The defending champion Penn State wrestling team is anticipated to be the favorite in each dual this season due to their impressive lineup and depth across all 10 weight classes, but this Sunday’s clash with No. 21 Lehigh presents some intriguing storylines. 🤼 MORE COLLEGE WRESTLING 🤼 Here are three essential themes to monitor when […]
The defending champion Penn State wrestling team is anticipated to be the favorite in each dual this season due to their impressive lineup and depth across all 10 weight classes, but this Sunday’s clash with No. 21 Lehigh presents some intriguing storylines.
Here are three essential themes to monitor when the Nittany Lions face their initial ranked opponent of the year at 2 p.m. ET Sunday, Dec. 8. The dual will also be streamed on FloWrestling.org.
Big Ten champ Davis faces first significant challenge at 133 pounds vs. All-American CrookhamÂ
Penn State’s Braden Davis gained recognition last season at 125 pounds, achieving victories over All-Americans Michael DeAugustino, Eric Barnett, and Patrick McKee during the 2024 Big Ten tournament, earning the conference title as a true freshman. His performance solidified his position as the No. 1 seed for the 2024 NCAA tournament, although he ultimately missed the podium after losing to Jore Volk in overtime during the Blood Round. Now, Davis returns, this time weighing in at 133 pounds.
BIG TEN WRESTLING: Full recap and analysis from every match of the 2024 conference tournamentÂ
The sophomore boasts a ranking of No. 10 with a 1-0 record this year after defeating Kyle Waterman from Drexel. His anticipated opponent for the Lehigh dual is No. 1 Ryan Crookham, who will present a unique challenge.
Crookham had a standout season last year and established himself as a contender for the title when he overcame 2023 senior world champion Vito Arujau at the Journeymen Classic and then triumphed again at the EIWA championship. He ended last season at NCAAs in third place after being major decisioned by Arujau in the national semifinals and is currently the top-ranked wrestler in his weight class following the graduation of Arujau and four-time NCAA finalist Daton Fix.
In his only match so far this season, Crookham showcased dominance by tech falling Morgan State’s Kevin Lopez in the first period. He and his 125-pound teammate Sheldon Seymour will be the only two wrestlers statistically favored against Penn State in the opening five weights, so Lehigh will eagerly seek strong performances from both.
Davis presents a gritty and formidable challenge for Crookham, and although he steps in as the clear underdog, this match provides him an opportunity to compete against the nation’s elite and gauge his progress over the past year as both wrestlers pursue their first national titles this season.
Freshman Barr anticipated to clash with former PSU placewinner Beard
While Davis’ match against Crookham will shed light on his standing at 133 pounds, the more significant curiosity in this dual lies with the 197-pound matchup. Penn State has two contenders at this weight — freshman Josh Barr and redshirt junior Lucas Cochran — although Barr is likely to be chosen after his strong performance against Cochran at the Black Knight Invite. His reward? A duel with former Penn State All-American Michael Beard of Lehigh, a talented and composed veteran in the heavyweight division.
UPSETS AGAINST NCAA CHAMPS: The context behind Michael Beard’s win over Max Dean in 2022Â
Beard enters the dual ranked No. 6 nationally, boasting nine wins this year, three against top-15 opponents. After transferring to Lehigh from Penn State in 2022, Beard holds a 2-0 record against Penn State wrestlers, having previously defeated NCAA champion Max Dean 11-9 during his inaugural Penn State vs. Lehigh duel as a Mountain Hawk and then majoring Cochran 20-6 last season. A win over Barr would grant Beard an undefeated career record against his former team in this final confrontation against the Nittany Lions as a senior.
Josh Barr on moving up to 197…from today’s weekly media availability!#PSUwr pic.twitter.com/iRrJrPdMiX
— Penn State WRESTLING (@pennstateWREST) December 2, 2024
Barr, however, will not be a walkover. The redshirt freshman is 4-0 with a perfect bonus point rate, and while he may not have faced the caliber of competition Beard has encountered, his dominant performances against teammates Cochran and Connor Mirasola demonstrate that he is the standout wrestler in the Penn State practice room. Furthermore, Barr benefits from being flanked by two NCAA champions in the lineup, Carter Starocci and Greg Kerkvliet — indicating that he is poised for a breakout season. The pressing uncertainty is whether that breakthrough will manifest against a seasoned opponent like Beard or if it might take Barr more time to acclimate to the weight class and establish his footing against these elite competitors.
Nittany Lion returning champions aim to shine against Mountain HawksÂ
Penn State supporters will gain valuable insights into Barr and Davis’s potential in this dual, but for other wrestlers like returning national champions Levi Haines and Carter Starocci, along with NCAA finalists Mitchell Mesenbrink and Beau Bartlett, the event is less about a test of abilities and more about accumulating bonus points in their early-season campaign for the Hodge Trophy.
2025 CHAMP PREDICTIONS: Here’s who is in the best position to win a title this MarchÂ
Starocci and Mesenbrink currently hold the No. 1 rankings at 184 and 165 pounds, respectively, and are set to face unranked Lehigh competitors in Caden Rogers/Jack Wilt and Zeke Dubler/Richie Grungo/Thayne Lawrence, respectively. Meanwhile, Haines is positioned No. 2 at 174 pounds, trailing two-time NCAA champion Keegan O’Toole, and is matched against unranked Lehigh wrestler Rylan Rogers.
Bartlett ranks No. 3 at his weight class following an NCAA finals defeat to No. 2 Jesse Mendez and the return of 2023 NCAA champion No. 1 Andrew Alirez. On paper, Bartlett could face a ranked opponent in No. 22 Blood Round finisher Malyke Hines — an opponent he has defeated twice previously, including once by bonus points — however, the Mountain Hawks may start junior Carter Bailey instead. Bartlett holds a 1-0 record against Bailey by major decision.
Penn State heavyweight returning national champion Greg Kerkvliet is also atop his weight class, with the potential to face a top-10 contender in No. 10 Owen Trephan, who has never experienced a major decision loss in his college career. Nevertheless, like Hines, Trephan is not listed among the probables. Should Kerkvliet wrestle against Calvin Lachman instead, fans can expect another impressive performance from their veteran heavyweight.
Finally, the last two wrestlers in the Penn State lineup are All-Americans Shayne Van Ness at 149 pounds and Tyer Kasak at 157 pounds, though only Van Ness is expected to face a ranked opponent in No. 29 Kelvin Griffin. The notable aspect at these two weights, however, is less about individual match outcomes and more about how Penn State manages their lineup for 157 pounds. Kasak is anticipated to start after overcoming teammate Alex Facundo at the Black Knight Invite, but both wrestlers appear on the roster. This dual presents an opportunity for the Nittany Lions to triumph regardless of which wrestler head coach Cael Sanderson deploys, allowing either to potentially make a statement through a decisive tech fall or pin.
With all 10 of its wrestlers ranked within the top 33 and eight placed in the top 10, Penn State seems to have once more crafted a squad capable of competing for a national championship. The match against Lehigh will serve as a chance for this deep roster to take on its first ranked dual of the season.
