#2 Penn State vs. #6 Arizona State
125 - Jakob Campbell vs. #3 Brandon Courtney
Penn State has struggled to fill in for injured 2021 NCAA qualifier Robbie Howard in the earlygoing this year and those continued Monday as Bucknell-transfer Jakob Campbell fell to 0-3 on the year. That could be deceiving, though, as his two opponents were #5 (133) Vito Arujau (Cornell) and #10 Brody Teske (Northern Iowa). His third loss this year was to #11 Jaret Lane (Lehigh). It doesn’t get any easier for Campbell, as he’ll face the returning NCAA runner-up Brandon Courtney. Courtney looked as good as ever yesterday with a fall against Hofstra and an 8-4 win over returning All-American Sam Latona (Virginia Tech). After going 14-11 as a part-time starter in 2018-19, Courtney has compiled a 49-6 record since.
Pick: Courtney by major (4-0 Arizona State)
133 - #1 Roman Bravo-Young vs. #14 Michael McGee
One of the key matches to watch this dual will take place at 133 lbs with returning, undefeated NCAA champion Roman Bravo-Young meeting AA Michael McGee. I’m not sure if it will be overly close, but it will be a lot of fun to watch, with lots of good action. Bravo-Young did as you would expect and notched a pin and nearly teched Cornell’s Dom LaJoie in the Monday night session. But, McGee will represent the highest-ranked opponent of the year for the Nittany Lions star. McGee looked as good as ever with an exciting 8-7 win over #4 ranked Korbin Myers (Virginia Tech). That marked the first regular-season loss for Korbin Myers since February 22nd, 2019. Earlier in the year, McGee suffered a one-point loss to then-unranked Job Greenwood, but that looks like a longtime in the review after his showing Monday. Though both were in the same NCAA weight class last year, they did not meet.
Pick: Bravo-Young by major (4-4 Tie)
141 - #1 Nick Lee vs. #15 Jesse Vasquez
After being held to “just” regular decisions in his last two dual outings, Nick Lee came back Monday with a pair of major decisions over #26 Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) and Cole Handlovic (Cornell). With a tight dual expected here, the 2021 NCAA champion may need to roll up bonus points again to ensure his team’s victory Tuesday night. Freshman Jesse Vasquez will get his first serious test of his collegiate career when he faces off with the returning champ. Vasquez came into this event 5-0, but hasn’t faced any top-tiered competition. In his first bout Monday afternoon, Vasquez looked to be headed to a major decision against Justin Hoyle (Hofstra), but faded a bit and won 14-9. He later downed NCAA qualifier Collin Gerardi (Virginia Tech) in a match that appeared closer on the scoreboard than it actually was in real life.
Pick: Lee by decision (7-4 Penn State)
149 - #22 Beau Bartlett vs. #5 Kyle Parco
Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see one of the top potential matches of the tournament as Virginia Tech’s #6 Bryce Andonian didn’t weigh-in and couldn’t compete against #5 Kyle Parco. Both wrestlers have a wide-open style and put points on the board. Parco, a surprise All-American for Fresno State in 2021, has proven he’s no fluke with a 10-0 start to the year. Neither opponent he saw on Monday presented much of a challenge and Parco dominated to the tune of 31-1. It will make for a good clash of styles when Parco and Beau Bartlett square off. Bartlett is typically methodical in his attacks and sound defensively. Bartlett picked his spots in a 4-3 win over #28 Tristan Lara (Northern Iowa), before falling to two-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis (Cornell). It’ll be interesting to see which wrestlers’ strength dictates the match here.
Pick: Parco by decision (7-7 Tie)
157 - Joe Lee/Tony Negron vs. #3 Jacori Teemer
Another unsettled weight for the Nittany Lions has been 157 lbs. 2021 NCAA qualifier (at 165 lbs) Joe Lee was assumed to be the frontrunner in the preseason, but he was majored by Terrell Barraclough in the wrestle-offs. Barraclough saw some action, but recently Tony Negron has gotten the call. Negron fell 5-2 to Derek Holschlag (Northern Iowa) in the first dual yesterday. That created an opening for Lee to make his 2021-22 debut, which he did against Cornell’s Colton Yapoujian. Lee couldn’t figure out Yapoujian’s defense and was beaten 4-2. This evening, it doesn’t get any easier as 7-0, #3 Jacori Teemer is looming. Teemer is off to a blazing start, scoring double digits in each of his first six bouts, before being held in check by an ever-improving Connor Brady (Virginia Tech). Teemer still managed a win in sudden victory over the Hokie. If the Sun Devils win, it may be because they get bonus here.
