4 Marcus Blaze (PS) dec. No. 2 Ben Davino (OS) 3-2 TB

Blaze's undefeated season appeared to be in jeopardy when Davino, his unbeaten counterpart, escaped nine seconds into the first tiebreaker. But Blaze, who had not wrestled past seven minutes this season, got the last word with the winning reversal in the second tiebreaker period.

Blaze (18-0) freed himself from Davino's ride with a remarkably slippery move that he shifted into control on top. Blaze then rode Davino (22-1) for the final seconds for the biggest win of his impressuve season.

Earlier in the bout, Blaze avoided giving up a takedown when Davino had the freshman on one leg. But Blaze maintained his balance and made gasp to circle Davino as both wrestlers went out of bounds. That bit of savvy defense set up the win. And Penn State won the two tossups in overtime.

No. 1 Jesse Mendez (OS) tech. fall No. 12 Braeden Davis 18-2 in 5:49

Before Mitchell Mesenbrink too the mat, Mendez (18-0) sought to make his case for the Hodge Trophy as the nation's top wrestler. And he just overpowered Davis, scoring nine points in the second period for the dominant technical fall.

Mendez, the two-time defending NCAA champ, barely allowed Davis to breathe, nearly pinning him at one point. His win cut Penn State's lead to 6-5.

No. 1 Shayne Van Ness (PS) tech. fall Brogan Fielding 20-5 in 6:17

Van Ness didn't get a matchup with sixth-ranked Ethan Stiles, who was out of Ohio State's lineup. Instead, top-ranked Van Ness dominated Fielding for his eighth technical fall of the season.

Van Ness (17-0) attacked Fielding as he has every other opponent this season, clinching the technical with a pair of third-period takedowns. He needed the last takedown after getting called for locked hands while working for back points. Van Ness' win gave the Nittany Lions an 11-5 lead.

157: No. 4 PJ Duke (PS) pin Daxton Chase 3:28

Ohio State expects Brandon Cannon, the top-ranked wrestler at 157, back from injury for the Big Ten Tournament. But Cannon didn't wrestle Friday, so Duke matched up with Chase, a redshirt freshman with a 7-6 record.

Duke (15-1) was expectedly dominant, scoring five takedowns in the first period for a 15-4 lead. He then pivoted to killer mode, turning his sixth takedown into the fall. Duke has eight falls in his first college season, meaning he has pinned half the wrestlers he has faced. Penn State extended its lead to 17-5 at the intermission.

165: No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (PS) dec. No. 16 Paddy Gallagher 12-2

Mesenbrink didn't look entirely thrilled with his major decision, particularly since he was looking for the technical fall. Still, Mesenbrink maintained his 100-percent bonus-point season, doing so by compiling nearly 4 minutes of riding time.

Mesenbrink (18-0) could have played takedown and pick-up with Gallagher. Instead, he tried to turn Gallagher for back points or the fall before going after the late technical fall.

174: No. 1 Levi Haines (PS) tech. fall T.J. Schierl 16-1 in 4:16

Haines was expected to meet Ohio State's fifth-ranked Carson Kharchla, who was not in the lineup. So instead, he scored the ninth technical fall of his season.

Haines (17-0) really wanted the second-period pin, but Schierl did well to stay off his back through two withering stretches. Haines looked to have Schierl locked the second time, but the Ohio State redshirt sophomore wriggled out to give up only the technical.

184: No. 1 Rocco Welsh (PS) dec. No. 8 Dylan Fishback 7-6

Welsh, the former Ohio State wrestler, appeared to point at the Buckeyes' corner after scoring the go-ahead takedown with 15 seconds left in the third period. The score capped a manic rally from the undefeated Welsh, who was an NCAA finalist with Ohio State two years ago.

Fishback, who transferred from N.C. State to Ohio State, scored the opening takedown against Welsh and effectively led 5-1 in the third with riding time locked. But Welsh scored his first takedown on a counter with 1:07 left, then delivered the winner on a relentless attack in the waning seconds.

It was an entertaining win for Welsh, who improved to 16-0.

197: No. 1 Josh Barr (PS) dec. No. 10 Luke Geog 11-2

Barr (15-0) also kept his 100-percent bonus-point rate going, scoring his fourth major decision and 15th bonus-point win of the season. This was a reliably Barr performance, with the sophomore scoring three takedowns and controlling the bout through riding time.

Barr's win continued Penn State's overwhelming national dominance from 165-97, where the Nittany Lions are a combined 66-0.

285: No. 12 Cole Mirasola dec. No. 3 Nick Feldman 4-1 SV

Mirasola punctuated a fabulous night for Penn State wrestling, hitting a monster takedown in sudden victory for his biggest win of the season. Mirasola and Feldman were tied a 1-1 after three periods, but the Penn State redshirt freshman still appeared to have fresh legs for the finish.

Mirasola (13-4) countered a Feldman shot and hit him with a huge blast to secure the Nittany Lions' third overtime win of the night. And after consecutive ranked losses, Mirasola beat the highest-ranked wrestler of his career.

Up next

Penn State hosts Princeton on Feb. 20 at Rec Hall to conclude the dual-meet season. The Nittany Lions then will host the Big Ten Championships on March 7-8 at the Bryce Jordan Center.

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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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