Jan. 30, 2008
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -
The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, coming off a strong win over Indiana last Sunday, will hit the road for two more Big Ten road duals this weekend. No. 8 Penn State (9-4, 1-2 Big Ten) will visit No. 10 Northwestern (5-5, 0-1 Big Ten) on Friday night. Action in Evanston begins at 8 p.m. Eastern. Head coach Troy Sunderland's Nittany Lions will then trek to No. 15 Illinois (8-1, 0-0 Big Ten and at Michigan on Friday night) for a 2 p.m. Eastern dual on Sunday.
The Nittany Lions won seven of ten bouts to post a convincing 25-9 win over No. 17 Indiana last Sunday. Sophomore Dan Vallimont remained undefeated with an 8-5 decision and classmate Dave Rella upset No. 9 Matt Coughlin at 165 in the dual's final two bouts. Also picking up wins for Penn State were sophomore David Erwin at 174, Phil Bomberger at 184, John Laboranti at HWT, Jake Strayer at 141 and Bubba Jenkins at 149.
Penn State's meeting with Northwestern will feature a number of highly anticipated, hotly contested bouts. At 125, Nittany Lion Mark McKnight puts his No. 10 ranking on the line against NU's Brandon Precin, who is ranked No. 5. A marquee meeting at 149 pits Nittany Lion Bubba Jenkins, ranked No. 5, against defending National Runner-Up Ryan Lang, who is ranked No. 4. Sophomore David Erwin puts his No. 16 mark up against Northwestern's Nick Hayes, who is ranked No. 12. The bout's feature match-up will be a rematch of this year's NWCA All-Star Classic meeting at 197. Nittany Lion All-American Phil Davis, No. 2 at this weight, will tangle with No. 3 Mike Tamillow of Northwestern. David downed Tamillow 6-2 in the exhibition bout, a result that does not count towards this year's records. The last of five potential meetings of ranked grapplers will occur at HWT where Penn State's John Laboranti, ranked No. 15, will tangle with No. 1 Dustin Fox.
Two days later, the Nittany Lions will face Illinois and once again, a slew of high-level match-ups will take place in Champaign. McKnight will face No. 9 Gabe Flores of Illinois in his second meeting with a ranked grappler while Jake Strayer, ranked No. 10 at 141, will take on No. 11 Ryan Prater. The marquee match-up will feature two undefeated wrestlers at 157 as Illinois All-America Mike Poeta, 22-0 and ranked No. 1, will tangle with Penn State's Dan Vallimont, 20-0 and ranked No. 2. Erwin gets a shot at Illini John Dergo at 174, Dergo is ranked No. 17 nationally. At 197, Davis will face No. 13 Patrick Bond. Laboranti puts his No. 15 mark on the line at HWT against No. 19 John Wise of Illinois. In all, six potential bouts could feature two ranked grapplers.
