UNIVERSITY PARK – Penn State slowly raised the 2023 national championship banner as most of the 6,623 fans at Rec Hall applauded the wrestling team’s 10th banner raising in the last 12 years.

The Nittany Lions, wrestling with a lineup missing three-time NCAA champion Aaron Brooks (197), second-ranked Shayne Van Ness (149) and 7-0 Braeden Davis (125), looked lethargic in the first five bouts against Lehigh.

Heck, even, NCAA runner-up Levi Haines trailed No. 24 Max Bringola by a point entering the third period at 157 before gaining control and winning, 12-6.

But the Nittany Lions picked it up in the second half, getting a fall from three-time NCAA champ Carter Starocci at 174, technical falls from Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) and Bernie Truax (184) and a major decision from Greg Kerkvliet (285) to close out a 30-10 win.

“Our mentality is we’re trying to figure out our best team (lineup),” Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said. “We’re trying to figure out what that is. It’s who’s ready to go and who’s available. We’re not trying to calculate anything. Finals are coming up and coming off a week after Thanksgiving has not been our best time in the past as far as having everybody ready to roll.”

“Our guys came and fought hard,” Lehigh coach Pat Santoro said. “That’s what we ask our guys to do. We’ll get matches any time you have matches like this. I think in the second half, we got a little overwhelmed with the hand fight early. They came out ready to wrestle (in the second half).”

Sanderson wasn’t expecting to have Gary Steen at 125 as of Sunday morning, but Steen wrestled for an undisclosed reason against Sheldon Seymour. The bout appeared to go into overtime tied 1-1, but after a video review at the end of regulation, Seymour was given a takedown to win, 4-1.

In a 133-pound matchup of No. 3 Aaron Nagao, who transferred to Penn State from Minnesota in the offseason, and No. 5 Ryan Crookham, the Mountain Hawk scored two takedowns to win, 6-4.

“I think Aaron will be fine,” Sanderson said. “That’s a tricky match, a tough opponent, and I’m glad we were able to get that match now. It gives us an opportunity to get better prepared for that in the future.”

No. 2 Beau Bartlett (8-0) stopped Lehigh’s run with a 14-6 major decision over Carter Bailey at 141.

At 149, Penn State freshman Tyler Kasak, wrestling in place of Van Ness, took Drew Munch down twice in the first period for a 6-1 lead. He had to hold on for a 7-5 win.

Bringola shocked the Penn State crowd by taking Haines down in the first period. Haines escaped and took him down at the edge of the mat, but Bringola escaped with 9 seconds left in the first period to tie the score, 4-4.

Bringola took a 5-4 lead in the third period, but Haines escaped and scored two takedowns and got a riding advantage point for the six-point win. The Lions led, 10-6, at halftime.

“That was his first time making weight, and he’s been off the mat for a little while since the (Army Black Knight Invite on Nov. 19),” Sanderson said. “He just got tough and figured out how to get it done at the end.”

After the break, Mesenbrink, a freshman, rolled to a 17-2 technical fall over Jake Logan at 6:13 at 165. Starocci built a 9-2 lead over Thayne Lawrence before getting the pin at 2:23. Starocci was named the Ridge Riley Award winner.

No. 2 Truax, a three-time All-American who transferred from Cal-Poly, rang up a 19-4 technical fall over Jack Wilt in 7:00.

“At first, I was nervous, of course,” Truax said. “Carter had just wrestled his match and everybody was standing up and celebrating, I just felt an extra energy and I felt free. That was just a lot of fun going out there and competing.”

Lehigh’s Michael Beard, a former All-American at Penn State, had no trouble with Lucas Cochran in a 20-6 win at 197. Sanderson didn’t divulge why Brooks wasn’t wrestling. He was asked how weird it was coaching against Beard.

“It’s not that weird,” Sanderson said. “Mike was here for two or three years, and he did an awesome job when he was here. He’s a very good wrestler, and we saw today. We’re happy for Mike. He kicked our butt today.”

Top-ranked Kerkvliet finished off the meet with an 11-1 major decision over Nathan Taylor.

Dubler redshirting

Glendale graduate and 2021-22 Mirror Wrestler of the Year Zeke Dubler is redshirting his freshman year at Lehigh. Dubler is 3-2 wrestling unattached at 165 this season.

“He’s doing a great job,” Santoro said. “He comes in and gives great effort. He competes really well. He can raise a level for competition days, and it’s pretty exciting to see that. We had an open tournament a few weeks back, and he did a nice job.”

125–Seymour, L, dec. Steen, 4-1; 133–Crookham, L, dec. Nagao, 6-4; 141–Bartlett, PS, maj. dec. Bailey, 14-6; 149–Kasak, PS, dec. Munch, 7-5; 157–Haines, PS, dec. Bringola, 12-6

165–Mesenbrink, PS, tech. fall Logan, 17-2, 6:13; 174–Starocci, PS, pinned Lawrence, 2:23; 184–Truax, PS, tech. fall Wilt, 19-4, 7:00; 197–Beard, L, maj. dec. Cochran, 20-6; 285–Kerkvliet, PS, maj. dec. Taylor, 11-1.

Records: Lehigh (0-2), Penn State (1-0)

Attendance: 6,623.