March 21, 2008
St. Louis, Mo.; March 21, 2008 - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team will be well represented in the 2008 NCAA Championships national finals as two Penn Staters claimed wins in tonight's national semifinals. Sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) won a thriller in his semifinal bout at 149 and senior Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) dominated his foe at 197 to give Penn State two finalists. Senior 125-pounder Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) notched a thrilling tie-breaker win over 6th seed Gabe Flores of Illinois to become Penn State's fourth All-American as well. Penn State finds itself in fourth place in the team standings as well.
Jenkins trailed in his bout against 7th seed Darrion Caldwell of North Carolina State 8-7 with under :15 left. But the talented Lion sophomore tripped the Wolfpack grappler to the mat for a last second takedown and three back points to post a thrilling 12-8 win. He moves into tomorrow's national title bout against No. 1 seed Brent Metcalf of Iowa.
Davis was dominant in his 6-0 win over 6th seed Dallas Herbst of Wisconsin. The Nittany Lion was never in danger of being taken down and built up over three minutes in riding time to post the victory. He will face 4th seed Wynn Michalak of Central Michigan in the national title bout tomorrow night. Michalak beat defending national champion Josh Glenn of American in his semifinal.
Sophomore Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), Penn State's other semifinalist, was outstanding as well but fell victim to the talents of Illinois junior Mike Poeta at 157. Poeta grabbed a hard-fought 6-5 win in the semifinal. Vallimont will look to wrestle back and finish as high as third when he meets defending national champion Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro in tomorrow morning's medal round.
While Penn State's semifinalists were excelling, McKnight was thrilling the crowd in consolation action. First, he held on to Flores to post a 5-4 (tb) win in the `Round of 12', becoming an All-American for the first time in his career. He followed that up with another thriller, this one a 3-1 (sv) decision. McKnight can now finish no lower than sixth and will look to continue his climb in wrestle backs when he meets 5th seeded Charlie Falck of Iowa in tomorrow morning's medal round.
Penn State other grappler, true freshman Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.) was pinned by Army's Matt Kyler in the `Round of 12' at 141, finishing the tournament with a 3-2 mark and just one win shy of becoming an All-American.
The Nittany Lions went 4-2 in the fourth round tonight and are now 21-8 overall through four sessions. Penn State sits in fourth place with 63.0 team points, just five points behind third place Iowa State (68.0) and eight behind second place Ohio State (71.0). Iowa leads the team race with 102.0 points.
The tournament continues tomorrow with the consolation finals, places three through eight among the All-Americans, beginning at 10 a.m. Central. Saturday morning's session will be televised live on ESPNU. The championship finals are at 7:30 p.m. Central and will air live on ESPN. This year's tournament is being held in St. Louis' Scottrade Center.
BOUT-BY-BOUT:
125: Senior 125-pounder Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) took the mat against 6th seed Gabe Flores of Illinois needing just one win to become an All-American for the first time. The appearance in the `Round of 12' was McKnight's third. The first minute-plus were scoreless before Flores took a quick shot at McKnight's upper body and McKnight countered by nearly putting the Illini on his back. But neither man scored and action continued scoreless into the first period's final minute. McKnight grabbed control of Flores' left leg and slid his control up to the Illini's waste. After a brief tussle, McKnight picked Flores up off the mat and picked up the go-ahead takedown with just :12 left in the period. McKnight, leading 2-0 after one period, chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Flores then got in on his first shot but McKnight scrambled out of trouble and forced a reset with 1:11 left in the stanza. Neither wrestler managed any serious offense until just :06 remained. Flores tripped McKnight to the mat and got a close takedown as the period ended to cut McKnight's lead to 3-2 heading into the final period. Down by one, Flores chose down to start the last period and then reversed McKnight to grab a 4-3 lead. McKnight then escaped with 1:15 left to tie the bout at 4-4. He immediately got in on Flores' ankle and forced a scramble on the edge of the mat. But a stalemate was called and a reset at the :45 mark ensued. With just :40 left, McKnight worked his way into control of Flores and spent the last half minute furiously trying to complete a takedown to grab the win. But time ran out as Flores managed to close out the period without giving up any points. In the first overtime period, McKnight nearly got another takedown and spent another :30 trying to grab the victory. But once again, Flores fought off the Lion's efforts and a first tiebreaker began. McKnight was down in the first session and escaped with just :06 left to take a 5-4 lead. It was now Flores' turn to be in the down position, needing an escape to tie the score and force a second sudden victory period. Flores was given two resets early as McKnight was called for stalling once. After the third reset, McKnight wrapped himself around Flores' upper body and rode the Illini out, claiming a thrilling 5-4 victory and finally earning the All-America status that had eluded him in three prior trips to nationals. McKnight's win moves him into the next round of consolations, where he met Old Dominion's James Nicholson, the No. 10 seed.
