Penn State’s Nick Lee, right, reacts after beating Iowa’s Jaydin Eierman in sudden victory at 141 pounds during Friday night’s dual between the top two teams in the country. Penn State won the dual 19-13.
Joseph Cress | AP photo, Iowa City Press-Citizen
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Penn State wrestling’s defending champs all came through on Friday night. And the Nittany Lions got the best of the reigning national champs on their home turf.
Roman Bravo-Young, Nick Lee, Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks — all of whom won NCAA gold last year despite Iowa claiming the team title — all prevailed to give the Nittany Lions a 19-13 victory over Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Lee and Starocci won their matches in overtime against Jaydin Eyerman and Michael Kemmerer, respectively, to provide the difference in the country’s most anticipated dual of the season.
No. 1 Penn State won the battle of the unbeatens to improve to 14-0 while No. 2 Iowa fell to 11-1. The Lions’ win snapped the Hawkeyes’ streak of 28 straight Big Ten dual wins.
Iowa had won the last dual between the storied programs back in 2020. It remains Penn State’s only loss in a dual since 2015, a span of 57 matches.
The pandemic wiped out the NCAA tournament in 2020 and Iowa ended Penn State’s team title streak by winning the national crown in 2021.
But the Hawkeyes are now without three-time national champion Spencer Lee, who is out for the season with an injury. One of his replacements at 125 pounds, Drake Ayala, was also unavailable on Friday, and Penn State took advantage with a major decision by Drew Hildebrandt to open the match.
Bravo-Young won a 3-2 decision at 133 before Nick Lee came through with a takedown in sudden victory to win at 141.
Trailing 10-0, the Hawkeyes started their rally with a win by Max Murin over Wyoming Seminary alum Beau Bartlett at 149. Kaleb Young and Alex Marinelli made it three straight wins for Iowa over Terrell Barraclough and Brady Berge at 157 and 165, respectively.
But Penn State regrouped at 174 as Starocci held off Kemmerer, who was denied a win in sudden victory when a review ruled that his takedown came too late. Starocci then earned the win in tiebreaker to give Penn State a 13-10 lead in the dual.
Brooks then posted a win at 184 before Max Dean clinched the victory at 197 with a big third period to earn the decision.
Iowa’s lone upset of the night came at heavyweight when Tony Cassioppi knocked off Greg Kerkvliet.
Lions add football recruit
Penn State got the day started with a recruiting win in football, continuing the program’s success in Virginia.
Junior offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh publicly committed to the Lions on Friday afternoon, becoming already the third offensive lineman from Virginia to join Penn State’s 2023 recruiting class.
Donkoh joins five-star prospect Alex Birchmeier — the state’s top-ranked overall player for the cycle — and Joshua Miller, who previously pledged to the Lions.
All three linemen check in at 6-foot-5. Donkoh is listed at 310 pounds and is a three-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings out of Lightridge High School.
Donkoh chose the Lions over Virginia Tech — where former Lions defensive coordinator Brent Pry is now the head coach — West Virginia and Duke, among others.
Projected as a tackle in college, Donkoh was recently on campus for Penn State’s big junior day earlier this month.
The Lions now have seven total commitments for 2023, good for No. 4 in the national team rankings in the Composite at this very early stage.
Four of those recruits are from Virginia, joined by Mathias “Mega” Barnwell, who has played tight end but has the size to possibly be an offensive lineman himself at the next level.
Maryland edge rusher Neeo Avery, Pittsburgh area defensive back Lamont Payne and Exeter Township (Berks County) tight end Joey Schlaffer are also early commitments.