2025 NCAA Championship Session II Thread

[Tom McAndrew]

I'm setting this up the night before so that everyone has the info, etc., and also so that I have one less thing to do tomorrow between sessions.

Please use the thread for all pre-session, in-session, and post-session discussion for the Session II of the 2025 NCAA Championships.

When:
March 20, 7:00 pm EDT

Where:
Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA

TV:
ESPN

Video Streaming:
ESPN+. Please note that this is the only way to get access to multiple mats (their MatCast). Additional info about that is provided in the Session I Thread.

Audio Streaming:
The radio PBP, with Jeff Byers at the mic, will be streamed for free. The pre-Session portion of the broadcast will start at 6:40 pm EDT, with the actual wrestling taking place at 7:00 pm EDT. To access the audio PBP, go to:

Lion Vision

gopsusports.com

Once there, click on the arrow inside the button, to the left of "Wrestling: NCAA Championships (Philadelphia, PA) - Session 2"

Team Scores:

The best places for tracking the team scoring race is the Penn State Wrestling Club web site (for members), or TrackWrestling

PBP:​

I'll be available for PBP for the entire session. @GregPickel will be inside the Wells Fargo Center, providing observations, etc. from that vantage point. Hopefully, several of you will also step forward and provide some analysis, or some comments on each match. As always, I remind you to please include the score for the match, or provide some context (wrestler, school, and weight class) beyond just "that's not a takedown." It also helps to give folks a heads up as to what mat a PSU wrestler will be wrestling on. You can usually get that info from Ironhead's audio PBP, from Penn State Wrestling's twitter account, or from TrackWrestling.

 

[lionlover]

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Matchups for PSU in Session II:

125 R2: #1 seed Luke Lilledahl vs. #16 seed Blake West (Northern Illinois)

133 R2: #8 seed Braeden Davis vs. #9 seed Braxton Brown (Maryland)

141 R2: #2 seed Beau Bartlett vs. #18 seed Julian Tagg (S. Dakota St.)

149 R2: #3 seed Shayne Van Ness vs. #19 seed Andrew Clark (Rutgers)

157 R2: #1 seed Tyler Kasak vs. #16 seed Cody Chittum (Iowa St.)

165 R2: #1 seed Mitchell Mesenbrink vs. #16 seed Kyle Mosher (Hofstra)

174 R2: #2 seed Levi Haines vs. #18 seed Gaven Sax (Oklahoma)

184 R2: #1 seed Carter Starocci vs. #16 seed Shane Cartagena-Walsh (Rutgers)

197 R2: #4 seed Josh Barr vs. #13 seed Trey Munoz (Oregon St.)

285 R2: #3 seed Greg Kerkvliet vs. #14 seed Gavin Hoffman (Lock Haven)

 

[SRATH]

I posted this in the session 1 results too. We have 24 points, last year, we had 15.5 after session 1

Team scores at end of Session I: Last Year

1. PSU - 15.5
2. Nebraska - 14.0
3. Michigan - 13.5
4. Iowa State - 13.0
5. Ohio State - 12.5
6. Virginia Tech - 11.5
7. Cornell - 11.0
7. NC State - 11.0
9. Iowa - 10.5
10. Oklahoma State - 10.0


Please correct me but I think Davis was the only guy to give up a td. I wasn't sure this team had the bonus point firepower. Crazy

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Please correct me but I think Davis was the only guy to give up a td. I wasn't sure this team had the bonus point firepower. Crazy

That's correct -- Davis was the only PSUer to give up a TD in Session I

 

[OhioLion]

@GregPickel can you give some insight on what the wrestlers and coaches do between sessions. Not a ton of time for them, so I’m curious - guessing eat something for energy, take a nap, team meeting likely.
Anything would be appreciated.
TIA

 

[NittPicker]

Interesting bout at 197 in Session #2. Luke Stout (Princeton) vs. Mac Stout (Pitt). Brother vs. brother. I can't imagine that's happened very often in the NCAA tournament.

 

[GregPickel]

That's correct -- Davis was the only PSUer to give up a TD in Session I

Yep, and he was the first guy on the mat because Lilledahl had to wait for the pig tail. So, the first wrestler of the session gave up a takedown and then they didn't surrender another one.

 

[Sluggo52]

Meh. With Davis it was one of those danger of exposure deals he seems to get into with some frequency. He is tough to take down and IMO should avoid scrambles when possible.

 

[PSUFANinVA]

Yep, and he was the first guy on the mat because Lilledahl had to wait for the pig tail. So, the first wrestler of the session gave up a takedown and then they didn't surrender another one.

The team is definitely learning as they go.

 

[Sunshinedynomite 1]

Are they do Wrestlebacks and then champ round or are at the same time?

 

[Sluggo52]

Can't do wrestlebacks until Round 2 is done.

