PREVIEW: Penn State wrestling opens dual season with top 20 matchup

Penn State wrestling opens the dual season with a matchup against in-state rival No. 20 Lehigh. The Nittany Lions begin their quest for a third consecutive national championship and the 11^th in the past 13 seasons.

Sunday’s dual should be a good early test for Penn State wrestling. What should we expect to see from Cael Sanderson and the Nittany Lions this weekend?

Previewing Penn State wrestling vs. Lehigh

Lehigh is currently ranked No. 20 in both the coaches poll and Intermat’s Tournament rankings. The Mountain Hawks are also ranked No. 24 in Intermat’s Dual rankings. Lehigh is 0-1 on the season after a 21-12 loss to No. 23 Pittsburgh in Bethlehem.

The matchup will be a good early-season test for the depth of the Nittany Lions lineup, because the Mountain Hawks have 7 ranked wrestlers this season.

This is historically probably the two best programs in Pennsylvania collegiate wrestling. Lehigh always has top wrestlers that do well at the NCAA Tournament in the spring. Penn State wrestling leads the all-time series 73-34-3. Last season, the Nittany Lions took home a decisive 24-12 victory at Lehigh.

Penn State has a ton of depth this season and may be one of the best teams that Cael Sanderson has ever had in Happy Valley. Heading into this dual, the Nittany Lions currently have four wrestlers ranked No. 1, three wrestlers ranked No. 2, and one more at No. 3.

Match to Watch

133 No. 3 Aaron Nagao (PSU) vs No. 5 Ryan Crookham (LEH)

This is the only top-five matchup in the dual, but it should be an exciting one. Redshirt sophomore Aaron Nagao is currently 4-0 to start the season and will be wrestling for the first time in Rec Hall. The Minnesota transfer finished 22-6 last season and was the Big Ten runner-up and National All-American (5^th) in 2023.

Ryan Crookham redshirted last season but finished 2023 with an 8-1 record. This year, he is off to an impressive 7-0 start and is a contender for the 133-pound title. Nagao has an opportunity to solidify his name on the long list of potential individual national champions for Penn State wrestling in 2024. It will need to start by taking down a talented top-five opponent.

Projected Lineups

125: Robert Howard/Gary Steen/Braeden Davis (PSU) vs No. 33 Luke Stanich (LEH)

133: No. 3 Aaron Nagao (PSU) vs No. 5 Ryan Crookham/Connor McGonagle (LEH)

141: No. 2 Beau Bartlett (PSU) vs No. 10 Malyke Hines (LEH)

149: No. 2 Shayne Van Ness (PSU) vs Matt Repos (LEH)

157: No. 1 Levi Haines (PSU) vs No. 24 Max Brignola (LEH)

165: No. 16 Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) vs No. 32 Jake Logan (LEH)

174: No. 1 Carter Starocci (PSU) vs Thayne Lawrence (LEH)

184: No. 2 Bernie Truax (PSU) vs Caden Rogers (LEH)

197: No. 1 Aaron Brooks (PSU) vs No. 10 Michael Beard (LEH)

285: No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet (PSU) vs No. 12 Nathan Taylor (LEH)

Penn State vs. Lehigh predictions:

125: No. 33 Luke Stanich (LEH) by Decision

133: No. 3 Aaron Nagao (PSU) by Decision

141: No. 2 Beau Bartlett (PSU) by Decision

149: No. 2 Shayne Van Ness (PSU) by Pin

157: No. 1 Levi Haines (PSU) by Major

165: No. 16 Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) by Decision

174: No. 1 Carter Starocci (PSU) by Pin

184: No. 2 Bernie Truax (PSU) by Tech Fall

197: No. 1 Aaron Brooks (PSU) by Major

285: No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet (PSU) by Major

FINAL SCORE:

Penn State 38  – Lehigh 3

Where to Watch?

Date: Sunday, December 3, 2023

Time: 2:00 pm ET

TV: Big Ten Network (BTN)

Venue: Rec Hall – Tickets are available on Ticketmaster

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