There were two big events lately, the Senior Nationals (Freestyle and Greco-Roman) were on Oct. 9th-10th in Coralville, IA and the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club 2 (NLWC) was on Tues. Oct. 20th in State College. PA and we had Gopher wrestlers at both events. At the Sr. Natty's Pat Smith took 2nd and Alec Ortiz took 3rd in Greco, while Sean Russell took 4th in Freestyle. 4th seeded Brett Pfarr had a bad tournament and he didn't place in Freestyle, nor did 8th seeded Mitch McKee.
Redshirt Freshman 11th seeded Matt Ramos had a very good tournament in Freestyle, even though he didn't place. Ramos won by VP01 over #9 Brandon Courtney (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 8-4 and then he beat NCAA champ #2 seed Darian Cruz (New York Athletic Club), 12-9 (This was really impressive!!!!) Ramos was almost beating Pat McKee last year and he continues to look great!! Depending on whether Pat McKee moves up from 125#s to 133#s, then Ramos will take over at 125. Honestly, he will be at least an average D1 starter there, which is really good for a redshirt freshman!!!
At the NWLC 2 event last Tuesday, Brett Pfarr won convincingly over 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist Jaime Espinal by 10-0. And Devin Skatzka fell badly to elite PSU Redshirt Freshman Carter Starocci, by a last second pin.
There is another event coming up on Sat. Nov. 1st, when the Hawkeye Wrestling Club (HWC) holds a match similar to the NLWC 2 event. I know Gopher Assistant Coach Zach Sanders is wrestling IA's Spencer Lee there, I'm not sure if there are other Gophers on the card. Here is a good interview with Sanders on Trackwrestling.com, followed by the articles on the other two events:
Smith, Ortiz and Russell Lead Gophers at US Senior Nationals
Gophersports.com
Wrestling
10/12/2020
Current and former Gophers led a Minnesota contingent at the US Senior Nationals this past weekend at Xtream Arena & GreenState Family Fieldhouse in Coralville, Iowa. Pat Smith and Alec Ortiz finished second and third in Greco-Roman, respectively, while Sean Russell placed fourth in freestyle.
Smith and Ortiz advanced to a semifinal matchup at 77kg with Smith moving on to the finals with a 4-1 victory. Smith fell in the championship bout against No. 3 Kendrick Sanders, while Ortiz rallied for a third-place finish.
Russell began his tournament run with three straight wins at 57kg, including a 3-2 upset of No. 3 Frank Perrelli in the quarterfinals. After a loss in the semifinals, he rebounded for a fourth-place showing.
Competing as part of the Gopher Wrestling Club, former North Dakota State All-American Hayden Zillmer earned third place in freestyle at 97kg.
Final Results
#1 Pat Smith – Greco-Roman – 77kg – Second Place – 3-1 record
Round of 16 – Smith VPO Zachary Grimes CO (SWAT), 7-0
Quarterfinals – Smith VSU #8 Peyton Robb (Nebraska Wrestling Training Center), 11-0 3:34
Semifinals – Smith VPO1 #4 Alec Ortiz MN (Minnesota Storm), 4-1
Finals - #3 Kendrick Sanders MI (New York Athletic Club) VSU Smith, 8-0 1:33
#4 Alec Ortiz – Greco-Roman – 77kg – Third Place - 4-1 record
Round of 16 – Ortiz VSU Michael Napier TX (Panhandle Wrestling Club), 8-0 1:25
Quarterfinals – Ortiz VPO Fritz Schierl WI (TMWC/OHIO RTC), 6-0
Semifinals – #1 Patrick Smith MN (Minnesota Storm) VPO1 Ortiz, 4-1
Consolation Semifinals – Ortiz VP01 Zachary Grimes CO (SWAT)
Third Place – Ortiz VPO1 Peyton Robb MN (Nebraska Wrestling Training Center), 6-1
