Penn State Wrestling continued its excellent start to the season, comfortably defeating Northwestern 51-0 on Sunday. The Nittany Lions have hardly put a foot wrong so far this season, and Sunday’s win improved their record to 9-0 (3-0 in the Big Ten Conference).
After the match, Northwestern head coach Matt Storniolo heaped praise on the Nittany Lions and said that his team was taught a wrestling lesson.
Northwestern Head Coach Praises Penn State After Defeat
According to Storniolo, the intensity and consistent work ethic of Penn State wrestlers make it very difficult for opponents to keep pace. The Northwestern head coach also felt that the Nittany Lions simply pounced on the opportunities his team gave them.
“I hate when another team teaches us a lesson, but there are lessons to be had here,” Storniolo said via the Daily Northwestern. “Penn State does a really good job of constantly working, moving their hands in ties, moving their feet and getting reactions, and it takes a lot out of you.”
“It’s a mean game out there, and if you give them an inch, they’re going to take a yard, especially when it’s a team that’s that talented.”
The win over Northwestern marked Penn State’s 80th consecutive dual meet victory. The Nittany Lions will hope to continue this exemplary record when they face Indiana at home on Friday, January 23. Northwestern’s record for the 2026 season now stands at 3-3. Next up for the Wildcats is a home meet against Rutgers.
Penn State’s Top Performers Against Northwestern
After a 32-3 win over long-time rival Iowa, Penn State Wrestling headed to Illinois to face Northwestern and came away with a dominant 51-0 road win. The Nittany Lions comfortably won all 10 bouts, earning several bonus points along the way.
The dual meet started with Penn State’s No. 1-ranked Levi Haines taking on Eddie Enright at 174 pounds. Haines managed six takedowns to secure an impressive 19-4 tech fall win for the Nittany Lions.
Rocco Welsh then faced JD Perez at 184 and claimed a 22-7 tech fall win with six takedowns to put Penn State up 10-0. At 197, Josh Barr got the fall at 1:50 against Alex Smith.
Cole Mirasola continued Penn State’s dominance, recording five takedowns in the first period to defeat Gabe Christenson. Sophomore Luke Lilledahl also impressed at 125, with six takedowns en route to a 20-5 win over Dedrick Navarro.
MORE: What Cael Sanderson Said About Penn State Wrestling’s Growing Confidence After Iowa Win
The second half of the dual meet extended Penn State’s dominance, with Marcus Blaze, PJ Duke, Braeden Davis, and Shayne Van Ness securing wins. Mitchell Mesenbrink was awarded the win at 165 pounds by forfeit, as Northwestern did not weigh a wrestler in that weight class.