The Nittany Lions' next action will be at home when No. 6 Michigan comes to Rec Hall on Friday, Feb. 8, for a 7 p.m. dual. 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.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS - as of 1/30/08
#8 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (9-4, 1-2 BIG TEN)
Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/High School 2007-08 Record
125 #10 Mark McKnight Sr. McDonald, Pa./South Fayette 9-4
133 Tim Haas Sr. Camp Hill, Pa./Cedar Cliff 2-10
Mike Eagen Fr. Wharton, N.J./Morris Knolls 5-8
141 #10 Jake Strayer Jr. South Fork, Pa./Forest Hills 10-4
Garrett Scott Fr. Alexandria, Pa./Juniata Valley 12-3
149 #5 Bubba Jenkins So. Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial 15-2
157 #2 Dan Vallimont So. Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Jefferson Twp. 20-0
165 Dave Rella So. Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit 10-10
174 #16 David Erwin So. Urbana, Ohio/St. Paris Graham 21-5
Mark Friend Jr. Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville 14-5
184 #13 Philip Bomberger Jr. Port Royal, Pa./Juniata 13-5
Jack Decker Jr. Roseland, N.J./Seton Hall Prep 15-6
197 #2 Philip Davis Sr. Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg 12-0
HWT #15 John Laboranti Jr. Pittston, Pa./Pittston 19-4
Stefan Tighe So. Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep 4-4
#10 NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS (5-5, 0-1 Big Ten)
Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/High School 2007-08 Record
125 #5 Brandon Precin So. Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandberg 25-3
133 Eric Metzler So. Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemberg-Casco 13-9
OR Robert Joyce Fr. Arlington Heights, Ill./St. Viator 12-8
141 Keith Sulzer Fr. Brecksville, Ohio/St. Edward 8-5
149 #4 Ryan Lang Sr. North Royalton, Ohio/St. Edward 10-2
157 Kyle Bertin Fr. Brecksville, Ohio/St. Edward 4-8
OR Andrew Nadhir So. Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Detroit Catholic Central 10-9
165 #20 Dominic Marella So. Roselle, Ill./Conant 25-9
174 #12 Nick Hayes Sr. Council Bluffs, Iowa/Lewis Central 16-5
184 Adil Kolovic Gr. Chicago, Ill./Niles West 6-15
197 #3 Mike Tamillow Sr. Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick 20-2
HWT #1Dustin Fox Sr. Galion, Ohio/Galion 14-0
#15 ILLINOIS ILLINI (8-1, 0-0 Big Ten*)
Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/High School 2007-08 Record
125 #9 Gabe Flores Sr. Madera, Calif./Clovis 18-5
133 #9 Jimmy Kennedy So. Ingleside, Ill./Grant 17-4
141 #11 Ryan Prater Fr. Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield 17-4
149 Grant Paswall Fr. Katonah, N.Y./Bald Eagle Area (Pa.) 18-4
157 #1 Mike Poeta Jr. Highwood, Ill./Highland Park 22-0
165 Roger Smith-Bergsrud Jr. Lake Bluff, Ill./Lake Forest 12-6
174 #17 John Dergo So. Morris, Ill./Morris 19-7
184 Dave Glessner Sr. Ashton, Ill./Ashton 10-5
OR Ben Friedl Fr. Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg 10-5
197 #13 Patrick Bond So. Chesapeake, Va./Great Bridge 17-3
HWT #19 John Wise Jr. Pittsfield, Ill./Pittsfield 21-9
* Illinois is at Michigan Friday night -- All rankings listed are USA Today/NWCA as of 1/30/08
PENN STATE VS. NORTHWESTERN: THE SERIES Penn State holds a 9-1 all-time record vs. Northwestern, including the last seven. Penn State downed NU 25-8 last year in Rec Hall and won in Evanston on Feb. 12, 2005, by a 24-13 score. The Wildcats only win in the series was a 19-14 victory on Dec. 9, 1995, in Evanston.
PENN STATE VS. ILLINOIS: THE SERIES Illinois owns a solid 8-2 edge over Penn State in the all-time series, including an 18-16 win in Rec Hall last year. The Illini have won eight straight as Penn State's only two wins in the series were the first two meetings between the two teams:  (23-3 in 1956 and 14-12 in 1957).
RELLA DOWNS #9 COUGHLIN TO SPARK PENN STATE TO 25-9 WIN VOER #17 INDIANA Sophomore Dave Rella posted a thrilling 2-1 (tb) decision over No. 9 Matt Coughlin of Indiana in the final bout of Penn State's 25-9 win over No. 17 Indiana on Sunday, Jan. 27. The victory capped off a dual in which the Nittany Lions won seven of ten bouts in front of over 4,000 fans in Rec Hall.
VALLIMONT TAKES DOWN #9 BECKER TO IMPROVE TO 20-0 ON THE YEAR Sophomore Dan Vallimont continued his unbeaten run to start the year with two more wins on the weekend of Jan. 25-27. The No. 4 157-pounder in the country beat Ohio State's Jason Johnstone 5-3 on 1/25 in Columbus. He then thrilled over 4,000 fans in Rec Hall on 1/27 with a convincing 8-5 victory over #9 Brandon Becker of Indiana. The wins move the Nittany Lion sophomore to 20-0 on the year.