*#2 Hayden Zillmer – 97kg – Third Place – 5-1 record
Round of 32 – Zillmer VSU Erik Hinckley (Unattached), 12-0 0:24
Round of 16 – Zillmer VSU1 Evan Hansen (TMWC Cavalier RTC), 13-2 5:11
Quarterfinals – Zillmer VP01 #7 Timothy Dudley (SKWC), 4-3
Semifinals - #3 Kollin Moore (TMWC/Ohio RTC) VP01 Zillmer, 6-5
Consolation Semifinals – Zillmer VSU #2 #12 Eric Schultz (Nebraska Wrestling Training Center), 10-0 3:26
Third Place – Zillmer VSU #7 Timothy Dudley (SKWC), 10-0 3:58
*Wrestled at NDSU; Member of the Gopher Wrestling Club RTC
#6 Sean Russell – 57kg – Fourth Place – 4-2 record
Round of 32 – Russell VSU1 Justin Portillo (Viking Wrestling Club (IA)), 12-2 3:00
Round of 16 – Russell VSU #12 Jack Medley (Cliff Keen Wrestling Club-RTC), 10-0 2:59
Quarterfinals – Russell VP01 #3 Frank Perrelli, 3-2
Semifinals - Dylan Ragusin (Cliff Keen Wrestling Club-RTC) VSU1 Russell, 16-5 3:13
Consolation Semifinals – Russell VSU Sam Latona (TMWC / SERTC), 10-0 3:37
Third Place - #4 Jack Mueller (TMWC / New York City RTC) VP01 Russell, 8-2
#7 Skyler Petry – 57kg – 2-2 record
Round of 32 – Petry VSU Alex Logsdon AK (Cougar Wrestling Club), 10-0 1:09
Round of 16 - Petry VP01 #11 Matthew Ramos IL (Gopher Wrestling Club - RTC), 3-1
Quarterfinals - Dylan Ragusin (Cliff Keen Wrestling Club-RTC) VP01 Petry, 8-1
Consolation - #6 Shelton Mack (TMWC/New York City RTC) VP0 Petry, 6-0
#11 Matthew Ramos – 57kg – 3-2 record
Round of 32 – Ramos VPO1 Britain Longmire NV (Unattached), 5-1
Round of 16 - #7 Skyler Petry MN (Minnesota Storm) VP01 Ramos, 3-1
Consolation – Ramos VP01 #9 Brandon Courtney (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 8-4
Consolation – Ramos VP01 #2 Darian Cruz (New York Athletic Club), 12-9
Consolation - Sam Latona (TMWC/Ohio RTC) VP01 Ramos, 14-8
#8 Mitch McKee – 65kg – 2-2 record
Round of 32 – McKee VFA Joshua Brown CA (Unattached), 8-0 1:29
Round of 16 – #9 Andrew Alirez (Unattached) VP01 McKee, 11-5
Consolation – McKee VFA Doug Zapf (Pennsylvania RTC), 8-0 2:47
Consolation – #7 Matthew Kolodzik (New York Athletic Club) VSU1 McKee, 11-1 4:47
*Elroy Perkin – 74kg – 2-2 record
Round of 64 – Perkin VSU1 Alejandro Torres (Unattached), 12-2 0:43
Round of 32 – Perkin VSU Aaron Goldman (Spartan Mat Club), 10-0 1:12
Round of 16 – #3 Anthony Valencia (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) VP01 Perkin, 16-13
Consolation - Andrew Torres (Firestorm Wrestling Club) VP01 Perkin, 7-4
*Wrestled at UW-Eau Claire; Member of the Gopher Wrestling Club RTC
#4 Brett Pfarr - 86 kg – 1-2 record
Round of 32 - Zachary Braunagel (Illinois Regional Training Center/Illini WC) VP01 Pfarr, 5-5
Consolation – Pfarr VSU Kyle Summers (Unattached), 11-0 3:00
Consolation - Pfarr VIN #10 Devin Skatzka (Gopher Wrestling Club - RTC), 6-4 3:48
Consolation - #9 Rocky Elam (Tiger Style Wrestling Club) VSU Pfarr, 10-0 4:26
#10 Devin Skatzka – 86kg – 1-2 record
Round of 32 – Skatzka VSU1 Austin Kraisser (Buies Creek Wrestling Club), 22-12 4:38
Round of 16 - #7 Taylor Lujan (Panther Wrestling Club RTC) VSU Skatzka, 10-0 1:08
Consolation - #4 Brett Pfarr (Gopher Wrestling Club - RTC) VIN Skatzka, 6-4 3:48
Garrett Joles – 86kg – 2-2 record
Round of 32 – Joles VP01 David Richardson (Unattached), 10-4
Round of 16 - #3 Trent Hidlay (TMWC / Wolfpack RTC) VSU1 Joles, 13-2 4:09
Consolation – Joles VP0 Ryan Epps (Unattached), 4-0
Consolation –#8 CJ Brucki (Unattached) VP0 Joles, 4-0
