Penn State vs. Iowa Wrestling: Live updates and scores

125 pounds: No. 7 Drake Ayala vs. No. 2 Brayden Davis

The Penn State vs. Iowa duo has a strong history starting at 125 pounds, and if this duo actually starts at the lightweights, the fireworks will start early. Penn State true freshman Brayden Davis was one of this year's breakout stars at 125 pounds, carrying an undefeated 14-0 record that pushed him to No. 2 in the country.

Two weeks ago, Davis beat No. 6 Michigan's Michael DeAgostino 5-1, and this win is even more significant and notable heading into the Iowa game considering No. 7 Iowa's Drake Ayala had just fallen to No. 6 Michigan's DeAgostino in an upset of Iowa's 24-11 loss to Michigan. . Transgressive characteristics don't always work in wrestling, and it certainly wasn't predictive at 125 pounds this year, but Davis' win is important as he prepares for Hawkeye's sophomore year.

£133: No. 20 Colan Shriver vs. No. 6 Aaron Nagao

Unlike Davis, Penn State's Aaron Nagao won't go into his bout against Iowa undefeated after losing to Ryan Crockham earlier this semester and recently suffering losses to Dylan Ragosin and Nick Bouzakis, but Nagao is still the heavyweight favorite. 133 pounds this season. match. He's battle-tested and tough, and will look for a payoff against anyone Iowa sends to the mat.

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The Hawks currently have Colan Shriver listed as a prospect, and he was the go-to guy for Iowa against Purdue, Illinois, Northwestern and Michigan. Shriver's only two losses so far this season came to Nebraska's Ragosin and Jacob Van Dee, though he finished behind teammate Brody Teske in the Solider Tribute. Teske, meanwhile, moved up to 141 pounds for the Illinois-Northwestern duo, but is not included in the odds now that Real Woods is back. Iowa's depth will be a factor later in the lineup as well, as the Hawks have talented backup options at a number of weights, but stopping the Nittany Lions will remain unlikely, even with several nationally qualified players at several weights.

141 pounds: No. 2 Real Woods vs. No. 1 Beau Bartlett

For the second week in a row, the Nittany Lions' biggest matchup will be at 141 pounds. Last weekend, Bo Bartlett, No. 2 at Penn State, edged Jesse Mendez, No. 3 at Ohio State, in a high-profile top-five match in an upset victory, and now Bartlett will once again face a notable test at No. 2 Real Woods. However, Bartlett will enter this meeting with all the momentum. He slid into No. 1 nationally after Woods' loss at the Major to Michigan's Sergio Lemley last weekend, and now Bartlett will have the opportunity to defend that position in enemy territory.

Bartlett, a defensive wrestler with good positioning, competes smartly. Woods' style is slightly different, with Hawk typically displaying a more aggressive and fast-paced style, although this pace has slowed recently with Woods wrestling more strategic matches. Carver-Hawkeye is where Woods would like to regain his top spot, so look for him to come out of the whistle strong and work toward getting a turn. His path to victory will likely require back points.

149 pounds: No. 12 Caleb Rathjen vs. No. 10 Tyler Kasak

Many Penn State vs. Iowa matchups feature familiar storylines: a top-ranked wrestler versus an All-American or a hot transfer versus a veteran. The athletes are well-known, and the expectations are more universal. There's none of those things at 149 pounds.

Penn State will enter this game with an advantage, as the Nittany Lions are expected to field No. 10 Tyler Kasak, a true freshman who had a great season after replacing All-American Shane Van Ness after Van Ness was injured. . Kasak's only loss this year came to teammate Beau Bartlett at 141 pounds, and he's coming off a win over All-American Dylan D'Emilio of Ohio State, and looks ready to go.

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Iowa State's Caleb Rathjen, a third-year but first-year Hawkeye, was also solid and improving as the season progressed. He is 9-3 on the year, with his best wins coming against teammate Viktor Voinovich at Soldier Salute to earn the starting spot. This will be a matchup between two first-year starters, meaning anything can happen, but the outcome of this matchup will have major implications for the Big Ten Tournament seeding.

157 pounds: No. 5 Jared Frank vs. No. 1 Levi Haines

This is a winnable matchup for Iowa State's Jared Frank, but he'll need to wrestle sharply, even sharper than he did against Michigan's Will Lewan. If Iowa wants to stay at that weight, the Hawks are going to need some magic from Frank.

Levi Haines, a 2023 NCAA finalist, is 11-0 on the year with a 63+% bonus percentage. Frank, meanwhile, is 13-2, with his only losses coming to Michigan's Lewan and Minnesota's Michael Blockhaus, both of whom were decided by one point.

For Frank to stay in this fight, he will need to slow down Haines and keep the match defensive.

165 pounds: No. 6 Mikey Caliendo vs. No. 7 Mitchell Meissenbrink

There's a chance Penn State shuts out the Hawkeyes, but, like North Dakota State teammate Jared Frank, Mikey Caliendo has the potential to help stop that outcome. He'll even come into this bout with a seeding advantage, although Penn State's Mitchell Misenbrink is still considered the likely favorite in this 165-pound bout. Mesenbrink, a Baptist transfer from California, has quickly become a fan favorite at Penn State this year as he continues to work his way up the rankings with his big wins. The middleweight freshman is 15-0 on the year with an 80% bonus, but his recent wins over All-American Cameron Amine, Caleb Fish and Bryce Hepner are what really showcased Mesenbrink's potential as a title contender.

