Penn State freshman vaults into top 10 of rankings after upset win

Top-ranked Penn State wrestling dominated No. 23 Lehigh in a 36-3 rout Sunday at the PPL Center in Allentown. The Nittany Lions won nine of 10 matches, including several notable upsets.

One of the most significant victories for the Nittany Lions came from redshirt freshman Josh Barr, who picked up an 11-3 major decision over the Mountain Hawks’ No. 6 Michael Beard. Shocking the crowd with this explosiveness and power, the 197-pounder is quickly proving to be a force at the weight. 

Now, Barr has jumped into the top 10 following the upset win, going from No. 23 to No. 7 in this week’s InterMat rankings at 197 pounds. The bout was only the third time in 122 matches that Beard has surrendered bonus points. Within the top eight nationally, the upstart Nittany Lion is now firmly in contention for an All-American spot this year.

Barr on his way to earning the starting role for Penn State wrestling

© Sarahbeth Maney / USA TODAY NETWORK

Barr is now 5-0 with a 100% bonus percentage this season. In a competition for the starting spot in the Penn State wrestling lineup coming into the year, Barr proved his worth with a 4-0 outing at the Black Knight Invitational in November. Two of his wins came over Nittany Lion teammates Connor Mirasola and Lucas Cochran, who took the mat against Drexel in the season opener.

Barr’s early season success shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. After all, he was the No. 8 wrestler in his recruiting class. However, the redshirt freshman had to transition to 197 pounds this offseason after four-time NCAA Champion Carter Starocci decided to move up to 184. Many expect Barr to return to his more natural 184 pounds next offseason following Starocci’s departure.

Obviously, depth abounds throughout the Penn State wrestling lineup. Each Nittany Lion has a chance to earn their spot regardless of the competition. However, if Barr continues to surge with his early season momentum, perhaps the move up to 197 will become more permanent. 

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