Jan. 25, 2008
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 8 nationally, were stunned by a defensive pin in a 22-19 loss to No. 7 Ohio State in Columbus. Penn State led throughout the dual and split the bouts evenly at 5-5. However, Ohio State's J Jaggers managed an out-of-nowhere defensive pin in the dual's final bout to give the home standing Buckeyes a come-from-behind 22-19 win over Penn State.
Jaggers, ranked No. 10 at 141, pinned Penn State's Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) at the 3:25 mark after Strayer had nearly turned Jaggers for back points of his own. The quick call came with just :25 left in the second period in a bout that Strayer had set the pace in from the start. Strayer, in fact, nearly pinned Jaggers in the first period but did not get the call.
Penn State got five wins in the dual, but managed only four bonus points while Ohio State got seven. Penn State got off to a quick start as No. 6 Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) downed No. 5 Lance Palmer 5-2 at 149 in the dual's first bout. No. 4 Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) stayed unbeaten with a 5-3 win at 157, putting Penn State up 6-0. Vallimont is 19-0 on the year. But OSU got a decision at 165 before sophomore David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) pinned Buckeye Alex Picazo at 174 to put the Lions up 12-3.
The Buckeyes got another major at 184 before senior Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) majored Ohio State's John Weakley, 11-0, at 197. Penn State had a 16-3 lead, but Ohio State would get three wins in the final four bouts including pins at HWT and the final one at 141. Senior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) got Penn State's last win at 125, putting the Nittany Lions up 19-13. But Ohio State got a decision at 133 and the final quick fall to steal the victory.
Penn State falls to 8-4 on the year, 0-2 in Big Ten duals, while Ohio State moves to 14-3, 2-1. Penn State will host No. 17 Indiana this Sunday in a 1 p.m. dual in Rec Hall. Tickets for all regular season duals are on sale now at the athletic department ticket office in the Bryce Jordan Center. Single-dual tickets are $5 for adults and seniors and $3 for students 18 and under. Penn State students with a proper student ID are admitted free! Fans can call 814-863-1000 or 800-833-5533 to order single-dual or season tickets. All Penn State duals will be broadcast locally on WBLF 970 AM and WKVA 920 AM and streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com. All home duals will feature a live video webcast and live scoring at www.GoPSUsports.com as well.
#8 Penn State 19, #7 Ohio State 22
Friday, January 25, 2008 - Columbus, Ohio
| 149: #6 Bubba Jenkins PSU dec. #5 Lance Palmer OSU, 5-2 | 3-0 |
| 157: #4 Dan Vallimont PSU dec. Jason Johnstone OSU, 5-3 | 6-0 |
| 165: #13 Colt Sponseller OSU dec. Dave Rella PSU, 9-2 | 6-3 |
| 174: #16 David Erwin PSU pinned Alex Picazo OSU, WBF (1:27) | 12-3 |
| 184: #3 Mike Pucillo OSU maj. dec. Jack Decker PSU, 12-2 | 12-7 |
| 197: #2 Phil Davis PSU maj. dec. John Weakley OSU, 11-0 | 16-7 |
| HWT: #2 J.D. Bergman OSU pinned Stefan Tighe PSU, WBF (1:45) | 16-13 |
| 125: #10 Mark McKnight PSU dec. Nikko Triggas OSU, 7-5 | 19-13 |
| 133: #14 Reece Humphrey OSU dec. Tim Haas PSU, 6-2 | 19-16 |
| 141: #10 J Jaggers OSU pinned (def.) #5 Jake Strayer PSU, WBF (3:25) | 19-22 |
Final Score: #8 Penn State 19, #7 Ohio State 22
Records: Penn State 8-4, 0-2 Big Ten; Ohio State 14-3, 2-1 Big Ten)
Up next: host #17 Indiana, Sunday in Rec Hall, 1 p.m.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
149: The bout began at 149, where Penn State's Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), ranked No. 6, took on No. 5 Lance Palmer in one of the dual's marquee match-ups. The duo spent the first part of the bout working for an opening, focusing on the upper body. Jenkins took a quick shot with 1:00 left but was countered by Palmer, who gained control of Jenkins' leg, but the Lion sophomore fought out of the situation to keep the bout scoreless. Jenkins was called for a first stall warning as the first period ended in a scoreless tie. Jenkins chose down to start the middle stanza and, after three resets (and a first Palmer stall warning), escaped to a 1-0 lead at the 1:15 mark. Jenkins shot low on Palmer and gained control of Palmer's shoulders, nearly getting a takedown. After a short scramble, Jenkins completed the takedown to up his lead to 3-0 with :20 left. Palmer worked feverishly for a reversal but Jenkins maintained control to keep his 3-0 lead after two periods. Palmer chose down to start the final period and escaped to a 3-1 deficit. Jenkins completed another single leg, gaining control of Palmer's left leg. Working steadily for a second takedown, Jenkins grabbed onto to Palmer's left ankle and got the points to lead 5-2 (after a Palmer escape) with :36 left in the bout. Jenkins was able to fight off Palmer's last second attempts at a takedown and walked off with an impressive 5-2 decision. The victory, which avenged a loss to Johnstone at the National Duals, put the Nittany Lions up 3-0 early.
