Spencer Lee vs. Nico Megaludis headlines Olympic wrestling trials

There is definitely a Penn State vibe at the men’s and women’s freestyle Olympic trials this weekend.

Not only is Penn State hosting the event beginning 10:30 a.m. Friday at Bryce Jordan Center, but there are numerous former Penn State legends and current and future Nittany Lions looking to earn a trip to the Paris Olympics.

There are six weight classes, and wrestlers compete in a single-elimination challenge tournament.

In every bracket except for 57 and 65 kilograms, the wrestler who represented Team USA in the 2023 World Championship receives an automatic bye to the best-of-three series against the challenge tournament winner Saturday.

One of the featured matches during the opening session pits two former Franklin Regional greats and, yes, a Penn State legend.

Squaring off in a quarterfinal-round 57-kilogram match are five-time All-American from Iowa and three-time NCAA champion No. 4 seed Spencer Lee and No. 5 seed and former Penn State NCAA champion and four-time All-American Nico Megaludis. Both were three-time PIAA and four-time WPIAL champions.

Lee qualified by winning the Bill Farrell championship, and Megaludis qualified by placing second in the Senior Nationals. Lee is 19-0 in freestyle competition this season.

The last two times these two squared off, Lee prevailed. He won 6-2 and 7-4.

The winner probably will face top seed Zane Richards of Illinois.

Those two aren’t the only WPIAL wrestlers competing for a spot on the Olympic team. Kittanning’s Jason Nolf, a three-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American from Penn State and three-time PIAA champion, is seeded No. 2 in the 74-kilogram tournament.

The winner of that tournament will face Kyle Dake in a best-of-three match for the roster spot.

Nolf qualified by winning the Bill Farrell championship.

Central Catholic grad and Penn State All-American Vincenzo Joseph also is competing at 74. He is seeded sixth. Joseph was a two-time champion, three-time finalist and four-time All-American. Joseph qualified by winning the Last Chance OTT qualifier.

Others with Penn State ties competing for spots on the roster include recruits Luke Lilledahl (57) and Connor Mirasola (86), as well as several current wrestlers and alumni: Nick Suriano (57), Zain Retherford (65), Nick Lee (65), Beau Bartlett (65), Mitchell Mesenbrink (74), Levi Haines (74), David Taylor (86), Aaron Brooks (86), Mark Hall (86), Carter Starocci (86), Max Dean (86) and Greg Kerkvliet (125).

Retherford and Taylor will compete Saturday in the best-of-three matches.

Also entered is former four-time PIAA champ Chance Marsteller, PIAA champion Austin DeSanto, Yianni Diakomihalis, Pitt’s Demetrius Thomas (125), Thomas Gilman (57), Bishop McCort sophomore and North Carolina native Jax Forrest (57), Trent Hidlay (86) and Kyle Snyder (97).