Penn State Wrestling: Journeyman Dual preview

Penn State will face Binghamton, No. 20 Little Rock and No. 16 Missouri in an action-packed dual.

The Nittany Lions, who remain undefeated and No. 1 in the NCAA polls, are set for an exciting mix of matches this weekend as they head to Nashville, Tennessee, for the Journeymen Collegiate Duals on Sunday, Dec. 22.

The Nittany Lions will take on all three competitive programs in one day.

Penn State will face Binghamton at 3 p.m., No. 20 Little Rock at 5 p.m. and No. 16 Missouri at 7 p.m.

The Nittany Lions' Path to Perfection

Penn State is coming off a shutout of a performance against Wyoming, submitting a 54-0 shutout on Dec. 15 in front of a packed Bryce Jordan Center.

The Nittany Lions had five pins, four technical falls, and a major decision, marking their second-largest margin of victory in school history, only behind a 55-0 win over Buffalo in 2018.

With ten ranked wrestlers across its lineup, Penn State enters this series loaded with talent. Key wrestlers include Shayne Van Ness (149), Levi Haines (174), Mitchell Mesenbrink (165), Carter Starocci (184) and Greg Kerkvliet (285), all of whom hold the No. 1 or No. 2 spot in the nation.

Opponent Breakdown

Binghamton Bearcats (1-1)

Binghamton comes into this matchup following a win over LIU. The Bearcats feature four ranked wrestlers, including No. 33 Carson Wagner (125), No. 12 Brevin Cassella (174), No. 23 Will Ebert (184), and No. 17 Cory Day (285).

Penn State holds a 3-0 all-time lead over Binghamton, including a dominant 40-2 victory in their last meeting in 2017.

No. 20 Little Rock Trojans (5-0)

Little Rock enters the duals undefeated at 5-0, including a victory over Chattanooga on Monday. The Trojans have seven ranked wrestlers, most notably No. 5 Nasir Bailey (133) and No. 5 Stephen Little (197).

This will be the first-ever meeting between Penn State and Little Rock.

No. 16 Missouri Tigers (1-3)

Missouri enters the duals with a 1-3 record but contains a strong lineup, including seven ranked wrestlers. Key names to watch are No. 1 Keegan O’Toole (174) and No. 4 Rocky Elam (197).

Penn State leads the all-time series 3-2-1, including a narrow 20-19 victory at the 2009 National Duals.

With Missouri looking to bounce back from a slow start to the season, this matchup will be a test for both teams.

Looking Ahead

Following the Journeymen Collegiate Duals, Penn State will open Big Ten action on Friday, Jan. 10, against Michigan State in Rec Hall at 8 p.m.

Bronwyn Liber is a second-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email brl5354@psu.edu