Keaton Kluever – 125kg
Freestyle (0-2 record)
Round of 32 – #12 AJ Nevills (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club) VP01 Kluever, 5-2
Consolation - #11 Mauro Correnti (New York Athletic Club) VSU1 Kluever, 11-1 3:47
Greco-Roman (0-2 record)
Round of 16 - #3 Luke Luffman (Illinois Regional Training Center/Illini WC) VP01 Kluever, 11-7
Consolation - Donny Longendyke (Minnesota Storm) VSU Kluever, 8-0 1:36
Nolf downs Jenkins in featured bout at second NLWC event
Intermat
Craig Sesker, Senior Writer
10/20/2020
The featured match between NCAA champion Bubba Jenkins and three-time NCAA champion Jason Nolf capped another excellent night of wrestling.
And finished off another successful event for the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club.
The NLWC hosted its second high-level Senior freestyle wrestling event in as many months on Tuesday night. The event was streamed live on Rokfin.
The 12-match card included numerous athletes who have excelled at the international, collegiate and high school levels. The event provided fans an opportunity to watch some top-level competitors take the mat.
Penn State's stable of talented young wrestlers were impressive as the next wave of Nittany Lions prepare to make an impact collegiately.
David Taylor deserves mention for the outstanding job he did providing color commentary on the live broadcast. He offered great perspectives and analysis.
Here is my breakdown from the evening's matches:
155 pounds: Terrell Barraclough vs. Kyle Shoop
This was a good, hard-fought kickoff match to the evening with Barraclough, a four-time Utah state champion, battling Shoop, a 2019 NWCA All-American. Barraclough came out firing to record two takedowns in the first minute en route to an 8-3 lead at the break. Shoop battled back with a leg attack and finish to draw within 10-7 in the final 90 seconds. Barraclough came back with a counter and TD to lead 12-7. He finished strong to prevail 15-9.
155 pounds: Jarod Verkleeren vs. Brock Zacherl
Verkleeren, a decorated age-group star for Team USA, faced off against Zacherl, who had a solid college career. Verkleeren took a 1-0 lead after Zacherl was put on the shot clock. Zacherl powered in for a blast double-leg takedown and scored two exposure points in the exchange to lead 4-1 after one period. Down 4-1, Verkleeren charged back aggressively. He scored on a succession of leg laces to eventually end the match by a 15-4 score on technical superiority.
196 pounds: Jaime Espinal vs. Brett Pfarr
This was another bout that fans were eager to watch with Espinal, a 2012 Olympic silver medalist, squaring off against Pfarr, who excelled as an All-American for Minnesota. Pfarr scored a quick takedown and two-point turn to jump out to a 4-0 advantage. Pfarr kept the pressure on, adding a takedown and pushout to lead 7-0 at the break. Espinal wasn't able to generate any offense and Pfarr earned a dominating 10-0 victory.
77 kilograms: Bekzod Abdurakhmanov vs. Nestor Taffur
This was another intriguing matchup with Bekzod, a two-time world medalist taking on a tough opponent in Taffur. Bekzod powered in for a double-leg takedown early in the bout before building his lead to 6-2. He kept the pressure on, winning a scramble to lead 10-2 after the opening period. Bekzod finished a leg attack early in the second period to end the match while winning 12-2. He will be in the mix to medal at the Olympics next year.