In the match-cup with Nicholson, McKnight battled the ODU grappler evenly through a scoreless first quarter. Nicholson then chose down to begin the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. The escape would be the only scoring of the period. Down by one, McKnight chose down to start the final period and escaped to tie the score at 1-1. The Nittany Lion senior then looked to take the lead and nearly completed the takedown, getting control of Nicholson with 1:00. But the ODU grappler managed to fight off the move and force a stalemate at the :45 mark. McKnight continued his pressure, getting in on Nicholson and forcing another mad scramble at the end of the period. But neither man scored and the bout went to a first sudden victory period, McKnight's second of the session. Fresh off the start of the sudden victory period, the Nittany Lion dove in on Nicholson's feet and secured his second straight sudden victory win with a takedown just :21 into the period. The 3-1 (sv) win pushed McKnight into tomorrow morning's medal round where he will face No. 5 seed Charlie Falck of Iowa.
141: True freshman Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.), the 12th seed at 141, met Army's Matt Kyler in the `Round of 12', needing the win to become Penn State's newest true freshman All-American. The first minute passed with Scott looking for an opening on Kyler. After a minute of work, Scott got his first takedown to lead 2-0 with 1:48 left. But after a reset, Kyler reversed the Nittany Lion rookie to tie the score at 2-2. Scott could not work free of a strong Kyler ride and the Black Knight rode the Lion out to keep the score tied 2-2 after one period. Kyler owned a 1:08 riding time edge. Scott chose down to begin the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-2 lead. But Kyler was relentless, gaining control of Scott's foot and notching a second takedown to retake a 4-3 lead with 1:40 left in the period. Scott worked to reverse Kyler, but the Army grappler countered the move and picked up two back points to up his lead to 6-3 with :28 left to wrestle in the middle stanza. He then rode Scott out to carry that lead with 2:46 in riding time into the third period. Kyler chose down to begin the final period and reversed Scott in just :20 to move out to an 8-3 lead. The Nittany Lion freshman had just 1:35 left to try and steal the win. But Kyler was too strong on top and worked Scott to his back for a pin at the 6:43 mark. The loss ended Scott's tournament run at 3-2. He concludes his freshman year at Penn State with a 21-7 mark, in the `Round of 12'.
149: Sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), the 6th seed at 149, was Penn State's first national semifinals to take to the mat, matching up against North Carolina State's Darrion Caldwell, the 7th seed. Jenkins quickly took a 2-0 lead, diving in at Caldwell's ankles and taking a quick 2-1 lead after a Caldwell escape. Caldwell gained control of Jenkins' right leg and after a scramble on the edge of the mat, took a 3-2 lead with a takedown at the 1:15 mark. Jenkins could not break free of Caldwell's strong ride and the Wolfpack grappler rode Jenkins out to lead 3-2 with 1:02 in riding time, after the first period. Caldwell chose down to start the final period and escaped to a 4-2 lead, but Jenkins worked off the riding time edge. Jenkins then gained control of Caldwell's feet and lifted him off the mat, tying the bout at 4-4 with a takedown at the 1:10 mark. Jenkins let Caldwell up to a 5-4 lead and began working for another takedown. Jenkins could not score, however, and trailed by one heading into the final stanza. Jenkins chose neutral to start the third period. He then gained control of Caldwell's left leg and, as the Wolfpack grappler worked to get off the mat, grabbed his right ankle to take a 6-5 lead with 1:25 left. He then cut Caldwell to a 6-6 tie and began working for another scoring opportunity. Caldwell stunned Jenkins with a quick move behind him to take an 8-6 lead with under one minute to wrestle. Jenkins escaped to cut the Wolfpack lead to 8-7 and a reset was called with just :41 remaining. Jenkins was not to be denied. The Nittany Lion sophomore gained control of the talented Wolfpack grapplers leg and notched a strong takedown to take a 9-8 lead. He added three back points as the bout ended and posted a thrilling 12-8, come from behind win.
