Penn State wrestling anticipates future activities
There are two Penn State wrestling tournaments scheduled for the upcoming days. Coach Cael Sanderson will bring his quad to Army West Point’s Black Knight Invite on Sunday. On Tuesday, Nov. 21, in Rec Hall, six Nittany Lions will compete in the NWCA All-Star Classic Exhibition in addition to the team’s trip to West Point, N.Y.
The match is not included in Penn State’s season ticket package, is not a collegiate match, and is not based on wrestler records or RPI.
Penn Staters Shayne Van Ness (149), Levi Haines (157), Carter Starocci (174), Bernie Truax (184), Aaron Brooks (197), and Greg Kerkvliet (285), among others, are scheduled to compete in the all-star meet, which is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
Penn State is coming off a fantastic showing in the Journeymen Collegiate Classic round-robin last Sunday in Bethlehem. With 11 of their 20 wrestlers going undefeated (3-0), the Nittany Lions finished 45–15 overall, with 10 falls, 11 technical falls, and nine majors. Leading the Nittany Lions, Shayne Van Ness went 3-0 with three falls at 149.
Although the six Nittany Lions participating in the NWCA exhibition on Tuesday will not be competing at Army, Penn State will field up to fifteen wrestlers. The following list may include the final Nittany Lion entrants, which will be officially announced the morning of the event: Braeden Davis, Gary Steen, and Robert Howard are at 125; Aaron Nagao, Baylor Shunk, and Sean Wang are at 133; Beau Bartlett, David Evans, and Tyler Kasak are at 141; Connor Pierce and Imran Heard are at 149; Mitchell Mesenbrink, Terrell Barraclough, and Matt Lee are at 165; Brian Borden is at 174; Donovon Ball and Josh Barr are at 184; and Lucas Cochran is at 197 as well.
The schools sending wrestlers to West Point include Buffalo, Rutgers, LIU, Gardner-Webb, Binghamton, Brown, Northern Colorado, and Michigan State.
Tuesday, November 21 at 7 p.m. is when the NWCA All-Star Classic will take place at Rec Hall. Four women’s freestyle matches and ten collegiate demonstrations are planned for the showcase.
The following six Nittany Lion exhibitions (as of 11/14/23) are scheduled, though lineups are subject to last-minute modifications: No. 2 Shayne Van Ness vs. No. 3 Kyle Parco, Arizona State, at 149; No. 1 Levi Haines vs. No. 4 Jacori Teemer, Arizona State, at 157; No. 1 Carter Starocci vs. No. 3 Mekhi Lewis, Virginia Tech, at 174; No. 2 Bernie Truax vs. No. 1 Parker Keckeisen, Northern Iowa, at 184; No.
The Nittany Lions open up dual meet competition by hosting Lehigh in Rec Hall on Sunday, Dec. 3.
