Jan. 12, 2008
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa; - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, the top seed at the 2008 National Duals, made a statement that they can and will come back from upset losses by posting a convincing 22-16 win over No. 4 Iowa State in the consolation semifinals. No. 1 Penn State won six of ten bouts and clinched the dual on senior Phil Davis' (Harrisburg, Pa.) pin at 197.
Davis, ranked No. at 197, pinned No. 17 David Bertolino in 3:50 to ice the dual. Davis is one of three Nittany Lion starters who remain undefeated on the season and now has a perfect 8-0 record. Penn State sophomore Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) posted the dual's most impressive win, dominating No. 5 Cyler Sanderson for a 7-4 decision at 157. Vallimont, like Davis, is undefeated this year with a 15-0 mark. Sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) also got a win at 149 and improves to 12-0 on the season.
Joining that trio in the win column was senior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.), the seventh-ranked Lion got a decision at 125; freshman Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.), who got a major over No. 18 Nat Gallick at 141; and No. 17 David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), who got a critical 7-5 decision at 174.
The victory was Penn State's first over Iowa State since a win at the National Duals in 1998. Showcasing a ton of heart after a heartbreaking upset loss in the quarterfinals, No. 1 Penn State rebounded with two resounding wins in the consolations. Penn State combined to defeat No. 19 Cornell and No. 4 Iowa State 53-25, winning 13 of 20 bouts in the process.
Penn State moves to 8-1 on the year, 3-1 here at the National Duals. Iowa State falls to 9-3. The Nittany Lions will face No. 10 Ohio State tomorrow at 1 p.m. in the fifth place match with a chance to post an outstanding 4-1 record against the best teams in the country. Iowa State will wrestle for seventh place tomorrow morning at 9 a.m.
#1 Penn State 22, #4 Iowa State 16
Saturday, January 12, 2008 - National Duals - Cedar Falls, Iowa
125: #7 Mark McKnight PSU dec. Tyler Clark ISU, 4-3 3-0
133: #4 Nick Fanthorpe ISU maj. dec. Tim Haas PSU, 15-4 3-4
141: Garrett Scott PSU maj. dec. #18 Nick Gallick ISU, 8-0 7-4
149: #4 Bubba Jenkins PSU dec. Mitch Mueller ISU, 10-7 10-4
157: #10 Dan Vallimont PSU dec. #5 Cyler Sanderson ISU, 7-4 13-4
165: #6 Jon Reader ISU dec. Dave Rella PSU, 4-1 13-7
174: #17 David Erwin PSU dec. Aron Scott ISU, 7-5 16-7
184: #1 Jake Varner ISU pinned #14 Phil Bomberger PSU, WBF (2:53) 16-13
197: #2 Phil Davis PSU pinned #17 David Bertolino ISU, WBF (3:50) 22-13
HWT: #4 David Zabriskie ISU dec. Stefan Tighe PSU, 3-1 (sv) 22-16
Final Score: #1 Penn State 22, #4 Iowa State 16
Records: Penn State 8-1, Iowa State 9-3
Attendance Day One: 8,031
Up next: #1 Penn State vs. #11 Ohio State, 5th place match, Sunday, 1 p.m.
BOUT BY BOUT:
125: Senior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.), ranked No. 7 at 125, took on Iowa State's Tyler Clark in the dual's first bout. McKnight countered a Clark shot to back his opponent into a takedown and two near fall points to go up 4-0 early. Clark escaped with just over :20 left to cut the lead to 4-1 heading into the second period. McKnight chose down to start the period. Clark put together a strong ride, maintaining control of McKnight for the entire and forcing McKnight into a stall warning in the process. Still, the Nittany Lion senior held a 4-1 lead with just two minutes to wrestle, but Clark had a sizeable riding time edge. Clark chose down to begin the third period and quickly escaped to a 4-2 deficit. Needing just one takedown to essentially take the lead (with his riding time edge), the Cyclone grappler began pressuring McKnight. But the Penn State senior countered a single-le midway through the period and forced a long scramble in the center of the mat. Each wrestler had a chance to notch a takedown, but none gained and McKnight escaped with a hard fought 4-3 win. The early victory put PSU up 3-0.
