Penn State wrestling: 6 Nittany Lions move on to Olympic Team Trials Semifinals

Penn State wrestling is sending six wrestlers to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials semifinals in the challenger bracket on Friday night. The Nittany Lions have a representative in four of the six freestyle weight classes. How did each Penn State wrestler reach Friday night’s session, and what are the projected semifinal matchups awaiting them on the Bryce Jordan Center mats?

Nittany Lion Wrestling Club flexes depth

The Nittany Lion Wrestling Club had 16 athletes participate in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, the most of any wrestling club at the event. After a successful first session, the NLWC still has seven wrestlers alive heading to the semifinals of the challenger bracket Friday night. Six of those seven are former Penn State wrestlers, with Thomas Gilman (Iowa) being the only exception.

The Nittany Lion faithful will see Zain Retherford for the first time at the Olympic Team Trials, as he had a bye to the semifinals. This is thanks, in part, to winning a World Championship at 70 kg in 2023, which is a non-Olympic weight class.

The NLWC still has a wrestler alive at each freestyle weight class. Kyle Dake (74 kg), David Taylor (86 kg) and Kyle Snyder (97 kg) await winners from the challenger bracket in Friday night’s session, as they advance directly to the best-of-three championship series on Saturday.

Penn State wrestling and NLWC quarterfinal results

57 kg:

No. 1 Zane Richards (Illinois RTC) def No. 9 Luke Lilledahl (PSU’ 24) by 5-3 decision

No. 4 Spencer Lee (Hawkeye WC) def No. 5 Nico Megaludis (PSU) by 8-0 decision

No. 2 Thomas Gilman (NLWC) def No. 10 Jax Forrest (Bishop McCort) by 5-4 decision

65 kg:

No. 1 Nick Lee (NLWC) def No. 9 Alec Pantaleo (Cliff Keen WC) by 9-2 decision

No. 4 Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado RTC) def No. 5 Beau Bartlett (NLWC) by 6-2 decision

74 kg:

No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Penn RTC/Sunkist Kids WC) def No. 9 Alex Facundo (NLWC) by 5-3 decision

No. 5 Mitchell Mesenbrink (NLWC) def No. 13 Ladarion Lockett (Cowboy WC) by 13-3 tech

No. 2 Jason Nolf (NLWC) def No. 8 Alex Marinelli (Hawkeye WC) by 7-2 decision

86 kg:

No. 1 Aaron Brooks (NLWC) def No. 9 Connor Mirasola (NLWC) by 11-5 decision

No. 4 Alex Dieringer (Cliff Keen WC) def No. 5 Mark Hall (PSU) by 5-2 decision

No. 3 Trent Hilday (Wolfpack RTC) def No. 6 Carter Starocci (NLWC) by 6-4 decision

125 kg:

No. 3 Greg Kerkvliet (NLWC) def No. 6 Christian Lance by 10-0 tech

Olympic Team Trial semifinal preview:

57 kg:

No. 3 Daton Fix (Cowboy WC) vs No. 2 Thomas Gilman (NLWC)

65 kg:

No. 1 Nick Lee vs No. 4 Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado RTC)

No. 11 Jesse Mendez (Ohio RTC) vs No. 2 Yianni Diakomihalis (Spartan Combat RTC)*

*Winner faces Zain Retherford (NLWC) in 2nd Semifinal

74 kg:

No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Penn RTC/Sunkist Kids WC) vs No. 5 Mitchell Mesenbrink (NLWC)

No. 2 Jason Nolf (NLWC) vs Jarett Jacques (Tiger Style WC)

86 kg:

No. 1 Aaron Brooks (NLWC) vs No. 4 Alex Dieringer (Cliff Keen WC)

125 kg:

No. 3 Greg Kerkvliet (NLWC) vs No. 2 Gwiazdowski (Spartan Combat RTC)

Make sure to follow along with Basic Blues Nation here and on our social media channels for live on-site coverage of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.

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