157: Undefeated Nittany Lion Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) entered his match-up with Jason Johnstone ranked No. 4 in the country and 18-0 on the year. Vallimont wasted little time working in for a scoring chance, gaining control of Johnstone's legs. But the Buckeye junior managed to force a stalemate at the 2:20 mark. Vallimont once again gained control of Johnstone's left leg and once again Johnstone worked around on top of Vallimont. Vallimont nearly had the takedown, but Johnstone worked out from underneath the Lion sophomore and notched a takedown of his own to lead 2-1 at the :55 mark. Vallimont, the aggressor throughout the period, had one more scoring chance but Johnstone's defense kept the Lion from scoring. Down 2-1, Vallimont chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie. This time, it was Johnstone who got in on Vallimont's leg and Vallimont who fought off the move to force a stalemate. After the reset, Vallimont got in once again on Johnstone's midsection and this time, finished off the takedown to take a 4-2 lead. The Nittany Lion sophomore turned Johnstone to his back for a quick count, but not enough to warrant a near-fall. The Nittany Lion sophomore rode Johnstone out to lead 4-2 after two periods with :32 in riding time. Johnstone chose down to start the final period but could not break free of Vallimont's control until the :55 mark. The escape cut Vallimont's lead to 4-3 but the Nittany Lion sophomore had built up a solid riding time edge. Vallimont kept Johnstone at arms' length to grab a hard fought 5-3 win, improving to 19-0 on the year. The decision gave Penn State an early 6-0 lead.
165: Penn State sophomore Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) battled No. 13 Colt Sponseller from Ohio State at 165. The duo battled evenly through the first half of the opening period. Both Rella and Sponseller traded quick shots with 1:00 left, but each grapplers' defense was enough to keep the bout scoreless With :08 left, Rella got hit with a first stall warning and then gave up a last second takedown to trail 2-0 after the first period. Rella chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 2-1 deficit at the 1:12 mark. Sponseller continued to be the aggressor, however, and notched his second takedown with just under 1:00 left in the period to lead 4-2 after letting Rella up. Rella fell behind 5-2 after giving up another stall warning. Then, once again with just seconds left, Sponseller got a takedown on the edge of the mat to up his lead to 7-2 after the second period. Leading 7-2, Sponseller chose down to start the third period. Rella held the Buckeye down long enough to work off the riding time advantage, but Sponseller escaped to an 8-2 lead with 1:45 left in the bout. Another stall point gave Sponseller a 9-2 lead and the Buckeye began looking for a major decision. After a reset, Rella managed a series of shots that led to his first real scoring chance of the bout. But Sponseller worked around to force a scramble that effectively killed the clock and gave Sponseller a 9-2 win. The victory cut Penn State's lead to 6-3.
174: Sophomore David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), ranked No. 16 at 174, faced Buckeye Alex Picazo. Erwin quickly opened up a lead on Picazo, finishing off a strong single leg on the edge of the mat to lead 2-0 with 2:25 to wrestle. After a reset, Picazo worked around to grab Erwin's leg and began looking for a reversal. Erwin, on the defensive, essentially tossed Picazo over his shoulders and forced the Buckeye to his back. The Lion sophomore then steadily worked the Buckeye's shoulders to the mat to get an impressive and important pin at the 1:27 mark. The fall put the Nittany Lions up 12-3 after four bouts.
184: With No. 14 Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) back in State College nursing a slight injury, junior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) got the call at 184 to take on No. 3 Mike Pucillo. Pucillo got an early takedown, getting Decker to the mat after a struggle at the 1:37 mark. The Nittany Lion junior, making his first appearance in a Penn State dual since his freshman year in 2005, escaped at the 1:02 mark to cut Pucillo's lead to 2-1. After a reset, Decker shot low at Pucillo's ankles, but the Buckeye countered the shot to get his own takedown and lead 4-1 after the first period. Down by one, Decker chose top to start the second stanza. Pucillo did escape to a 5-1 lead, but not before Decker had worked off the riding time edge. Decker worked for an opening, but Pucillo countered each effort and eventually got his third takedown to lead 7-1. The third-ranked Buckeye added two near-fall points and upped his lead to 9-1 after two periods (with 1:34 in riding time). Pucillo chose neutral to start the third period and quickly added a fourth takedown to lead 11-1 with 1:26 left. Decker, working hard to avoid giving up more than one bonus point, escaped to cut the lead to 11-2 with :36 left. Decker managed to fight off Pucillo's last efforts at a takedown and Pucillo posted a 12-2 major decision, cutting the Penn State lead to 12-7.
