TULSA, OK (WTAJ) — Penn State wrestling will send five to NCAA Wrestling Championship bouts Saturday night after the Nittany Lions continued growing their lead in Tulsa.
Penn State currently leads with 116.5 points over second place Iowa, who has 77.
Penn State’s Roman Bravo-Young wrestles Chattanooga’s Brayden Palmer during day one of the NCAA Wrestling Championships 2023 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. on Thursday, March 16, 2023.(Ian Maule/Tulsa World via AP) 
Penn State’s Roman Bravo-Young wrestles Chattanooga’s Brayden Palmer during day one of the NCAA Wrestling Championships 2023 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. on Thursday, March 16, 2023.(Ian Maule/Tulsa World via AP) 
Penn State’s Roman Bravo-Young sits with head coach Cael Sanderson before his quarterfinal match at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships, Friday, March 17, 2023, in Tulsa, Okla. (Ian Maule/Tulsa World via AP) 
Penn State’s Aaron Brooks takes down Ohio State’s Kaleb Romero at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships, Friday, March 17, 2023, in Tulsa, Okla. (Ian Maule/Tulsa World via AP) 
Penn State’s Shayne Van Ness rides Indiana’s Graham Rooks at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships, Friday, March 17, 2023, in Tulsa, Okla. (Ian Maule/Tulsa World via AP) 
Penn State’s Carter Starocci attempts to escape from Minnesota’s Bailee O’Reilly at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships, Friday, March 17, 2023, in Tulsa, Okla. (Ian Maule/Tulsa World via AP) 
Penn State’s Aaron Brooks attempts to take down Ohio State’s Kaleb Romero at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships, Friday, March 17, 2023, in Tulsa, Okla. (Ian Maule/Tulsa World via AP) 
Penn State’s Levi Haines takes down Virginia Tech’s Bryce Andonian at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships, Friday, March 17, 2023, in Tulsa, Okla. (Ian Maule/Tulsa World via AP)
Roman Bravo Young (133 lbs) stayed unbeaten with a sudden victory takedown over Arizona State’s Michael McGee. He will face Cornell’s Vito Arujau Saturday night. RBY will wrestle for a third championship.
Levi Haines (157 lbs) continued his late season surge. The freshman was tied 2-2 with Nebraska’s Peyton Robb when he took the lead with a takedown. Haines advances 5-3, and will face North Carolina’s Austin O’Connor.
Carter Starocci (174) will also wrestle for a third title. A 6-0 decision over Cornell’s Chris Foca sends the junior on to face Nebraska’s Mikey Labriola. It’s the first of two all-Big Ten finals.
The other features Greg Kerkvliet (285) and Michigan’s Mason Paris. While Paris dominated, earning a tech fall, Kerkvliet won a 4-2 decision on Air Force’s Wyatt Hendrickson. Kerkvliet led the entire match and will wrestle for his first title.
A couple non-Penn State notes, Pitt’s Nino Bonaccorsi (197) advanced to the final. Pitt has not had an individual champion since the team’s head coach Keith Gavin won one in 2008.
At 125 lbs, three-time defending champ, Spencer Lee was stunned by Purdue’s Matt Ramos who earned a pinfall with just one second remaining in the third period. Lee was leading 7-4 in the final minute and appeared to be on track to defend his title.
