Nebraska's Ridge Lovett celebrates his victory at 149 pounds on January 17, 2025.
Week 12 of the college wrestling season delivered plenty of excitement for fans. Check out a few of the standout moments and highlights from this weekend.
Dual of the week
In an exciting dual from start to finish, No. 1 Penn State bested No. 5 Nebraska on Friday night in Lincoln. This highly anticipated matchup featured top-ranked wrestlers, with nine Penn State wrestlers ranked in the top ten while Nebraska has five. The highlight of the night for the Huskers was at 149 pounds, when No. 4 Ridge Lovett earned a major decision over No. 2 Shayne Van Ness of the Nittany Lions.
No. 1 Penn State 31, No. 4 Nebraska 7
January 17, 2025 – Lincoln, Neb.
174: #2 Levi Haines PSU dec. #15 Lenny Pinto NEB, 9-2
184: #1 Carter Starocci PSU maj. dec. #17 Silas Allred NEB, 11-2
197: #4 Josh Barr PSU tech fall #22 Camden McDaniel NEB, 19-4 (TF; 6:42)
285: #2 Greg Kerkvliet PSU tech fall #24 Harley Andrews NEB, 20-2 (TF; 6:12)
125: #12 Luke Lilledahl PSU dec. #6 Caleb Smith NEB, 4-2
133: #16 Jacob Van Dee NEB dec. #5 Braeden Davis PSU, 14-7
141: #3 Beau Bartlett PSU dec. #6 Brock Hardy NEB, 8-7
149: #4 Ridge Lovett NEB maj. dec. #2 Shayne Van Ness PSU, 10-2
157: #3 Tyler Kasak PSU dec. #5 Antrell Taylor NEB, 9-3
165: #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink PSU tech fall #7 Bubba Wilson NEB, 20-3 (TF; 5:39)
Upset of the week
West Virginia’s Jett Strickenberger, ranked at No. 13, picked up his fourth-straight win over ranked opponents on January 19, pinning No. 4 Troy Spratley of Oklahoma State. The No. 22 Mountaineers won three of ten matches, backed by No. 3 Peyton Hall at 165 and Sam Hillegas at 149, but fell short as the No. 3 Cowboys secured the 30-12 win.
Performance of the week
No. 5 McKendree had a strong performance at the Missouri Baptist Open on Friday afternoon, claiming six individual titles and 18 place winners. The Bearcats won titles at 124, 131, 138, 145, 160, and 207 pounds. Shelby Moore (124), Alex Szkotnicki (131), Haylie Jaffe (138, unattached), Savannah Gomez (145), Lydia Krauss (160) and Tristan Kelly (207) were individual champions for McKendree.
Move of the week
Binghamton’s Ivan Garcia defeated Drexel’s Dom Findora in overtime with a slick ankle pick takedown. Drexel ultimately defeated Binghamton 23-10, but take a look at the move below.
Photos of the week
Oregon State’s Christopher Hamblin secured an 11-3 major decision over No. 19 Jared Hill of Wyoming at 157 pounds. Check out a few great shots from Oregon State’s Director of Digital Media, Allie Grant.
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