Redshirt junior Kaleb Romero maintains top position during the Ohio State-Rutgers match on Jan. 24. Ohio State won 19-14. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
Ohio State wrestling looks to remain unbeaten at home this year when it hosts Penn State in the regular-season finale.
The No. 9 Buckeyes (5-3) will host the No. 3 Nittany Lions (4-0) in the team’s third-and-final dual meet in the Covelli Center this season.
Ohio State redshirt freshman Dylan D’Emilio said he and other Buckeye wrestlers are hesitant to call Penn State the wrestling team’s biggest rival, noting Michigan as the most prominent foe. Still, he admitted the Nittany Lions are in the conversation.
“For wrestling, historically, for the last five years, it’s definitely been Penn State as our biggest rival,” D’Emilio said.
In the last six seasons, Ohio State has won three Big Ten championships while Penn State has won twice. In that same time frame, the Buckeyes have won one NCAA championship while the Nittany Lions have won four.
Ohio State and Penn State are perennially atop the conference standings and national title contenders, and this year is no different.
According to Track Wrestling, Ohio State has eight wrestlers ranked in the top 25 with Penn State boasting 10. Both teams feature five top-10 wrestlers across all weight classes.
Ohio State redshirt junior Kaleb Romero, the No. 2 wrestler at 174 pounds, will face No. 7 Penn State redshirt freshman Carter Starocci in what Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan considers the night’s premier match.
“The Romero-Starocci matchup is big,” Ryan said. “I take my guy.”
Romero returns to the mat for the first time after sitting out matches against Purdue and Michigan while battling an ankle injury.
Romero started the season with five consecutive victories and has won three of his last four matches by major decision. His only loss was a 4-1 decision in his most recent bout with top-ranked Iowa redshirt senior Michael Kemerer.
Starocci is riding high after upsetting No. 2 Michigan graduate student Logan Massa in a match that outlasted overtime periods and sudden victory. Because of his effort, Starocci earned Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors.
“Romero is wrestling with a lot of confidence and showing great leadership, so that’s a big matchup,” Ryan said.
At 141 pounds, D’Emilio is looking to carry momentum from an individual victory against Michigan into the dual meet with Penn State.
In a match that went down to the wire, D’Emilio used a powerful takedown to take the lead in the final seconds, defeating Michigan redshirt junior Drew Mattin 6-5.
“Dylan wrestled really well against Michigan,” Ryan said. “He’s gotten better technically, but really he’s figured out how to manage his nerves and make weight in a way that he has tremendous energy on the mat, and he’ll need that against a kid like Nick Lee.”
Nick Lee, the No. 2 wrestler at 141 pounds, is in his fourth season with Penn State. He is 4-0 this season with a decision, major decision and two technical falls.
Like D’Emilio, Lee’s last match was a victory over Michigan’s Mattin but in a more dominant fashion. Lee controlled the entire bout, claiming a 10-4 victory with over two minutes of riding time.
“Obviously, he’s a really good wrestler,” D’Emilio said. “He has a good pace, but I think I match that really well because I have a good gas tank as well.”
D’Emilio said Lee is a talented wrestler on top, so he will need to be prepared to work hard on the bottom to keep him from getting points.
As for D’Emilio’s preparation for his match with Lee, he said the focus is on improving.
“I just keep focusing on things I do best,” D’Emilio said. “Just go out there and battle and be aware of some of the things he does well, but also just focus on myself.”
Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson earned his 200th career collegiate victory Sunday when the Nittany Lions notched an 18-13 win over Michigan.
Ryan said Sanderson’s success comes as no surprise to him, adding that Sanderson has succeeded everywhere he has been a wrestler or coach.
“He’s a winner; he’s been a winner his whole life,” Ryan said. “He’s an icon in the sport, I mean, a lot of people look up to him, as they should.”
During his tenure at Penn State, the Nittany Lions have always been competitive and a program competing with Ohio State for conference championships and national titles. In 11 seasons under Sanderson, the Nittany Lions have won six Big Ten championships and eight NCAA championships.
Ohio State trails Penn State 22-12 in the all-time series. In the regular season, the Nittany Lions have won five consecutive meetings.
The last time Ohio State beat Penn State was a 22-15 win in 2015 — the same season the Buckeyes won the Big Ten Championships and claimed the program’s only national title.
The Buckeyes will have a chance to break their losing streak against Penn State when they face the Nittany Lions at 7 p.m. Friday in a match on the Big Ten Network.
