Penn State scored as many takedowns as they did team points in yet another shutout vs the scrappy but outmatched Hoosiers
The Hoosiers didn’t have a chance to win—but they bussed in from the football-high Bloomington to measure themselves against the class of their sport—and showed grit and fight that other teams often lack when facing the steamroller that is Cael Sanderson’s team in recent seasons.
Mid-way through the B1G Dual Season, the Nittany Lion grapplers have now notched 6 shut-outs—1 more than the tally the dominant-by-every-measure 2024-25 team achieved last season. With six No. 1 ranked wrestlers in the lineup, they have a decent chance of adding to that impressive stat.
Recap
125 lbs – #1 Luke Lilledahl, Penn State pinned #11 Jacob Moran, Indiana
Luke’s Walk-out Song: Shook Ones, Pt. II by Mobb Deep
1st
Luke snapped and stepped outside for a low single and methodically finished the takedown near the boundary. Moran sealed hands and escape on a restart as the two traded snaps. Moran feigned a shot and Lilledahl scampered behind for his second takedown and took riding advantage to 1 minute as the period closed, 6-1.
2nd
With Luke deferring choice, Moran took bottom and again stood for an escape. They traded shots before Luke committed to a high-crotch and finished the score. The Rec Hall crowd stirred in excitement as he hooked the Hoosier’s ankle and used a bow and arrow for the Fall in 4:20.
Penn State 6, Indiana 0
133 lbs – #4 Marcus Blaze, Penn State tech fall Blaine Frazier, Indiana, 19-4
Marcus’ Walk-out Song: I run by Haven
1st
Marcus used two violent snaps to cut a corner to an early takedown, tallying 51 seconds of riding time before cutting Frazier on a restart. He then horsed a front-headlock into a go-behind takedown, releasing the Hoosier, and countering a shot for another go-behind score, working a cross-face, seeking a cradle, and building riding time to 1:56 to close the period. 9-2
2nd
Frazier chose bottom, and nearly stood into a Blaze cradle before escaping and mis-directing to a low-single, but Marcus smoothly far-ankle scrambled that position into his own takedown. Blaze released the Hoosier and picked an ankle, but Frazier rolled to his own leg, with the referee briefly calling it 3 points before video review overturned it. Marcus dove to a low single and caught the double-leg to finish, riding out the period with 2:56 in riding advantage. 15-4
3rd
Blaze took bottom, escaped, and picked another ankle for the 19-4 Technical Fall in 5:44.
Penn State 11, Indiana 0
141 lbs – #11 Braeden Davis, Penn State maj. dec. #25 Henry Porter, Indiana, 24-10
Braeden’s Season Walk-out Song: Bawidaba by Kid Rock
1st
Davis started aggressively and paid for it, stepping into a Porter snatch-single as the Hoosier switched to a body lock and threw Braeden for just a takedown, as Davis was able to belly out. Braeden immediately sat out and switched his hips for the escape before scoring his own takedown off a snatch single-leg. Davis looked for a power-half, but was dinged for a point for a full-nelson. Davis cut Porter on the restart, and quickly scored off another single leg, built riding time to 1:38, and earned a stall warning to close the period. 7-4
2nd
Davis briefly looked for nearfall off his funky (and to my eye, always risky) crab-ride before deciding to cut Porter; he shot right off his release, and finished a takedown at the edge. Braeden released Porter and again finished a head-inside single with a cross-face that also earned a single swipe, but took his riding time to 2:52. 13-7
3rd
Davis chose to press his growing advantage from neutral, and deftly stuffed a Porter shot for a go-behind. He released the Hoosier and misdirected to a head-outside single, shelving the leg and climbing to the finish. Braeden again cut Porter, stepped to a seatbelt, dropped to a leg and scored again. At Nick Lee’s advice, Davis went to an optional release on the penultimate whistle, hunting the tech with just 9 ticks left, earning a stall point, but settling for the 24-10 Major Decision.
Asked about conceding the first score of the bout, Davis said:
It did not bother me too much. I have always been taught that if something goes bad, just go and score another one. I did not think of it too deeply; I am just glad I did not get thrown on my back.
