Season Opener Shut Out for Penn State Over Navy
New season, new faces, new rules, but the Nittany Lion wrestling squad continues to deliver the same result. Penn State kicked off the season with a shutout win over Navy on Sunday afternoon in a sold-out Rec Hall. The 45-0 win got the Nittany Lion veterans off to the start they wanted and proved a good confidence boost for the new kids on the block.
Fun Fact: There’s a new rule this year that lets the coaches decide which weight class kicks off the dual. If the two coaches cannot agree on the same weight class, there will be a coin toss and the winner gets to choose either the weight class at which the match will start or the odd/even matches. The other coach gets to decide whichever option is remaining. So, that’s why this dual kicked off at 141 with No. 3 Nick Lee and boy did he start off the season with a bang.
Lee pinned Navy’s Cody Trubus in 6:16 to send the Rec Hall crowd roaring to its feet. Junior Luke Gardner got the nod at 149 over Jarod Verkleeran for his Penn State dual meet debut. He pinned Jon Park in just one minute and 46 seconds.
Bo Pipher filled in the big shoes waiting for him at 157 with a narrow 7-6 win over Scout Skidgel. Then No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph started his senior season with a tech fall over Navy’s No. 11 Scout Skidgel.
No. 1 Mark Hall wins quickest bout of the day pinning No. 17 Spencer Carey in just 58 seconds. He locked Carey on his feet, took him to his back and after a quick adjustment had the fall and a screaming crowd congratulating him. Redshirt freshman Creighton Edsell took to the mat at 184 with a strong win over Navy’s Andrew Buckley. The two battled evenly for the first period and most of the second keeping the scoring low and close. Edsell finished the bout strong with an escape in the third to take the lead and then a late takedown to seal the deal 5-2.
A much-anticipated debut at 197 was No. 3 Kyle Conel. The senior wrestled three seasons at Kent State University, breaking into the spotlight his junior year going 6-1 as an unseeded wrestler at the 2019 NCAA Championship and placing third. He was granted a medical waiver last year after an early injury, which brings him here to the Rec Hall stage.
Conel spent the first two periods taking solid shots at opponent Jacob Koser, but couldn’t seem to finish the job. The bout started the third period tied up at 2-2 with Conel on bottom. He worked his way to his feet and was able to slip through for a reversal and a 4-2 lead. Koser escaped, but Conel held off his final attempts to leave with the win.
Back for another season at 285 is No. 1 Anthony Cassar. We haven’t forgotten his climb to the top from last year’s NCAA performance and neither has he. He jogged onto the mat with some serious swag in his step and delivered pin over John Bircheier at the 4:41 mark. Brody Teske gave Penn State fans the hope they’ve been waiting for at 125 with the team’s first win at the lightweight matchup in a while. A less than exciting bout, but a 2-1 victory, nonetheless.
Lastly, No. 3 Roman Bravo-Young rounded out the perfect day for the Nittany Lions at 133 with another bonus-point win to end the dual. He notched a 17-6 major decision win over Casey Cobb.
PSU-45, NAVY- 0
141: PSU No. 3 Nick Lee pinned NAVY Cody Trybus, WBF (6:16)
149: PSU 149 Luke Gardner PSU pinned NAVY Jon Park, WBF (1:46)
157: PSU Bo Pipher PSU dec. NAVY Scout Skidgel, 7-6
165: PSU No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph TF NAVY No. 11 Tanner Skidgel, 20-5 (TF; 6:02)
174: PSU No. 1 Mark Hall pinned No. 17 NAVY Spencer Carey, WBF (0:58)
184: PSU Creighton Edsell dec. NAVY Andrew Buckley, 5-2
197: PSU No. 3 Kyle Conel dec. NAVY Jacob Koser, 4-3
285: PSU No. 1 Anthony Cassar pinned NAVY John Birchmeier, WBF (4:41)
125: PSU Brody Teske dec. NAVY Logan Treaster, 2-1
133: PSU No. 3 Roman Bravo-Young maj. dec. NAVY Casey Cobb, 17-6
This Sunday, the Nittany Lions head to West Point, NY to face Army on November 17 at 10 AM.