LABORANTI GETS FIRST BIG TEN DUAL WIN Junior heavyweight John Laboranti downed Indiana's Nathan Everhart, 7-3, in Penn State's victory over the Hoosiers on 1/27. The decision was Laboranti's first in a Big Ten dual meet and helped spark Penn State to a 25-9 win over the 17th-ranked Hoosiers.
DAVIS MAJOR'S OHIO STATE'S WEAKLEY FOR 18TH STRAIGHT BIG TEN DUAL MEET WIN Three-time All-American Phil Davis majored Ohio State's John Weakley 11-0 in Penn State's dual at Ohio State on 1/25. The win was Davis' 18th straight Big Ten conference dual match victory, dating back to a loss against Ohio State's J.D. Bergman in the final dual of his freshman year. Davis is now 22-3 in Big Ten duals for his career, including a 4-3 record as a freshman, 8-0 marks as a sophomore and junior and a 2-0 mark thus far this year.
VALLIMONT HANDLES #16 MORNINGSTAR FOR 18TH STRAIGHT WIN Vallimont beat No. 16 Ryan Morningstar of Iowa 6-2 in Penn State's dual at Iowa on 1/20. The win was Vallimont's 18th straight with no defeats this year.
DAVIS MOVING UP CAREER LISTS! Senior Phil Davis has cracked the 100 win mark, becoming the 24th member of Penn State's 100-win club. Davis' victory over John Weakley of Ohio State on Jan. 13 was his 100th. * He now stands at 102-19 overall, 18th all-time. * Davis' 53 dual wins is eighth all-time. * The Harrisburg native's 27 pins (Davis is 27-1 in matches decided by a fall) is ninth all-time at Penn State as well. * The Nittany Lion has competed in 121 career matches, giving him a shot at reaching Glenn Pritzlaff's career total of 135, which would be 20th all-time in PSU history. * Davis is 22-3 all-time in Big Ten duals and has won 18 straight dating back to his freshman year. * Of his 12 wins this year, five are pins, four are majors and two are technical falls. Only one is a regular decision.
WADE, MOLINARO AND DARLING CLAIM KENT STATE OPEN CROWNS - A trio of Penn State true freshmen claimed individual titles at the Kent State Open this past weekend. Wrestling unattached, freshmen Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.) and Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) each finished first in their respective weight classes at the event on Saturday and combined to go 14-0 with three pins, a technical fall and a major. All Penn State entrants in the tournament were unattached. Molinaro went 5-0 with a pin at 141 to claim the title. Molinaro beat Clarion's Greg Lewis 6-4 in the finals for first place. Darling went 5-0 with a pin and a technical fall to win the 149 pound crown. Darling posted a 7-2 win over Central Michigan's Ryan Cubberly for his championship. Wade went 4-0 with a pin and a major to grab the heavyweight crown. Wade defeated Pittsburgh's Ryan Tomei 7-5 in the finals. DAVIS, VALLIMONT GO 5-0 AT NATIONAL DUALS Senior 197-pounder Phil Davis and sophomore 157-pounder Dan Vallimont each posted perfect 5-0 records at the 2008 National Duals on 1/12-13. Davis moved to 10-0 on the season with wins over #13 Matt Koz of Chattanooga (4-2), #4 Craig Brester of Nebraska (8-0 major), Matt Panasevich of COrnell (pinned in 4:10), #17 David Bertolino of Iowa State (pinned in 3:50) and John Weakley of Ohio State (a 10-2 major). Vallimont remained unbeaten to start the year as well, moving to 17-0. The sophomore grabbed wins over #20 Seth Garvin of Chattanooga (15-7 major), #18 Chris Oliver of Nebraska (11-6), Drake Hovis of Cornell (13-1 major), #5 Cyler Sanderson of Iowa State (7-4) and Jason Johnstone of Ohio State (4-1). The only other Nittany Lion to go undefeated at the event was freshman 141-pounder Garrett Scott, who beat Cornell's Eric McGill (16-0 technical fall in only 3:35) and #18 Nick Gallick of Iowa State (an 8-0 major).
