Friday, Dec 2, 2022 – 7:30 p.m.
Rider vs #1 Penn State
Location: Trenton, NJ- Cure Auto Insurance Arena
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LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – The Rider Broncs get set to host the reigning national champions and the #1 team in the country as the Penn State Nittany Lions travel to the Garden State. Rider is looking to stay perfect in duals to start the year as well as upset the Nittany Lions, a feat nobody has accomplished since 2020.
What You Need To Know
Last Time Out
- Rider is coming off back-to-back dual wins vs SIUe and Purdue.
- McKenzie Bell was able to upset #11 Parker Filius by a 9-6 margin vs Purdue last weekend.
- The Bell upset win over #11 Parker Filius is the highest-ranked opponent he was able to take down since upsetting #4 Allan Hart of Missouri in the 2020-21 MAC Semifinals
- With the win over Purdue, the Broncs start 2-0 for the first time since 2019, when they took down Northern Illinois and Minnesota which was also the last time they beat a B1G opponent.
- Graduate Student
Ethan Laird took home the 197 lbs crown at the 2022 Keystone Classic as Rider finished 3rd overall in University City. In total 10 Broncs reached the podium including a pair of second-place finishes from
McKenzie Bell and
Shane Reitsma.
Series History
- Friday will be the eighth all-time meeting between the Broncs and the Nittany Lions. Penn State has won all seven previous duals with them taking down Rider 45-0 in University Park, PA last year.
Scouting Penn State
- The 2022 defending national champion Penn State enters the weekend as the consensus #1 team in the country.
- Penn State also enters with four individuals ranked #1 in their weight class with Roman Bravo-Young, Carter Starocci, Aaron Brooks, Max Dean.
- Penn State has not lost a dual meet since January 31 2020 where they fell to Iowa.
- In 2021-22 Roman Bravo-Young, Nick Lee, Carter Starocci, Aaron Brooks and Max Dean all won individual titles while Greg Kerkvliet placed fourth at NCAA's.
- Coach Cael Sanderson was named 2022 NCAA Coach of the Championship by the NWCA at the conclusion of the event.
- Penn State has dominated competition in 2022 so far taking down Lock Haven 44-3 in their first dual of the year as well as Placing 11 of 13 at the Army Black Knight Open and 8 of 12 at the Binghamton Bearcat open.
Broncs In The Rankings
- #24 Quinn Kinner at 149, and #12 Ethan Laird at 197. (Intermat)
Bronc Notes
- The Broncs are coming off a tough season in 2022 in which injuries and redshirt seasons limited the team. Rider finished 8th at MAC Championships.
- Rider returns five NCAA Qualifiers, including two from last season.
- A three-time NCAA Qualifier, Ethan Laird returns following a redshirt season in 2021-22. He qualified for NCAA's at 197 in his true sophomore and junior years, before bumping to heavyweight for 2020-21. He'll wrestle at 197 this season.
- Richie Koehler is a two-time NCAA Qualifier, earning the honor in each of the last two seasons at 133.
- Quinn Kinner, who was an NCAA Qualifier at 141 in his first season at Rider last year, will bump up to 149 this season.
- 2021 NCAA Qualifiers McKenzie Bell and Jake Silverstein also return this season. Bell redshirted last year after going to NCAA's at 141 as a true freshman. Silverstein suffered through injuries last season after qualifying for NCAA's at 165 in 2021.
- John Hangey returns for his sixth season as Rider's Head Coach. The 2020 MAC Co-Coach of the Year has posted a 43-24 dual record with 19 of his wrestlers qualifying for NCAA's in his first five years.
- The Broncs finished 35th at NCAA's last season with 5.5 points.
Projected Matches
#1 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (1-0, 0-0 B1G)
125 Gary Steen Fr. Hermitage, Pa./Reynolds 3-2
133 #1 Roman Bravo-Young Sr.+ Tucson, Ariz./Sunnyside 1-0
141 #9 Beau Bartlett Jr. Tempe, Ariz./Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) 5-0
149 #20 Shayne Van Ness Fr. Somerville, N.J./Blair Academy 4-0
157 #30 Terrell Barraclough Jr. Kaysville, Utah/Layton 4-1
165 #17 Alex Facundo Fr. Essexville, Mich./Davison 4-0
174 #1 Carter Starocci Jr. Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep 1-0
184 #1 Aaron Brooks Sr. Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown 1-0
197 #1 Max Dean Sr. Lowell, Mich./Lowell 5-0
285 #2 Greg Kerkvliet Jr. Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley 1-0
RIDER BRONCS (2-0, 1-0 MAC)
125 Tyler Klinsky Jr. Middletown, N.J./Middletown North 3-3
133 Richie Koehler Sr. Middletown, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy 2-0
141 McKenzie Bell Jr. Swedesboro, N.J./Kingsway Regional 5-2
149 #24
Quinn Kinner Jr. Mullica Hill, N.J./Kingsway Regional 9-2
157 Jake Silverstein Sr. Hauppauge, N.Y./Smithtown 0-1
165 Hunter Mays. Fr. Levittown, PA/ Howell HA 10-4
174 Shane Reitsma Jr. Howell, NJ/ Howell HS 3-1
184 Asa Terrell Jr. Chicago, Ill./Mount Carmel 0-4
197 #12
Ethan Laird Gr. Waterford, Pa./General McLane 8-0
285 David Szuba So. Brick, N.J./Brick Memorial 5-2
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