157: Big Ten Runner-Up Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), the 3rd seed at 157, carried a 30-2 record into his national semifinal bout against Illinois' Mike Poeta, the No. 2 seed. Vallimont's only losses this year were both at the hands of the Illini grappler. Vallimont eagerly looked to set the pace early, nearly notching a quick takedown on the edge of the mat. But Poeta worked his way out of bounds to force a reset at the 2:20 mark. Another solid Vallimont shot led to another Poeta move out of bounds, keeping things scoreless midway through the first period. Poeta then broke through, getting a go-ahead takedown at the 1:30 mark to lead 2-1 after a quick Vallimont escape. The duo then battled evenly through the rest of the opening period. Up 2-1, Poeta chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. Vallimont continued to pressure the Illini, taking a number of god shots. The Nittany Lion sophomore finally got his takedown, tying the score with a double-leg at the 1:20 mark. Poeta then escaped to a 4-3 lead with 1:04 left and action resumed in the middle of the mat. Poeta added to his lead, however, with quick trip at the :24Poeta added to his lead, however, with quick trip at the :24 mark to move up 6-3. Vallimont managed an escape at the buzzer, cutting Poeta's lead to 6-4 heading into the third period. Vallimont chose down to begin the final stanza and quickly escaped to a 6-5 deficit. Vallimont nearly got a takedown with 1:32 to go, but Poeta deftly forced a stalemate and a reset. The Nittany Lion sophomore pressured Poeta for the remainder of the period, forcing him backwards over the last :90 and into one stall call. Vallimont also forced a scramble as the bout ended, but Poeta was able to continue his defensive style and sneak away with a 6-5 win. The hard-fought loss moves Vallimont into tomorrow morning's medal rounds where he will face defending national champion Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro.
197: Four-time All-American Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), the second seed at 197, was Penn State's last entrant in the semifinals where he will faced 6th seeded Dallas Herbst of Wisconsin. Davis wasted no time in getting on top of Herbst, using a quick double leg to take a 2-0 lead just :30 into the bout. The Nittany Lion then began working on top, looking for an opportunity to finish a cradle and turn the Badger for back points. While the Lion could not turn Herbst, the Nittany Lion maintained control for the entire period to lead 2-0 with 2:31 in riding time after one period. Davis chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. He then gained control of Herbst's right ankle for a second takedown and a 5-0 lead just seconds after his escape. The Nittany Lion co-captain then dominated Herbst again on top, continuing to build up riding time while looking for a chance to finish his cradle. Davis rode the Badger out and led 5-0 with 3:42 in riding time heading into the third period. Herbst chose neutral to star the final period. Davis continued to look for another takedown. But Herbst managed to hold Davis off. Nonetheless, Davis posted a dominating 6-0 win and moved into the national finals for the second time in his career. Davis lost in the finals as a sophomore. Davis will take on Central Michigan's Wynn Michalak in the finals. Michalak, the No. 4 seed, upset defending national champion Josh Glenn in his semifinal bout.
2008 NCAA Wrestling Championships
Team Standings - After Session 4
1: Iowa - 102.0
2: Ohio State - 71.0
3: Iowa State - 68.0
4: PENN STATE - 63.0
5: Central Michigan - 61.5
6: Michigan - 61.0
7: Oklahoma State - 58.0
8: Nebraska - 58.0
9: Cornell - 57.5
10: Minnesota - 56.5
Penn State's record overall: 21-8
Penn State Agate (All # are tournament seeds)
125 -- Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette), Sr.