133: Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) faced yet another top-ranked opponent, this time taking the mat against No. 4 Nick Fanthorpe of Iowa State at 133. Haas had already faced the No. 6 and No. 7 ranked 133-pounders in the nation and was now set to meet his third top ten opponent of the day. Fanthorpe quickly opened up a 5-1 lead with a takedown and back points early in the first period. The Cyclone then upped his lead to 7-1 with another takedown to lead 7-1 at the 1:36 mark. Haas worked hard from the bottom to break free of Fan Thorpe's strong ride, but the Penn State senior could not break free and trailed 7-1 after one period. Haas chose neutral to begin the second period, but Fanthorpe was not to be denied, taking the Lion down to move out to a 9-2 lead (after a Haas escape). With a 9-2 lead and riding time in hand, Fanthorpe chose neutral to begin the final period, looking for a major decision. A quick takedown put the Cyclone up 11-2 and in position to grab the bonus points. Haas was hit for a stall point while Fanthorpe was in control but the escaped to cut the ISU lead to 12-3 with :55 left to wrestle. Fanthorpe added another takedown and posted a 15-4 major decision. The victory put ISU up 4-3.
141: Freshman Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Va.) took on Iowa State's Nick Gallick at 141. Scott pressured Gallick early and often and, after just over two minutes, finally broke through the Cyclone sophomore's defense to get his first takedown and move out to a 2-0 lead. After a reset, Scott showcased his prowess on top by deftly turning Gallick to his back for a three point near fall and a 5-0 lead. Trailing by five, Gallick decided to choose down to start the second period, a decision that led to Scott building up a huge riding time edge. Scott maintained his advantage throughout the entire period and carried the same 5-0 lead into the final period. The Nittany Lion freshman chose down to begin the third period and wasted no time in notching a reversal to lead 7-0. With a riding time point assured, Scott began thinking bonus points and continuing his dominance on top. Once again, Gallick would not break free of Scott and the Nittany Lion freshman posted an 8-0 major to put Penn State back on top 7-4.
149: Sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), ranked No. 4 nationally at 149, took on Iowa State's Mitch Mueller. Jenkins got the first takedown of the bout at the 1:45 mark and led 2-1 after the Mueller escape. Another quick takedown and two back points for Jenkins put the Penn State sophomore up 6-1 with 1:19 left in the opening period. Mueller escaped after a reset, cutting Jenkins' lead to 6-2. Mueller had one brief scoring chance in the first period, but Jenkins' stepped out of the move to hold the 6-2 lead after three minutes of action. Mueller chose down to start the second stanza and Jenkins allowed him up. Mueller, however, inched even closer with a solid takedown at the :42 mark, cutting Jenkins' lead to 7-5 (after the Nittany Lion escaped). Mueller nearly scored as the second period ended, but Jenkins held the shot off long enough for time to expire. Up by two, Jenkins chose down to start the final period and was allowed out by Mueller to an 8-5 advantage. Jenkins gave up a stall point with :42 left and watched his lead fall to 8-6. With Mueller needing one more takedown to tie the bout, Jenkins put any thoughts of an upset to rest, immediately taking the Cyclone down to move out to a 10-6 lead. Jenkins led Mueller up and the final score was 10-7 in Jenkins' favor. The victory put Penn State up 10-4.
157: Sophomore Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 10 at 157, met No. 5 Cyler Sanderson in one of the bout's marquee match-ups. Vallimont wasted no time in opening up an early lead on the fifth-ranked Cyclone, finishing off a double-leg on the edge of the mat less than :30 into the bout. Still the aggressor, Vallimont added a second takedown midway through the opening period and led 4-1. Sanderson escaped at the 1:16 mark to cut Vallimont's lead to 4-2, a lead the Nittany Lion would carry into the second period. Sanderson chose down to begin the middle minutes and quickly escaped to a 4-3 deficit. But Vallimont continued to pressure the talented Cyclone and notched a third takedown, this one with just 1:03 left in the second period. The strong offensive thrust pushed Vallimont out to a 6-4 lead (after the Sanderson escape). With :40 left in the period. Vallimont held onto that edge for the remainder of the period and chose down to start the third period. Needing a relatively quick escape to maintain his riding time edge, Vallimont broke free of Sanderson's control at the 1:28 mark. But Sanderson's ride was just long enough to erase the time edge. Still, Vallimont led 7-4 and then quickly took another shot, getting in low on Sanderson's legs and forcing a scramble in the middle of the mat. After :30 worth of hard work, a neutral reset was called. Vallimont took the opportunity to continue his offensive onslaught, gaining control of Sanderson's right ankle. While not getting another takedown, the Nittany Lion sophomore's constant pressure assured the 7-4 victory. Vallimont remained unbeaten on the year, knocking off the fifth-ranked Sanderson and pushing Penn State out to a 13-4 lead.
165: Penn State's Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) took the mat against No. 6 Jon Reader of Iowa State in action at 165. Rella was strong throughout the first period, fighting Reader evenly and working his way to a 0-0 tie after three minutes of wrestling. Reader chose down to begin the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. After a long tussle in the center of the mat, Reader got his takedown with just :18 left in the second stanza, working free of Rella's grip and moving behind him for two points. The move put Reader up 3-0 with just one period left. Rella chose down to start the third period but Rella could not break free of the Cyclone's strong ride until just :40 left. Still, the escape cut Reader's lead to 3-1 and gave Rella the chance for a tying takedown in the bout's final seconds. Rella worked very hard to break through Reader's defense, but the sixth-ranked Hawkeye had enough defense to hold on for a 4-1 decision. The win tightened things, cutting PSU's lead to 13-7.
