Penn State wrestling dominated in its 2023-24 opener, and looks to continue the momentum with two upcoming events.

Penn State wrestling began its quest for a third consecutive national championship with a dominant performance in the Journeymen Collegiate Classic this past Sunday. With the season getting into full swing, the Nittany Lions will look to build on their momentum as they head to West Point for the Black Knight Invite this weekend before returning to Rec Hall next week.

Penn State wrestling dominates Journeymen Collegiate Classic

Penn State cruised through the Journeymen Collegiate Classic last Sunday, going 45-15 as a team. The Nittany Lions had 11 of their 20 wrestlers go a perfect 3-0. Cael Sanderson’s squad had 10 pins, 11 tech falls, and 9 majors throughout the classic.

The biggest surprise of the tournament came when David Evans took down No. 6 CJ Composto (Penn) in a 4-1 sudden victory win at 141. Evans is behind No. 2 Beau Bartlett in the depth chart, but the upset proved just how deep Penn State wrestling is at multiple weight classes.

Other ranked wins include No. 2 Beau Bartlett getting a 15-3 major of No. 12 Malyke Hines (Lehigh) at 141. At 174, No. 1 Carter Starocci teched No. 14 Nick Incontrera (Penn) 21-5. Heavyweight No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet also posted an impressive win over No. 8 Owen Trephan (North Carolina State).

Young Nittany Lions hope to continue strong start at Black Knight Invite

Penn State wrestling will look to continue the momentum this weekend, as a good portion of the team will be traveling to West Point for the Black Knight Invite on November 19. The invitational will also feature wrestlers from Rutgers, Michigan State, Northern Colorado, Buffalo, LIU, Binghamton, Gardner-Webb, and Brown.

Cael Sanderson will not be sending six of Penn State’s top wrestlers to the invitational, however, as they will be preparing for the NWCA All-Star Classic to take place at Rec Hall two days later.

This will be a great opportunity for younger wrestlers to gain experience and potentially compete for starting spots down the road. Penn State wrestling should be favored to win this invitational regardless of who is competing, although it may be closer than normal. The Nittany Lions should still have No. 3 Aaron Nagao (133), No. 2 Beau Bartlett (141), and No. 17 Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) to lead the way.

Penn State returns to Rec Hall for NWCA All-Star Classic

Next week, Penn State wrestling will compete in Rec Hall for the first time this year, with the NWCA All-Star Classic taking place on November 21. This is an all-star exhibition, and the results will not count towards each wrestler’s record and RPI.

Nittany Lions featured in the classic’s matchups are as follows:

149: No. 2 Shayne Van Ness vs. No. 3 Kyle Parco (Arizona State)

157: No. 1 Levi Haines vs. No. 4 Jacori Teemer (Arizona State)

174: No. 1 Carter Starocci vs. No. 3 Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech)

184: No. 2 Bernie Truax vs. No. 1 Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa)

197: No. 1 Aaron Brooks vs. No. 3 Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State)

285: No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet vs. No. 2 Wyatt Hendrickson (Air Force)