PENN STATE TOPPLES THREE RANKED FOES AT 2008 NATIONAL DUALS The Nittany Lion wrestlers went 3-2 at the 2008, getting three wins over nationally ranked foes. Penn State beat No. 16 Chattanooga (37-2), No. 19 Cornell (31-9) and No. 4 Iowa State (22-16). In those three bouts, Penn State won 22 of 30 bouts.
DAVIS WINS 100TH CAREER MATCH Senior Phil Davis' 10-2 win over Ohio State's John Weakley on Jan. 13 at the National Duals was the 100th of his career.
SUNDERLAND REACHES 100 WIN MILESTONE Penn State mentor Troy Sunderland's 31-9 win over No. 19 Cornell on Jan. 12 at the National Duals was the 100th of his coaching career. Sunderland now stands at 102-77.
ERWIN KNOCKS OFF #8 ANCERAVAGE TO LEAD PENN STATE OVER #17 CORNELL; NAMED BIG TEN WRESTLER OF THE WEEK Sophomore 174-pounder David Erwin notched a thrilling 6-4 win over No. 8 Steve Anceravage of Cornell in Penn State's resounding 35-10 win over the 17th-ranked Big Red on Jan. 4. Erwin scored six points in the closing seconds of the second period to post the victory, the signature win in Penn State's fifth-straight win to open the season. For his efforts, Erwin was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for the week ending Jan. 6. The honor was Erwin's first and the second of the season for Penn State (Jake Strayer won the award on Nov. 21).
THREE FALLS HIGHLIGHT PENN STATE'S 35-10 WIN OVER #17 CORNELL Penn State used three falls to build up a 14-1 edge in bonus points, plus won seven of ten bouts, to coast to a 35-10 win over visiting Cornell on Jan. 4. The bout was wrestled in front of over 3,200 fans in Rec Hall. Jake Strayer (141), Phil Davis (197) and Mark McKnight (125) each got pins, marking the first time the Lions had three falls in one dual since its 39-3 victory over North Dakota State on Jan. 12 last year (at the Virginia Duals). Penn State also got bonus points from Garrett Scott (getting a forfeit at 149), Dan Vallimont (a major at 157) and Phil Bomberger (a major at 184).
DARLING'S RUNNER-UP SHOWING AT HITCHCOCK OPEN LEADS SIX PSU PLACERS A solid group of Penn State Nittany Lion wrestlers performed well on Saturday at the Floyd `Shorty' Hitchcock Open hosted by Millersville University. True freshman Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.) led six Penn State place winners with a runner-up showing at 149 pounds. Darling and most of his teammates were wrestling unattached. Darling went 3-0 with two major decisions to advance to the finals before falling to North Carolina's Mike Rappo 5-2 in the title bout. Junior Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.), continuing to perform well at 174, went 5-0 overall, but a semifinal loss to a non-collegiate wrestler moved him to the consolation bracket where he continued his prowess to place third. Friend had three pins and a technical fall during his run. Junior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) also had a solid tournament, going 5-1 with a major decision to also finish third at 184 pounds. Sophomore heavyweight Brendan Herlihy (Fairfield, Conn.) posted a 4-1 record at HWT to place third as well. Three of Herlihy's four wins came in overtime. True freshman Micah Bollinger (Mifflinburg, Pa.) actually led Penn State in victories at the tournament, racking up a 7-1 record to finish a strong third at 165 pounds. Red-shirt freshman Mike Eagen (Wharton, N.J.) was solid at 133 pounds as well, going 3-2 and placing fourth. Eagen had two pins and a major decision.
PENN STATE ANNOUNCES THREE TV DATES The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team will be featured in at least three live televised duals this year as the Big Ten Network and local affiliates WPSU-TV and WHVL-TV will all air one match in the upcoming weeks. The Big Ten Network recently announced that Penn State's home conference dual with Michigan State will be broadcast to a national audience live on Feb. 15. The dual had initially been changed to a 5 p.m. start, but scheduling changes with the BTN have allowed the match to be switched back to its original 7 p.m. start time. Penn State's Jan. 4 home dual with Eastern rival Cornell was televised live on WPSU-TV, Penn State's PBS affiliate. The Nittany Lions beat 17th-ranked CU 35-10 in front of over 3,200 fans. In addition, WHVL-TV, State College's new local television station, will follow Penn State to nearby Lock Haven University to televise Penn State's Feb. 23 road dual at Lock Haven live as well. In order to accommodate the live telecast, the dual has been moved back to an 8 p.m. start (instead of the original 7:30 p.m. start). WHVL-TV is serving a growing audience in the Centre Region and can be seen on seven regional cable systems. Check www.whvl.com for a complete list of local affiliates and channels.
DECKER CLAIMS WILKES OPEN TITLE Penn State Nittany Lion junior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) stormed his way to the 184-pound title at the 2007 Wilkes Open on Friday, claiming the crown in action that finished Friday evening. Decker's performance led a strong contingent of unattached Penn State grapplers as four Nittany Lions placed at the event. Decker went 5-0 on the day including two pins in his first two bouts and added two decisions and a medical forfeit to win the title. Olympic red-shirt Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) also had a strong day, going 4-1 (3-1 vs. collegiate wrestlers) with two technical falls. Pataky lost a close 4-3 decision in the finals to No. 20 Steve Mytych, unattached from Drexel. Penn State also garnered two other place-winners. True freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) had a solid 4-2 day to finish fourth, including a pin. Sophomore Mike Ward (Mayfield, Ohio) went 3-2 (2-2 vs. collegiate wrestlers) to finish fourth at 184. Starting 133-pounder Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) returned to action, getting his feet wet after missing the last six-plus weeks with an injury. Haas went 2-1, 1-1 vs. collegiate wrestlers, at 133. He did not wrestle in consolations as the senior looks to prepare for Penn State's bout with No. 17 Cornell on Jan. 4. His lone loss was a tough 7-5 decision to Brandon Reasy of Pitt-Johnstown in the semifinals. Reasy is ranked No. 2 in the nation at the Division II level.
MOLINARO CLAIMS CSU OPEN TITLE Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) stormed the field at the Cleveland State Open to claim the 141-pound weight class title. The unseeded true freshman, wrestling unattached, went 5-0 at the event to win his second open tournament crown.Molinaro began the tournament with a 7-6 win over Bucknell's Luke Chohany. A pin and a decision followed. Molinaro then got a medical forfeit win in the semifinals before posting an impressive 6-1 win over top-seeded Mike Hurley of Cleveland State in the finals.
THREE DAYS IN DECEMBER LOOKED A LOT LIKE `93! A 72 hour span, bookended by some interesting travel, looked a lot like 1993 for the Penn State wrestling team. On Friday, Dec. 7, Penn State shut-out Lehigh 33-0 in LU's Stabler Arena. The shutout was the first Nittany Lion shutout of Lehigh since a 39-0 whitewash of the then-Engineers on Feb. 13, 1993. Two days later, on Dec. 9, Penn State made an appearance in Oklahoma State's Gallagher-Iba Arena and came away with a thrilling 21-18 win at No. 3 Oklahoma State. The win was Penn State's first over Oklahoma State since a 38-7 win at OSU on Jan. 30, 1993.
DAVIS' PIN CLINCHES 21-18 WIN AT OKLAHOMA STATE Senior All-American Phil Davis picked up his first pin of the year, getting a fall over Oklahoma State's Clayton Foster (5:50) to clinch the Nittany Lions' 21-18 win at OSU on Dec. 9. The victory was Davis' fourth straight to start the 2007-08 campaign.