197: After a 15:00 half-time break, three-time All-American Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 197, took to the mat to face Ohio State's John Weakley. Weekly tried to set the early pace, but a nonplussed Davis simply waited for a first opening in which to break open an early lead. Davis began to pressure Weakley, forcing the Buckeye back to the edge of the mat. But Weakley, now playing defense, managed to keep the bout scoreless after the first period (Weakly was hit with a first stall warning). Weakley chose neutral to begin the second stanza. Davis continued to force the Buckeye back on his heels, forcing Weakley into a second stall call to take a 1-0 lead with 1:15 left in the second stanza. Davis gained control of Weakley's right leg and got his first takedown with :03 left to lead 3-0 after two periods. Davis chose top to start the final period and deftly finished a quick cradle to get a three-point near-fall with 1:25 left, upping his lead to 6-0. Now working for bonus points, Davis secured a riding time advantage and then, after a reset, turned Weakley to his back once again for a two-point near-fall. As the bout ended, Davis added a second two-point near-fall to post a convincing 11-0 major decision. The four point win put the Nittany Lions up 16-7.
HWT: Sophomore Stefan Tighe (Erie, Pa.) got the call at heavyweight for Penn State to take on No. 2 J.D. Bergman of Ohio State. Bergman got his first takedown with 2:00 left in the opening period, finishing off a solid double-leg to gain control of Tighe. Bergman then quickly turned Tighe to his back to get a convincing fall at the 1:45 mark. The pin cut a once sizeable Penn State lead to just 16-13.
125: Penn State senior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.), ranked No. 10 nationally at 125, looked to avenge an upset during the national duals when he took on Ohio State's Nikko Triggas. Triggas, however, had other things in mind and got out to an early 2-0 lead with a quick takedown of McKnight. The Nittany Lion Senior managed to reverse Triggas, however, knotting the score at 2-2. McKnight then put together a strong ride, working off Triggas' early riding time edge. Triggas nearly escaped with :20 left, but McKnight managed to maintain control of his left ankle and managed to ride the Buckeye out. Tied 2-2, Triggas chose down to start the second period. McKnight kept control of Triggas for the first :50, but was hit for a technical violation, giving Triggas a 3-2 lead. Still in control, McKnight continued his strong ride, not allowing any openings for Triggas to escape until the :30 mark. The escape put Triggas up 4-2 but McKnight had 1:19 in riding time. Down by two, McKnight chose neutral to start the final period. Needing points, McKnight gained control of Triggas' right leg with 1:20 to wrestle and steadily worked his way to a takedown with 1:02 left to tie the score at 4-4. McKnight, with a riding time edge, cut Triggas loose and trailed 5-4 with :50 left to wrestle. But an energized McKnight once again gained control of Triggas' ankle. But this time, the Buckeye freshman managed to force a stalemate. Not giving up, McKnight got the bout-winning takedown with just :12 left. The swift move gave the Nittany Lion a 7-5 win and put Penn State up 19-13 with just two bouts left to wrestle.
133: Senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) met No. 14 Reece Humphrey of Ohio State at 133 pounds. Humphrey quickly shot on Haas, nearly getting an early takedown, but the Penn State co-captain worked out of the any trouble and kept the bout scoreless early on. Humphrey, however, managed to get on the scoreboard with a takedown at the 1:53 mark. Humphrey was strong on top and rode Haas out to carry that 2-0 lead, with 1:53 in riding time, into the second period. Up by two, Humphrey chose down to start the second period. But Haas was very strong on top, putting together an outstanding ride and nearly turning Humphrey to his back for a near fall. The Buckeye managed to keep Haas from getting any points but did get a first stall warning. Haas rode Humphrey out, erasing the Buckeye's time advantage. Down by two, Haas chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 2-1 deficit. Humphrey looked to avoid the upset and got a takedown with 1:20 left to up his lead to 4-1. After a reset, Humphrey let Haas up. Down 4-2, the Nittany Lion senior began looking for a tying takedown. But Humphrey countered a Haas shot to clinch the bout with :12 left. The hard-fought 6-2 win cut Penn State's lead to 19-16 with just one bout remaining.
141: With the bout on the line, junior All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), ranked No. 5 at 141, took on No. 10 J Jaggers in one of the dual's marquee bouts. Strayer nearly got the bout's first takedown, getting in deep on Jaggers' leg and forcing a protracted tie-up on the edge of the mat. Nearly pinning Jaggers in the process, Strayer could not quite gain full control and a stalemate was called midway through the period. Strayer continued to set the offensive pace but could not break through Jaggers' defense. Tied 0-0 after one, Jaggers chose down to begin the second period. Strayer worked hard and nearly turned Jaggers to his back, but in the process, got out of position and Jaggers posted a stunning, out-of-nowhere defensive pin at the 3:25 mark to steal the dual meet win from Penn State's grasps, 22-19.