Buckeyes Start Strong Behind McCrone Pin But Fall to No. 1 Penn State, 27-13.

Friday, February 14

Columbus, Ohio

7 p.m.

Ohio State

Penn State University

Photo by: Jay LaPrete

Photo by: Ohio State Athletics

Photo by: Jay LaPrete

Photo by: Sam Janicki

Buckeyes Start Strong Behind McCrone Pin But Fall to No. 1 Penn State, 27-13.

2/14/2025 9:26:00 PM | Wrestling

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Brendan McCrone

Tom Ryan, Ohio State head coach

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- No. 8 Ohio State (13-3, 5-3) closed out the 2024-25 dual season with a 27-13 loss to No. 1 Penn State (13-0, 7-0) Friday at the Covelli Center (4,494/Sellout)..

The match started with a bang for the Buckeyes when redshirt sophomore Brendan McCrone pinned No. 7 Luke Lilledahl in just under four minutes for a 6-0 Ohio State lead. Penn State won the next three matches by decision, each a close match decided by three or fewer points.

Brendan McCrone with a cradle and a fall at 125 for @wrestlingbucks. Place got loud! @B1GWrestling pic.twitter.com/nJgIItaaUn
— Shane Sparks (@ShaneSparksBTN) February 15, 2025

The Buckeyes led after the first five matches 10-9 after redshirt freshman Brandon Cannon won by major decision over Penn State's Joseph Sealey, 10-1.

Penn State won the next before Nick Feldman won the final bout of the night for the Buckeyes.

Covelli is packed tonight for @pennstateWREST ?? @wrestlingbucks ??#B1GWrestling pic.twitter.com/lc1VXVk3hi
— Big Ten Wrestling (@B1GWrestling) February 15, 2025

How it Happened

125-No. 21 Brendan McCrone (OSU) def. No. 7 Luke Lilledahl (PSU) | F, 3:58
Lilledahl opened the scoring with a takedown a minute into the opening period. McCrone escaped before a Lilledahl takedown and McCrone escape made it 6-2 Penn State after three minutes. From the top position to open the second, McCrone got the cradle secured and pinned Lilledahl at 3:58.

.@wrestlingbucks ?????? pic.twitter.com/kFnFy00cuq
— Ohio State Buckeyes ?? (@OhioStAthletics) February 15, 2025

BRENDAN MCCRONE ????@wrestlingbucks starts off strong ??#B1GWrestling pic.twitter.com/6AK0p1jWXf
— Big Ten Wrestling (@B1GWrestling) February 15, 2025

133-No. 8 Braeden Davis (PSU) def. No. 11 Nic Bouzakis (OSU) | D, 8-5
Bouzakis was the aggressor in the opening frame but the period ended scoreless. Bouzakis escaped to open the second for a 1-0 lead. Davis took a 3-1 lead with a takedown but Bouzakis added a two-point nearfall to tie it at 3-all. Penn State challenged the call for two nearfall points for Bouzakis, that call was overturned but Bouzakis was awarded two points for a reversal to keep the score 3-all after two periods. Davis escaped to open the third to lead 4-3 and then added a takedown. Bouzakis got the reversal to make it 7-6 Penn State. Bouzakis cut Davis loose to trail 8-5. Davis then got the win by decision, 8-5.

141-No. 3 Beau Bartlett (PSU) def. No. 1 Jesse Mendez (OSU) | D, 4-2
In the rematch of both the 2024 Big Ten and NCAA Championships, Mendez opened with a shot but did not score in the battle of undefeated wrestlers. Bartlett scored first with a takedown with under 30 seconds left in the opening period to lead 3-0 after three minutes. Bartlett added an escape point early in the second to go up 4-0 after two periods. From bottom, Mendez quickly escaped to make it 4-1 Penn State. Bartlett then got the win by decision, 4-2, after a stalling point was awarded to Mendez late in the third.

149-No. 2 Shayne Van Ness (PSU) def. No. 7 Dylan D'Emilio (OSU) | D, 4-2
Neither wrestler was able to score in the first three minutes. D'Emilio chose bottom to open the second and earned the escape point for a 1-0 lead after five minutes. Van Ness evened the bout at 1-all with an escape and got the wn by decision, 4-2, after Van Ness was called for locked hands to end the final period.

