Takedown Report

Nittany Lions Dominate Hawkeyes 32-3 as Penn State Wrestling Captures B1G Road Win

IOWA CITY, Iowa  – The Penn State Nittany Lions (8-0, 2-0 B1G) dominated home-standing Iowa (8-3, 1-1 B1G) in a Big Ten dual meet in Iowa City on Friday night. Penn State won nearly every bout on its way to a 32-3 victory on the Hawkeyes’ mat.
Penn State, with a line-up featuring six underclassmen, won nine of ten bouts including three bonus point wins. Eight of the ten match-ups featured two ranked wrestlers with 18 ranked individuals competing. The dual began at 125. Sophomore Luke Lilledahl, ranked No. 2 at 125, dominated No. 6 Dean Peterson. Lilledahl tallied the bouts only three takedowns in a strong 11-5 victory. True freshman Marcus Blaze, ranked No. 4 at 133, turned a second period takedown into a thrilling 4-2 win over Iowa senior No. 8 Drake Ayla. Blaze’s win gave Penn State an early 6-0 lead.
Junior Braeden Davis, ranked No. 7 at 141, lost a hard fought 3-2 decision to No. 11 Nassir Bailey, cutting the Nittany Lion lead to 6-3. Junior Shayne Van Ness, ranked No. 1 at 149, used a furious third period to major No. 17 Ryder Block. Van Ness used a takedown and four back points to roll to the 13-4 win. True freshman PJ Duke, ranked No. 3 at 157, used a third period escape and takedown to notch a hard fought 4-2 win over No. 12 Jordan Williams. Penn State led 13-3 at halftime.
Junior Mitchell Mesenbrink, ranked No. 1 at 165, posting a convincing 11-2 major over No. 3 Michael Caliendo. Mesenbrink used a takedown in each period to secure the convincing win and give the Nittany Lions a 17-3 lead. Senior Levi Haines, ranked No. 1 at 174, used … more at … https://gopsusports.com/news/2026/01/17/nittany-lions-dominate-hawkeyes-32-3-as-penn-state-wrestling-captures-b1g-road-win

January 20, 2026 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized