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NICEVILLE, Fla. -- The top two teams in collegiate wrestling did nothing Tuesday to dissuade any change in the rankings after the second day of action at the Collegiate Wrestling Duals at Raider Arena on the campus of Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Florida.
No. 2 Penn State flexed its muscles in a 29-10 win over No. 3 Arizona State to win the Blue Pool championship. Earlier in the evening, No. 1 Iowa had to go all the way to the final bout before it could turn away No. 6 North Carolina State, 19-15, to claim the Red Pool title.
The Nittany Lions won seven of 10 bouts, including another sweep from 174 through 285, to overwhelm the Sun Devils.
After Arizona State took a 4-0 lead with a major decision from No. 3 Brandon Courtney at 125, Penn State swept the next three bouts. Top-ranked Roman Bravo-Young won 6-2, and No. 1 Nick Lee followed with a 14-3 major decision. That set up the upset of the night, from Beau Bartlett at 149 pounds.
The nation's No. 22 149-pounder scored a takedown 1:23 into the sudden victory period to upset No. 5 Kyle Parco, 3-1.
"It's a little bit weird. Coach Cody and Coach Cael were congratulating me and there was no emotion," Bartlett told the Penn State Radio Network. "I feel like I would be very excited, but so far I'm on track with what I planned for myself."
Arizona State picked up a pair of decisions at 157 and 165 to tie the dual at 10-10.
Penn State put the dual away with three straight dominating wins. Top-ranked 174-pounder Carter Starocci rolled up a 17-2 technical fall in 4:50. Aaron Brooks followed with a fall in 1:48 to open a 21-10 lead for Penn State.
Third-ranked Max Dean sealed the win for the Nittany Lions as he dominated No. 8 Kordell Norfleet, 10-1, to push PSU's advantage to 25-10.
A much-anticipated showdown between Penn State's fourth-ranked Greg Kerkvliet and third-ranked Colton Schultz didn't come off. Arizona State, instead, sent out a backup. Kerkvliet shook off a cut on the bridge of his nose that delayed the bout for a long stretch in the first period. The Nittany Lion didn't let it deter him from posting a dominating 9-0 win.
Penn State won't compete again until it starts the Big Ten portion of its schedule at 7 p.m. Jan. 7 in College Park, Maryland, against the Terrapins.
Wolfpack pushes Hawkeyes to the brink
Sixth-ranked North Carolina State pushed No. 1 Iowa down to the wire before falling. The Hawkeyes won six bouts, including the first three of the dual and then the final two to post the come-from-behind win.
Trailing 13-9 after 165 pounds, the Wolfpack claimed the lead with a pair of back-to-back wins from the Hidlay brothers. Hayden clipped Nelson Brands, 4-2, at 174 and Trent followed with a 6-0 shutout of Abe Assad.
That gave North Carolina State a 15-13 lead with just two bouts remaining.
The Hawkeyes reclaimed the lead at 197 as Jacob Warner edged No. 15 Isaac Trumble 3-2 to set up a winner-take-all bout at 285 pounds.
Sixth-ranked Iowa 285-pounder Tony Cassioppi was just too much for unranked Tyrie Houghton in a 6-2 decision that capped the win for the Hawkeyes, 19-15.
Iowa had built a predictable 10-0 lead with three wins from 125 through 141. No. 1 Spencer Lee (125) and No. 2 Jaydin Eierman (141) posted decisions and No. 3 Austin DeSanto added a major decision.
N.C. State fought back with a win at 149 from third-ranked Tariq Wilson and then a stunner at 157, as Ed Scott pinned No. 8 Kaleb Young in 1:10.
Top-ranked Hawkeye 165-pounder Alex Marinelli stopped that momentum with a 7-2 win.
North Carolina State will take the mats again on Jan. 1-2 at the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
No. 2 Penn State 29, No. 3 Arizona State 10
(Tuesday at Niceville, Fla.)
125: No. 3 Brandon Courtney, ASU, maj. dec. Jake Campbell, 18-7.
133: No. 1 Roman Bravo-Young, PSU, dec. No. 14 Michael McGee, 6-2.
141: No. 1 Nick Lee, PSU, maj. dec. No. 15 Jesse Vasquez, 14-3.
149: No. 22 Beau Bartlett, PSU, dec. No. 5 Kyle Parco, 3-1 SV.
157: No. 3 Jacori Teemer, ASU, dec. Tony Negron, 8-3.
165: No. 6 Anthony Valencia, ASU, dec. No. 26 Creighton Edsell, 10-5.
174: No. 1 Carter Starocci, PSU, won by tech. fall over Zane Coleman, 17-2 (4:50).
184: No. 1 Aaron Brooks, PSU, pinned Josh Nummer, 1:48.
197: No. 3 Max Dean, PSU, maj. dec. No. 8 Kordell Norfleet, 10-1.
285: No. 4 Greg Kerkvliet, PSU,
Takedowns: ASU 13; PSU 22.
Records: Arizona State 3-1; Penn State 8-0.
Next match: Penn State at Maryland, 7 p.m. Jan. 7.
No. 1 Iowa 19, No. 6 North Carolina State 15
(Tuesday at Niceville, Fla.)
125: No. 1 Spencer Lee, I, dec. No. 6 Jakob Camacho, 6-1.
133: No. 3 Austin DeSanto, I, maj. dec. No. 17 Kai Orine, 16-7.
141: No. 2 Jaydin Eierman, I, dec. Ryan Jack, 7-6.
149: No. 3 Tariq Wilson, NCS, dec. Cobe Siebrecht, 7-3.
157: Ed Scott, NCS, pinned No. 8 Kaleb Young, 1:10.
165: No. 1 Alex Marinelli, I, dec. Donald Cates, 7-2.
174: No. 5 Hayden Hidlay, NCS, dec. Nelson Brands, 4-2.
184: No. 3 Trent Hidlay, NCS, dec. Abe Assad, 6-0.
197: No. 7 Jacob Warner, I, dec. No. 15 Isaac Trumble, 3-2
285: No. 6 Tony Cassioppi, I, dec. Tyrie Houghton, 6-2.