VALLIMONT TAKES DOWN #20 McSPADDEN AS LIONS DOWN COWBOYS IN GALLAGHER-IBA ARENA While over ten ranked grapplers were set to battle when then No. 5 Penn State visited then No. 3 Oklahoma State on Dec. 9, only one of the dual's ten bouts featured two ranked wrestlers facing each other. Penn State sophomore Dan Vallimont, ranked No. 10 nationally at 157, downed No. 20 Newly McSpadden of Oklahoma State 5-4 to help Penn State secure a 21-18 win in OSU's Gallagher-Iba Arena.
SCOTT MAKES PSU DUAL MATCH DEBUT Penn State true freshman Garrett Scott made his Penn State dual match debut on 12/9 by taking on Oklahoma State senior Nathan Morgan, who was ranked No. 6 at 141 pounds. Scott, filling in for starter Jake Strayer, battled the returning All-American tough but came away with a 6-3 loss to the veteran Cowboy.
BOMBERGER TAKES DOWN #17 CRAIG TO LEAD PENN STATE TO 33-0 SHUT-OUT OF LEHIGH Junior Phil Bomberger, ranked No. 19 in the nation at 184 at the time, downed then No. 17 David Craig 9-5 to help Penn State post a 33-0 shut-out of Lehigh in the Mountain Hawks' Stabler Arena on 12/7. The victory was Bomberger's first over a ranked opponent this year.
LABORANTI MAKES DUAL MATCH DEBUT AT LEHIGH Junior HWT John Laboranti made his Penn State dual match debut in fine fashion with a solid 12-5 win over Lehigh's Justin Allen on 12/7. The win helped Penn State post a 33-0 shut-out win at Lehigh.
EAGEN GETS FIRST DUAL MATCH WIN AT LEHIGH Red-shirt freshman Mike Eagen, filling in for starting 133-pounder Tim Haas, got his first Penn State dual match debut at Lehigh on 12/7. Eagen posted a 4-3 victory over the Mountain Hawks' Kevin Vinh to help PSU secure a 33-0 shut-out at LU.
FIVE NITTANY LIONS WIN TITLES AT 2007 NITTANY LION OPEN Sophomores Bubba Jenkins and Dan Vallimont led the charge as the fifth-ranked 149-pounder and 11th-ranked 157-pounder each held serve to win at their respective weights. Jenkins posted a perfect 5-0 mark (with an extra win over a non-collegiate wrestler) and Vallimont was 7-0 on the day. Freshman Garrett Scott blazed his way to a 6-0 mark at 141 and the title, including a win over teammate and second-ranked Jake Strayer in the semifinals. Sophomore David Erwin downed teammate Mark Friend, 6-2, in the finals at 174 to claim the title (his third open title of the year). Erwin went 6-0 and Friend went 4-1. Junior John Laboranti beat the 15th-ranked HWT in the nation, Kent State's Jermail Porter, in the finals to claim his title. Laboranti went 5-0 on the day. Friend's runner-up finish at 174 led Penn State's five other placers with Strayer taking fourth (he did not wrestle his third place bout and did not get a loss). No. 18 Phil Bomberger advanced to the quarterfinals at 184 before dropping a hard-fought decision to No. 8 and eventual champion Rocco Caponi of Virginia. Since only semifinal losers can wrestle for third place, Bomberger reeled off three straight wins in consolations to post a strong 6-1 mark and finish in fifth. Dave Rella went 5-2 to finish in sixth place at 165 and sophomore heavyweight Brendan Herlihy went 6-2 overall to finish sixth in the HWT division. In addition, recently signed Nittany Lion recruit Quentin Wright claimed the tournament title at 165 pounds.
MICHIGAN STATE DUAL BACK TO ORIGINAL 7 P.M. START TIME AS BIG TEN NETWORKS AIRS THE DUAL LIVE! The Big Ten wrestling clash between No. 3 Penn State and Michigan State on Friday, Feb. 15, in Rec Hall, will be aired live to a national television audience on the Big Ten Network. The match will start at its original scheduled time of 7 p.m. The event is the first announced live Big Ten wrestling dual for Penn State this season and will give Nittany Lion wrestling fans the chance to be a part of a live national wrestling broadcast. The Big Ten Network has not finalized its entire wrestling schedule with more dates, both live and tape delay, to be announced later.