Penn State 15, Indiana 0
149 lbs – #1 Shayne Van Ness, Penn State tech fall Joey Buttler, Indiana, 20-3
Shayne’s Walk-out Song: The Boondocks Main Title by Aheru
1st
The stout and Askren-afro’d Buttler matched Shayne’s pace and hand-fight early, but Shayne stepped into the Hoosier’s slide-by attempt, knocking him off balance for the easy score, and catching the bottom leg-turk—which he turned into a bow and arrow for 4-near fall points. Van Ness then released Buttler, cleared an elbow, and cracked-down a single-leg to score with 1:14 in riding time. 10-1
2nd
Buttler chose bottom and after yielding his wrists for a while, stood for the escape. Van Ness looked for a pancake, among attempts from a front-headlock and misdirection shots, but the Hoosier fended them all off with capable defense. 10-2
3rd
Shayne chose bottom, escaped, and ducked under Buttler’s hands for a high double-leg, coming around for the takedown. As his opponent’s fatigue seemed to emerge, Van Ness cut him, stalked to a low-single takedown, and caught a cross-face cradle for 3 near fall points and the 20-3 Technical Fall in 6:45
Penn State 20, Indiana 0
157 lbs – #3 PJ Duke, Penn State tech fall Bryce Lowery, Indiana, 21-5
PJ’s Walk-out Song: Hypnotize by The Notorious B.I.G.
1st
PJ stuffed a Lowery fake for a go-behind takedown and measured the Hoosier’s strength in avoiding turning positions before cutting him for the escape. He chain-wrestled from the 2-on-1 to a low single-leg, tripping for the takedown as they went out of bounds. Lowery ran from PJ’s optional start, and shot again, with the same result: a Duke down block and go-behind score. Duke released the Hoosier after more probing from top, and threatened a cow-catcher from his underhook to find another easy go-behind takedown. After missing one, Duke was able to score his 5th takedown by down-blocking Lowery and scooting behind. Checking the clock, he tried to ride out the period, but the Hoosier escaped, and to his credit, shot once more, but Duke darted around for a 6th and final takedown of the period with 1:29 in riding time accrued. 18-5
2nd
PJ chose neutral, down-blocked another Lowery shot, and cross-picked an ankle for the 21-5 Technical Fall in just 3:15.
Penn State 25, Indiana 0
165 lbs – #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State pinned #19 Tyler Lillard, Indiana
Mitchell’s Walk-out Song: she got a thing about her by Thomas Day
1st
It took 4 seconds after the whistle for Mitchell blocked a Lillard shot, grab a single-leg and finish. From there, Mesenbrink’s season-long emphasis on top wrestling turned to pain for Lillard as he locked an arm-bar and stretched the Hoosier’s labrums for 4 near-fall points—but had his arms bent too far backwards for the fall. Releasing Lillard to neutral, Mitchell used a high-crotch to take Lillard down again, and went back to work with the arm bar and half-nelson, to the same 4 point near-fall result, closing the period with 2:45 in riding time. 14-1
2nd
When Lillard deferred, Mitchell seemed to negotiate with his coaches, and took top. This time, after using a hammer-lock to set up the arm-bar and turn the Hoosier, Mesenbrink swung out in front in a head-and-arm position and scored the Fall in 4:01.
Author Note: I was 8 rows up, and don’t claim to be an expert lip reader, but on the handshake after, Mitchell grinned at Lillard, and I could have sworn exclaimed: “That was fun!” Even if he didn’t say it, no one can say it wasn’t (for him).
Penn State 31, Indiana 0
174 lbs – #1 Levi Haines, Penn State tech fall Orlando Cruz, Indiana, 17-1
Levi’s Walk-out Song: Dinosaur by Hank Williams Jr.
1st
Cruz shot, and Levi evaded, then worked his hand-fight until sweeping for a single-leg and finishing the takedown with a turk in tow. After switching to a figure-four, Levi tilted Cruz for 4 near-fall points. Haines continued to look for wrists and hook the leg, and finished the period with 1:54 in advantage time. 7-0
2nd
Levi escaped from his choice of bottom, harassing the Hoosier in the center of the mat. He cleared an elbow and finished his near-automatic high-crotch for a takedown. Levi looked for a bow and arrow, and Cruz was warned for stalling on bottom. Haines came in front of a hammer lock, but couldn’t set up a turn before time expired with riding time at 2:54 in Levi’s favor. 11-0
3rd
Cruz chose neutral and shot, catching a single-leg, but Haines countered with heavy hips and scored the counter takedown. He cut the Hoosier, and fired several shots in a row, eventually scoring the takedown for the 17-1 Technical Fall.
