NC State's Dylan Fishback smiles in No. 6 NC State's win over No. 18 North Carolina.
Week 14 of the college wrestling season delivered another round of thrilling matchups and memorable moments for college wrestling fans. No. 1 Penn State dominated No. 2 Iowa at home, No. 6 NC State narrowly defeated No. 18 North Carolina, there were plenty of upsets, and much more. Here’s a look at some of the top moments of the week.
Dual of the week
The top ranked Penn State Nittany Lions handed the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes their first loss of the season in a Big Ten showdown on Friday night. The Nittany Lions improved to 10-0 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten with the 30-8 victory. Iowa moved to 9-1 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten. The win is the 66th-straight dual victory for Penn State, as they won eight of the ten matches inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
No. 1 Penn State 30, No. 2 Iowa 8
January 31, 2025 – Bryce Jordan Center – University Park, Pa.
125 | #9 Luke Lilledahl (PSU) tech fall #26 Joey Cruz (IOWA), 22-6
133 | #2 Drake Ayala (IOWA) tech fall Kurt McHenry (PSU), 19-4
141 | #3 Beau Bartlett (PSU) dec. Cullan Schriever (IOWA), 7-3
149 | #3 Shayne Van Ness (PSU) maj. dec. #2 Kyle Parco (IOWA), 17-6
157 | #3 Tyler Kasak (PSU) dec. #1 Jacori Teemer (IOWA), 5-2
165 | #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) tech fall #2 Mikey Caliendo (IOWA), 19-4
174 | #2 Levi Haines (PSU) dec. #6 Patrick Kennedy (IOWA), 10-3
184 | #1 Carter Starocci (PSU) dec. Angelo Ferrari (IOWA), 3-1
197 | #1 Stephen Buchanan (IOWA) dec. #4 Josh Barr (PSU), 5-1
285 | #2 Greg Kerkvliet (PSU) maj. dec. #10 Ben Kueter (IOWA), 12-2
Performance of the week
West Liberty’s Ty McGeary, the top-ranked wrestler in the country at 184 pounds, made history by becoming the first wrestler in Mountain East Conference (MEC) history to win four consecutive championships. On Saturday, McGeary secured a 14-6 major decision victory against Glenville State's Kyle Homet in the 184-pound final.
Upset of the week
The upset of the week came at 149 pounds on Friday, when Oregon State’s Ethan Stiles, ranked at No. 21, defeated Stanford’s Jaden Abas, ranked at No. 8, in an 18-8 major decision. Stiles, a redshirt freshman, picked up one of three OSU wins in the dual as Stanford edged out the Beavers 22-16. Abas is a four-time NCAA Qualifier and NCAA All-American for the Cardinal.
Photos of the week
Tony Rotundo photographed one of the top duals of the week in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, when No. 6 NC State defeated No. 18 North Carolina. The dual came down to the last match, as No. 3 Vince Robinson won by 10-4 decision over No. 13 Spencer More, giving the 19-16 win to the Wolfpack. Swipe through Tony’s best below!
Move of the week
Grand View’s Cailin Campbell used this move in the quarterfinals at the Grand View Open. Campbell earned a third-place finish at the tournament at 117 pounds.