Penn State Wrestling: Nittany Lions Rout Bloomsburg for 87th Straight Win

Penn State Opens With A Rout

The top-ranked Nittany Lions began their season Thursday night with a 42-3 victory over Bloomsburg. Before the match, they raised their 2025-26 NCAA championship banner at Rec Hall.

The win extended Penn State’s NCAA-record run to 87 consecutive victories, watched by the 81st straight sellout crowd at Rec Hall. The streak dates to 2020.

Ono Makes His Penn State Debut

Masanosuke Ono earned a loud welcome from the crowd and won his first collegiate match, defeating Pollard 20-9. He recorded his first folkstyle takedown less than five seconds into the bout and had six takedowns in the first period.

Lilledahl And Van Ness Deliver

Defending 125-pound national champion Luke Lilledahl opened with a 19-4 technical fall over Justin Jones in 4:09. He scored six takedowns, improving his career record to 51-3 and reaching 20 career technical falls.

At 149 pounds, returning NCAA runner-up Shayne Van Ness pinned Chase in the first period. The fall was the 23rd of Van Ness’ career, and he improved his record to 80-11.

Bloomsburg Gets One Win

Bloomsburg’s Johnson beat Cunningham at 133 pounds, preventing a Penn State shutout. Johnson scored two takedowns and recorded more than two minutes of riding time. Cunningham made his Penn State dual-meet debut as Marcus Blaze continues moving from 133 to 141 pounds. Coach Cael Sanderson did not give a timeline for Blaze’s return to the lineup.

Kasak And Duke Add Bonus Points

At 165 pounds, sophomore PJ Duke defeated Morgan Schwarz 21-6 by technical fall in 5:50, scoring seven takedowns. Duke moved up from 157 pounds after placing third nationally last season.