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Caliendo is certainly someone Iowa expects to end up on the podium, so getting a chance to compete with Misenbrink is a good thing, regardless of the outcome.

174 pounds: No. 7 Patrick Kennedy vs. No. 1 Carter Starocchi

The Nittany Lions are elite from top to bottom, but it's the heavyweights that really shine at Penn State. Three of Penn State's last four wrestlers are ranked in the No. 1 lineup in the country, so the Hawks will need to either win some lightweight matches or play a little bit with the lineup to remain competitive here at the back. Half of the duo.

Iowa has No. 7 Patrick Kennedy listed as the Hawks' potential starter at 174 pounds, and Kennedy has shown he can compete. He has only had three losses this year, one to teammate Mikey Caliendo at 165 pounds, one to Nick Incontrera early in the season and one last weekend to Shane Griffith as a bonus. The Griffith loss wasn't Kennedy's best performance, but he has had moments this year where he looked strong, competitive and impressive at the weight, most notably in his 5-1 win over No. 8 Edmund Ruth of Illinois.

However, Penn State's Carter Starucci will take on Kennedy in Iowa City looking for the reward. He is ruthless and competitive, destroying almost everyone in his path. Ohio State's Rocco Welsh held a decision over Starocci last weekend in State College, and Starocci no doubt wants to quell any speculation that he might be beatable. After all, this is the man who said the following NCAA press conference That his mentality when wrestling an opponent is “to pull him into the deep waters and feel his soul leave his body and continue to haunt him…that kind of thing keeps me going. I love that feeling.”

Starocci is a self-described “straight killer.” Look for him to come out strong and attack for points at the final whistle. Kennedy's job of blocking those shots will be difficult.

184 pounds: Aiden Riggins vs. No. 6 Bernie Truex

Iowa State doesn't have to use Kennedy at 174 pounds, and the Hawks don't have to use rookie prospect Eden Riggins at 184 pounds. They can be creative. Against Iowa State, Iowa State limited Kennedy to 174 pounds and moved up true freshman Gabe Arnold to 184 pounds. Kennedy beat No. 19 Iowa State MJ Gaytan in that dual, and Arnold beat No. 8 Feldkamp. Arnold has several duos left in which he could compete for the Hawks without burning his redshirt, and it wouldn't be a bad duo to field the freshman, as whoever Iowa State picks to wrestle would have a chance against three-time All-American Bernie. Trux.

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Truax, a Cal Poly transfer, is 8-2 on the year with a loss to All-American Trey Munoz and a loss last weekend to Ohio State's Ryder Rogotzky. Meanwhile, Eden Riggins is 7-8, although he has wins over Northwestern and Michigan. Can Riggins beat Truax? Anything can happen, sure, but Arnold's resume this year suggests he'll be better, even though Arnold said so Badr show earlier this year that he did not expect to reach 184 pounds again. Given that comment, and given Iowa's odds, there's a good chance Riggins will get the nod, suggesting this could be another additional opportunity for Penn State simply based on Truex's history.

197 pounds: No. 11 Zach Glazier vs. No. 1 Aaron Brooks

At the beginning of the season, this matchup between Aaron Brooks and Zach Glazier may not have gotten a lot of hype. Brooks is certainly still a favorite with many. But Glazier deserves some credit here.

In his fifth year with the Iowa program, Glazier has finally earned his starting spot. He's now 14-0 with a 78+% bonus, and has wins over Big Ten champion Silas Allred (by bonus) and two victories over No. 20 Garrett Joles. He looked every bit the All-American.

These are the matches you want#Falcon Eye pic.twitter.com/0lV3WKiDI1

– Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling (@Hawks_Wrestling) February 7, 2024

Brooks, though, is a three-time champion and someone who could quickly put an end to Glazier's unbeaten streak. Nine of Brooks' 10 matches this year ended early, either by fall or technical fall, and this one could follow the same pattern. This is an important game for Glazier because he has not been tested like this all season. Staying competitive with Brooks and working to keep the game tight could give him great experience in the postseason.

In addition, Carver is known for his charm. How could Glazier maximize this moment?

285 pounds: No. 29 Bradley Hill vs. No. 1 Greg Kerkvliet

Like 197 pounds, the edge here belongs to Penn State in an important way. Nittany Lion junior Greg Kerkvliet is 9-0 with wins over No. 6 Lucas Davison, No. 7 Nick Feldman, No. 9 Nathan Taylor, No. 15 Owen Trevan, and No. 24 Boone McDermott. He is the favorite to win a national title this year and contribute to what could be one of the best programs in NCAA history.

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Iowa State's Bradley Hill is going to have a tough time here, but Hill is not someone to be mocked. The Hawkeye is 11-4 with strong performances in wins against four-time national qualifiers Cole Urbas and Nebraska's Nash Huttmacher. Iowa State also has options here and could send true freshman Ben Koetter, but regardless of which Hawkeye wins the mat, Kerkvliet could be tough to hold off.

Iowa State will want to do everything it can to get some momentum and some points on the board going into these final four weigh-ins. No team has scored more than ten points against the Nittany Lions so far this year, so this is the first hurdle to be crossed as Iowa State chases its biggest upset of the season.