Pick: Teemer by major decision (11-7 Arizona State)
165 - #26 Creighton Edsell vs. #6 Anthony Valencia
A nice development for Penn State has been the emergence of Creighton Edsell at 165 lbs. Edsell came into this event unbeaten and recently had defeated returning national qualifier Brian Meyer (Lehigh). Yesterday though, Edsell suffered through his first two losses of the year, falling to #23 Austin Yant (Northern Iowa) and #9 Julian Ramirez (Cornell). Now, Edsell will have to contend with the newest member of the Mexican National Team, Anthony Valencia. Valencia showed no signs of jetlag, after traveling to make the team on Saturday, as he only needed :27 seconds to pin Mario Biancamano (Hofstra) in his first match. Against Virginia Tech, he survived a late charge from Clayton Ulrey to hang on, 11-9.
Pick: Valencia by decision (14-7 Arizona State)
174 - #1 Carter Starocci vs. Zane Coleman/Ryan Rochford
Like the Cornell dual, Penn State could find themselves trailing again after 165 lbs, but their final four is unmatched in college wrestling. Returning champion Carter Starocci showed he was unflappable as he was tested by the Big Red’s Chris Foca. Deadlocked in a 2-2 bout and starting the third period on top, Starocci rode out Foca for the period and earned riding time in the process. In the grand scheme of things, that win will be more valuable for Starocci than if he rolled to a major. A major decision is what he did in the opening match against Northern Iowa’s Pat Schoenfelder. The Sun Devils used both Zane Coleman and Ryan Rochford yesterday. Coleman has seen the bulk of the action for Zeke Jones’ team and sports an 8-3 record. Rochford got the unenviable task of dealing with 2019 NCAA champion Mekhi Lewis and was the victim of a tech fall. Whoever gets tabbed to start will have to avoid bonus points, which is a tall task.
Pick: Starocci by major decision (14-11 Arizona State)
184 - #1 Aaron Brooks vs. Josh Nummer
Carter Starocci wasn’t the only Penn State national champion that was forced to dig deep on Monday. Aaron Brooks had to fend off a challenge from his 2021 NCAA semifinal opponent Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa), in his first bout. Keckeisen pushed Brooks in the third period, but ultimately couldn’t penetrate his defense. A 3-2 win for the Nittany Lion champ extended his current winning streak to 27 matches. Brooks also had a game opponent in his second match, #15 Jonathan Loew (Cornell); however, he nearly pinned Loew early in the bout, which blew the contest open and he coasted to a 15-3 win. Josh Nummer is expected to get the call and try to limit his Penn State counterpart. Nummer couldn’t do so yesterday against All-American Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech), as he fell via tech fall.
Pick: Brooks by tech fall (16-14 Penn State)
197 - #3 Max Dean vs. #8 Kordell Norfleet
Max Dean also got his first scare of the 2021-22 season when he emerged victorious after a close call against former teammate Jacob Cardenas (Cornell). Dean won a late scramble and rode Cardenas out for a 4-2 win. Coming into that match, Dean did not have a match closer than ten points. Norfleet has dealt with solid competition in his first two matches yesterday, but shined with 14-3 major decisions over returning national qualifiers #26 Trey Rogers (Hofstra) and Dakota Howard (Virginia Tech). For the Sun Devils to be in position to win the dual, they’d have to get a win somewhere between 174-197 and this is the most logical spot.
Pick: Dean by decision (19-14 Penn State)
285 - #4 Greg Kerkvliet vs. #3 Cohlton Schultz
This is a rematch of the 2021 NCAA consolation quarterfinal bout between Cohlton Schultz and Greg Kerkvliet. There it was Schultz who came out on top with a 14-8 decision. Whenever the two meet, it marks the rare time that a pair of Cadet World Champions collide on the collegiate scene. During their 2021 meeting, Kerkvliet was only a few weeks removed from a scary knee injury that threatened his season, so we expect a different wrestler this time around. Both come into this match unbeaten and the result could play a huge role in NCAA seeding, as the winner could be on the opposite side of the bracket from Olympic champion Gable Steveson (Minnesota). But that’s a little ways down the line. Schultz will turn to his Greco-Roman roots and look to impose his will with an underhook or a bodylock. Kerkvliet has more of an arsenal of leg attacks. But, if Kerkvliet is overly aggressive, Schultz is talented enough to take advantage.
Pick: Kerkvliet by decision (22-14 Penn State)