60 kilograms: Jane Valencia vs. Vayle-Rae Baker
Valencia, an Olympian for Mexico, took on a top young prospect in Baker. Valencia shot in for a pair of early takedowns to take a 4-0 lead. She followed with another leg attack and a quick finish to go up 6-0. Valencia struck on a slick re-attack early in the second period to lead 9-2. She hit another double and nearly scored a fall before winning 13-2. Valencia is a proven veteran who delivered with a strong showing.
182 pounds: Carter Starocci vs. Devin Skatzka
This was a compelling matchup between a top incoming collegian in Starocci and a 2019 collegiate All-American in Skatzka. Starocci was impressive early, shooting in for a takedown and following a pushout. Starocci followed with an explosive double-leg attack to lead 5-0. He continued to fire off shots and added another double for a 7-0 advantage. Starocci took Skatzka to his back to record the pin with one second left in the first period. Starocci is someone fans are going to enjoy watching.
205 pounds: Michael Beard vs. Greg Bulsak
This was a matchup between guys who are familiar with one another. They had split matches the past two years in college. Beard struck first, spinning behind for a takedown and adding a leg lace to lead 4-0. Bulsak battled back before Beard scored late in the period to lead 8-2 at the break. Bulsak kept battling, closing to within 10-9 in the final seconds before falling just short. There was good action in a bout between evenly matched athletes.
Heavyweight: Greg Kerkvliet vs. Demetrius Thomas
Kerkvliet dominated at the age-group levels internationally and now everyone wants to see how the promising prospect fares collegiately. Kerkvliet is an athletic and explosive heavyweight, and he showed that early on Tuesday. He shot in on a textbook low-level attack before putting six points on the board in the blink of an eye. He followed with a double-leg shot, lifting Thomas and driving him to the mat with an emphatic four-point move. He won 10-0 in a match that ended in under a minute. Kerkvliet is a tremendous young prospect who will make an immediate impact for Penn State.
68 kilograms: Alejandra Romero Bonilla vs. Alexis Porter
This women's freestyle bout promised to be an interesting clash between two wrestlers with excellent credentials. Romero led 1-0 after one period between evenly matched opponents. She shot in on a strong double before finishing for a takedown to lead 3-0 early in the second period. Romero was strong defensively and prevailed 3-0 with a solid performance.
67 kilograms: Beau Bartlett vs. Bryce Meredith
Bartlett is another top young prospect who faced a proven wrestler at the collegiate level in Meredith. An early flurry saw Meredith come out on top to take a 2-0 lead. Bartlett charged back with a takedown and turn to go up 4-2. Meredith responded with back-to-back takedowns to lead 6-4 at the break. Bartlett came back to tie it 6-6 after a long scramble with two minutes left. Meredith battled back, finishing for a takedown to lead 8-6 with just over a minute left. Bartlett shot in late on a single, but Meredith kicked free to earn the two-point win. That was an entertaining match to watch with plenty of action and some superb scrambles.
140 pounds: Roman Bravo-Young vs. Shelton Mack
Bravo-Young is somebody who typically puts on a show and he had that opportunity against another excellent competitor in Mack. RBY finished on a quick shot to lead 2-0 a minute into the bout. Bravo-Young continues to improve and his superb quickness was on full display. He spun behind Mack to lead 4-0 midway through the first period. RBY added a pushout and takedown to lead 7-0 at the break. Bravo-Young hit a front headlock turn to end the match early in the second period as he prevailed 11-0. He is wrestling at a very high level.
167 pounds: Bubba Jenkins vs. Jason Nolf
Jenkins won an NCAA title, but it was nine years ago. He returned to Penn State, where he competed for most of his college career, to take on a very tough opponent in a three-time NCAA champion in Nolf. Nolf scored an early takedown to lead 2-0. Nolf followed with a pair of takedowns and a leg lace to lead 8-0. Nolf added another takedown to prevail 10-0. Fans were hoping for a better match, but Jenkins has been competing in mixed martial arts and hasn't wrestled competitively in a number of years. Nolf is in the prime of his career as a wrestler and is expected to contend for the U.S. Olympic Team next year.
Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games, written 10 books and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.
Redshirt Freshman 11th seeded Matt Ramos had a very good tournament in Freestyle, even though he didn't place. Ramos won by VP01 over #9 Brandon Courtney (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 8-4 and then he beat NCAA champ #2 seed Darian Cruz (New York Athletic Club), 12-9 (This was really impressive!!!!) Ramos was almost beating Pat McKee last year and he continues to look great!! Depending on whether Pat McKee moves up from 125#s to 133#s, then Ramos will take over at 125. Honestly, he will be at least an average D1 starter there, which is really good for a redshirt freshman!!!
At the NWLC 2 event last Tuesday, Brett Pfarr won convincingly over 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist Jaime Espinal by 10-0. And Devin Skatzka fell badly to elite PSU Redshirt Freshman Carter Starocci, by a last second pin.
There is another event coming up on Sat. Nov. 1st, when the Hawkeye Wrestling Club (HWC) holds a match similar to the NLWC 2 event. I know Gopher Assistant Coach Zach Sanders is wrestling IA's Spencer Lee there, I'm not sure if there are other Gophers on the card. Here is a good interview with Sanders on Trackwrestling.com, followed by the articles on the other two events:
Smith, Ortiz and Russell Lead Gophers at US Senior Nationals
Gophersports.com
Wrestling
10/12/2020
Current and former Gophers led a Minnesota contingent at the US Senior Nationals this past weekend at Xtream Arena & GreenState Family Fieldhouse in Coralville, Iowa. Pat Smith and Alec Ortiz finished second and third in Greco-Roman, respectively, while Sean Russell placed fourth in freestyle.
Smith and Ortiz advanced to a semifinal matchup at 77kg with Smith moving on to the finals with a 4-1 victory. Smith fell in the championship bout against No. 3 Kendrick Sanders, while Ortiz rallied for a third-place finish.
Russell began his tournament run with three straight wins at 57kg, including a 3-2 upset of No. 3 Frank Perrelli in the quarterfinals. After a loss in the semifinals, he rebounded for a fourth-place showing.
Competing as part of the Gopher Wrestling Club, former North Dakota State All-American Hayden Zillmer earned third place in freestyle at 97kg.
Final Results
#1 Pat Smith – Greco-Roman – 77kg – Second Place – 3-1 record
Round of 16 – Smith VPO Zachary Grimes CO (SWAT), 7-0
Quarterfinals – Smith VSU #8 Peyton Robb (Nebraska Wrestling Training Center), 11-0 3:34
Semifinals – Smith VPO1 #4 Alec Ortiz MN (Minnesota Storm), 4-1
Finals - #3 Kendrick Sanders MI (New York Athletic Club) VSU Smith, 8-0 1:33
#4 Alec Ortiz – Greco-Roman – 77kg – Third Place - 4-1 record
Round of 16 – Ortiz VSU Michael Napier TX (Panhandle Wrestling Club), 8-0 1:25
Quarterfinals – Ortiz VPO Fritz Schierl WI (TMWC/OHIO RTC), 6-0
Semifinals – #1 Patrick Smith MN (Minnesota Storm) VPO1 Ortiz, 4-1
Consolation Semifinals – Ortiz VP01 Zachary Grimes CO (SWAT)
Third Place – Ortiz VPO1 Peyton Robb MN (Nebraska Wrestling Training Center), 6-1
*#2 Hayden Zillmer – 97kg – Third Place – 5-1 record
Round of 32 – Zillmer VSU Erik Hinckley (Unattached), 12-0 0:24
Round of 16 – Zillmer VSU1 Evan Hansen (TMWC Cavalier RTC), 13-2 5:11
