Previewing tomorrow night's NLWC Rokfin 11-match card

Graphic courtesy of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club

Tomorrow night at 8 p.m. EST, the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club will host another live card in conjunction with Rokfin. Currently, there are eleven matches scheduled. World champion David Taylor taking on two-time NCAA champion Gabe Dean is one of the main events of the night, as well as Three-time NCAA champion and current World Team member Zain Retherford squaring off with three-time World Team member Reece Humphrey. Both matchups are previewed here.

Bo Nickal vs. Nate Jackson, the third match outlined in the preview, will no longer take place. Jackson, a two-time All-American, will now wrestle Penn State redshirt freshman Michael Beard. Competing unattached over the past two seasons, Beard has compiled a 25-3 record, winning six open tournaments. Beard wrestles at 197 pounds, while Jackson wrestles at 86 kg, so it’s possible there is a size discrepancy between the two.

In addition to the three aforementioned matches, the card currently has eight more scheduled. The match order has not yet been released. Below, let’s take a look at the other matches on the card.

Thomas Gilman vs. Frank Perrelli
Former Iowa Hawkeye turned NLWC resident athlete Thomas Gilman will face off with journeyman opponent Frank Perrelli. Gilman is a 2017 World silver medalist and currently No. 2 on the National Team at 57 kg. In March, Gilman qualified 57 kg for the Olympic Games with a gold-medal performance at the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier, in Ottawa, Canada.

Perrelli was an All-American for Cornell. He currently trains with the Lehigh Valley Wrestling Club. In his last outing, he placed fifth at the 2020 Senior Nationals. The pair met at the 2019 World Team Trials Challenge Tournament with Gilman walking away with a 10-0 victory.

Franklin Gomez vs. Borislav Novachkov
This matchup features former NCAA stars who compete for different nations internationally. Franklin Gomez was an NCAA champion and three-time All-American for Michigan State. Internationally, Gomez wrestles for Puerto Rico. He is a two-time Olympian and 2011 World silver medalist.

Borislav Novachkov was an NCAA runner-up and three-time All-American for Cal Poly. He is a 2016 Olympian and competes internationally for Bulgaria. He is also a 2017 European Championships silver medalist and a 2014 European Championships bronze medalist.

Carter Starocci vs. Chance Marsteller
Penn State up-and-comer Carter Starocci will look to upend Chance Marsteller in this battle of Pennsylvania natives. Starocci is a redshirt freshman at Penn State and the presumable starter at 174 pounds. Last year in redshirt, he put together an impressive 19-0 campaign. Starocci is a 2017 16U Fargo champ in both freestyle and Greco.

Marsteller was a two-time All-American for Lock Haven. A four-time Pennsylvania state champ, Marsteller was also a 2012 Cadet World Team member. He is the 2019 U.S. Open runner-up at 79 kg.

Nick Nevills vs. Mauro Correnti
Two-time Penn State All-American Nick Nevills will take on former Rider University NCAA qualifier Mauro Correnti. Nevills will be looking to redeem himself after falling to Lehigh’s Cadet World silver medalist Jordan Wood on the last NLWC Rokfin card. Nevills most recent tournament placement was fourth at the 2019 Senior Nationals.

Jen Page vs. Lauren Mason
The lone freestyle bout on the card features former National Team member Jen Page taking on Lauren Mason. Page is back on the mat after being plagued by injuries in recent years. She is a 2013 Junior World medalist and a 2020 Klippan Lady Open (Sweden) and Senior Nationals champion. On the last NLWC card, Page defeated National Team member Desiree Zavala in a dramatic come-from-behind victory. Mason wrestles collegiately for Simon Fraser. She is the 2019 U.S. Open third-place finisher. In her most recent outing, Mason finished fourth at the U23 Nationals in Omaha, Nebraska.

Max Dean vs. CJ Brucki
Gabe Dean’s younger brother Max is making an appearance on the card as well. The NCAA finalist and two-time All-American for Cornell will be taking on CJ Brucki, a two-time NCAA qualifier for Central Michigan who now trains with the NJRTC. Dean was a member of the 2019 U23 World Team and finished eighth at the 2019 U.S. Open at 86 kg. Brucki also finished eighth at the 2019 U.S. Open competing at 79 kg. At 86 kg, he placed eighth at the 2020 Senior Nationals.

Joe Lee vs Zach Hartman
Penn State’s redshirt freshman Joe Lee will take on Bucknell’s junior Zach Hartman. Lee is a 2015 Fargo 16U champion. In his redshirt season, Lee went 14-2 winning the Clarion and Wilkes Opens. Hartman is a two-time NCAA qualifier sporting a 55-17 record over his two college seasons.

Nick Lee vs. Brandon Wright
Two-time Penn State All-American Nick Lee will wrestle former National Team member Brandon Wright. Lee was the No. 2 seed going into last year’s NCAA Tournament. He is a 2019 Senior Nationals third-place finisher and a three-time Cadet Pan Am champion (two in men’s freestyle, one in Greco-Roman). Wright was a two-time NAIA champion for Grandview. He was No. 3 on the National Team at 61 kg during 2017-2018 and was the 2017 U.S. Open runner-up.

Matches Announced for November, 24 NLWC Rokfin card
David Taylor vs. Gabe Dean
Zain Retherford vs. Reece Humphrey
Thomas Gilman vs. Frank Perrelli
Franklin Gomez vs. Borislav Novachkov
Carter Starocci vs. Chance Marsteller
Michael Beard vs. Nate Jackson
Nick Nevills vs. Mauro Correnti
Jennifer Page vs. Laura Mason
Max Dean vs. CJ Brucki
Joe Lee vs. Zach Hartman
Nick Lee vs. Brandon Wright