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UNIVERSITY PARK -- The Penn State wrestling team posed for a team photo while wearing Big Ten championship gear and hoisting the regular season title trophy on the Rec Hall mat.
It hasn't been easy this season with an ever-changing lineup due to illness and injuries, and it wasn't easy in a 21-13 win over seventh-ranked Nebraska on Sunday afternoon.
The top-ranked and undefeated Nittany Lions were without starters Brady Berge, Carter Starocci and Max Dean against the Cornhuskers, but they were able to capture their eighth Big Ten regular season title since 2012.
"I think these guys did a great job," Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said. "They should be really proud and excited. A lot of our bigger duals were on the road this year too, maybe when they should have been in State College. Even going back to November, when we had guys out because they were sick, these guys found a way to win those matches."
"I'm happy with the team," 184-pounder Aaron Brooks said. "I feel like our team gets more confident with each dual. We have some guys out, so it's real challenging. But we find a way, like what Coach Cael was saying."
The Nittany Lions hiked their overall record to 16-0 and finished the Big Ten slate with an 8-0 record. They only have a home match against Rider on Feb. 20 left on their regular season schedule.
"We're going to be on the (Rec Hall) track a lot. It's going to be great," Sanderson said. "We'll give them a fresh pair of running shoes - Nike, of course."
Drew Hildebrandt got the Lions off on the right foot with a 4-0 win over Jeremiah Reno at 125.
At 133, top-ranked Roman Bravo-Young scored 13 points in the final period to wrap up a 23-8 technical fall in 7:00 over Dominick Serrano.
Penn State's top-ranked Nick Lee and Nebraska's Chad Red found themselves facing each other again. They go way back to their high school days in Indiana, when Red beat Lee, 6-5, in the state finals to capture his fourth state title.
But Lee has had the upper hand in college, including a 4-1 win over Red at 141 on Sunday. Lee had takedown in the first period, escape in the second and a riding point.
"He's a really good wrestler," Lee said. "He's got a lot of dangerous stuff. I have some dangerous stuff too. Sometimes what that turns into is a boring match because no one wants to get exposed."
After Nebraska's Ridge Lovett rang up 4:32 in riding time in a 6-0 win over Beau Bartlett at 149, Penn State's Terrell Barraclough dropped a 3-2 decision to Peyton Robb at 157. Barraclough was in on a takedown in the final seconds, but Robb defended. PSU led 11-6 at halftime.
Penn State's Creighton Edsell earned a 9-2 decision over Tahjae Jenkins-Harris at 165. Starocci sat out his second straight match with a wrist injury, so Mason Manville stepped in and was beaten by Mikey Labriola, 14-4, at 174.
Brooks has only one loss in his high school career. That was to Nebraska's Taylor Venz. Since then, Brooks has widened the gap. On Saturday, Brooks earned a 14-4 major decision over Venz.
Referee Matt Sorochinsky won be getting any Valentine's cards from Penn State fans. They rained full-throated boos down on him after calling stalling on Michael Beard four times in his 197-pound bout against Eric Shultz. The stalling calls netted Shultz four points and a 6-4 win.
Sanderson took the high road when he was asked about the stalling calls.
"I think being an official is a very difficult thing," he said. "I think we had one of the better officials in the NCAA today, so that was good. We got hit for stalling on top and bottom, so we just need to make some adjustments there as a team."
Beard was wrestling instead of Dean, who sustained an undisclosed leg injury against Ohio State on Friday.
"X-rays are good, so he'll be good," Sanderson said. "There wasn't any reason to force him back into a match 48 hours later."
With his team holding an 18-13 lead, Greg Kerkvliet finished off the dual meet win with an 8-2 victory over Christian Lance at 285. Kerkvliet might have suffered a leg injury too.
"I think he'll be all right," Sanderson said. "He was kind of limping off at the end."
125--Hildebrandt, PS, dec. Reno, 4-0; 133--Bravo-Young, PS, tech. fall Serrano, 23-8, 7:00; 141--Hall, PS, dec. Red, 4-1; 149--Lovett, N, dec. Bartlett, 6-0; 157--Robb, N, dec. Barraclough, 3-2
165--Edsell, PS, dec. Jenkins-Harris, 9-2; 174--Labriola, N, maj. dec. Manville, 14-4; 184--Brooks, PS, maj. dec. Venz, 14-4; 197--Shultz, N, dec. Beard, 6-4; 285--Kerkvliet, dec. Lance, 8-2.
Records: Nebraska (5-4 overall, 2-4 Big Ten); Penn State (16-0 overall, 8-0 Big Ten)
Extra Bout Winners: Meredith, PS, 133; Ball, PS, 197
Referee: Matt Sorochinsky