Quarterfinals – Zillmer VP01 #7 Timothy Dudley (SKWC), 4-3
Semifinals - #3 Kollin Moore (TMWC/Ohio RTC) VP01 Zillmer, 6-5
Consolation Semifinals – Zillmer VSU #2 #12 Eric Schultz (Nebraska Wrestling Training Center), 10-0 3:26
Third Place – Zillmer VSU #7 Timothy Dudley (SKWC), 10-0 3:58
*Wrestled at NDSU; Member of the Gopher Wrestling Club RTC
#6 Sean Russell – 57kg – Fourth Place – 4-2 record
Round of 32 – Russell VSU1 Justin Portillo (Viking Wrestling Club (IA)), 12-2 3:00
Round of 16 – Russell VSU #12 Jack Medley (Cliff Keen Wrestling Club-RTC), 10-0 2:59
Quarterfinals – Russell VP01 #3 Frank Perrelli, 3-2
Semifinals - Dylan Ragusin (Cliff Keen Wrestling Club-RTC) VSU1 Russell, 16-5 3:13
Consolation Semifinals – Russell VSU Sam Latona (TMWC / SERTC), 10-0 3:37
Third Place - #4 Jack Mueller (TMWC / New York City RTC) VP01 Russell, 8-2
#7 Skyler Petry – 57kg – 2-2 record
Round of 32 – Petry VSU Alex Logsdon AK (Cougar Wrestling Club), 10-0 1:09
Round of 16 - Petry VP01 #11 Matthew Ramos IL (Gopher Wrestling Club - RTC), 3-1
Quarterfinals - Dylan Ragusin (Cliff Keen Wrestling Club-RTC) VP01 Petry, 8-1
Consolation - #6 Shelton Mack (TMWC/New York City RTC) VP0 Petry, 6-0
#11 Matthew Ramos – 57kg – 3-2 record
Round of 32 – Ramos VPO1 Britain Longmire NV (Unattached), 5-1
Round of 16 - #7 Skyler Petry MN (Minnesota Storm) VP01 Ramos, 3-1
Consolation – Ramos VP01 #9 Brandon Courtney (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), 8-4
Consolation – Ramos VP01 #2 Darian Cruz (New York Athletic Club), 12-9
Consolation - Sam Latona (TMWC/Ohio RTC) VP01 Ramos, 14-8
#8 Mitch McKee – 65kg – 2-2 record
Round of 32 – McKee VFA Joshua Brown CA (Unattached), 8-0 1:29
Round of 16 – #9 Andrew Alirez (Unattached) VP01 McKee, 11-5
Consolation – McKee VFA Doug Zapf (Pennsylvania RTC), 8-0 2:47
Consolation – #7 Matthew Kolodzik (New York Athletic Club) VSU1 McKee, 11-1 4:47
*Elroy Perkin – 74kg – 2-2 record
Round of 64 – Perkin VSU1 Alejandro Torres (Unattached), 12-2 0:43
Round of 32 – Perkin VSU Aaron Goldman (Spartan Mat Club), 10-0 1:12
Round of 16 – #3 Anthony Valencia (Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club) VP01 Perkin, 16-13
Consolation - Andrew Torres (Firestorm Wrestling Club) VP01 Perkin, 7-4
*Wrestled at UW-Eau Claire; Member of the Gopher Wrestling Club RTC
#4 Brett Pfarr - 86 kg – 1-2 record
Round of 32 - Zachary Braunagel (Illinois Regional Training Center/Illini WC) VP01 Pfarr, 5-5
Consolation – Pfarr VSU Kyle Summers (Unattached), 11-0 3:00
Consolation - Pfarr VIN #10 Devin Skatzka (Gopher Wrestling Club - RTC), 6-4 3:48
Consolation - #9 Rocky Elam (Tiger Style Wrestling Club) VSU Pfarr, 10-0 4:26
#10 Devin Skatzka – 86kg – 1-2 record
Round of 32 – Skatzka VSU1 Austin Kraisser (Buies Creek Wrestling Club), 22-12 4:38
Round of 16 - #7 Taylor Lujan (Panther Wrestling Club RTC) VSU Skatzka, 10-0 1:08
Consolation - #4 Brett Pfarr (Gopher Wrestling Club - RTC) VIN Skatzka, 6-4 3:48
Garrett Joles – 86kg – 2-2 record
Round of 32 – Joles VP01 David Richardson (Unattached), 10-4
Round of 16 - #3 Trent Hidlay (TMWC / Wolfpack RTC) VSU1 Joles, 13-2 4:09
Consolation – Joles VP0 Ryan Epps (Unattached), 4-0
Consolation –#8 CJ Brucki (Unattached) VP0 Joles, 4-0
Keaton Kluever – 125kg
Freestyle (0-2 record)
Round of 32 – #12 AJ Nevills (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club) VP01 Kluever, 5-2