 

[LB99]

Matchups for PSU in Session II:

125 R2: #1 seed Luke Lilledahl vs. #16 seed Blake West (Northern Illinois)

133 R2: #8 seed Braeden Davis vs. #9 seed Braxton Brown (Maryland)

141 R2: #2 seed Beau Bartlett vs. #18 seed Julian Tagg (S. Dakota St.)

149 R2: #3 seed Shayne Van Ness vs. #19 seed Andrew Clark (Rutgers)

157 R2: #1 seed Tyler Kasak vs. #16 seed Cody Chittum (Iowa St.)

165 R2: #1 seed Mitchell Mesenbrink vs. #16 seed Kyle Mosher (Hofstra)

174 R2: #2 seed Levi Haines vs. #18 seed Gaven Sax (Oklahoma)

184 R2: #1 seed Carter Starocci vs. #16 seed Shane Cartagena-Walsh (Rutgers)

197 R2: #4 seed Josh Barr vs. #13 seed Trey Munoz (Oregon St.)

285 R2: #3 seed Greg Kerkvliet vs. #14 seed Gavin Hoffman (Lock Haven)

There’s a few tricky matchups here. Chittum, Munoz, and Brown are all formidable. Also, Gavin Hoffman is at HWT now? Seems like a life time ago that the Hoffman/Beard recruiting chatter was the buzz.

 

[GregPickel]

Are they do Wrestlebacks and then champ round or are at the same time?

Inner four mats are going to be QFs and outside four are first round consolations.

 

[GregPickel]

Luke Lilledahl will be up first on mat 3.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Are they do Wrestlebacks and then champ round or are at the same time?

Can't do wrestlebacks until Round 2 is done.

I believe it's consolations on mats 1, 2, 7, & 8, and Championship on 3, 4, 5, & 6

 

[Tom McAndrew]

@GregPickel indicated, Luke will be on Mat 3 at the start of the Session.

Braeden Davis is in the hole on Mat 4

 

[SleepyLion]

I believe it's consolations on mats 1, 2, 7, & 8, and Championship on 3, 4, 5, & 6

This is correct.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Byers is up and running on LionVision

 

[Sluggo52]

Well I screwed that up.

 

[GregPickel]

@GregPickel can you give some insight on what the wrestlers and coaches do between sessions. Not a ton of time for them, so I’m curious - guessing eat something for energy, take a nap, team meeting likely.
Anything would be appreciated.
TIA

Each guy surely does something different. Some relax. Others get some extra work in. Some refueling is surely part of the process in addition to any necessary recovery.

 

[BlueAndWhite86]

LTFG!

 

[Karl_Havok]

Wow. Peterson pins Richie Figs.

 

[GregPickel]

Peterson just upset Figureora by fall. Wow.

 

[hohmadw1978]

Luke with a first period takedown. He is up 3-1.

 

[hohmadw1978]

Luke by TF!

 

[BlueAndWhite86]

Luke TF! Luv those bonus points!

 

[Tom McAndrew]

125 R2: #1 seed Luke Lilledahl vs. #16 seed Blake West (Northern Illinois)

I'll use BW for Blake West

Per 1
Luke shoots, nothing. Luke is active. West shoots a single and has a leg, and Luke sprawls, and a stalemate is called. Luke in on a single, but loses it. Luke throws him to his back but it's ruled OOB, with 1:40 left. West in on a headlock, but Luke frees the head. Luke with a duck, a scramble, and Luke trips him down to the mat for the TD, 3-0. OOB with 1 sec left. End. RT @ 18 sec for Luke

Per 2
BW takes bottom. They're OOB with 1:34 left. BW to his feet, and he's out, 3-1. RT @ 48 sec for Luke. West shoots and gets a leg, but Luke clears. Luke counters, and works to a headlock, but nothing. Luke reaches, nothing. BW shoots, Luke counters and gets the TD, 6-1. Luke flattens him for a bit, and the buzzer sounds. End. RT @ 59 sec for Luke

Per 3
Luke takes neutral. Luke shoots, nothing, re-shoots, and gets the TD, 9-1. RT goes over 1 min. BW to his feet, nearly tripped down, and OOB, but the esc is awarded, 9-2. Luke with a shot and takes BW to his back; it's 3 plus NF, 16-2. Luke cuts him, 16-3. Luke shoots a double and gets the TD, for a 19-3, TF, @ 6:52!!!!

Wow

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Richie Figs got pinned

 

[Tryingtodoitright]

Peterson just upset Figureora by fall. Wow.

One of the few times I found myself rooting for Rutgres

 

[OhioLion]

Kid feom
Princeton has a total brain fart !

 

[ElDuce]

 

[NittPicker]

Kid feom
Princeton has a total brain fart !

I thought Ivy Leaguers were smart??

 

[Karl_Havok]

I guess revenge is a dish best served at the NCAA tournament for Lightning Luke.

 

[GregPickel]

Lots of angry coaches to start this session.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

Lots of angry coaches to start this session.

I haven't a clue why Princeton threw the brick in the match @ NC State. That was an easy call for a TD.

The coaches sure got sassy during the video review

 

[ElDuce]

I haven't a clue why Princeton threw the brick in the match @ NC State. That was an easy call for a TD.

The coaches sure got sassy during the video review

Time?

 

[cb1994]

Come on Davis!!! The time is now!!!

 

[GregPickel]

Brown-Davis coming up NOW on mat four.

 

[Pennstater55]

Let's go Davis