Takeaways: Penn State Wrestling Opens Against Bloomsburg With a 42-3 Win

Ono makes his college debut

A sellout crowd of 6,378 welcomed Masanosuke Ono at Rec Hall. His family had flown from Japan to watch the 2024 Senior World freestyle champion compete for Penn State for the first time.

At 133 pounds, Ono scored a takedown 23 seconds into the bout and recorded six in the first period. He tired late and gave up a takedown to Bloomsburg’s Austin Pollard, but won 20-10.

Coach Cael Sanderson said Ono looked good in his first folkstyle match. Ono had earned the lineup spot by winning a team wrestleoff against Nate Desmond, who went 7-0 last season.

Kasak returns to competition

Tyler Kasak wrestled his first college match since the 2025 NCAA Championships, where he placed third and went 4-0 in consolation bouts. He won 8-1 over Bloomsburg’s Michael Turi at 157 pounds.

Kasak scored early and built 2:40 of riding time. With the result secure, he added a takedown in the final second, a finish Sanderson praised as a sign of his competitiveness.

Penn State dominates the opener

The Nittany Lions won eight bouts with bonus points and led Bloomsburg 39-3 in takedowns. Shayne Van Ness also recorded a first-period fall. The 42-3 result marked Penn State’s 87th consecutive win, an NCAA record. The team had raised its 14th national-championship banner before the match and is pursuing a 15th overall title and sixth straight championship.