ERWIN AND LABORANTI CLAIM MAT-TOWN TITLES Penn State Nittany Lion wrestlers David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) and John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa.) claimed titles at the 2007 Mat-Town U.S.A. Open Saturday evening with three other Penn Staters (and Lion-to-be) placing as well. Erwin won the crown at 174 while Laboranti nabbed the heavyweight title. Erwin went 4-0 at 174, winning the title bout over Nittany Lion teammate Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.) by a 9-8 score. Friend earned runner-up status with a 3-1 showing. Laboranti posted a 4-0 mark as well, beating Cornell's Maciej Jochem 5-3 (sv) in the finals to claim the title at HWT. He downed teammate Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) with a sudden victory decision in the semifinals. Wade, wrestling unattached, went 3-2 and took home fourth place. True freshman Micah Bollinger (Mifflinburg, Pa.), also wrestling unattached, took second at 165. He lost a 7-3 decision to Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) a high school senior who recently signed on to become a Nittany Lion next fall. Wright went a perfect 4-0 in the tournament to claim the title while Bollinger also posted a 4-0 mark (his loss to a non-collegiate wrestler does not count on his record).
STRAYER NAMED BIG TEN WRESTLER OF THE WEEK Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) has been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for the week ending on Nov. 18. Strayer, a junior 141-pounder, shares the honor with Wisconsin's Dallas Herbst. Strayer, who entered last Saturday's dual with Hofstra ranked No. 7 nationally at 141, nearly pinned No. 2 Charles Griffin before coasting to a convincing 6-1 win over the returning national semifinalist. The win helped spur No. 10 Penn State on to a 28-11 win over No. 12 Hofstra. The three-time Academic All-Big Ten pick was an All-American for Penn State last year at 133 but has moved up to 141 and has fared well so far this year, sporting a 2-0 record. Strayer is also a co-captain on this year's Nittany Lion squad for head coach Troy Sunderland. The weekly honor is Penn State's first of the year and the first since Aaron Anspach garnered the award on Feb. 7 of last year.
NITTANY LIONS DISMANTLE #12 HOFSTRA Getting three wins in match-ups of top ten wrestlers, Penn State won seven of ten bouts on its way to a thorough 28-11 dismantling of visiting Hofstra in a key Eastern wrestling dual. No. 2 Phil Davis majored No. 6 Joe Rovelli at 197 (12-1), No. 7 Jake Strayer nearly pinned No. 2 Charles Griffin on his way to a 6-1 win and No. 10 Mark McKnight beat No. 7 Dave Tomasette 3-2. Pins from Stefan Tighe at HWT and No. 20 Phil Bomberger at 184, plus decisions from No. 7 Bubba Jenkins (149) and No. 12 Dan Vallimont (157) aided in the victory.
DAVIS, STRAYER, McKNIGHT GET KEY WINS IN VICTORY OVER #12 HOFSTRA Already in top form, three-time All-American Phil Davis posted his second straight big win over a top ranked opponent. No. 2 Davis beat No. 6 Joe Rovelli of Hofstra 12-1 on 11/17, posting a major just a week after a 17-2 tech. fall over the No. 8 ranked 197-pounder from Maryland. No. 7 Jake Strayer nearly pinned No. 2 Charles Griffin, turning the defending national semifinalist to his back for a near fall and walking away with a convincing 6-1 win. Senior Mark McKnight was sound in his 3-2 win over No. 7 Dave Tomasette. The Lion 125-pounder, ranked No. 10 heading into the bout, scored the match-ups only takedown and did not allow Tomasette any openings. The three wins helped spur Penn State on to a 28-11 win.
