This Friday, a highly anticipated wrestling match will take place at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena as No. 1 Penn State faces No. 4 Iowa. The dual is scheduled for 7 PM ET and marks the 45th meeting between the two teams. Penn State enters the arena riding a remarkable 78-match dual winning streak. Their last defeat in a dual match was against Iowa in 2020.
As the defending national champions, the Nittany Lions boast four top-ranked wrestlers this season. Iowa, on the other hand, has suffered two losses this year, including one against No. 2 Ohio State and another against No. 3 Iowa State, breaking a 21-year winning streak against the Cyclones.
Penn State vs. Iowa Wrestling: Weight-by-Weight Breakdown
125 Pounds
- Luke Lilledahl (No. 2, Penn State): Undefeated this season and last year’s third-place finisher.
- Dean Peterson (No. 6, Iowa): 7-1 record; previously defeated Lilledahl 4-1 in their last encounter.
133 Pounds
- Marcus Blaze (No. 4, Penn State): Undefeated with a record of 11-0; recent major decision win over Dylan Shawver (Rutgers).
- Drake Ayala (No. 8, Iowa): Struggling with a 4-4 record and has lost three of his last four matches.
141 Pounds
- Braeden Davis (No. 7, Penn State): Back from injury with a 5-0 start; faces either Nasir Bailey or Kale Petersen from Iowa.
- Nasir Bailey (No. 11, Iowa): 9-5 record in his first year with the Hawkeyes.
149 Pounds
- Shayne Van Ness (No. 1, Penn State): 11-0 record; aiming for big points after four pins this season.
- Ryder Block (No. 17, Iowa): Holds a solid record of 6-2.
157 Pounds
- PJ Duke (No. 3, Penn State): Undefeated with a 9-0 record; five falls and a tech fall this season.
- Jordan Williams (No. 12, Iowa): Recently on a five-match winning streak.
165 Pounds
- Mitchell Mesenbrink (No. 1, Penn State): Dominant with an 11-0 record; faced Michael Caliendo six times previously.
- Michael Caliendo (No. 3, Iowa): Looking to avenge previous losses to Mesenbrink.
174 Pounds
- Levi Haines (No. 1, Penn State): Undefeated and previously defeated Kennedy in last year’s dual.
- Patrick Kennedy (No. 3, Iowa): Suffered only one loss this season.
184 Pounds
- Rocco Welsh (No. 4, Penn State): Undefeated and coming off a major decision win.
- Angelo Ferrari (No. 1, Iowa): Perfect record of 9-0; had a close previous encounter with Penn State.
197 Pounds
- Josh Barr (No. 1, Penn State): Undefeated and looking to maintain his winning streak.
- Harvey Ludington/Brody Sampson (Iowa): Both options are inexperienced against Penn State’s formidable Barr.
285 Pounds
- Cole Mirasola (No. 13, Penn State): Protective decision win against Rutgers; maintaining pressure for the team.
- Ben Kueter (No. 5, Iowa): An experienced wrestler expected to contribute significantly for Iowa.
This dual promises to be exciting given the rich history between Penn State and Iowa wrestling. Both teams will seek to establish dominance early on, and each weight class is stacked with talent. Penn State aims to continue their impressive streak, while Iowa hopes to regain their former glory in this classic rivalry.