Consolation - #11 Mauro Correnti (New York Athletic Club) VSU1 Kluever, 11-1 3:47
Greco-Roman (0-2 record)
Round of 16 - #3 Luke Luffman (Illinois Regional Training Center/Illini WC) VP01 Kluever, 11-7
Consolation - Donny Longendyke (Minnesota Storm) VSU Kluever, 8-0 1:36
Nolf downs Jenkins in featured bout at second NLWC event
Intermat
Craig Sesker, Senior Writer
10/20/2020
The featured match between NCAA champion Bubba Jenkins and three-time NCAA champion Jason Nolf capped another excellent night of wrestling.
And finished off another successful event for the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club.
The NLWC hosted its second high-level Senior freestyle wrestling event in as many months on Tuesday night. The event was streamed live on Rokfin.
The 12-match card included numerous athletes who have excelled at the international, collegiate and high school levels. The event provided fans an opportunity to watch some top-level competitors take the mat.
Penn State's stable of talented young wrestlers were impressive as the next wave of Nittany Lions prepare to make an impact collegiately.
David Taylor deserves mention for the outstanding job he did providing color commentary on the live broadcast. He offered great perspectives and analysis.
Here is my breakdown from the evening's matches:
155 pounds: Terrell Barraclough vs. Kyle Shoop
This was a good, hard-fought kickoff match to the evening with Barraclough, a four-time Utah state champion, battling Shoop, a 2019 NWCA All-American. Barraclough came out firing to record two takedowns in the first minute en route to an 8-3 lead at the break. Shoop battled back with a leg attack and finish to draw within 10-7 in the final 90 seconds. Barraclough came back with a counter and TD to lead 12-7. He finished strong to prevail 15-9.
155 pounds: Jarod Verkleeren vs. Brock Zacherl
Verkleeren, a decorated age-group star for Team USA, faced off against Zacherl, who had a solid college career. Verkleeren took a 1-0 lead after Zacherl was put on the shot clock. Zacherl powered in for a blast double-leg takedown and scored two exposure points in the exchange to lead 4-1 after one period. Down 4-1, Verkleeren charged back aggressively. He scored on a succession of leg laces to eventually end the match by a 15-4 score on technical superiority.
196 pounds: Jaime Espinal vs. Brett Pfarr
This was another bout that fans were eager to watch with Espinal, a 2012 Olympic silver medalist, squaring off against Pfarr, who excelled as an All-American for Minnesota. Pfarr scored a quick takedown and two-point turn to jump out to a 4-0 advantage. Pfarr kept the pressure on, adding a takedown and pushout to lead 7-0 at the break. Espinal wasn't able to generate any offense and Pfarr earned a dominating 10-0 victory.
77 kilograms: Bekzod Abdurakhmanov vs. Nestor Taffur
This was another intriguing matchup with Bekzod, a two-time world medalist taking on a tough opponent in Taffur. Bekzod powered in for a double-leg takedown early in the bout before building his lead to 6-2. He kept the pressure on, winning a scramble to lead 10-2 after the opening period. Bekzod finished a leg attack early in the second period to end the match while winning 12-2. He will be in the mix to medal at the Olympics next year.