Fun Fact: There’s a new rule this year that lets the coaches decide which weight class kicks off the dual. If the two coaches cannot agree on the same weight class, there will be a coin toss and the winner gets to choose either the weight class at which the match will start or the odd/even matches. The other coach gets to decide whichever option is remaining. So, that’s why this dual kicked off at 141 with No. 3 Nick Lee and boy did he start off the season with a bang.
Lee pinned Navy’s Cody Trubus in 6:16 to send the Rec Hall crowd roaring to its feet. Junior Luke Gardner got the nod at 149 over Jarod Verkleeran for his Penn State dual meet debut. He pinned Jon Park in just one minute and 46 seconds.
Bo Pipher filled in the big shoes waiting for him at 157 with a narrow 7-6 win over Scout Skidgel. Then No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph started his senior season with a tech fall over Navy’s No. 11 Scout Skidgel.
No. 1 Mark Hall wins quickest bout of the day pinning No. 17 Spencer Carey in just 58 seconds. He locked Carey on his feet, took him to his back and after a quick adjustment had the fall and a screaming crowd congratulating him. Redshirt freshman Creighton Edsell took to the mat at 184 with a strong win over Navy’s Andrew Buckley. The two battled evenly for the first period and most of the second keeping the scoring low and close. Edsell finished the bout strong with an escape in the third to take the lead and then a late takedown to seal the deal 5-2.
A much-anticipated debut at 197 was No. 3 Kyle Conel. The senior wrestled three seasons at Kent State University, breaking into the spotlight his junior year going 6-1 as an unseeded wrestler at the 2019 NCAA Championship and placing third. He was granted a medical waiver last year after an early injury, which brings him here to the Rec Hall stage.
Conel spent the first two periods taking solid shots at opponent Jacob Koser, but couldn’t seem to finish the job. The bout started the third period tied up at 2-2 with Conel on bottom. He worked his way to his feet and was able to slip through for a reversal and a 4-2 lead. Koser escaped, but Conel held off his final attempts to leave with the win.
Back for another season at 285 is No. 1 Anthony Cassar. We haven’t forgotten his climb to the top from last year’s NCAA performance and neither has he. He jogged onto the mat with some serious swag in his step and delivered pin over John Bircheier at the 4:41 mark. Brody Teske gave Penn State fans the hope they’ve been waiting for at 125 with the team’s first win at the lightweight matchup in a while. A less than exciting bout, but a 2-1 victory, nonetheless.
Lastly, No. 3 Roman Bravo-Young rounded out the perfect day for the Nittany Lions at 133 with another bonus-point win to end the dual. He notched a 17-6 major decision win over Casey Cobb.
PSU-45, NAVY- 0
141: PSU No. 3 Nick Lee pinned NAVY Cody Trybus, WBF (6:16)
149: PSU 149 Luke Gardner PSU pinned NAVY Jon Park, WBF (1:46)
157: PSU Bo Pipher PSU dec. NAVY Scout Skidgel, 7-6
165: PSU No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph TF NAVY No. 11 Tanner Skidgel, 20-5 (TF; 6:02)
174: PSU No. 1 Mark Hall pinned No. 17 NAVY Spencer Carey, WBF (0:58)
184: PSU Creighton Edsell dec. NAVY Andrew Buckley, 5-2
197: PSU No. 3 Kyle Conel dec. NAVY Jacob Koser, 4-3
285: PSU No. 1 Anthony Cassar pinned NAVY John Birchmeier, WBF (4:41)
125: PSU Brody Teske dec. NAVY Logan Treaster, 2-1
133: PSU No. 3 Roman Bravo-Young maj. dec. NAVY Casey Cobb, 17-6
This Sunday, the Nittany Lions head to West Point, NY to face Army on November 17 at 10 AM.