157-Brandon Cannon (OSU) def. Joseph Sealey (PSU) | MD, 10-1
Cannon scored the opening takedown for a 3-1 lead after a Sealey escape. That score held going to the second. Sealey was giving a stalling warning from bottom while Cannon built riding time to over 1:30. Cannon added a point after another stalling call on Sealey for a 4-1 lead after five minutes. Cannon escaped early in the lead to lead 5-1. Cannon then got a takedown to go up 8-1. Another stalling point for Cannon made it 9-1 and after a point for riding time, Cannon to the win by major decision, 10-1.

165-No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) def. Brock Herman (OSU) | TF, 19-4
Mesenbrink put three points on the board with an early takedown. Mesenbrink added four more takedowns around four Herman escapes for a 15-4 lead after three minutes. The score moved to 17-4 after a Mesinbrink reversal. After two points for stalling on Ohio State, Mesenbrink got the win by technical fall, 19-4.

174-No. 2 Levi Haines (PSU) def. No. 5 Carson Kharchla (OSU) | D, 6-4
Kharchla scored first for a 3-1 lead after the first. Haines opened from bottom to start the second and got the escape to trail 3-2 after two periods. Kharchla went up 4-2 with an escape to open the third. Haines then got a takedown to go up 5-4 with over a minute left in the match. Haines then got the win by decision after a point for riding time, 6-4.

184-No. 1 Carter Starocci (PSU) def. No. 18 Ryder Rogotzke (OSU) | TF, 22-7
The first takedown went to Starocci with just over a minute remaining in the opening period. After a Rogotzke escape, Starocci added another takedown for a 6-1 lead. After a couple Rogotzke escapes, Starocci added another takedown to lead 9-4. Rogotzke added another escape before a Penn State takedown made it 12-4 Nittany Lions. Starocci closed out the battle to win by technical fall, 22-7.

197-No. 3 Josh Barr (PSU) def. No. 23 Seth Shumate (OSU) | TF, 20-5
There was no score in the opening three minutes. Barr escaped early in the second for a 1-0 lead. Barr added a takedown midway through the middle period to take a 4-0 advantage. Barr recorded three takedowns around Shumate escapes for a 13-4 lead. Barr added another two takedowns to earn the win by technical fall, 20-5.

HWT-No. 9 Nick Feldman (OSU) def. Cole Mirasola (PSU) | D, 10-3
Feldman scored first to lead 3-1 after a Mirasola escape. Headed to the second, Feldman escaped for a 4-1 advantage. A Feldman takedown made it 7-2 after five minutes. Mirasola escaped early in the third and then added a final takedown to win by decision, 10-3.

Up Next: Ohio State will have some time off before the 2025 Big Ten Championships March 8-9 at Welsh-Ryan Arena on the Northwestern campus.

Happy Senior Night @wrestlingbucks ??#B1GWrestling pic.twitter.com/VN8xqVrTx3
— Big Ten Wrestling (@B1GWrestling) February 14, 2025

Wt.	No. 8 Ohio State vs. No. 1 Penn State	OSU	PSU
125	No. 21 Brendan McCrone (OSU) def. No. 7 Luke Lilledahl (PSU) \| F, 3:58	6	0
133	No. 8 Braeden Davis (PSU) def. No. 11 Nic Bouzakis (OSU) \| D, 8-5	6	3
141	No. 3 Beau Bartlett (PSU) def. No. 1 Jesse Mendez (OSU) \| D, 4-2	6	6
149	No. 2 Shayne Van Ness (PSU) def. No. 7 Dylan D'Emilio (OSU) \| D, 4-2	6	9
157	Brandon Cannon (OSU) def. Joseph Sealey (PSU) \| MD, 10-1	10	9
165	No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) def. Brock Herman (OSU) \| TF, 19-4	10	14
174	No. 2 Levi Haines (PSU) def. No. 5 Carson Kharchla (OSU) \| D, 6-4	10	17
184	No. 1 Carter Starocci (PSU) def. No. 18 Ryder Rogotzke (OSU) \| TF, 22-7	10	22
197	No. 3 Josh Barr (PSU) def. No. 23 Seth Shumate (OSU) \| TF, 20-5	10	27
HWT	No. 9 Nick Feldman (OSU) def. Cole Mirasola (PSU) \| D, 10-3	13	27
	Attendance: 4,494 (Sellout)