60 kilograms: Jane Valencia vs. Vayle-Rae Baker
Valencia, an Olympian for Mexico, took on a top young prospect in Baker. Valencia shot in for a pair of early takedowns to take a 4-0 lead. She followed with another leg attack and a quick finish to go up 6-0. Valencia struck on a slick re-attack early in the second period to lead 9-2. She hit another double and nearly scored a fall before winning 13-2. Valencia is a proven veteran who delivered with a strong showing.
182 pounds: Carter Starocci vs. Devin Skatzka
This was a compelling matchup between a top incoming collegian in Starocci and a 2019 collegiate All-American in Skatzka. Starocci was impressive early, shooting in for a takedown and following a pushout. Starocci followed with an explosive double-leg attack to lead 5-0. He continued to fire off shots and added another double for a 7-0 advantage. Starocci took Skatzka to his back to record the pin with one second left in the first period. Starocci is someone fans are going to enjoy watching.
205 pounds: Michael Beard vs. Greg Bulsak
This was a matchup between guys who are familiar with one another. They had split matches the past two years in college. Beard struck first, spinning behind for a takedown and adding a leg lace to lead 4-0. Bulsak battled back before Beard scored late in the period to lead 8-2 at the break. Bulsak kept battling, closing to within 10-9 in the final seconds before falling just short. There was good action in a bout between evenly matched athletes.
Heavyweight: Greg Kerkvliet vs. Demetrius Thomas
Kerkvliet dominated at the age-group levels internationally and now everyone wants to see how the promising prospect fares collegiately. Kerkvliet is an athletic and explosive heavyweight, and he showed that early on Tuesday. He shot in on a textbook low-level attack before putting six points on the board in the blink of an eye. He followed with a double-leg shot, lifting Thomas and driving him to the mat with an emphatic four-point move. He won 10-0 in a match that ended in under a minute. Kerkvliet is a tremendous young prospect who will make an immediate impact for Penn State.
68 kilograms: Alejandra Romero Bonilla vs. Alexis Porter
This women's freestyle bout promised to be an interesting clash between two wrestlers with excellent credentials. Romero led 1-0 after one period between evenly matched opponents. She shot in on a strong double before finishing for a takedown to lead 3-0 early in the second period. Romero was strong defensively and prevailed 3-0 with a solid performance.
67 kilograms: Beau Bartlett vs. Bryce Meredith
Bartlett is another top young prospect who faced a proven wrestler at the collegiate level in Meredith. An early flurry saw Meredith come out on top to take a 2-0 lead. Bartlett charged back with a takedown and turn to go up 4-2. Meredith responded with back-to-back takedowns to lead 6-4 at the break. Bartlett came back to tie it 6-6 after a long scramble with two minutes left. Meredith battled back, finishing for a takedown to lead 8-6 with just over a minute left. Bartlett shot in late on a single, but Meredith kicked free to earn the two-point win. That was an entertaining match to watch with plenty of action and some superb scrambles.
140 pounds: Roman Bravo-Young vs. Shelton Mack
Bravo-Young is somebody who typically puts on a show and he had that opportunity against another excellent competitor in Mack. RBY finished on a quick shot to lead 2-0 a minute into the bout. Bravo-Young continues to improve and his superb quickness was on full display. He spun behind Mack to lead 4-0 midway through the first period. RBY added a pushout and takedown to lead 7-0 at the break. Bravo-Young hit a front headlock turn to end the match early in the second period as he prevailed 11-0. He is wrestling at a very high level.
167 pounds: Bubba Jenkins vs. Jason Nolf
Jenkins won an NCAA title, but it was nine years ago. He returned to Penn State, where he competed for most of his college career, to take on a very tough opponent in a three-time NCAA champion in Nolf. Nolf scored an early takedown to lead 2-0. Nolf followed with a pair of takedowns and a leg lace to lead 8-0. Nolf added another takedown to prevail 10-0. Fans were hoping for a better match, but Jenkins has been competing in mixed martial arts and hasn't wrestled competitively in a number of years. Nolf is in the prime of his career as a wrestler and is expected to contend for the U.S. Olympic Team next year.
Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games, written 10 books and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.
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