Tournament Record: 4-1 - Overall Record now: 17-10
Rd. 1: W, 5-1 dec. #12 Tyler Shinn, Oklahoma State
Rd. 2: L, 2-5 dec. #5 Charlie Falck, Iowa
Cn. Rd. 2: W, 6-2 dec. Marcos Orozco, UC-Davis
Cn. Rd. 3: W, 7-3 dec. Eric Morrill, Edinboro
Rd. of 12: W, 5-4 (tb) #6 Gabe Flores, Illinois
Cn. Qtrs: W, 3-1 (sv) dec. #10 James Nicholson, Old Dominion
Medal Rnd: vs. #5 Charlie Falck, Iowa, tomorrow morning, ESPNU
141 - Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa./Juniata Valley), #12 seed, Fr. - Round of 12 - SEASON COMPLETE
Tournament Record: 3-2 - Overall Record now: 21-7
Rd. 1: WBF over Carter Downing, Wyoming (3:32)
Rd. 2: L, 5-8 dec. #5 Manuel Rivera, Minnesota
Cn. Rd. 2: W, 4-2 dec.. #11 Keith Sulzer, Northwestern
Cn. Rd. 3: W, 14-6 maj. dec. Adam Frey, Cornell
Rd. of 12: LBF vs. Matt Kyler, Army (6:43)
149 - Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va./First Colonial), #6 seed, So. - ALL-AMERICAN Tournament Record: 4-0 - Overall Record now: 26-5
Rd. 1: W, 15-5 maj. dec. Bryce Saddoris, Navy
Rd. 2: W, 4-3 dec. #11 Ryan Lang, Northwestern
Qtrs: W, 5-3 dec. #3 J.P. O'Connor, Harvard, tomorrow morning
Semis: W, 12-8 dec. vs. #7 Darrion Caldwell, North Carolina State, tonight
FINALS: vs. #1 Brent Metcalf, Iowa, tomorrow night, 7:30 p.m. Central, ESPN
157 - Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J./Jefferson Twp.), #3 seed, So. - ALL-AMERICAN
Tournament Record: 3-1 - Overall Record now: 30-3
Rd. 1: W, 8-6 (sv) dec. Seth Garvin, Chattanooga
Rd. 2: W, 10-7 dec. Steven Brown, Central Michigan
Qtrs: W, 7-5 dec. #11 Tyler Sherfey, Boise State
Semis: L, 5-6 dec. #2 Mike Poeta, Illinois
Medal round: Tomorrow morning vs. #1 Gregor Gillespie, Edinboro, tomorrow morning, ESPNU
165 - Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit), So. - SEASON COMPLETE
Tournament Record: 2-2 - Overall Record now: 17-16
Rd. 1: L, 1-3 dec. #12 Jarrod King, Edinboro
Cn. Rd. 1: W, 14-5 maj. dec. Ryan Patrovich, Hofstra
Cn. Rd. 2: W, 12-0 (sv) dec. #11 Kurt Gross, Kent State
Cn. Rd. 3: L, 2-9 dec. Patrick Pitsch, Arizona State
184 - Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata), Jr. - SEASON COMPLETE
Tournament Record: 0-2 - Overall Record now: 19-10
Rd. 1: LBF vs. #12 Jack Jensen, Oklahoma State
Cn. Rd. 1: L, 2-4 dec. #5 seed Josh Weitzel, Oklahoma
197 - Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg), #2 seed, Sr.
Tournament Record: 4-0 - Overall Record now: 25-1
Rd. 1: WBF over Riley Orozco, Cal-State Bakersfield (1:47)
Rd. 2: W, 9-2 dec. Logan Brown, Purdue
Qtrs: W, 7-3 dec. #7 Hudson Taylor, Maryland, tomorrow morning
Semis: W, 6-0 dec. #6 Dallas Herbst, Wisconsin
FINALS: vs. #4 Wynn Michalak, Central Michigan, tomorrow night, 7:30 p.m. Central, ESPN