Michigan
Penn State
Wolverines to Travel East for Friday Matchup at No. 1 Penn State
2/4/2025 2:26:00 PM | Wrestling
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 19-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team (5-4, 2-4 Big Ten) will travel to State College, Pa., to face No. 1 Penn State (10-0, 4-0 Big Ten) at 6 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 7) at the Bryce Jordan Center. The dual will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.
Notes
• The Wolverines have eight wrestlers ranked nationally at their respective weight classes, including five in the top 15 according to InterMat: No. 12 Sergio Lemley (141), No. 15 Chase Saldate (157), No. 10 Beau Mantanona (165), No. 29 Joseph Walker (174), No. 24 Jaden Bullock (184), No. 2 Jacob Cardenas (197) and No. 8 Josh Heindselman (Hwt).
• Graduate student heavyweight Josh Heindselman earned his biggest win of the season to date against Ohio State last Saturday (Feb. 1), using a third-period takedown to secure a 4-2 decision against No. 7 Nick Feldman and avenge his bloodround loss to the Buckeye at the 2024 NCAA Championships. Heindselman has defeated three straight ranked opponents and improved to 17-1 on the season, with 11 bonus wins. His only loss came against Minnesota's No. 1 Gable Steveson.
• Heindselman is just one win away from hitting 100 in his collegiate career with a 99-47 career record, while graduate student Chase Saldate is also within single digits of the milestone with a 96-39 mark. Several Wolverines have hit 100 career wins over the last few years, including Lucas Davison last season. Davison ended his collegiate career with a 113-37 record, including a 22-5 mark in his final season at Michigan.
• Graduate student Cardenas is undefeated this season at 197 pounds with a 14-0 record, including a 9-0 mark in dual meets, and boasts 11 bonus wins with seven technical falls. He also owns eight ranked wins on the season, including five in a row, most recently defeating Ohio State's No. 18 Seth Shumate 11-2 last Saturday.
• Heindselman and Cardenas both rank among the nation's top-10 leaders in tech falls -- Heindselman at No. 5 with eight and Cardenas at No. 9 with seven.
• Saldate also picked up a ranked win against the Buckeyes, earning two takedowns and 2:45 advantage time to beat No. 17 Sammy Sasso 8-0 at 157 pounds. Saldate has faced a gauntlet with ranked opponents in seven of his last eight matches, including three straight top 10 opponents last month. He is 9-6 on the season.
• Sophomore/freshman Beau Mantanona is 9-2 this season since returning from injury this semester and has earned ranked wins in three of his last five matches at 165 pounds, including a 7-4 decision against Minnesota's No. 9 Andrew Sparks on Jan. 19. Most recently, he posted a 12-5 decision against Ohio State's e'Than Birden. Mantanona is No. 10 in the latest InterMat rankings.
• Beau Mantanona suffered what was thought to be a season-ending knee injury a week before the season started in November but on closer inspection, it did not require surgery and he has rehabbed it back to health. His brother, freshman Brock Mantanona, held down the 165-pound spot last semester, posting an 11-3 record with two ranked wins and a seventh-place finish at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Brock has one date remaining to maintain his redshirt this season.
• Eleven wrestlers have made their debuts in the Michigan starting lineup so far this season, including six who have earned their first varsity win in a U-M singlet: grad transfers Cardenas, Saldate and Heindselman, senior/junior Dzhabrail Khurshidov, junior/sophomore Codei Khawaja and freshmen Brock Mantanona and Catrabone. Senior/junior Christian Tanefeu has also earned a pair of bonus wins -- his first, though not in his debut -- in duals against Columbia and Maryland.
• Penn State is 10-0 on the season and 4-0 in Big Ten duals after beating Iowa 30-8 at home last Friday (Jan. 31). The Nittany Lions are ranked top seven at all 10 weights, most notably a trio of No. 1 ranked wrestlers: Tyler Kasak (157 pounds), Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) and Carter Starocci (184). Michigan trails 36-24 in the all-time series against Penn State and has lost each of the last 12 meetings dating back to 2010, including a 27-9 decision at home road last season.
• Fifth-year senior Dylan Ragusin will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season after suffering a knee injury at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 6-7). Ragusin, who has already had surgery to repair the injured knee, is a 2024 All-American and four-time NCAA qualifier. He was ranked No. 4 at 133 pounds to start the season after coming out of redshirt midseason to go 28-4 last year and claim a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. He is 82-30 in his career and will have one more year of eligibility after medical hardship.
Players Mentioned
