What happened to Penn State wrestling? Suffers upsets, builds lead at NCAA wrestling

PHILADELPHIA − It would have been an astounding quarterfinal performance for most any other team at these NCAA Championships.

But Penn State wrestling?

The success bar is so high that it felt like an unexpected letdown when these No. 1 Nittany Lions suffered two big upset losses here today and will send only seven of its wrestlers into tonight's semifinal round in the Wells Fargo Center.

This is, after all, the Penn State team that won all 20 of its matches in Thursday's tournament opening for the first time in school history. The one seeking its 12th national title in 14 years under coach Cael Sanderson and some more record-breaking magic.

And so these quarterfinals Friday afternoon certainly started bumpy enough, if not disappointingly. The Lions lost their first two matches, beginning with freshman Luke Lilledahl, the No. 1 seed at 125 pounds. Lehigh's Sheldon Seymour did what nearly no one else has been able to this season − shut down Lightning Luke's offense.

Mar 21, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA;Tyler Kasak of Penn State prepares to wrestle Joey Blaze of Purdue (not pictured) in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Wrestling Championships at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The rookie missed on some takedown opportunities early and Seymour, who he beat by decision early in the season, never relented. The two were locked in a first overtime period, then a second. However, Seymour, a fifth-year senior, knew he owned the riding-time point advantage and used his stamina to hold off Lilledahl in the end.

Up next at 133 pounds, PSU's Braeden Davis had no answers for No. 1 Lucas Byrd. The inconsistent sophomore couldn't defend Byrd's offense, much like in a dual meet defeat last month. He would lose ever-convincingly, 12-1.

The biggest upset, though, would come three bouts later.

How Tyler Kasak finally 'lost' for Penn State wrestling

Mar 21, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Joey Blaze of Purdue wrestles Tyler Kasak of Penn State in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Wrestling Championships at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

After Beau Bartlett and Shayne Van Ness earned patient, quarterfinal victories at 141 and 149 pounds, it was No. 1 Tyler Kasak's turn.

The top seed at 157 pounds, Kasak has grown into an ever-reliable hammer in the Penn State lineup. He had not only won every match he finished this season, he had not so much as allowed a single takedown.

But he faced a closer-than-usual fight Friday with Purdue's Joey Blaze, and even looked a bit tired and worn as things progressed. And when Blaze rolled into a scoring move near the edge of the mat late in the third period, Kasask, uncharacteristically, didn't have an answer.

The kid who won seven straight NCAA consolation matches last year to finish third, would lose his shot at a national title here by a point.

Penn State wrestling: Carter Starocci and company to the rescue

It almost seemed as if mighty Penn State was wobbling a bit, their once-dominant team points lead shrinking to a half-point.

But, then again, this appears to be one of the most powerful teams of all-time. The Lions' ballyhooed middle- and upper-weights quickly took over things, winning the final five quarterfinal matches of the day. From Mitchell Mesenbrink at 165 pounds to Levi Haines, Carter Starocci, Josh Barr and heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet.

All but Barr, a freshman, wrestled in national title bouts last year in Kansas City.

They quickly restored Penn State's team points lead. The Lions (90.5), once again, are comfortably ahead of second-place Nebraska (65), Oklahoma State (63) and the rest of the field.

Plus, the quarterfinal losers remain in contention for All-America status and possible third-place finishes. They also will wrestle tonight.

Frank Bodani covers Penn State wrestling for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State wrestling: Tyler Kasak upset at NCAA Championships

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