RECAP //
— Penn State WRESTLING (@pennstateWREST) January 29, 2022
Penn State wins B1G Battle of the Unbeatens //
Nittany Lions take down Hawkeyes in Iowa City //
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Nittany Lions win battle of Big Ten unbeatens in Iowa City
IOWA CITY, Iowa ? The Penn State Nittany Lions (14-0, 6-0 B1G) ranked No. 1 in the latest InterMat Tournament Power Index (TPI), defeated homestanding Iowa (11-1, 5-1 B1G) 19-13 in a showdown of the Big Ten's last two unbeaten teams. Iowa entered the dual ranked No. 2 in dual meets and No. 3 in TPI by InterMat.
Penn State won three straight bouts to start the dual, but Iowa answered with three wins of its own to tie the dual meet at 10-10 after six matches. Another Nittany Lions three-win streak from 174 to 197 allowed Penn State to secure the victory.
Senior Drew Hildebrandt (Granger, Ind.), ranked No. 7 at 125, opened up the dual with a major decision, using four late back points and riding time to roll to a 9-0 major over Jesse Ybarra. Senior Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.), ranked No. 1 at 133, scored all three of his points in the second period (an escape and a takedown) to notch a hard-fought 3-2 win over No. 3 Austin DeSanto. Bravo-Young's victory gave Penn State an early 7-0 lead.
Senior Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 1 at 141, used a quick takedown in extra time to post a thrilling 6-4 (sv) win over No. 2 Jaydin Eierman to make it three straight out of the gates for Penn State. Penn State led 10-0. Sophomore Beau Bartlett (Tempe, Ariz.), ranked No. 19 at 149, lost a tough 4-1 decision to No. 10 Max Murin as the Hawkeyes cut Penn State's lead to 10-3. Sophomore Terrell Barraclough (Kaysville, Utah) battled No. 12 Kaleb Young for seven tough minutes at 157 but dropped a 2-0 decision. Penn State carried a 10-6 lead into the halftime break.
Senior Brady Berge (Mantorville, Minn.), ranked No. 11 at 165, suffered a 10-2 major decision loss to No. 5 Alex Marinelli and Iowa tied the dual at 10-10. Sophomore Carter Starocci (Erie, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 174, retook the lead for Penn State. The Lion sophomore won a thrilling 2-1 (tb) match over No. 2 Michael Kemerer, escaping quickly in his tie-breaker period and holding Kemerer for the full :30 to win the match. His victory put Penn State up 13-10. Junior Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Md.), ranked No. 1 at 184, added to Penn State's lead with a dominant 8-3 win over No. 17 Abe Assad to put the Nittany Lions up 16-10.
Junior Max Dean (Lowell, Mich.), ranked No. 2 at 197, clinched the dual with a thrilling comeback victory. Dean, trailing 3-0 after two periods, scored eight unanswered points in the third period to post an 8-3 victory over No. 4 Jacob Warner. Dean used an escape, a stall point, a takedown and four near fall points as the bout ended to put Penn State up 19-10 and secure the team win. Sophomore Greg Kerkvliet (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.), ranked No. 3 at 285, led early over No. 5 Tony Cassioppi but dropped a tough 7-2 decision in the dual's final bout, making the final score 19-13 in Penn State's favor.
Penn State owned a slim 10-8 edge in takedowns and picked up one bonus point on Hildebrandt's major. The win snapped Iowa's 29-dual overall win streak and 22-dual win streak at home.
Penn State is now 14-0 overall, 6-0 in Big Ten action. Iowa falls to 11-1, 5-1 B1G. The Nittany Lions close out Big Ten action next weekend at home. Penn State hosts Ohio State on Friday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m. in the 2022 BJC Dual. The team then hosts Nebraska on Sunday, Feb. 6, at 12 p.m. in Rec Hall. Both events are B1G Network national telecasts.