Penn State 36, Indiana 0
184 lbs – #1 Rocco Welsh, Penn State dec. #15 Sam Goin, Indiana, 15-9
Rocco’s Walk-out Song: LION (feat. Chris Brown & Brandon Lake) by Elevation Worship
1st
Welsh punched underhooks and took ground on Goin, earning a stall warning at the edge. He countered a Goin shot, coming around for a double-leg finish for the takedown. He released the Hoosier, snatched a single, and tripped him back to the mat for a second takedown and some “oohs” from the crowd. Welsh cut Goin again, and kept the pressure on, earning a stall point just as he stepped across for a single leg takedown and rode out to close the period with 47 seconds of riding time. 10-2
2nd
Goin escaped quickly and tied up Rocco’s attacks with good hand fighting and base defense. With less than a minute remaining, Welsh dropped to a double and finished the score, riding out and building his riding advantage to 1:30. 13-3
3rd
Welsh took bottom and stood for an escape, but Goin swept for a clean single and finished his own takedown, taking riding time below a minute. Welsh escaped on a restart, and seemed frustrated with himself as Goin looked for a collar and ankle, and sat the corner on a Rocco shot for a 2nd takedown to close the period for the 15-9 Decision.
Penn State 39, Indiana 0
197 lbs – #1 Josh Barr, Penn State maj. dec. #14 Gabe Sollars, Indiana, 14-6
Josh’s Walk-out Song: I Love it by Icona Pop
1st
Josh dropped to a quick single, and Sollars ably neutralized by passing an ankle before Barr eventually scooted out the back for the takedown. Barr worked to keep Sollars down, accruing 1:15 in riding time, but couldn’t close the period on top after a pair of successive cautions on a restart gave the Hoosier the opportunity to escape. Josh dove for a double, but Sollars again scrambled well to neutralize. 3-1
2nd
Barr escaped from his choice of bottom. He mis-directed to a single-leg, and the two again scrambled, but Barr was able to turn in for the score. In the waning seconds, Barr walked the Hoosier out of bounds and was warned for stalling, and then a 3rd caution on a restart, as he took riding time to 1:29. 7-2
3rd
Sollars escaped easily with a cautious Barr on the whistle, but Josh chased a reshot to a double-leg and takedown. With the Penn State corner’s advice to avoid further cautions, Barr offered the optional release on a restart, fired a head-inside single on the whistle that was eventually stalemated after a lengthy scramble. Josh again dove into a shot off the whistle, brought a single leg to his feet and tripped the Hoosier to the mat for the takedown. He ceded the escape, and sprawled out of bounds on a Sollars shot, conceding a stall point as he held on for the 14-6 Major Decision.
Penn State 43, Indiana 0
285 lbs – #12 Cole Mirasola, Penn State tech fall Caleb Marzolino, Indiana, 22-6
Cole’s Walk-out Song: Babel by Gustavo Bravetti
1st
With State College High School’s Nick Pavlechko out, Marzolino toed the line, and shot first—but the 8 lbs-larger Mirasola down-blocked and scored the go-behind. He cut him and picked an ankle at the edge for a 2nd takedown and 2nd release for the escape. Cole snapped and worked up a shallow ankle for the single-leg and score. The catch and release deluge continued under heavy snaps, with takedowns from a pair of head-outside singles, a stall warning, a double-leg, a second stall warning and point, and finally another gorgeous ankle pick to ice the 22-6 Technical Fall in 2:42.
After the meet, Cole reflected on his prolific ability to score in these matches:
I just feel like I keep getting better. I am focusing on getting better every match. It is a lot of fun wrestling with Penn State and just focusing on getting better every time out…
…I am just trying to focus on what I do every match, not really focusing on winning, just doing my system and developing. I am focusing on my system and what I am trying to do.
Penn State 48, Indiana 0
The Takery
Hat-tip to Angel Escobedo’s Hoosiers—they were offensive, and attacked consistently throughout each and every match against a foe they had no chance of defeating, as the Nittany Lions flexed their elite counter game to the tune of 48 takedowns (matching their dual team score output).
Cael said:
We want our guys scoring points; they are getting reps in and doing the things they need to do. I thought Indiana was scrappy; every match they came out fighting, so it was good for us and good that our guys were able to score a lot of points. When you enjoy what you are doing, points are a good thing. It is good training and good conditioning. We were not at our best at every weight, but we are excited to keep pushing forward here and get right back on the mat tomorrow.
The Season Playlist
As I continue to record home meet walk-out songs, I’ll add any new ones to the season playlist. Luke and Rocco were the only to select new songs this week.
Ridge Riley Award Winner: Mitchell Mesenbrink
Next Up: The Lions face the Terrapins of Maryland in a rescheduled dual at 5pm Today, on Saturday, Jan 24 (LionVision / Big Ten+ (free))
Category: General Sports
