Nov. 19, 2007
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Penn State freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) made his debut at the collegiate level count, claiming the 141-pound title at the 2007 East Stroudsburg Open on Saturday. Wrestling unattached, Molinaro blazed to a 6-0 record with two pins. Freshman Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.), junior Mike Ward (Mayfield, Ohio) and sophomore Brendan Herlihy (Fairfield, Conn.) were all solid as well, advancing to the quarterfinals at their respective weights.
Molinaro opened up the tournament with two straight pins, the first in 1:38 and the second in just :40. He then faced Maryland's Alex Krom and downed the Terrapin 7-2. Molinaro followed that up with an 11-6 dismantling of Edinboro's Joel Webster in the quarterfinals. The Penn State rookie then handled Harvard's Corey Jantzen 7-2 in the semifinals before defeating Pitt's Tyler Nauman 5-1 in the title bout.
With consolations being cancelled early on in the day, Molinaro ended the tournament as Penn State's only placer. But three other Penn State wrestlers had fine outings as well. Freshman Scott made his collegiate debut at 149 pounds and went 3-1 with two pins and advanced to the quarterfinals. His quarterfinal loss may have been his best outing however, nearly downing No. 3 J.P. O'Connor of Harvard before falling 3-2 in a tightly contested match. Scott's two pins were in 1:35 and 0:30.
Ward went 2-1 at 184 to advance to the quarterfinals. He dropped a tough 4-1 decision to Virginia Tech's Matt Ryan in his last effort. Herlihy posted a 3-1 record at HWT, including two pins, before falling 5-1 to eventual champion Cody Gardner of Virginia Tech in the quarterfinals.
Other Nittany Lions competing at the event, both attached and unattached, were: Eric Caschera (South Williamsport, Pa.), 1-1 at 125; Desmond Moore (Easton, Pa.), 1-1 at 125; Chad Mitchell (Lilburn, Ga.), 2-1 at 141; Colby Pisani (Ridgway, Pa.), 2-1 with a pin at 141; Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.), 2-1 at 141; Shane Everett (Saylorsburg, Pa.), 3-1 with two pins at 149; Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.), 1-2 at 157; Michael Lorenzo (Bellefonte, Pa.), 1-1 with a pin at 165; Matt Dodds (Leola, Pa.), 1-2 at 165; Nathan Andrews (Spring Mills, Pa.), 0-2 at 184; Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.), 2-1 with a pin at 184; Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.), 1-1 with a pin at 184; John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa.), 1-1 with a pin at HWT; and Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), 0-1 at HWT.