DAVIS HANDLES TAMILLOW AT NWCA ALL-STAR CLASSIC EXHIBITION Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 2 in the nation at 197 pounds, posted a 6-2 decision over No. 3 Mike Tamillow of Northwestern in the 2007 NWCA All-Star Classic, held at the University of Oregon. Davis and head coach Troy Sunderland attended the exhibition event in Eugene, Ore. The victory, being in an exhibition, does not count towards Davis' season record. However, in the span of nine days, Davis began his 2007-08 season with wins over the eighth, sixth and third ranked wrestlers in the country by a combined score of 35-5. Davis is 2-0 on the year with wins over No. 8 Hudson Taylor of Maryland (a 17-2 tech. fall) and No. 6 Joe Rovelli of Hofstra (a 12-1 major).
MOLINARO CLAIMS ESU OPEN TITLE 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.
LIONS WIN NINE OF TEN TO TAKE DOWN TALENTED TERRAPINS Penn State won nine of ten bouts to take down a young and talented Maryland Terrapin team. Senior Phil Davis got a technical fall at 197, junior All-American Jake Strayer and sophomore Dan Vallimont got majors at 141 and 157 while sophomore Bubba Jenkins thrilled the crowd with a pin at 149. Mark McKnight (125), Dave Rella (165), Mark Friend (174), Phil Bomberger (184) and Stefan Tighe (HWT) all grabbed major decisions in the victory.
DAVIS HAMMERS #8 TAYLOR FOR ROUSING SEASON OPENING WIN; STRAYER MAJORS #20 PINTO No. 2 Phil Davis met No. 8 Hudson Taylor of Maryland in his first action of the year on 11/11. What many expected to be a battle of titans turned into a short-lived bout as Davis piled on back-points and more back points on his way to a 17-2 technical fall over the talented Terrapin sophomore in only 4:12. No. 7 Jake Strayer, an All-American at 133 last year and making his collegiate debut at 141, posted a 14-0 major decision over No. 20 Charlie Pinto in Penn State's season-opening dual match win over Maryland.
ERWIN AND LABORANTI WIN MSU OPEN TITLES Not letting defeat in Wrestle-Offs last weekend dampen their aspirations at national glory this season, two Penn State sophomores traveled to East Lansing, Mich., this past weekend and came away with titles at the MSU Open. Sophomores David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) and John Laboranti (Scranton, Pa.) won titles at 174 and heavyweight, respectively. Erwin, ranked No. 11 nationally at his new weight of 174, posted a 5-0 record with two major decisions, giving notice that the Lion sophomore is still a factor on the national scene. Laboranti went 4-0 at HWT with a major as well. True freshman Cameron Wade (Mayfield, Ohio), wrestling unattached, advanced to the semifinals at HWT before falling 3-1 to Tate. Wade went 2-3 and placed sixth.
LIONS RANKED #8 IN USA TODAY/NWCA POLL; PSU HAS EIGHT RANKED INDIVIDUALS The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the guidance of head coach Troy Sunderland, maintained their No. 8 ranking in the latest USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll. The poll is compiled by Intermat and the entire listing can be viewed at www.intermatwrestle.com. Sophomore Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) joined senior Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) with No. 2 rankings at their respectively. The top 15 remained unchanged from last week's poll and the Big Ten had eight, fully half, of the top 16. Iowa had all 12 first place votes and sits atop the poll. Nebraska (2), Oklahoma State (3) Minnesota (4), Central Michigan (5), Michigan (6), Ohio State (7), Penn State (8), Iowa State (9) and Northwestern (10) comprise the top ten. Joining the six Big Ten teams listed among the top ten are conference brethren Wisconsin (13), Illinois (15) and Indiana (16).
Vallimont, now a perfect 20-0 on the year, moved up to No. 2 nationally at 157, joining All-American Phil Davis, who is No. 2 at 197, with the lofty ranking. Davis is also undefeated at 12-0 on the year. Eight Nittany Lions are ranked individually, with five maintaining top ten marks. Senior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) is ranked No. 10 at 125, All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) is ranked No. 10 at 141 and sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) is ranked No. 5 at 149. Sophomore David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) maintained his No. 16 ranking at 174 while junior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) moved up a spot at 184 to No. 13. Junior heavyweight John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa.) kept his No. 15 spot as well.
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