Penn State wrestling’s Beau Bartlett really knows how to keep fans on the edge of their seats.
With time expiring and hope diminishing for the Nittany Lion, Bartlett reversed No. 6 Brock Hardy with less than 10 seconds left in the match and took an 8-7 victory, leading Penn State to a 31-7 win against No. 6 Nebraska.
“You just got to dig deep,” Bartlett said Monday. “Just really got to want it, get after it, and have confidence that I can always make things happen.”
Although the dual was one-sided at the time, Penn State’s Braeden Davis had just been upset by Jacob Van Dee, eliminating the possibility of a shutout and opening the door for Nebraska to gain some momentum down the stretch.
“I know wrestling. I’ve been wrestling for a while,” Bartlett said. “I know if you lock cradle and they’re on their hip, that’s always control. I knew how much time was left, I had a general gist.”
Bartlett’s late cradle maneuver allowed for the Nittany Lion to secure two points for the reversal, putting him up one on Hardy. However, holding the Cornhusker down was just as important. Hardy had amassed over a minute of riding time in the third period, meaning an extra point would be added at the end of the match, causing an 8-8 tie.
Instead of overtime, Bartlett managed to hold Hardy down and take that riding time below a minute to secure an 8-7 victory in the final moments.
“When he really wants to score, it’s hard to stop him,” Cael Sanderson said. “Beau did what he needed to do to win that match… He just has that ability to pull those things out.”
Bartlett is no stranger to close matches in his career. Last year, the Nittany Lion went 1-2 on the season against Jesse Mendez of Ohio State, each result being within three points. In their NCAA Championship bout, Bartlett tried a last-second takedown attempt to get the edge on Mendez but came up empty.
The Nittany Lion’s campaign remains unblemished, posting an 11-0 record with the win against Hardy. However, Bartlett’s resilience will be tested as there’s a tough road ahead with duals that could produce five matchups against currently ranked opponents including a face-off with Mendez in a blockbuster rematch.
