No. 1 Penn State knocks off No. 2 Iowa in Carver-Hawkeye Arena, 19-13

Photo of Roman Bravo-Young by Tony Rotundo

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Key wins from No. 1 Carter Starocci (174 pounds) and No. 3 Max Dean (197 pounds) helped lead No. 1 Penn State to a key 19-13 rivalry win over No. 2 Iowa in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Friday evening.

Penn State got things started at 125 pounds with a major decision win courtesy of senior Drew Hildebrandt. He was able to post a 9-0 major decision over Iowa’s Jesse Ybarra, giving the Nittany Lions key bonus points to begin the dual.
In a key match at 133 pounds, Penn State’s top-ranked Roman Bravo-Young knocked off No. 3 Austin DeSanto, 3-2. DeSanto led 2-0 after forcing multiple stalling calls against Bravo-Young, but a crucial second-period takedown from the 2021 NCAA champion was the difference in a 133-pound match that had the Carver-Hawkeye crowd loud throughout.
At 141 pounds, No. 1 Nick Lee extended the Penn State team score lead with a thrilling 6-4 win in sudden victory over No. 2 Jaydin Eierman. With Lee up, 4-2 with riding time, late in the match, Eierman scored late in the third and finished with a ride-out to send the match to extra time. But off the whistle in the extra period, Lee locked up a score to win and push the Penn State lead to 10-0 after three weights.
Iowa posted its first win of the night at 149 pounds, where No. 10 Max Murin’s third-period takedown of No. 19 Beau Bartlett wrapped up a key 4-1 decision to cut into the team score lead. Murin was dominant on top throughout, using a tough second-period ride to establish momentum.
The Hawkeye response continued at 157 pounds, where No. 12 Kaleb Young pitched a 2-0 shutout over Penn State’s Terrell Barraclough. Young used a full-period ride in the third period to collect the win, closing the dual meet score to a 10-6 Nittany Lion advantage after five weights.
No. 5 Alex Marinelli further pushed momentum in the Hawkeyes direction with a crucial major decision win at 165 pounds over No. 11 Brady Berge. Marinelli set the pace from the start and ultimately scored a takedown on the edge late in the third period to secure the bonus points for Iowa. The win tied things at 10-10 leading into a premier bout at 174 pounds.
There, in another battle between the top-two-ranked wrestlers in the nation, the bout went to ride-outs in overtime, ultimately a 2-1 win for No. 1 Carter Starocci over Iowa’s No. 2 Michael Kemerer. Starocci was able to escape and finish his 30-second work on top to tilt the dual back in favor of Penn State after 174 pounds.
No. 1 Aaron Brooks extended the Penn State lead to 16-10 after an 8-3 decision over No. 17 Abe Assad at 184 pounds. Brooks looked to be on his way to a potential bonus-point win after a dominant multiple-takedown first period, but Assad held on to keep the win to a decision and the dual meet in reach.
At 197 pounds, Penn State officially locked up the dual with No. 3 Max Dean’s 8-3 decision over No. 4 Jacob Warner. The Iowa standout led early and looked to be on his way to a win, but Dean found a burst late and ultimately scored and posted four near-fall points as time winded down to lock up both the individual and team win.
In the final match of the night at heavyweight, Iowa’s No. 5 Tony Cassioppi pulled off an impressive upset of No. 3 Greg Kervliet, a 7-2 decision.
Below, you can find full results from the dual meet.

Penn State recap

Iowa recap
No. 1 Penn State 19, No. 2 Iowa 13
125: No. 8 Drew Hildebrandt (PSU) maj. dec. Jesse Ybarra (Iowa), 9-0
133: No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young (PSU) dec. No. 3 Austin DeSanto (Iowa), 3-2
141: No. 1 Nick Lee (PSU) dec. No. 2 Jaydin Eierman (Iowa), 6-4 SV1
149: No. 10 Max Murin (Iowa) dec. No. 19 Beau Bartlett (PSU), 4-1
157: No. 12 Kaleb Young (Iowa) dec. Terrell Barraclough (PSU), 2-1
165: No. 5 Alex Marinelli (Iowa) maj. dec. No. 11 Brady Berge (PSU), 10-2
174: No. 1 Carter Starocci (PSU) dec. No. 2 Michael Kemerer (Iowa), 2-1 TB1
184: No. 1 Aaron Brooks (PSU) dec. No. 17 Abe Assad (Iowa), 8-3
197: No. 3 Max Dean (PSU) dec. No. 4 Jacob Warner (Iowa), 8-3
285: No. 5 Tony Cassioppi (Iowa) dec. No. 3 Greg Kerkvliet (PSU), 7-2