174: Sophomore David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), ranked No. 17 at 174, met Iowa State's Aron Scott. Scott was coming off a superb 3-2 win over No. 3 Brandon Sinnott of Central Michigan in the bout prior to this. Erwin got his offense untracked early, getting a quick takedown to take a 2-1 lead less than a minute into the bout. The Nittany Lion grappler then countered a Scott shot and, reaching for the fleeing Scott's feet, managed to control both to take a 4-1 lead with 1:35 left to wrestle in the first period. Erwin then proceeded to put together a dominating ride, building up a nice riding time edge and maintaining his control until just :32 remained in the opening stanza. Not content with a two-point lead, Erwin once again countered Scott's shot and nearly got another takedown on the edge of the mat. But the period ended and Erwin led by two heading into period number two. Scott chose down to begin the middle minutes and quickly escaped to a 4-3 deficit. Erwin once again pressured Scott into a defensive posture. As the Lion sophomore shot low at Scott's feet, the Cyclone grappler was called for fleeing the mat and Erwin was awarded a point to lead 5-3 heading into the final period. Erwin chose down to begin the third stanza and methodically worked his way to his feet and escaped to lead 6-3. But Scott turned up his offense and caught Erwin on the edge of the mat for a quick takedown at the 1:24 mark to cut the Lion's lead to 6-5. Scott then rode Erwin long enough to wipe away Erwin's riding time edge before allowing him up. Erwin, leading 7-5, continued to shoot, however, not looking to stall his way to victory. Scott shot with :20 left, getting low on Erwin's feet, but the Nittany Lion forced a scramble and maintained his composure and neutral position long enough to claim a critical 7-5 win. The victory put Penn State up 16-7 with just three bouts remaining.
184: No. 14 Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) was up next and the Nittany Lion junior had the task of facing the nation's No. 1 ranked 184-pounder, Jake Varner of Iowa State. Varner got the bout's first takedown early, moving out to a 2-0 lead in the opening seconds. Varner then put together a very strong ride, trying to turn Bomberger for back points. Varner showed why he is the top ranked wrestler at his weight class as calmly worked Bomberger to his back after a long and hard-fought struggle to get an important pin at the 2:53 mark. The six team points cut Penn State's lead to 16-13.
197: Senior Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 197, had the chance to put the dual match away when he took on Iowa State's David Bertolino. Bertolino entered the bout ranked No. 17 nationally. Davis was once again the aggressor throughout the first period, with his opponent forced into defense and action moving to the outer edge of the mat. The Nittany Lion All-American was undaunted, however, getting his first takedown at the :30 mark of the opening stanza. Davis worked for a pinning combination on the edge of the mat, but the period ended before the Penn Stater could turn Bertolino for any back points. Down 2-0, Bertolino chose down to begin the second period. But the decision did not pay off as Davis used the advantage to begin looking for a cradle. After only :50 of wrestling in the second, Davis pulled Bertolino into the mat as the Cyclone worked to get out of the circle, deftly finished his cradle and quickly turned Bertolino to his back for a dual clinching pin at the 3:50 mark. The six points put Penn State up 22-13 and kept Davis undefeated on the year.
HWT: Sophomore Stefan Tighe (Erie, Pa.), took to the mat for Penn State to face Iowa State's David Zabriskie in the final bout of the day for Penn State. Zabriskie entered the bout ranked No. 4 nationally and was coming off a 4-3 win over No. 8 Bubba Gritter of Central Michigan in the prior match. Neither big man managed any offense in the first period and the bout was scoreless after one. Tighe chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Like the first period, neither man could break through the other's defense and Tighe held that slim lead heading into the third period. Zabriskie chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to tie things at 1-1. Zabriskie had the first real scoring chance in the bout, gaining control of Tighe's right ankle on the edge of the mat. But the Nittany Lion sophomore worked his way free of the Cyclone's grasp and nearly turned the move into two points of his own. Still, action moved off the mat, forcing a reset at the 1:00 mark. With only :18 left, Tighe nearly worked his way around Zabriskie for a takedown on the edge of the mat, but the Nittany Lion ran out of space. Tied 1-1, action moved to a sudden victory period. This time, Zabriskie finished his move on the edge of the mat to pick up the takedown and post the 3-1 (SV) win, giving Penn State a 22-16 final margin of victory.